Category: Sports News

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The Texas Rangers head into tonight's series opener against the San Francisco Giants as a -117 home favorite at Globe Life Field, with first pitch scheduled for 8:05 p.m. ET. 

However, my Giants vs. Rangers predictions and MLB picks expect Logan Webb to silence Texas, while the San Fran offense will provide him with run support. 

Who will win Giants vs Rangers today: Giants moneyline (+105)

The San Francisco Giants hand Logan Webb the baseball this evening. He's posted a 2.51 FIP across his last two outings, and he hasn't allowed a single homer during that span. 

Webb will face a Texas Rangers lineup that's is in very poor form, posting an 84 wRC+ over their previous seven contests.

Cal Quantrill, meanwhile, has compiled a 5.15 FIP over his last five appearances, and his FIP also sits at 5.18 at home this season. While the Giants are in the midst of a three-game skid, they're swinging it a lot better than Texas, carrying a 104 wRC+ over the last week. 

There could be runs on both sides, but Webb gives San Francisco the cleaner starting-pitching profile, and the Giants’ recent offensive form gives them enough support. Our Colby Marchio has Rafael Devers helping the Giants' cause with his home run props today.

I'll play this pick down to -110. 

COVERS INTEL: Logan Webb has held opponents to a 28.4% hard-hit rate over the last month, compared to his season average of 39.2%. 

Giants vs Rangers Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (-121)

This total sits at 8.5, and the Under looks like the better angle. Neither starter is completely untouchable, but Webb’s ability to limit the long ball gives San Francisco a strong run-prevention base against a Rangers lineup that's been cold recently.

Texas has been better offensively at home with a 106 wRC+ this season, so the Rangers are not a complete fade. However, the Giants bullpen gives this Under a strong path, posting a 2.78 FIP over its last 25.1 innings without allowing a home run.

The Rangers bullpen is more vulnerable with a 4.21 xERA over the last week, but unless Texas wakes up offensively, this matchup has a clearer path to stay Under 8.5.

I'll play this pick up to -130. 

Giants vs Rangers weather

Weather looks hot and dry at Globe Life Field tonight, with clear skies and temperatures falling from the upper 90s into the upper 80s. Winds should be light, and there's no rain concern. If the roof is open, the heat could help carry, but conditions are neutral if closed.

Giants vs Rangers odds

• Moneyline: Giants +113 | Rangers -117
• Run line: Giants -1.5 (+170) | Rangers +1.5 (-178)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (+113) | Under 8.5 (-117)

Giants vs Rangers trend

The Giants have cashed the team total Under in 21 of their last 35 games for +5.65 units and a 14% ROI. Find more MLB betting trends for Giants vs. Rangers.

How to watch Giants vs Rangers and game info

Giants vs Rangers latest injuries

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A fresh week is in front of us as we look to back a pair of players and fade a pitcher on Monday's MLB slate.

Here are my three favorite MLB player props for August 3.

Best MLB player props today

Player	Pick	Odds
Brandon Lowe	Over 1.5 hits + runs + RBI	-108
Aaron Nola	Over 2.5 earned runs	+104
Brandon Pfaadt	Under 4.5 strikeouts	-158

Brandon Lowe Over 1.5 hits + runs + RBI (-108)

First off, this is a complete misprice. Win or lose, this is a steal for Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Brandon Lowe to go over 1.5 hits + runs + RBI.

For starters, this marks Lowe's 106th elite rating on Batters-Box. Over the previous 105 elite ratings across the last three seasons, he has cleared this prop 62.86% of the time. Even more impressive, in 47 road elite ratings during that span, he's surpassed it 70.21% of the time. Those are trends I simply can't ignore.

Lowe enters Monday with one of the hottest bats in the Pirates lineup, batting .310 with a .517 SLG, .850 OPS, a 46.5% hard hit rate, and a 9.3% barrel rate over his last 60 at-bats against right-handed pitching.

He now draws Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Brandon Sproat, who has struggled against left-handed hitters this season. Over his last 30 plate appearances against lefties, he's allowed a 42.1% hard-hit rate, 15.8% barrel rate, and 68.5% elevation rate. Those hitters have also produced a .453 xSLG, .390 xwOBA, and .240 ISO during that stretch.

There are plenty of reasons to like Lowe tonight, but seeing him clear this prop in more than 70% of his road elite ratings is the stat that's toughest to ignore. I'd play this all the way to -125.

