Category: Baseball

Two-time Gold Glove winner Brenton Doyle is heading to the Chicago White Sox from Colorado, as GM Chris Getz has entered his “defensive replacement” phase of team-building.

The cost is not nothing, as preseason No. 10 South Side Sox prospect Mason Adams is the headliner shipped out west to the Rockies. Carlos Vielma, a 16-year-old infielder positively crushing the DSL in his first pro season, is also wedged into the deal.

Two years ago, this trade would have set pulses racing, as Doyle won his second Gold Glove in two MLB seasons but more significantly added some pop to his game: 23 homers, 72 RBIs and a 3.9 WAR that seemed to predict multi-tool minor stardom ahead. But in the two years since, the center fielder has badly regressed. His 2025 was a stumble to a 0.2 WAR that apparently affected his defense as well, and this season Doyle battled oblique and groin injuries that saw him sent to Triple-A for a rehab assignment before his call-up just two games ago.

Sam Bradfield over at our sister site Purple Row offered her insight on the trade, promising that “when [Doyle] is on, he’s on” and that the speedster ran into both bad injury luck and struggles with altitude. He’ll face no such problems with the latter in the flatlander climes of Chicago, so perhaps the White Sox coaching staff can coax back more of the speed-D-pop excellence we saw from Doyle two seasons ago.

Triple-A starter Adams struggled in his return from Tommy John surgery in 2026, but had worked his way back to Triple-A and logged a 3-3 record and 4.25 ERA — and that includes getting lit up last night after being pulled from his Sunday start and getting inserted for three relief innings to end the Charlotte loss. For those needing translation, a 4.25 ERA in homer-happy Charlotte plays way differently than a 4.25 down in stingy Birmingham. The White Sox should have been prepping Adams for spot starts in September, not sending him out into even thinner air in Denver. Atone for your sins, Mason.

If not for a player named Fernando Tatís Jr., the inclusion of Vielma in the deal would cause no night sweats. However, in just 34 games as a pro, the 16-year-old infielder has twice the walks as strikeouts and is slashing .337/.508/.474. If you’re not sure you trade Adams straight for Doyle, you sure as hell don’t wedge this lottery ticket beefcake into the proceedings.

This, quite honestly, has the makings of a trade you’ll end up regretting. We’ll see.

The trade deadline ends at 4:00 pm today, and this morning, the Colorado Rockies traded CF Brenton Doyle to the Chicago White Sox.

Since we’ve got a long way to go and many trades awaiting us, we’ve set up an overflow thread to keep the conversation moving.

Let’s go, Rockies! Make some trades!

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

Hello, and welcome to the 2026 White Sox MLB trade deadline tracker!

Below, you’ll find every trade and acquisition the White Sox made over the past two weeks, anticipating the near-freeze of transactions after August 3. Where applicable, there are links to our trade deadline stories, which pack more detail.

A reminder, the trade deadline is 5 p.m. CT on August 3.

August 3
Acquire CF Brenton Doyle from the Colorado Rockies for Triple-A RHSP Mason Adams and DSL INF Carlos Vielma
So, now we have a bad trade, for a defensive replacement CF who may even have lost his defensive edge for a likely MLB starter in Adams (SSS preseason No. 10 prospect, holding a 4.25 ERA with the Knights as he battles back from TJS) and definition of a lottery ticket with DSL masher Vielma. Doyle was outstanding in 2024 but has seen his road to stardom severely sidelined since, including a demotion back to Triple-A in May.

Acquire RHRP Huascar Brazobán from the New York Mets for RHSP Gabe Davis and RHRP Zach Franklin
An absolute masterstroke of a minor deal that could pay huge dividends, beyond 2026. Brazobán is young by MLB standards but ancient (36 years old) for a pitcher who is controllable for the rest of this decade. He’s a little wild but allows hits like Jerry Reinsdorf hands out nine-figure contracts. At worst, he’s an upgrade of the departed Seranthony Domínguez, at 10% of the price. Franklin will see some time with the Mets, probably immediately, as he’s been a pro long enough to be Rule 5 draft-eligible next winter, while Davis projects long-term as a relief arm.

August 2
David James put together hisbiggest White Sox needs ahead of Monday’s trade deadline.

August 1
Acquire RHSP Luis Castillo from the Seattle Mariners for RHRP Seranthony Domínguez, Triple-A OF Nolan Jones and Double-A C Boston Smith
The first major move of GM Chris Getz’s 2026 deadline was a bit of a yawner. No doubt, snagging Castillo helps fill the most pressing need for the White Sox, starting pitching. But the 2026 version of Castillo has been horrific, worse even than an arm in Domínguez the entire fan base seemed so desperate to drop. Plus, Castillo’s 2026-27 salary will hamstring the White Sox going forward if the club continues to operate with the budget of a Triple-A team. If Castillo flounders and best-in-system catching prospect Smith continues to mash, this swap could be disastrous.

July 28
Sign free agent C Eric Haase to a minor-league contract, send him to Triple-A Charlotte
Haase hasn’t been a true MLB contributor since 2022, and as such is mere catching depth in case of catastrophe. That said, his -0.3 WAR in 29 games with the Giants this season is right in line with the production of current White Sox catchers Drew Romo (-0.6 WAR) and Edgar Quero (-0.9 WAR).

