PHILADELPHIA, PA - MAY 09: Alec Bohm #28 of the Philadelphia Phillies throws to first base during the game between the Colorado Rockies and the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Saturday, May 9, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Derik Hamilton/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Bringing in Luis Arraez to mix up the offense has the consequence of also mixing up the defense as well. Speaking today with reports, Don Mattingly talked about the new defensive alignment.
Don Mattingly said the plan is for Bryce Harper to play RF, Alec Bohm to play 1B and Bryson Stott to be at 3B. Luis Arraez will be here Tuesday. Mattingly said the Phillies will have to “ease” Harper into right field, and it’s unclear how they will do that.
That is certainly a path to take with the pitching staff the team has right now, but if Robert Frost talked about the road less traveled, this is the road not many want to go down.
Harper going back to the outfield is something he sees as temporary.
Bryce Harper was clear that he sees going to the outfield as an arrangement just for the rest of the season, but he views this as what’s best to help the team win. @OnPattison
July is officially over, and the Montreal Canadiens still have two RFAs that have yet to be signed: Arber Xhekaj and Zachary Bolduc. Much has already been written and said about both, but in the last few days, there was one contract signing that may be an interesting comparable for Kent Hughes’ negotiations with Bolduc’s people.
On July 31, San Jose Sharks GM Mike Greer put pen to paper with 23-year-old undrafted winger Collin Graf. Last season, he put up 46 points in 81 games and found his way into the team’s top six. In 121 career games, he has put up 59 points for a point-per-game average of 0.48. Greer signed him to a one-way three-year bridge deal with a $4.25 million cap hit.
Meanwhile, Bolduc, who is also 23 but was drafted 17th overall by the St. Louis Blues at the 2021 draft, had 30 points in 78 games in his second full NHL campaign, his first with the Canadiens. In 175 career games, the Trois-Rivieres native has put up 75 points for a 0.43 PPG average.
When he was given opportunities on the top six with the Habs (he played 16 games alongside Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield), he put up six points in seven games from November 17 against the Columbus Blue Jackets to December 2 against the Ottawa Senators. And in his second stint on the top line, from December 11 against the Pittsburgh Penguins to December 28 against the Tampa Bay Lightning, he added four points in nine games. That works out to 11 points in 16 games, but that wasn’t enough for coach Martin St-Louis, who gave auditions to Alexandre Texier and Kirby Dach on the top line before going back to Juraj Slafkovsky.
Bolduc was a first-round pick who has plenty of potential, but he has yet to truly show what he can do, making it rather hard to put a number on what his next contract should be worth or even to sign him to a long-term deal that isn’t too risky, as there are still a lot of unknowns there. A three-year pact like the one signed by Graf could be a good compromise for both parties. It would give the Habs more time to evaluate what they have on their hands with Bolduc, and it would give him more time to show what he can do. I previously wrote that a three-year bridge deal worth between $4 million and $4.5 million would make sense, and that’s exactly where Graf’s deal landed. Given how good Hughes has been at making his players sign team-friendly deals, I believe this is the most likely outcome for Bolduc.
Shohei Ohtani is, for the time being, not pitching and will serve only as the Dodgers DH.
That means the Cubs remain the only team Ohtani has never pitched against. (He also hasn’t faced the Brewers in a regular-season game, but he did have that memorable game against them in the NLCS last year.)
And, of course, the big news surrounding the Dodgers is the acquisition of Tarik Skubal, and his first Dodgers start will be in this series.
For more on the Dodgers and Skubal, once again I welcome Molly Knight to BCB. As you probably remember, Molly and I randomly ran into each other last year in Tokyo, which she wrote about at her Substack newsletter The Long Game. We’ve become good friends, and I’d like to strongly encourage all of you to sign up for The Long Game, a fantastic community of baseball fans. Here’s Molly on the Dodgers.
Al has asked me to write a Dodgers preview here the morning of the trade deadline, and I will proceed as if they are done making major moves, and are not on the verge of, say, trading for Elly De La Cruz or CJ Abrams. (I don’t think this will happen but one can never be sure!)
The big headline for LA’s series vs. the Cubs, of course, is that Tarik Skubal will make his Dodger debut on Tuesday at Wrigley. I have no idea how to process this news except that it’s great for the Dodgers and very bad for everyone else — especially Milwaukee, as they could have and should have landed the superstar lefty instead.