• Time: 7:40 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: BREW, SNP

Aaron Nola Over 2.5 rarned runs (+104)

No Luis Garcia Jr., no problem.

The Washington Nationals enter Monday with five hitters carrying either an elite or strong rating on Batters-Box, giving them the highest-rated offense on the slate. They will face Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola, who is the second-lowest-rated pitcher of the day and owns poor matchup ratings in wOBA, ISO, and hard contact allowed.

Despite a tough offensive week, I'm still confident the highest rated offense on the board can get the job done against a pitcher with a 6.70 home ERA this season.

It gets even better. Over the last 30 left-handed hitters he's faced, Nola has allowed a 70.8% hard-hit rate, 16.7% barrel rate, and a 75% elevation rate. Those hitters have also produced a .440 xBA, .817 xSLG, and .509 xwOBA. That's a recipe for disaster against a lineup with this much upside. All five of those highly rated bats will bats from the left side this evening. 

If you're hesitant about the 2.5 earned runs, the Nationals' first five team total is just 1.5 at -150. Asking the highest-rated offense on today's slate to score two runs in the first five innings feels like an insult, regardless of the outcome. 

• Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: NATS, NBCS-Philadelphia

Brandon Pfaadt Under 4.5 Strikeouts (-158)

Despite the complete turnaround from Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Brandon Pfaadt over his last five outings, he's still not a strikeout pitcher. That's exactly why I love the under on his strikeout prop against the San Diego Padres tonight.

On the season, theheavy ground-ball pitcher owns just a 15.91% strikeout rate, and over his last three starts, that number has dropped even further to 10.39%.

Pfaadt also owns the lowest average strikeout rate on Batters-Box's current season ratings. Now he draws a Padres lineup that doesn't feature a single projected hitter above the league average strikeout rate.

Against right-handed pitching, San Diego has just three hitters above a 22% strikeout rate over their last 60 plate appearances. As a team, they've maintained a strikeout rate below 20% across their last 21 games.

Despite the heavy juice, I think this is a fantastic way to close out the night. I'd play this to -160.

• Time: 9:40 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: ARID, SDPA

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Hi there!

As you know, Thomas Smith is away on vacation.

To keep this feature going, I’m going to post simply the WPA numbers and plays of the game, and a poll so you can vote on your choice for Player of the Game. Thomas will update the Rizzo Award standings when he returns.

Game 112, July 31: Yankees 2, Cubs 1 (63-49)

Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.

THREE HEROES:

• Superhero: Pete Crow-Armstrong (.184). 0-1, 3 BB
• Hero: Michael Busch (.154). 1-3, RBI
• Sidekick: Ryan Rolison (.134). 1.1 IP, H, 2 K

Rolison helped keep the game close for more than an inning.

THREE GOATS:

• Billy Goat: Alex Bregman (-.354). 0-4, K
• Goat: Dansby Swanson (-.244). 0-4, K
• Kid: Ian Happ (-.188). 0-3, BB, K

Those are relatively large negative WPA numbers from three players, all of whom came up with chances to drive in runs and didn’t do so.

WPA Play of the Game: José Caballero’s two-run homer in the third (.179).

Cubs Play of the Game: PCA’s walk in the eighth (.098).

Pedro Ramirez’s ninth-inning walk was just behind that at .096, but the Cubs could not score him.

Up next: The Dodgers come to town for a three-game series. Matthew Boyd throws the series opener against L.A. lefty Justin Wrobleski.

Time to win a series.

In their desperation to revamp both their sagging offense and a pitching staff gasping for air, the Philadelphia Phillies fired their biggest trade deadline shot early on Monday, Aug. 3, acquiring three-time batting champion Luis Arraez from the San Francisco Giants.

The cost was significant: Right-hander Ramon Marquez was the Phillies’ No. 4 consensus prospect and likely the highest one they’d move, given the perceived unavailability of first-year pro right-hander Gage Wood and injured shortstop Aidan Miller.

Yet the Phillies need an adrenaline boost after losing 10 of their first 13 games out of the All-Star break. How did they and the Giants do in this deal? Let’s explore:

Luis Arraez trade details

Phillies receive: INF Luis Arraez, RHP Caleb Kilian

Giants receive: RHP Ramon Marquez, RHP Marty Gair

Phillies trade grade: A-

What a pivot.