July 26
Acquire RHSP José Urquidy from the Pittsburgh Pirates for RHRP Felix Doroteo
A somewhat bizarre deal, as Urquidy provides deep emergency rotation depth (the White Sox immediately sent him to Triple-A Charlotte), but nothing that will assist in winning the AL Central. The return for Urquidy is the only thing more puzzling than the acquisition itself: 21-year-old Arizona Complex League reliever Doroteo, who was part of Chicago’s international signing class in 2025 but missed the entire year with injury.

We also published the results of our deadline-centered Reacts poll, which saw Noah Schultz as the rostered rookie the fan base would most be willing to part with in a deal to improve the team for the stretch run.

July 17
Hannah Filippo took a look at three possible starting pitcher rentals the White Sox could pursue at the deadline: Michael Wacha, Foster Griffin and Logan Webb

LOS ANGELES — Max Muncy homered once during the Dodgers’ homestand last week, and his home run last Tuesday against the Seattle Mariners tied Eric Karros for most regular season home runs in Dodger Stadium history.

Muncy and Karros each hit 130 regular season homers at Chavez Ravine, but if you factor in postseason home runs too, Muncy has the edge, 137-132.

So I asked Muncy over the weekend of all his home runs at Dodger Stadium — excluding his 18th-inning home run in Game 3 of the 2018 World Series to end the longest postseason game of all-time — was his favorite.

Muncy thought about this for a moment. First he remembered his walk-off home run on April 10 against the Texas Rangers, when he joined Don Demeter in 1959 as the only Dodger to cap off a three-homer game with a walk-off shot.

“One it’s a walk-off, two it’s the third home run of the night,” Muncy reasoned.

But after a few more moments cycling through his memories of nine seasons hitting home runs in Los Angeles, Muncy suddenly remembered another important dinger.

On August 21, 2019, Muncy hit a walk-off home run to beat the Toronto Blue Jays 2-1 in the 10th inning at Dodger Stadium. “Max Muncy saves the Dodgers tonight,” said Joe Davis on his home run call.

This home run was hit off Toronto southpaw Tim Mayza. Of the 137 home runs Muncy has hit at Dodger Stadium, 102 have been against right-handers and 35 against left-handers.

Winning the game was nice, but off-field events were what made it special for Muncy, who was four days shy of his 29th birthday at the time.

“That one might actually be my favorite, because of the circumstances outside the field surrounding it. It was on or around my birthday,” Muncy explained. “My wife flew home to pick up the puppy we just bought. I hadn’t met the puppy yet. She came to the stadium, and that was going to be the first night that I met him.”

That puppy is Jax, a french bulldog who was 14 weeks old at the time.

The Muncys still have Jax, now along with their three kids. But thinking back to that Wednesday night seven years ago and the ensuing few days made for a special memory.

‘We went into extra innings,“ Muncy said of his 2019 home run, ”and the circumstances surrounding it might be the most memorable.“

The Texas Rangers are trading infielder Josh Smith and pitcher Josh Stephan to the Toronto Blue Jays for lefthanded reliever Adam Macko, per multiple reports.

Macko, 25, was a 7th round pick of the Mariners in 2019, and was sent to the Jays after the 2022 season, along with Erik Swanson, in the Teoscar Hernandez deal. Macko has split the season between AAA and the majors, putting up a 4.07 ERA in AAA and a 4.91 ERA in the majors. He relies primarily on a fastball and a slider, with the occasional changeup and knuckle curve. He has average velocity but struggles with his control and command. He will have six years of team control remaining after this season.

This is a sad ending to Josh Smith’s time in Texas. Acquired as part of the Joey Gallo deal in 2021, Smith spent the 2022 and 2023 seasons as a regularly-used bench guy who didn’t hit much, then broke out with two very good seasons in 2024 and 2025, when he slashed .254/.336/.380 with a 6.4 bWAR in 293 games, though he faded badly in the final two months of those seasons.

Smith started the 2026 season as the replacement for Marcus Semien at second base, but ineffectiveness, a strained glute, and then a case of viral meningitis while he was on the i.l. with a strained glute resulted in his losing his job to either Ezequiel Duran or Nicky Lopez, depending on who else was on the i.l. Smith will have two years of arbitration eligibility remaining after this season, and is making just $3.23 million this year. This deal saves the Rangers about $1 million in the remaining obligation to him for 2026, and let’s them avoid having to make a decision as to whether to non-tender him if he doesn’t turn things around over the final two months.

Stephan, 24, is a Texas native who the Rangers signed as an undrafted free agent in 2020. A pitchability guy, was very good in the lower levels but struggled in AA and AAA, as is often the case with pitchability guys. He was slated to be a minor league free agent after the season and the Rangers almost certainly weren’t adding him to the 40 man roster.

UPDATE — Just read this on Baseball America’s write-up on Macko:

Macko grew up in Slovakia and learned to pitch by watching YouTube videos. 

So that’s something…

UPDATEII — The trade is official: Josh Smith and Josh Stephan to the Jays for Adam Macko.

UPDATE III — Macko has been optioned to AAA Round Rock.

The third of their pure rental pieces to go, Brooks Raley landed with the Phillies on deadline day. Once again, the Mets received a portfolio return, acquiring two minor league arms from their division rivals.