It’s funny that everyone is talking about how unfairly good the Dodgers are right now, as they are coming off their worst series of the year where they played sloppy and got wrecked by the Red Sox. The Dodgers tend to run the bases and defend well, and they did neither against Boston this weekend. I don’t know if they were distracted by the trade deadline or simply took a dirt nap because they have a 10-game lead in the division, but they did not look like themselves.
Part of this identity change is that Shohei Ohtani is currently playing baseball on one leg, unable to pitch or zoom around the bases like he usually does. He’s still bashing the ball, but he needs to go on the injured list because his knee is not improving and the Dodgers really only play for October.
Freddie Freeman has also been whacking the ball, but Mookie Betts has not been the same since he got sick last spring in Tokyo.
Kyle Tucker has shown signs of life over the past week, but he still only has an OPS of .703 despite being paid a record $60 million this season. (I’m guessing a few Cubs fans saw this coming, but it must still feel good nonetheless).
Edwin Diaz returned last week after missing most of the season due to loose bodies in his elbow, and I’ll be watching to see how well he does in leverage on the road. Tommy Edman and Enrique Hernandez are also both finally healthy, and figure to loom large against the Cubs this week as they will be in the lineup vs. lefties Matthew Boyd and Shōta Imanaga.
I suppose the biggest questions I have are not about the Dodgers but about the Cubs. How much better will they be tomorrow than they are today? They figure to be one of the teams the Dodgers will need to beat in October, so what moves will they make in the next few hours to put them in a better position to do that?
Kevin Gausman pitched quite well against LA during the World Series last season, even though the Jays lost both his starts (he was matched up against Yamamoto, unfortunately for him). I know Cubs fans are probably eager to see him against the best teams in the league, but it’s probably better LA hitters aren’t getting another live look at him this week before October.
I’m also looking forward to seeing how extra motivated PCA is against the Dodgers, and if Dalton Rushing can keep his intrusive thoughts to himself.
It should be a fun series!
Fun facts
The Cubs and Dodgers have played 2,150 games since the rivalry began in 1890. The Dodgers lead in wins by only 18, 1,077 to 1,059. They have outscored the Cubs by just 24 runs, 9,225-9,201.
The Cubs are 570-505-8 at home vs. the Dodgers. They won the two games played at Wrigley Field last season but lost two at Tokyo, where the Cubs were officially the home team.
They last swept the Dodgers in three games in 2021. The next year, they lost all three. They went 1-3 in 2023 and 2-1 in 2024.
Tuesday: 7:05 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network, TBS (outside the Cubs and Dodgers market territories)
Wednesday: 1:20 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network, MLB Network (outside the Cubs and Dodgers market territories)
Prediction
Well, the Dodgers are now a juggernaut and they won’t lose another game like ever.
Of course, that’s silly. The Cubs have their two best current starters going in this series (Boyd and Imanaga) and both have been really good lately. Dodgers pitching hasn’t been great since the All-Star break and they just got swept — at home! — by the Red Sox. Since the All-Star break the Cubs are 9-7 but have outscored opponents 86-49 (and the 49 runs are the fewest allowed by any team since the ASB). The Dodgers are 8-7 and have scored 66 runs in those 15 games to their opponents’ 65.
I think the Cubs steal this series and win two of three.
Up next
The Cubs will host the Blue Jays Thursday afternoon in a makeup game for the rainout on June 21. After that they’ll travel to Kansas City to face the Royals in a three-game series beginning Monday evening.
(A note that the poll below includes the make-up game against Toronto — vote here if you haven’t already.)
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - JULY 24: Dustin May #3 of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches against the Cincinnati Reds in the first inning at Busch Stadium on July 24, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Joe Puetz/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Ken Rosenthal is reporting that both Dustin May and JoJo Romero have been traded to the Milwaukee Brewers. MLB Trade Rumors just shared info from Adam McCalvy saying it’s Alexander Frias and Josiah Ragsdale being sent to the Cardinals.
Brewers acquiring RHP Dustin May and LH reliever Jo Jo Romero from Cardinals, source tells me and @WillSammon
Ranking #91 on TJStats newest T100 prospects, Josiah Ragsdale is on a rocket-ship. Solid thump at a 105 MPH 90th EV, paired with legitimate feel for Pull-Air and a patient approach and elite speed. He’s posted a 1.022 OPS on the year with 19 HRs. What a crazy get for 2 rentals. pic.twitter.com/1sVH8rZcby
Former New York Rangers star Ron Duguay is out of the hospital after last week's collapse and working to regain strength for his newest cancer treatment, his daughter announced.