Presumed to be hunting for a right-handed hitting outfielder, the Phillies got fed up with that narrow and grim market and instead snagged Arraez, who is having an All-Star season and has revived himself as a Gold Glove-caliber second baseman.

Arraez, batting .324 with an .801 OPS this season, greatly diversifies a Phillies offense too often reliant on the home run and prone to dead spots when sluggers Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper are misfiring.

Paired with an offensively resurgent Trea Turner near the top of the order, Arraez provides an ideal lefty-hitting complement to Turner. He can also fold in near the middle of the lineup – Arraez often batted cleanup for the Giants – and add protection for Schwarber and Harper while assuming a run-producing position in the order.

Offensively, it’s an ideal fit. Defensively, less so.

There’s a reason the Phillies wanted a right fielder, as they’ve trotted out Gabriel Rincones Jr., Derek Hill, Bryan De La Cruz and others in an effort to replace Adolis Garcia, who’s out for the season.

Now, the Phillies have a bit of a logjam in the infield and at DH.

Would Bryce Harper be serious about grabbing his outfielder’s glove and going to right field, allowing Arraez to play first? Does this signal fewer at-bats against right-handers for third baseman Alec Bohm, with Bryson Stott sliding to the hot corner while Arraez mans second?

That seems the likeliest scenario, with Bohm batting .226 with a 73 adjusted OPS. And Arraez, thanks to extesnive work with Giants coach and infield guru Ron Washington, has posted a career-best 11 outs above average at second base this season.

Kilian gives the Phillies bullpen another arm, certainly, and perhaps he’ll find greater consistency away from the toxic fire that is the Giants relief corps. He’s saved eight games but has a 1.33 WHIP. At the least, he takes pressure off their seventh- and eighth-inning arms such as Jonathan Bowlan and Orion Kerkering.

Giants trade grade: B+

Buster Posey needs a few wins on the board to prop up his disastrous tenure as president of baseball operations as the Giants pivot toward selling rather than contending. Adding Marquez is a nice start.

Marquez, along with first-round picks Jackson Flora and prep left-hander Jackson Bolemon, greatly bolsters the club’s pitching inventory in just one month. Marquez, 20, is in his second full pro season and has reached high Class A Jersey Shore, striking out 93 in 59 innings across two levels. He features a 96 mph fastball and decent changeup, which he deploys to produce a 165-36 strikeout-walk ratio as a pro. (He’s also hit 13 batters).

Gair, 23, was a 13the-round pick out of Florida Southwestern State College in 2023. He missed the 2023 and 2024 seasons but has come back to strike out 66 in 36 innings out of the bullpen at two Class A levels.

A busy Sunday in the Dodgers minor leagues.

Player of the day

Ontario first baseman Easton Shelton continued to run roughshod through the California League, with another three-run home run on Sunday, to go along with two walks and a single.

Shelton leads the Cal League with 32 home runs, tied for second-most among all minor leaguers and 15 more home runs than any other player in the Cal League.

Triple-A Oklahoma City

Three runs in the second inning was all the Comets needed to beat the Las Vegas Aviators (A’s), behind Christian Romero and four relievers. Noah Miller singled home the first run.

Romero struck out five in five scoreless innings in Oklahoma City’s home shutout win over Las Vegas. That snapped a string in which the right-hander allowed 13 runs in 13 1/3 innings over his last three starts.

Ronan Kopp got the final four outs, including two strikeouts, for the save.

Double-A Tulsa

Giving up eight runs in an inning is almost never good, but giving up two eight-run innings in a row is, well, hopeless. The Drillers scored the first six runs on Sunday but the Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Royals) scored the next nineteen in a romp over Tulsa.

Josue De Paula hit his third home run in two days, and his 20th of the season. Combined with his 28 stolen bases this year, this is De Paula’s first 20-20 season.

High-A Great Lakes

Weather wreaked havoc over the weekend for the Loons, who completed one suspended game on Sunday and then had another game suspended against the Fort Wayne TinCaps (Padres) due to wet grounds.

The Loons were already down 7-0 after an inning and a half in the game that was resumed from Saturday, so that was kind of a lost cause. Great Lakes lost the game by seven, with each team adding five more runs on Sunday. Logan Wagner homered and doubled in the loss.

In the planned seven-inning nightcap, Fort Wayne led 6-2 after four innings when the game was suspended. It’s unclear if or when the game might be completed.