John Spikerman was the Phillies’ 3rd round pick in 2024 out of Oklahoma (NOT the same school as Carson Benge / Nolan Mclean / new Met Gabe Davis). The profile is pretty easy to understand here; potentially elite CF defense with the added bonus of passable up-the-middle infield ability; a bit of speed on the basepaths; decent feel for contact enhanced (or inflated) by a passive approach; and literally zero power. That final flaw is what kills the profile here and makes him more an organizational depth piece than an exciting prospect. The plus side is that there is an outlier skill (the defense) that makes him a potential contributor as a 5th or 6th outfielder type.

The more interesting and valuable part of the return is Luke Gabrysh, a 23-year-old right hander. While the surface-level ERA in High-A this season is ugly, but he’s already demonstrating the ability to generate a ton of in-zone whiffs with a 5-pitch mix – two fastballs, two breakers, and a change. Grabbing an arm with these sort of traits is what you want to be doing at the deadline when dealing rentals; if you’re getting someone with shiny surface stats, they’re likely underwhelming on true talent.

That said, this feels a touch light for Raley, who has been quite good since returning from his Tommy John recovery. Even with peripherals that don’t support a sub-2 ERA, Raley is likely to be the best lefty reliever moved this deadline. Getting a slightly better second piece than Spikerman, or a slightly better arm than Gabrysh would’ve made this look a bit better. Perhaps that changes once we evaluate the deadline as a whole.

We’ll have full grades for every deadline deal the Mets make once all the moves for the deadline have been made. Check back in for those next week.

Early reporting this morning from Francys Romero indicated that the Colorado Rockies were in discussions with multiple teams, including the Chicago White Sox, about a trade involving Brenton Doyle.

Ken Rosenthal has since reported that a deal sending Doyle to the White Sox had been agreed to pending medical review. Mark Feinsand followed up, indicating that the return for the Rockies is RHP Mason Adams and SS Carlos Vielma.

The last two seasons have been a struggle for Doyle as he fought to come back from injury. Most recently, he was injured during a game on May 19th against the Texas Rangers when he made a diving play in the outfield.

Doyle originally started a rehab assignment for this left oblique injury in late June but that was shut down before he was activated due to a groin injury.

Over the course of two separate rehab appearances with the Triple-A Isotopes, Doyle played in 11 games and slashed .395/.447/.651. Before being placed on the IL in May, Doyle had struggled at the plate in 43 games and slashed .207/.279/.270.

On Friday, he returned to the Rockies lineup and has been solid offensively since rejoining the team. In seven plate appearances, he has two hits, including a double and an RBI.

The move begins to make space in a crowded Rockies outfield but Doyle may not be the last Rockies outfielder to be on the move today.

Adams is a 26-year-old right-handed pitcher in Triple-A for the White Sox and was drafted in the 13th round of the 2022 draft and ranked as the White Sox’s No. 8 prospect per MLB Pipeline due to his good command and ability to spin the ball.

He has performed relatively well in 49 innings in the minors this year with a 3.86 ERA and a 4.05 xFIP between Triple-A and High-A, where he began the season after finishing his rehab from Tommy John surgery.

Vielma, the other player coming over from the White Sox, is a 16-year-old shortstop currently playing in the Dominican Summer League. He was signed in January for $400,000. Vielma has made consistent contact in his first taste of the DSL, batting .337/.507/.474 through 34 games, making him an intriguing lottery ticket despite being unranked by MLB Pipeline.

UPDATE: 12:16 pm

The Rockies have annouced their trade with the White Sox.

This is a developing story and Purple Row will provide more information as it becomes available.

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

The Toronto Blue Jays have emerged as both a buyer and a seller at the MLB trade deadline, acquiring right-hander Jose Soriano on Monday from the Los Angeles Angels.

The deal comes less than 12 hours before the 6 p.m. ET deadline.

Jays GM Ross Atkins has been quite busy the last few days, sending ace Kevin Gausman to the Chicago Cubs for a pair of prospects, while also acquiring veteran starter Jameson Taillon from the Cubs in a separate deal.

In his fourth MLB season, Soriano, 27, has posted a record of 9-6 with a 3.29 ERA in 123 innings for the Angels.

In return, the Angels pick up a trio of minor leaguers, headlined by shortstop Arjun Nimmala, who rates as the game's No. 43 overall prospect, according to MLB Pipeline.

As the Trade Deadline approaches, Joel Sherman and Mark Feinsand are reporting that interest in Clay Holmes remains high. The Milwaukee Brewers are among those with the most interest in Holmes, and the Mets are expected to make a deal for him by the 6 PM ET deadline today.

Holmes had a strong start to the season, among the best in the Mets’ rotation, with an ERA of 2.39 and WHIP of 1.10 through nine starts, but his season was abruptly interrupted by a comebacker that fractured his fibula Spencer Jones during his start against the Yankees. He has been on the 6o-day IL, and instead of making his scheduled major-league start on Sunday, made another rehab start in Brooklyn.

Holmes has a player option for next year that he is expected to decline, though he has expressed interest in an extension in New York. Despite that, no meaningful extension talks have materialized, and he has been floated as a trade candidate for weeks. The Brewers need starting pitching as Brandon Woodruff and Quinn Priester are both out for the season.

There are probably going to be a bunch of deals made today, so let’s concentrate all of the chatter about them here in this thread.