Shay Thomas said last week on Instagram that the 12-year NHL veteran, who has been dealing with Grade 4 colon cancer that has spread to his liver, was taken to the hospital after fainting at his house, suffering facial injuries. She said doctors determined he had severe dehydration because he had been feeling sick and was having trouble eating.
"He still isn’t feeling his best or eating much, but he is taking it day by day, trying to get down some soup and slowly regain his strength," she wrote.
"Our main focus is getting him strong enough to travel back to Orange County and return to City of Hope. His next treatment will be Bizengri, also known as zenocutuzumab-zbco, a targeted therapy that works by blocking certain signals that can help cancer cells grow. We are praying this will be the treatment his body responds to."
MILWAUKEE, WI - OCTOBER 02: Milwaukee Brewers general manager Matt Arnold looks on prior to Game 2 of the Wild Card Series presented by T-Mobile 5G Home Internet between the New York Mets and the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on Wednesday, October 2, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Aaron Gash/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
There’s been plenty of discourse around what the Brewers will do at the trade deadline over the last several weeks, so here’s a place to centralize that conversation. You can also follow along with our Trade Deadline Tracker here.
The Brewers just acquired Dustin May and JoJo Romero. With less than three hours to the deadline, will the Brewers add anyone else? How will their rivals add on?
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 9: The sneakers worn by Jamir Watkins #5 of the Washington Wizards during the game against the Utah Jazz during the 2026 NBA Summer League game on July 9, 2026 at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Ryan Stetz/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Mets are in agreement on a trade that will send reliever Luke Weaver to the Pirates, reports SNY MLB Insider Chelsea Janes.
In return, New York is receiving infielder Sammy Stafura, who was ranked as Pittsburgh's No. 9 prospect, per MLB Pipeline.
Stafura is hitting .276/.367/.593 with 20 homers, 20 stolen bases, and 54 RBI in 60 games this season for A-level Bradenton and High-A Greensboro.
The 21-year-old New York native was initially selected by the Reds in the second round of the 2023 MLB Draft.
In 284 games over four minor league seasons, Stafura has a .791 OPS.
A scout told Janes that Stafura is strong for his age and could eventually fit best in center field.
Regarding Weaver, dealing him is especially notable because he is not set for free agency after the season, with the 32-year-old in the first year of a two-year, $22 million deal he signed this past offseason.
In 44.0 innings across 42 games for the Mets this season, Weaver was dominant, posting a 1.84 ERA and 0.81 WHIP with 45 strikeouts. That dominance included Weaver giving up just one earned run from April 30 through Aug. 2, which was his last game as a Met.
Moving on from Weaver -- a proven back end reliever who has also shown the ability to excel in the New York market -- creates a huge bullpen hole for the Mets to fill this offseason.
In addition to dealing Weaver, the Mets traded Huascar Brazoban (who is under team control through 2029) to the White Sox earlier on Monday and recently dealt pending free agent relievers A.J. Minter and Brooks Raley.
As things currently stand, the only current member of the Mets' bullpen who seems like a lock to be in the Opening Day bullpen in 2027 is closer Devin Williams.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 14: Adley Rutschman #35 of the Baltimore Orioles poses for a photo during the 2026 All-Star Red Carpet Show presented by Mastercard at Independence Mall on Tuesday, July 14, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
This is the one I didn’t want to write today. The Orioles have traded Adley Rutschman to the Red Sox. ESPN’s Jeff Passan was the first to report on the done deal on Monday afternoon, hours before the trade deadline. There had been a variety of rumors in the hours previously, including from ESPN’s Buster Olney that there was a “take it or leave it” deal on the table from the Orioles around 1pm. The deal was completed about two hours after that.
The Baltimore Banner’s Andy Kostka reported on the headliner of the trade, 21-year-old righty pitching prospect Anthony Eyanson. This was the #2 player in the Red Sox system at the time of the deal and #49 on MLB Pipeline’s top 100 prospect ranking. Kostka further reported on the full trade, which includes two more of the top five Red Sox prospects: Pitcher Kyson Witherspoon and outfielder Enddy Azocar. A fourth player in the deal, catcher Carlos Narváez, is a three-year MLB player who was worth 2.8 bWAR a year ago and is worth -0.5 bWAR so far this year.