Class-A Ontario

Shelton and second baseman Javier Herrera led a Tower Buzzers offensive onslaught to beat the Fresno Grizzlies (Rockies).

Herrera hit a three-run home run of his own, walked twice, singled, and scored three times.

Transactions

Triple-A: Pitcher River Ryan was traded to the Tigers in the Tarik Skubal deal. Ryan will remain on the injured list, now with Toledo in the International League. Charlie Barnes is back for his third go-around with the Dodgers this season, signing a minor league deal, and he got two outs in relief for Oklahoma City on Sunday.

Double-A: Outfielder Zyhir Hope was traded to the Tigers, and is now with Erie in the Eastern League. Pitcher Roque Gutierrez was activated after five days on the temporary inactive list, and allowed seven runs while recording two outs.

High-A: Pitcher Brady Smith was traded to the Tigers, and remains in the Midwest League with West Michigan.

Class-A: Pitchers Spencer Green and Wuillians Herrera joined Ontario from the Arizona Complex League.

Sunday scores

• Oklahoma City 3, Las Vegas 0
• Northwest Arkansas 19, Tulsa 7
• Fort Wayne 12, Great Lakes 5 (resumption of suspended game)
• Fort Wayne 6, Great Lakes 2 (suspended, top 5th)
• Ontario 15, Fresno 6

The week ahead

• Oklahoma City at Salt Lakes (Angels)
• Tulsa at Corpus Christi (Astros)
• Great Lakes at Dayton (Reds)
• Ontario at Lake Elsinore (San Diego)

So sell off a starting pitcher one day, buy a starting pitcher the next.

The Jays have picked up 27-year-old José Soriano from the Angels.

José Soriano is a very good pitcher, and much younger than Kevin Gausman. He has a 3.29 ERA in 22 starts this year, with a 2.7 bWAR. Batters are hitting .217/.311/.321 against him. He’s a ground ball pitcher, but has 127 strikeouts in 123 innings. He’s also leading the league with 57 walks.

And he’s under team control through the 2028 season.

It gives the Jays another top of the rotation starter to go with Dylan Cease (and Trey Yesavage) for the next couple of years at least.

Going to the Angels are:

• Arjun Nimmala, who the Jays were talking up over the last couple of years. There was a Sportsnet profile showing him going to India. He was number 2 on our prospect list before the season and was doing well as a 20-year-old in New Hampshire, hitting .279/.355/.451, after having a poor second half of the 2025 season. It might suggest the Jays think a lot of Jo Jo Parker. Or, Nimmala is just who they needed to have in the deal to get Soriano.
• Eddie Micheletti Jr., an outfielder, who was hitting .251/.347/.454 at age 24 in New Hampshire.
• Angel Rivero, a 19-year-old pitcher, who has a 2.36 ERA in the Florida Coast League with 52 strikeouts and 23 walks in 42 innings.

Welcome to the Jays José. We hope you can win a lot of 2-1, 1-0 type games.

Jays, if you could wait a little later in the day to make these moves for us bloggers who are in western Canada, I would appreciate it. But thanks for the fun trade.

Editor's note: Follow along for live rumors, trades and news during MLB's trade deadline day on Monday, Aug. 3.

In a deft bit of trade deadline buying and selling, the Toronto Blue Jays are acquiring right-hander Jose Soriano from the Los Angeles Angels for three prospects, less than a day after trading franchise stalwart Kevin Gausman to the Chicago Cubs.

A baseball official with direct knowledge of the deal confirmed the Blue Jays are acquiring Soriano. The person spoke to USA TODAY Sports on condition of anonymity because the deal, first reported by ESPN, has not yet been announced.

In snagging the coveted Soriano, who has two years of club control beyond this one, the Blue Jays ensure their championship window remains pried open for the next two seasons. He also provides them a boost should their hopes of contending – they enter play Monday, Aug. 3 4 ½ games out of a wild card spot – greatly appreciate in the season's final two months.

The cost was not insignificant: Top 100 shortstop prospect Arjun Nimmala, outfielder Eddie Michelletti and right-hander Angel Rivero. It also signals the Angels are strongly pivoting to selling under new GM John Mozeliak.

Soriano, 27, has struck out 127 in 123 innings this season and has a 3.72 ERA in 72 career starts.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Blue Jays acquire Angels ace Jose Soriano, filling rotation hole for two seasons

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The Los Angeles Dodgers hope to get back on track as they head to Wrigley Field for a three-game series with the Chicago Cubs.