We can talk about rumors, react to what has already gone down around the league, whatever you want.

Let’s ride.

Welcome back to Monday Stat Party, a weekly series showcasing some of the most curious and nostalgia-inducing statistical developments from the past week of Mets baseball. What unites each entry is the sense of intrigue which they aim to spark, and the unbridled love of the game’s anomalies from which they arise. Without further ado, let the stat party begin.

MONDAY

The Mets beat the Braves 14-3 after having lost to them 14-3 on July 4 in Atlanta. It’s the first time an MLB team has won 14-3 and lost 14-3 to the same opponent in the same season since 1996, when the Yankees lost to the Angels 14-3 on August 29 and beat them 14-3 on August 31. Prior to this season, the Mets had only played six games with a 14-3 final in franchise history, with three wins and three losses.

A.J. Ewing, Francisco Lindor, Bo Bichette, Tyrone Taylor, and Marcus Semien each recorded three hits, marking the first time five Mets recorded three or more hits in a game since August 22, 2025, when five Mets (including Lindor and Taylor) did it in Atlanta. The Mets have accomplished the feat on eight different occasions in their history, and four of those eight have come against the Braves.

Lindor, Semien, and Francisco Alvarez each reached base four times, marking just the third time three Mets reached base four or more times in a game at Citi Field. The previous two came on July 1, 2013, against the Diamondbacks (Eric Young Jr., David Wright, Josh Satin, Omar Quintanilla) and March 29, 2018, against the Cardinals on Opening Day (Brandon Nimmo, Adrián González, Kevin Plawecki).

Zac Thornton posted a 2.43 ERA over his first five career outings, ranking seventh-best among Mets pitchers with a minimum of five innings per outing, behind: Nolan McLean (1.42), Steven Matz (1.80), Mike Bruhert (1.82), Tom Seaver (1.91), Dillon Gee (2.18), and Jason Jacome (2.38).

Thornton also became one of eight Mets pitchers with four or more quality starts among their first five career outings, joining Ron Darling (5), Jacome (5), Gee (5), Seaver (4), Gary Gentry (4), Alay Soler (4), and Jacob deGrom (4).

Luis Robert Jr. has played in just 35 games this season, but he is tied for second on the Mets with six batted balls of 110 mph or higher, including Monday’s fifth-inning single off Martín Pérez which registered at 111.7 mph. Only Juan Soto (7) has more such batted balls for the Mets this year.

Lindor recorded three extra-base hits in a game for the 10th time in his career, and for the third time as a Met (after having done so on July 6, 2023, in Arizona, and September 12, 2021, in his three-homer game against the Yankees).

The Mets notched 19 hits in a game for the second time this season. They are one of only five teams with multiple 19-hit games this year, along with the Giants (3), Braves (2), Royals (2), and Pirates (2). Monday also marked the fifth time the Mets had 19 hits in a game at Citi Field, and the first since July 14, 2017, in a 14-2 win over the Rockies.

The Mets recorded nine hits with an exit velocity of 100 mph or higher, marking their most such hits in a game this season.

WEDNESDAY (GAME ONE)

A.J. Ewing stole two bases, marking the second time he’s done that in his short big league career. He’s the fourth Met with two multi-stolen-base performances in his first 68 career games, along with Bud Harrelson, Mookie Wilson, and and Darryl Strawberry.

WEDNESDAY (GAME TWO)

Christian Scott completed six innings for the first time this season. Prior to Wednesday, he had gone 14 consecutive starts without completing six innings to begin the season, currently tied with the Athletics’ Jacob Lopez (who has an active streak of 14) for the most in the Majors this year. The Nats’ duo of Jake Irvin (12) and PJ Poulin (11) also have active streaks close behind.

THURSDAY

With a first-inning strikeout of Heriberto Hernández, Nolan McLean recorded his 200th career strikeout in his 30th career game, making him the fifth-fastest Met to reach that total behind Dwight Gooden (25 games), Matt Harvey (27 games), Noah Syndergaard (28 games), and Kodai Senga (29 games). Jacob Misiorowski and Paul Skenes are the only other starters since Senga to debut and reach 200 strikeouts in 30 or fewer games.

McLean posted his sixth consecutive quality start, the most by a Met since Kodai Senga (8) from August 7-September 20, 2023. It was also McLean’s eighth consecutive start in which he completed six innings, the most by a Met since Sean Manaea (8) from August 16-September 21, 2024.

McLean had seven total chances in the field (three putouts, three assists, and one error), marking the most in a game by a Mets pitcher since Armando Reynoso’s seven on August 15, 1998, in Arizona. (source: SNY broadcast)

Kyle Stowers’ 112.8-mph home run was the hardest-hit homer the Mets have allowed since Shohei Ohtani’s 114.0-mph shot off Max Kranick on June 2, 2025 at Dodger Stadium.

FRIDAY

Francisco Lindor’s seventh-inning solo shot was his 150th home run as a Met, passing Carlos Beltrán for seventh on the franchise’s all-time leaderboard behind Pete Alonso (264), Darryl Strawberry (252), David Wright (242), Mike Piazza (220), Howard Johnson (192), and Dave Kingman (154).