I honestly did not believe that this was going to happen. It is extremely weird to trade a former #1 pick who is a core part of your team that plans to succeed next year – assuming the Orioles are planning to succeed next year. Additionally, a big trade being pulled off for a guy who is currently on the injured list, even if his return is approaching, is just too weird. But apparently not too weird for Mike Elias and the Red Sox.
The whole point of the rebuilding era was to be able to form a core around the #1 overall pick that Elias took in that first draft. That was Rutschman. The Orioles absolutely stunk in 2019, 2020, and 2021, all while waiting for Rutschman to eventually arrive, along with other players. Now he has been traded away without the Orioles ever having even won a single playoff game in his tenure, not only traded but traded when he still has 2027 team control remaining as well.
This did not have to be inevitable, even after the Orioles signed Samuel Basallo to an eight-year contract extension last year. It did not have to be inevitable even after the Orioles struggled early this year. They are only 2.5 games out of the wild card and even considering the trades they do “have” to make – one, Taylor Ward, has already been made; another, Trevor Rogers, will presumably be made before the 6pm trade – they could still have tried to stick around and do what they could with their longshot odds, while looking for moves that will fill anticipated holes on next year’s roster.
Elias stated outright that the team would be looking to buy at the trade deadline, with his usual equivocation that “I’ll let you know if that changes.” He has certainly let us know in dramatic fashion by trading Rutschman. It is not the first time he has represented one thing publicly while going and doing another thing behind the scenes. It will probably not be the last.
A Rutschman trade means that Elias has failed as the Orioles general manager. His plan did not work. He should be clearing out his office the day the season ends. He shouldn’t get a chance to come up with a new plan. The fact that he feels safe in trading Rutschman – and that owner David Rubenstein didn’t step in in to prevent anyone from the core being subtracted from the 2027 team – suggests that he probably won’t be fired, that Rubenstein probably meant his “we couldn’t be more pleased” about the job Elias has done. He is making money and building asset value, things that happen whether or not the Orioles win.
For Orioles fans, an extra kick in the teeth about this whole thing is that the trade has been made with the Red Sox, a division rival whose success will come at the Orioles expense. This kind of psychological impact is not something any responsible general manager could consider. Still, it sucks. I don’t like those guys and I don’t want them to be good. I think Rutschman is still going to be good and will help them be good. Their fans as a collective do not deserve him. Orioles fans do not deserve this. As ever, deserve got nothin’ to do with it.
This is the kind of trade that makes me sit and think about what I really get out of caring about this baseball team and its fortunes. Right at this exact moment, I don’t have an answer. Maybe I don’t actually get anything, and maybe I never will.
BOSTON, MA - APRIL 10: Adley Rutschman #35 of the Baltimore Orioles prepares to bat during the game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on Wednesday, April 10, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Adley Rutschman is not the best player in baseball. That’s not a particularly insightful thing to point out. It’s really hard to be the best player in baseball, and the current holder of that title is not only the best player right now, but the best to ever play the game. Rutschman is also not in the conversation about the best players in baseball. But, again, no slight there — the game is hard, cue Jimmy Dugan.
But the fact that Rutschman is not in the conversation about the best players in the game is somewhatnotable because, not all that long ago, it looked like he one day absolutely would be. Rutschman flew threw the minors after being selected first overall in 2019. As a 24-year-old rookie in 2002, he received MVP votes despite the fact that he didn’t play in his first game until late May. He finished the year just 15th in games played as a catcher, but second in fWAR at the position with 5.6. The next year he would make the All-Star Game and win his first Silver Slugger, as he looked not only like a future superstar, but a current one, a precocious talent with a flawless all-around game who somehow needed no time at all to adjust to big league baseball.
Just three years later, though, Rutschman is considered to be one of the most disappointing players in baseball. Rutschman has put up an OPS+ of only 103 in the three years since he won that Silver Slugger, barely above league average. He’s hit just 36 homers and struggled with injuries, missing over half the 2025 season with oblique injuries and going on the IL three ties already in 2026.
But the funny thing about disappointment is that it’s a relative thing. Adley Rutschman is decidedly not a bad player. During this letdown stretch from 2024-2026, Rutschman has been the ninth-best catcher in baseball by fWAR. He still has excellent bat control, excelling at limiting strikeouts and working walks. And his outstanding glove has never wavered: by Baseball Savant’s Fielding Run Value, he’s been the third-best defensive catcher in the game this year. He’s a fine catcher, a big upgrade over the Red Sox’ in-house options, and he’s not a free agent until after the 2027 season. Adding a player of his caliber to your roster is never a bad thing.