Despite coming off an ignominious sweep, Dave Roberts' squad is -117 on the moneyline. See why I'm buying the dip with my Dodgers vs. Cubs predictions and MLB picks for Monday, August 3.

Who will win Dodgers vs Cubs today: Dodgers moneyline (-121)

This line is artificially short for two main reasons: the Los Angeles Dodgers' poor form — they've dropped five of their last seven games — and the Chicago Cubs' dominance against left-handed pitching.

I'm not holding the weekend sweep against L.A. as it came at the hands of the Red Sox, who are on a historical winning streak. It's difficult for markets to adjust to such an overperforming opponent.

Chicago's league-best 119 wRC+ against southpaws is great on the surface, but Justin Wrobleski's reverse splits (.213/.252/.322 against right-handed hitters) should offset that concern against a lineup projected to feature at least seven righties.

I'd lay L.A. up to -125.

COVERS INTEL: Part of the Cubs' success against left-handed pitching comes from their ability to draw walks at a 10.7% rate. Wrobleski can mitigate that concern with his 4.7% walk rate and 113 Location+.

Dodgers vs Cubs Over/Under pick: Under 7.5 (+109)

The winds might be minor (5-7 mph), but they're blowing in toward the third-base side. With two effective starting pitchers on the bump, I'm betting on a low-scoring game. 

Matthew Boyd has been on fire, allowing just two earned runs in his last 20 IP. The Cubs have played to the Under in four of his last five starts, and he'll have a potent bullpen behind him (2.41 ERA, 3.38 FIP since the All-Star break).

Wrobleski has exceeded expectations all season en route to a 2.88 ERA and 0.96 WHIP, which are fantastic numbers no matter how you look at them. By no accident, the Boys in Blue are 5-9 O/U in his last 14 starts.

I'd play this down to +100.

Dodgers vs Cubs weather

Dodgers vs Cubs odds

• Moneyline: Dodgers -117 | Cubs +113
• Run line: Dodgers -1.5 (+144) | Cubs +1.5 (-150)
• Over/Under: Over 7.5 (-117) | Under 7.5 (+113)

Dodgers vs Cubs trend

The Dodgers are 5-2 in Justin Wrobleski's last seven starts. Find more MLB betting trends for Dodgers vs. Cubs.

How to watch Dodgers vs Cubs and game info

Dodgers vs Cubs latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Teams looking to improve or sell of for the future, must complete trades by today’s deadline at 5 p.m. CT.

The Royals made a move early by trading outfielder Lane Thomas to the Atlanta Braves on Saturday for pitchers Lucas Braun and Carter Holton. Reliever John Schreiber could also draw interest, as contenders are always looking for bullpen help.

But the Royals reportedly seem less inclined to move players who they feel can help them win in 2027, like Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha. J.J. Picollo told reporters it would take a large return to get them to part with either of the two rotation fixtures.

“If you’re dealing from a position of depth, then that’s a different story,” said Picollo, referring to a rotation that will be without Cole Ragans (UCL repair), Ryan Bergert (UCL reconstruction) and potentially Stephen Kolek (right flexor strain) through a significant portion of next season.

“If we end up moving another starter, another bullpen piece, now we have a lot of work to do in the offseason,” Picollo said. “We don’t mind the work, but then there’s the reality of how much can you actually get done?”

USA Today’s Bob Nightengale writes that teams have had interest in the veteran pitchers.

The Kansas City Royals have received a ton of interest in starters Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo, but they rebuffed all offers, believing they need them to compete next year.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan writes the team is not looking to rebuild.

Unless Kansas City’s tack changes, it will hold onto Wacha and fellow starter Seth Lugo…The Royals will seek a John Schreiber landing spot. Anything else is a matter of their appetite to yield team control. Because if they do, Daniel Lynch IV would join the top tier of available left-handed relievers.

The Royals don’t want to rebuild. They believe in their core of Bobby Witt Jr., Jac Caglianone, Maikel Garcia, Carter Jensen and Vinnie Pasquantino. Complementing it with pitching is the goal, but it’s one this deadline will struggle to supply. Limited inventory and limited quality tend to equal limited return.

MLB.com reporter Mark Feinsand also doesn’t expect the Royals to trade anything more than their rentals.