With his fifth-inning single, Lindor extended his hitting streak against the Marlins to 21 games, setting a record for the longest hitting streak by any player against the Marlins. Tom Pagnozzi (1993-1996) and Quilvio Veras (1997-2000) were previously tied for the record at 20 games. Lindor got hits on Saturday and Sunday to make it a 23-game hitting streak against the Marlins. He’ll have the chance to extend it to 26 games later this season when the Mets play in Miami on September 7-9.

Kodai Senga completed four innings on just 33 pitches. That’s the fewest pitches a Mets starting pitcher has thrown to make it through the first four innings of a game since Bartolo Colon completed four innings on 32 pitches on September 23, 2015 against the Braves at Citi Field. (credit: PIX broadcast)

Senga took the loss on Friday night, giving him an 0-8 record on the season. He’s the fifth Met to begin a season with at least eight consecutive losing decisions, after Bob Miller (0-12 in 1962), Anthony Young (0-13 in 1993), John Franco (0-8 in 1998), and Shaun Marcum (0-9 in 2013).

SATURDAY

After Saturday, Tyrone Taylor had hit seven home runs over his past 19 games. Prior to this season, his previous career-high in homers during a 19-game span was five.

The Mets issued multiple walks for the 100th game this season, second-most of any team in MLB behind the Reds (101).

SUNDAY

Making his first Major League appearance in over a year, Robert Stock shattered his career high by racking up 12 whiffs, including at least three on three different types of fastballs (cutter, four-seamer, and sinker). His previous career high had been nine.

Stock has made 58 career appearances, and in only three of those has he completed at least four innings. All three have come at Citi Field, and in all three he has been pinned with the loss. The first was on June 16, 2021, when he started for the Cubs against the Mets. The second was on June 7, 2021, when he started for the Mets in the second game of a doubleheader against the Brewers. The third was Sunday, when he tossed five innings for the first time in his career while allowing just one earned run. (credit: SNY broadcast)

Luke Weaver recorded his 37th appearance with at least one inning pitched and no earned runs allowed this season, tied for fifth-most in MLB. Only Louis Varland (42), Tyler Rogers (41), Mason Miller (40), and Taylor Clarke (38) have more such appearances.

Sandy Alcantara made his 19th career start against the Mets, tying Tom Koehler and Dontrelle Willis for the second-most by a Marlin behind Ricky Nolasco (23).

The Mets suffered their eleventh shutout loss of the season, tied with the Pirates for the most in MLB.

The Mets scored two runs or fewer through nine innings for the 47th time this season. Only the Angels (48) have more such games in MLB.

Miscellaneous Mets stat of the week:

The last two Mets pitchers to record triples were Steven Matz and Dillon Gee, and both triples were hit against former Mets left-handers. Matz’s came on June 7, 2016, against Jon Niese in Pittsburgh, while Gee’s came on August 14, 2013, against Chris Capuano at Dodger Stadium.

The trade deadline has arrived. The final dots and crosses must made made to all the letters and all the agreements must be in to the Commissioner’s Office by 3:00 p.m. MST. As is often the case, there is an expectation that there will still be some contracts with wet ink at the time. However, as long as the paperwork is completed on time, smudged ink will not hold things up.

Saturday night saw the big deal happen that everyone had been fully expecting since last November. Finally, the Tigers admitted they were not going to be able to retain Tarik Skubal and that they were furthermore not contenders in 2026. As such, the Dodgers mad a move late on Saturday to acquire him. In exchange for two months plus the playoffs of one of the best pitchers in the game, Detroit receives right-hander River Ryan, outfielder Zyhir Hope, and righty Brady Smith. A fuller accounting of the move can be found over at MLB Trade Rumors.

Freddy Peralta
The Diamondbacks were one of many teams linked to the New York Mets’ struggling rental right-hander, Freddy Peralta. However, the Tamps Bay Rays struck first (and likely much harder than Arizona could). Freddy Peralta was shipped off to Tampa during the rain-lengthened affair between the Snakes and the Indians yesterday. If Arizona is going to find themselves a rental starter, it will have to be somebody else. (Frankly, this author is actually glad about that. Freddy Peralta had too many red flags similar to ones already residing on the Arizona roster in one form or another.)

Luis Garcia Jr.
While there was not much buzz linking the Diamondbacks with a move to acquire Washington’s Luis Garcia Jr, the slugging first baseman was very much the sort of help Arizona is in the market for. The Yankees have acquired first baseman Luis Garcia Jr. from the Nationals. Washington will receive four players in return, with right-hander Yovanny Cruz headlining a package that also includes right-handers Jack Cebert, Ben Grable, and Jake Bird. (Link to article at MLBTR)
Even slow trade deadlines still have flurries of minor activity. This projects to be a rather slow deadline. It also seems quite likely that Arizona will indeed make at least one of those various minor moves. Stay tuned to the Pit to see what happens and feel free to discuss today’s deadline moves below.

While most of you are focused on today’s MLB Trade Deadline, which comes up at 5 p.m. CT, I thought I’d take time to update you on some good — and not-so-good — Cubs performances over the past week.

Here’s who’s been hot and not for the Cubs over their seven games against the Cardinals and Yankees.

Three up

Nico Hoerner is on a hot streak

The Cubs second baseman batted .423/.444/.654 (11-for-26) over the seven games. He had a four-hit game in St. Louis and hit two home runs, his first since April. One of those homers was a key part of the win against the Yankees Saturday — it tied the game in the seventh inning.

Here’s that home run [VIDEO].

Since the All-Star break, Hoerner is batting .400/.409/.523 (26-for-65) with nine runs scored and 13 RBI in 16 games.

Alex Bregman is also heating up

Bregman’s bat began getting stronger just before the All-Star break and over the seven games against the Cardinals and Yankees he had three multi-hit games and overall batted .429/.484/.750 (12-for-28) with six doubles, a home run, three walks and eight runs scored.

Overall in 17 games since July 11: .304/.385/.580 (21-for-69) with seven doubles, four home runs, eight walks, 12 RBI and 16 runs scored.

Keep that up and he’ll be near his career norms by the end of the year.

David Peterson put together two outstanding starts

In his two starts against the Cardinals and Yankees, Peterson allowed three earned runs in 12 innings and struck out 11. The Cubs won both those games. Since Peterson’s awful start at Wrigley July 3 against St. Louis, he has posted a 1.52 ERA and 0.887 WHIP and has returned to being the ground-ball pitcher the Cubs thought they were getting — in those four starts, 35 ground-ball outs of 71 total outs recorded.

This was a very good trade by Jed Hoyer.

A hat tip to Pedro Ramirez, who started five of the seven games and batted .333/.474/.400 (5-for-15). That OBP is an eye-opener — Ramirez walked four times over the week and has a .370 OBP in 109 PA this season. Looks like a keeper to me.

Three down

Ian Happ remains ice cold

Despite a two-hit game in St. Louis, Happ batted just .148/.233/.259 (4-for-27) over the seven games. He did have three doubles and walked three times, but had eight strikeouts.

Craig Counsell has been giving his infielders rest from time to time. I think Happ could use a day off, too.

Dansby Swanson’s bat is also chilly

Swanson did get a day off during the week, but it didn’t seem to help, as he batted .048/.091/.048 (1-for-21) in the six games he did play, with eight strikeouts.

Swanson has become a real streaky hitter, much as Happ is. It would be nice for them both to go on hot streaks starting … right now.

Michael Busch is also not hitting

Busch had a rough week, batting just .161/.188/.161 (5-for-31).

He could probably also use a day off. The thing is, the Cubs don’t really have a backup first baseman — Carson Kelly played first for an inning Sunday after Counsell sent Justin Dean in to run for Busch. But I don’t think Counsell really wants Kelly to start at first base — he’s done that just once this year, April 13 vs. the Phillies.

If that happens, I doubt it would happen during the Dodgers series, anyway.

We’ve at last arrived at the MLB Trade Deadline. Once the clock strikes 6 p.m. EST this evening, teams will no longer be able to trade to reshape their rosters; what you have is what you’ve got the rest of the way. It’s the last chance for clubs around the league, and for Brian Cashman and the Yankees, to load up for a playoff push.

Though this deadline season took a while to heat up, we at last saw some marquee names exchanged this weekend. Yesterday, Freddy Peralta went to the Rays, Kevin Gausman went to the Cubs, and the Yankees made a major move with the acquisition of slugger Luis García Jr. Of course, the biggest news was the Dodgers’ addition of Tarik Skubal late Saturday night, a move that was expected by many but is still earth-shaking in its impact on the pennant race.

The Yankees laid in wait for some time leading up to the deadline, but after dealing Camilo Doval to the Pirates for prospects and then shipping out prospects for García, they’re out of the shadows and moving actively. Will they stay active on deadline day? Follow along with us as we keep you updated with every move and rumor from across the league all day.

Rumors of the Day (August 3)