The Royals are surefire sellers this week, but don’t look for Kansas City to trade away any of its controllable players.

According to sources, the Royals are open to moving their expiring contracts, most notably reliever John Schreiber and outfielders Lane Thomas and Starling Marte, but players with control beyond 2026 – namely pitchers Michael Wacha, Seth Lugo, Daniel Lynch IV and Alex Lange – will likely remain in Kansas City after the Trade Deadline has passed.

“They’re trying to contend in 2027 and they think those guys are part of that equation,” a rival executive said. “It doesn’t seem like they’re going to move any of them. Maybe one of the relievers, but that would be it.”

Here are the trades that have taken place so far:

• The Nationals traded Curtis Mead to the Red Sox for Connelly Early.
• The Angels traded Logan O’Hoppe and Chase Silseth to the Rangers for Angel Arredondo.
• The Mets traded A.J. Minter to the Twins for Billy Amick and Bruin Agbayani.
• The Orioles traded Dean Kremer to the Twins for Jhomnardo Reyes.
• The Guardians traded Bo Naylor and Codi Heuer to the Brewers for Blake Perkins and Craig Yoho.
• The Mariners traded Luis Castillo to the White Sox for Seranthony Dominguez, Nolan Jones, and Boston Smith.
• The Yankees traded Camilo Doval to the Pirates for Omar Alfonzo and Luis Cruz.
• The Tigers traded Tarik Skubal to the Dodgers for Zyhir Hope, River Ryan, and Brady Smith.
• The Mets traded Freddy Peralta to the Rays for Aidan Smith, Emilien Pitre and Gary Gill Hill.
• The Blue Jays traded Kevin Gausman to the Cubs for Brett Bateman and Ty Southisene.
• The Nationals traded Luis Garcia Jr. to the Yankees for Yovanny Cruz, Jack Cebert, Ben Grable, and Jake Bird.
• The Giants traded Tyler Mahle to the Braves for Anthony Molina.
• The Angels traded Jose Soriano to the Blue Jays for Arjun Nimmala, Eddie Micheletti, and Angel Rivero.
• The Mets traded Huascar Brazobán to the White Sox for Gabe Davis and Zach Franklin.
• The Giants traded Luis Arraez and Caleb Kilian to the Phillies for Ramon Marquez and Marty Gair
• The Mets traded Brooks Raley to the Phillies for Luke Gabrysh and John Spikerman

We will keep this updated throughout the day!

A.J. Minter was the first of the Mets’ rental relievers to get dealt, heading to Minnesota for two infield prospects. Neither are fantastic on-field pieces, but both have some level of name ID.

Billy Amick is the bigger name across baseball more broadly. A 23-year-old R/R corner infielder, Amick was selected in the 2nd round in 2024 after a junior year at Tennessee in which he batted .306/.387/.639 with 23 HR in 255 AB and what a national title. Now, there’s usually a good reason when big-name, big-college performers are available in the 2nd, and in Amick’s case it was serious questions about his hit tool. Fittingly, he’s struck out more than 25% of the time at every minor league stop (save an 18 game sample in his draft year), and has struck out 28.5% of the time this season at Double-A with a 105 wRC+. This is ultimately a right-hand hitting first baseman with good raw power and not much else. If that sounds like Mark Vientos to you….well I won’t dissuade you of that notion.

Bruin Agbayani is probably the more famous name to Mets fans specifically because yes, he is Benny’s son (and yes, you are old). Bruin was picked in the 6th round in 2025 and has fewer than 100 PAs in his career – a shoulder injury has kept him out for the majority of this season. There’s some feel for contact and a decent approach here. There’s also little to no present power (an issue likely to be further exacerbated by a serious shoulder injury) and he’s more a 2B than an SS. That said, you’d probably rather roll the dice on a guy who has runway to surprise you and improve (like Agbayani) rather than an older guy who seems more locked into a less appealing profile (like Amick).

Overall this is a pretty underwhelming return. A.J. Minter isn’t exactly a great pitcher at this point given where his stuff and peripheral metrics are at (and I definitely overestimated a potential return when guessing at a hypothetical deal). This return doesn’t offer anything of significant value, however. Maybe you get an up-and-down bench guy, but you’d have hoped to at least snag an interesting trait arm or a better lottery ticket than Agbayani. Perhaps this assessment looks a little different after the rest of the trade market plays out.

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.

Good morning, foLLks, and happy Monday!