• 3:45 PM EST: The Cubs made another addition to their pitching staff, picking up right-handed reliever Ryan Zeferjahn from the Angels. Zeferjahn has an interesting fastball/sweeper combo and has posted a 3.66 ERA on the year. We’ll see if that’ll do it from the Angels, who have moved Zeferjahn, Jose Soriano, Brent Suter, and Jo Adell, but still have some other big trade chips left (see: Zack Neto and Reid Detmers).
• 3:15 PM EST: A pair of starting pitching moves: Dustin May goes to the Brewers, and the Cubs grab Braxton Garrett. May had been lined up to start for the Cardinals against the Yankees this week. Instead, he’ll try to bolster Milwaukee’s rotation, while Garrett, who’s mostly spent the season in Triple-A, will augment a shaky Cubs staff.
• 3:05 PM EST: Cross another relief arm off the list: Luke Weaver is reportedly headed to the Pirates. There never seemed to be too much traction on a deal between crosstown rivals, but a reunion with Weaver and the Yankees would’ve made some sense. Instead, the Pirates pick up an arm as they try to make a playoff push, and the Mets continue to strip themselves for parts.
• 2:45 PM EST: The deed is done. The Orioles have traded Rutschman to the Red Sox, per Jeff Passan (old friend Carlos Narváez is apparently involved in this, as is pitching prospect Anthony Eyanson). On the bright (?) side, the Yankees officially optioned Max Schuemann to make room for Luis García Jr., and they revealed that he will be wearing No. 26, the first Yankee since DJ LeMahieu! And Kervin Castro is back in the Yankees’ bullpen!!! This is all great. It’s great. It’s even.
• 2:15 PM EST: The Dodgers aren’t done adding pitching, and they’ve gone with an old standby: the injury-ridded option. Kris Bubic is coming over from the Royals for righty Carlos Duran, per Mark Feinsand. The 2018 first-round pick broke out with an All-Star 2025 but is just never healthy. Even that year, he made just 20 starts. He has 213 total innings to his name since the end of 2022. Bubic is even on the IL right now with shoulder issues! But sure, the Dodgers can throw him in their shed of possible arms.
• 2:10 PM EST: This is almost already old rumor news at this point, but the Yankees’ discussions with the Orioles about Rutschman evidently included Elmer Rodríguez per Joel Sherman. There’s no word either way but hopefully the issue was on the Orioles’ end and not the Yankees prospect-clutching Elmer. My guess is probably not, but still. Anyway, the catching pivot may now just be the Reds’ Tyler Stephenson. Exciting, huh?
• 2:00 PM EST: It’s a double-batch of trades reported at the same time at two o’clock. Figures. More relevant of the two: the Rays are getting a big boost behind the plate while the Yankees still don’t have an answer beyond Austin Wells. Jeff Passan says that they’ve arranged an all-Florida swap with the Marlins for Liam Hicks, who has broken out with 2.5 rWAR and a 124 OPS+ in 101 games. He’s 27 but is under team control through 2030. Ack. 2023 first-round pick Brayden Taylor is among the three players going to Miami per Will Salmon Sammon. Ack. The other trade of the moment has the Giants sending Robbie Ray to the Padres, to which we say… “alrighty then.” You do you, Preller.
• 1:50 PM EST: Perhaps take it with a grain of salt, but Bob Nightengale reports that the expectation is that Tigers starter Casey Mize will be moved before the deadline, and that the Diamondbacks are among the teams interested. Whether the Tigers would go into full sell mode after dealing Tarik Skubal has been a major topic of conversation in the last two days, and so far, they’ve yet to trade off anyone other than their ace.
• 1:40 PM EST: Another interesting trade, with the Rangers sending infielder Josh Smith to the Blue Jays. You may remember Smith as a former Yankee farmhand that was traded to Texas as part of the Joey Gallo move (alongside fellow infielder Ezequiel Duran). Smith has struggled in 2026 but the move is still intriguing from Toronto’s perspective; Smith has two more years of arbitration remaining, as it appears the Blue Jays are actively moving now to try and add for the 2027 season and beyond.
• 1:00 PM EST:Buster Olney is reporting that the Red Sox and Orioles have a deal in place for Adley Rutschman but that nothing has been agreed to. In Olney’s words, the Red Sox “just need to say yay or nay”.
• 12:50 PM EST: A minor trade to note, with the Rockies trading center fielder Brenton Doyle to the White Sox. Once one of the best defensive outfielders in the game, the 28-year-old has struggled with injuries and ineffectiveness the last two seasons. Still, it’s notable to see the White Sox, enjoying a surprisingly strong year, continue to add at the deadline.
• 12:20 PM EST: And another possible Yankees target goes, as Jeff Passan reports that Orioles outfielder Taylor Ward is headed to Seattle. This one stings a bit, as Ward has a well above average bat and would have fit snugly in the Yankee lineup both as a holdover until Cody Bellinger and Aaron Judge (hopefully) return, and as a quality right-handed option even after the Yankees get healthier.
• 12:15 PM EST: It looks like we’ve got a former potential Yankees target that’s gone off the board, as Jon Heyman is reporting that Jo Adell has been traded to the Guardians. The Yankees were never that seriously linked to Adell, but he made some sense as a right-handed bat who could start in a corner.
• 12:00 PM EST: There’s a lot of smoke surrounding Adley Rutschman right now, and not in a way that Yankees fans are going to like to hear. Multiple reports have surfaced linking the Red Sox to the Orioles catcher, with Joel Sherman saying that the Red Sox are “working hard” to acquire Rutschman.
• 11:45 AM EST: A couple of minor deals to note: the Dodgers acquired catcher Ben Rortvedt from the Mets for pitcher Chayce McDermott, and the Braves grabbed reliever Brent Suter from the Angels for infielder Nacho Alvarez Jr.
• 11:25 AM EST: Everything must go for the Mets, and they’re getting bites on pitcher Clay Holmes, with reports indicating the Brewers are in the market for Holmes’ services. Holmes has been very effective as a starter when healthy for the Mets but has had issues staying on the field, recently making a rehab start in his recovery from a leg fracture suffered pitching against the Yankees.
• 11:10 AM EST: The Yankees did not offer Will Warren for Padres reliever Adrian Morejon, at least according to Mark Feinsand. This has been a subject of some debate in the rumor-sphere, with some reporting that the Yankees offered the starter Warren for Morejon. Just based on how Brian Cashman and the Yankees typically value players, color me very surprised if they actually offered Warren as the main piece in a deal in which a rental reliever was the primary player coming back. Still, Heyman posits that Warren-for-Morejon was at least discussed.
• 11:00 AM EST: The Rangers are open for business. Jon Heyman reports that teams have been discussing pitchers Nathan Eovaldi, Mackenzie Gore, and Jacob Latz. Texas looked like they would be adding at the deadline when they traded for Chase Silseth and Logan O’Hoppe last week, but a recent downturn has left them below .500 and contemplating selling.
• 11:00 AM EST: Joel Sherman reports that the Padres are looking to add a starting pitcher today, and that Robbie Ray of the Giants is a possibility. After days of rumors surrounding players like Mason Miller and Adrian Morejon, it looks like San Diego may actually go in the other direction and buy at the deadline.
• 10:45 AM EST: The catching position is obviously one of interest for the Yankees, but it’s unclear what the catching market looks like, even at this late stage. Jon Heyman notes that the Mets don’t intend to move right-handed catcher Luis Torrens, a former baby bomber. Joel Sherman adds that Adley Rutschman is a player “of great interest” to the Yankees, and surely other teams.
• 9:50 AM EST: It’s an active morning for Dave Dombrowski, as the Phillies follow up their acquisition of Luis Arraez with the addition of reliever Brooks Raley from the Mets. The 38-year-old lefty has been stellar in New York this year, running a 1.96 ERA in 41.1 innings. In a matter of minutes, the Phillies have added a quality bat and two relief arms.
• 9:45 AM EST: Another significant trade has hit the wire, the Giants agreeing to send second baseman Luis Arraez to the Phillies. Philadelphia has limited prospect capital to spend, but it was always going to be tough for Dave Dombrowski to completely sit this one out. The Phillies now have a big upgrade for their infield, the impending free agent Arraez hitting .324 in a resurgent season, while the also-ran Giants continue to sell off pieces. Also headed to Philly in the deal is reliever Caleb Kilian, who could improve a shaky Phillies bullpen. The Phillies no. 4 prospect per MLB Pipeline Ramon Marquez goes to San Francisco, along with righty Marty Gair.

• 9:30 AM EST: We have a major trade! The Blue Jays have acquired Angels starter Jose Soriano reports Jeff Passan. No one expected the reigning AL champs to buy, not with Toronto mired in the middle of a miserable season, but Soriano makes more sense for a team that’s likely aiming for a rebound next year; the 27-year-old right-hander has two seasons of arbitration remaining. Minor leaguers Eddie Mitcheletti and Angel Rivero are part of the return for the Angels, but the main piece is 20-year-old shortstop Arjun Nimmala, likely the best prospect Toronto had to offer. 
• 9:00 AM EST: The Yankees and Padres were mixed up in rumors regarding reliever Adrian Morejon last night, but it appears that San Diego is leaning towards keeping their top arms, including Morejon and Mason Miller. Never say never when it comes to the Padres and AJ Preller, but if anything, it seems like San Diego will be more likely to buy than sell.
• 9:00 AM EST: After dealing Tarik Skubal, Casey Mize would seem to be the next domino to fall in Detroit, though it’s unclear whether the Tigers are going to go full fire sale, still just 2.5 games out of a playoff spot in a middling American League. The former top overall pick Mize will be a free agent after this season and has a 2.70 ERA on the year, making him an enviable potential rental for many teams, but the Tigers may end up holding if they want to try and make a late playoff push.
• 9:00 AM EST: The Mets continued their sell-off early this morning, sending reliever Huascar Brazobán over to the White Sox in exchange for minor league pitchers Gabe Davis and Zach Franklin. The Yankees’ crosstown rivals have been active sellers this deadline, and we can expect even more moves out of Queens today as the Mets trudge through another lost season.

Marcelo Mayer was the most-hyped prospect in Red Sox history. He was not the highest-ranked prospect the Sox have ever had, and other players like Roman Anthony, Mookie Betts, and, now, Franklin Arias, have all had their moments as the fanbase’s primo prospect darling. But Mayer represents the only time in Red Sox history when the organization landed a player who was viewed as potentially the single-best talent in the entire MLB Draft. Thus, what sets Mayer apart in terms of hype is the fact that, unlike pretty much any other Sox minor leaguer in history, he was widely known throughout the fanbase from the very moment he entered the org. So as prospects fly around the league today on deadline day, it’s worth keeping him in mind, because at this point, if the most-hyped prospect in Red Sox history “has any trade value at this stage, it would be as a throw-in.” (Peter Abraham, Boston Globe)

And that’s why Criag Breslow is reportedly going into overdrive on the hunt for a new shortstop. “One exec, who spoke on the condition of anonymity so they could speak candidly about the Red Sox, said in a text, “That’s all I hear — Boston/SS.” (Ken Rosenthal, The Athletic)

Though don’t count the team out of the starting pitcher race, either:

The Sox could use another arm in the bullpen, too, though thankfully they already have the closer’s spot locked down, as Aroldis Chapman was just named the AL Reliever of the Month for the fifth time in his career. (Shanthi Sepe-Chepuru, MLB.com)

Of course we know one starting pitcher who definitely won’t end up with the Sox: Tarik Skubal, who landed with the Dodgers over the weekend. “Looks like they’re going to be positioned to have a pretty good rotation, and we don’t play them anymore after today unless we get to the World Series,” said Chad Tracy. “So we’ll deal with it then.” (Tim Healey, Boston Globe)

The players seem to be just as nonchalant as Tracy when it comes to thinking about trade deadline help. “If somebody comes, we’ll welcome them with open arms,” said Ceddanne Rafaela. “If not, we will keep winning baseball games with this team. That’s what we’re doing.” (Chris Cotillo, MassLive)

Ceddanne has earned the right to believe in his own abilities. Has he also earned the right to enter the MVP conversation? (Scott McLaughlin, WEEI)