The Mariners are off before the Tigers come to town for a three-game set, so they have an extra day to bask in Colt Emerson’s walkoff knock to seal a series win. More importantly, though, is that today marks the official trade deadline day for Major League Baseball! It was a busy weekend around baseball, but pencils will need to be down at 3:00pm Pacific time. While some cross-discussion is bound to happen on such a hectic day, we have an open trade deadline thread dedicated for discussing rumors and moves, whether Mariners-specific or across baseball.

In Mariners news:

• In case you missed it, Zach Mason wished Luis Castillo happy trails following Saturday’s blockbuster trade that sent him to the South Side.
• Bye, Buddy! Hope you find your dad!

• The M’s once again brought up lefty Josh Simpson yesterday, but with Seranthony Domínguez expected to join the club tomorrow, it’s likely he’ll be Tacoma-bound in the next 24-36 hours.

Around the league:

• The rental starting pitching market is ablaze! Kicking things off, we have Kevin Gausman moving from the Blue Jays to the Cubs for outfielder Brett Bateman and middle infielder Ty Southisene.
• Toronto also acquired recently DFA’d Jameson Taillon from the North Siders for a player to be named later or cash considerations.
• The Mets selling continues, with Freddy Peralta heading to Tampa Bay. The Rays sent over outfielder Aidan Smith – the second deadline swap he’s been a part of after the M’s moved him in the package for Randy Arozarena – middle infielder Émilien Pitre, and righty Gary Gill Hill.
• Righty Tyler Mahle was swapped from the Giants to Atlanta for fellow righty Anthony Molina.
• It wasn’t all arms moved yesterday: the Nationals traded first baseman Luis García Jr. to the Yankees for a quartet of right-handed pitchers, including veteran Jake Bird.
• Even with the win, yesterday’s Mariners’ bullpen meltdown was pretty tough to watch. If any Royals fan was peeking, though, it was familiar territory.

• Following Tarik Skubal’s move to the Dodgers, Angels lefty Brent Suter – a Harvard grad who is on the executive committee for the MLBPA – is bracing himself for yet another wrinkle in negotiations.
• In support of the inaugural Women’s Pro Baseball League season, our sister site Purple Row will be posting discussion threads as the league kicks off play. Opening Day was Saturday, with the Los Angeles Queens beating the New York Heights 10-8, while the other two teams began play yesterday as the San Francisco Firebells trounced the Boston Hunters 11-3.

On Saturday, the Royals traded outfielder Lane Thomas and pitcher Bailey Falter to the Atlanta Braves for two minor league pitchers – Lucas Braun and Carter Holton. Now that we’ve had some time to digest the deal, how did the Royals make out?

Thomas signed a one-year, $5.25 million deal with Kansas City before the year hoping he would bounce back after being hurt much of the last two seasons. While he didn’t produce the power he did in 2023, when he hit 28 home runs, he became a steady bat. He got off to a slow start, but came around in the summer, hitting nine home runs in 52 games since June 1. Overall, Thomas hit .232/.326/.393 with 10 home runs in 97 games, but excelled against lefties, hitting .263/.370/.430.

The value of “rentals”, players whose contract is up at the end of the season, is always a bit limited. But the market for right-handed outfielders is a seller’s market. The number of right-handed hitters is at its lowest point in at least five decades. The quality of right-handed hitters has declined as well, leaving a market where demand outstrips supply. The Rangers, Phillies, and Yankees are just some of the teams reportedly interested in adding a right-handed bat.

Lucas Braun was drafted in the 6th round of the 2023 draft by the Braves after his senior year at Cal State-Northridge. He has put up very good numbers at each level, leading him to be ranked the #8 prospect in the Braves system before the season by MLB Pipeline. Braun is a finesse righty with a deep arsenal of six pitches who relies on deception more than velocity to get hitters out, not unlike Seth Lugo. MLB Pipeline writes he is a “kitchen sink” starter, who will throw the book at hitters.

His fastball sits at around 92 mph and tops out at 96, but he’ll throw both a four-seamer with armside run and a two-seamer with sink that he added at the end of 2024. He throws his low-80s slider a lot, and misses bats with it, while also folding in an upper-70s curve and mid-80s changeup. He started to incorporate an upper-80s cutter in 2025 to give a harder fastball-esque look for left-handed hitters, and it was at the top of his usage chart at Triple-A in 2026 at the time of the trade.

Baseball America ranked him #7 in the system, because of his plus command. He now ranks #11 in the Royals’ system.

Nothing Braun throws is plus. Instead, he relies on his advanced control and command—the best in the system—and an ability to mix and match. Braun’s fastball command has always been a strength, and his career 6.7% walk rate points to above-average control.

Brendan Gawlowski at FanGraphs ranked him #22 in the system, praising his funky delivery and athleticism, but raising questions about his stuff.

All of those factors are going to be important to maintain because Braun’s stuff is just okay. He works with both fastballs and sits in the low 90s with unremarkable shape. He has the full package of secondaries, and while the variety gives him a lot of ways to attack, he doesn’t have an out pitch. The ceiling is as a sum-of-his-parts no. 5, while the median projection is a length guy who can flex in and out of the rotation as needed.

Braun began this season at Double-A, where he posted a 3.20 ERA with strong strikeout and walk numbers in 50.2 innings. They moved him up to Triple-A, where he posted a 3.92 ERA in 43.2 innings, but with a very low strikeout rate of 16 percent. Dave Andrews of FanGraphs writes, that Braun has an “intriguingly compact delivery that gives him an extremely low release point.”

He adds, “Will Braun’s funk be enough to keep fooling major leaguers? The best projections say yes, and see him as a future no. 4 starter.”

Carter Holton pitched at Vanderbilt, where he had a 29 percent strikeout rate but a high ERA, and he was ranked #67 going into the draft by Baseball America. They wrote that while the lefty “might not have a single overwhelming pitch, he has a solid track record as a starter in the best conference in the country, a deep pitch mix and solid-average control of a deep arsenal.” The Braves took him in the second round, but after one pro start he needed Tommy John surgery, and he missed the entire 2025 season.

FanGraphs ranked him #19 in the Braves farm system, while he went unranked by MLB Pipeline and Baseball America. Gawlowski wrote that Holton’s delivery is “not especially loose, and the effort level often pushes him off balance toward third base” and that it “has a few relief markers in it.” Holton returned this year and has posted a 5.08 ERA with 30 strikeouts in 33.2 innings at Low-A at the age of 23. Andrews writes that Holton is a bit undersized, with a fastball that sits 92-94 mph with “a herky-jerky delivery and an over-the-top release point” and a slider as his signature pitch.

The Royals also threw in Bailey Falter, who has negative trade value due to his poor performance and $3.6 million contract for 2026. Including him in the trade saves the Royals some money, but also theoretically reduced their trade return since they received salary relief instead of talent.

You also have to wonder if the Royals boxed themselves into a corner by requiring the return include MLB-ready pitching. The pitching rotation is running on fumes right now, with ten pitchers currently on the Injured List, including All-Stars Kris Bubic, Cole Ragans, and Carlos Estévez. J.J. Picollo seems fixated on the idea that the team can be competitive in 2027, so adding MLB-ready players that can contribute soon is imperative. Many other teams this far back in the standings would focus on getting the best talent in return, regardless of how far away the player is from big league action.

Still, this seems like a pretty good return for two months of Thomas. Braun doesn’t have loud stuff, but Lugo could be a good example for him to follow. The bloom has come off the rose for Brian Sweeney this year, but Braun could be an interesting project for him. He turns 25 by the end of the month, so he should be ready to contribute at the big league level soon. Holton is putting up underwhelming numbers at a low level, but oftentimes pitchers returning from Tommy John surgery don’t really look fully healthy until a full year after their recovery. Holton’s advanced age will mean he needs to start producing very quickly if he’s going to be a factor, and it seems like it will likely come out of the bullpen.

In a vacuum, these aren’t the kind of moves that get you back to contention, but they are the necessary trades that are required to build depth. But rebuilding a contender isn’t about hitting one grand slam at the deadline, it’s about accumulating enough useful talent that a few players exceed expectations. Braun has a realistic path to helping the Royals’ rotation as soon as next season, while Holton remains a longer-term lottery ticket. That’s a worthwhile return for two months of Lane Thomas, even if it isn’t the blockbuster fans were hoping for.

It all comes down to today at 4:00 MDT.

General managers will put down their phones, those final transactions will process, and we see where everyone has landed.

And we will know more about the Paul DePodesta-Josh Byrnes front office.

In the meantime, drop any rumors you see here. It should be an interesting day.

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