Rutschman didn’t come free, of course. Not even close, in fact. In return for his services the Sox shipped off a hefty package of prospects Athony Eyanson, Kyson Witherspoon, and Endy Ezocar, along with big leaguer Carlos Narvaez who, after having a surprisingly great rookie season in 2025, has been struggling through it all year and is now redundant.
Eyanson is clearly the headliner. The number two prospect in the system according to Soxprospects.com, he struck out 10 hitters in his most recent start for AA Portland and has been one of the most exciting players in the Sox’ minor league system this year. Witherspoon came into the season even more highly rated than Eyanson, but has had an up-and-down campaign as the Sox work to adjust his mechanics. Ezocar is further away, essentially the definition of a single-A lotto ticket, though a good one. These are good prospects! They might even become good players someday. But Adley Rutschman already is a good player, even if he’s a disappointing one.
And, moreover, the thing about “disappointing” players is that it’s hard not to hang onto a little bit of hope. The player who was once viewed as potentially one of the very best in the game may still be buried underneath all that catcher’s equipment somewhere. As it is, Rutschman is having something of a bounceback season in between the injuries — and, yes, we much note that he is currently injured with left wrist inflammation. But if the old Rutschman comes out at some point over the next 14 months, the Sox may have landed themselves a gem.
HOUSTON, TX - AUGUST 01: Jacob deGrom #48 of the Texas Rangers pitches during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Houston Astros at Daikin Park on Saturday, August 1, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Kairi Mano/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
MLB Trade Rumors: Jacob deGrom has informed the Texas Rangers that he wants to stay in Texas, according to Ken Rosenthal, who says that the club approached deGrom about waiving his full no-trade clause. Rosenthal says that the Rangers are also believed to have approached Corey Seager, who has an eight team no-trade clause, and Nathan Eovaldi, who has a full no-trade, though Rosenthal gives no indication as to their responses.
The Atlanta Braves were among the teams that had reportedly shown interest in deGrom, though how serious that interest is, and how far along talks may have gone, is unknown. It seemed unlikely heading into today that deGrom, Seager or Eovaldi would be moved, though with the Rangers in listening mode, it would make sense that they would inquire with those veterans as to whether, and for whom, they’d waive their no-trade rights.
So it would appear as of now deGrom isn’t going anywhere today. Of course, not all that long ago, Justin Verlander said he wouldn’t waive his no-trade clause with the Detroit Tigers to go to the Houston Astros…then did so right before the deadline. So, as Lenny Kravitz says, it ain’t over until its over…
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - APRIL 23: A general view of Wrigley Field between the Chicago Cubs and the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 23, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s a brand new day, and yet another left-hander stands in the way of the Dodgers’ offense, landing in Chicago to face the contending Cubs in what could easily be a playoff preview. On the subject of left-handed pitchers, both teams better be prepared for them, with five of the projected six starters in this matchup being southpaws, starting things off with Justin Wrobleski versus Matthew Boyd.
After enduring a mini-Home Run Derby in his last start, allowing a season-high four long balls to the Mariners, Wrobleski’s goal is to get back on track as quickly as possible. What allowed Wrobleski to remain competitive in that game against Seattle and even in many of his worst outings this season has been the command not to give anybody a free pass. It’ll be strength versus strength with Wrobleski’s NL-leading 1.7 BB/9 going against the offense that walks the most in baseball, the Cubs with a 10.9 percent BB%.
Having faced plenty of difficulties versus the southpaws in the Red Sox rotation, the Dodgers don’t get a much easier task against Boyd. The veteran southpaw has allowed just two earned runs in his last three starts, covering 20 innings, including seven scoreless in his last appearance.
While not nearly as emotional as a return to Houston once he was traded to the Cubs, Kyle Tucker will play in Wrigley Field for the first time since signing with the Dodgers. Although the numbers are nowhere near as bad as they have been at Dodger Stadium, it’s not like Tucker much enjoyed hitting in Wrigley either, with just a .757 OPS in the Cubs’ home park, well below his career average. Weirdly, though, the numbers have been far better against southpaws for Tucker this season (.771 OPS vs. LHP and .675 vs. RHP).
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - JULY 18: Starter Brandon Pfaadt #32 of the Arizona Diamondbacks pitches against the St. Louis Cardinals during the fourth inning at Chase Field on July 18, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks defeated the Cardinals 5-3. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
First of all, if you’re here reading this, thank you. This will be publishing at noon on deadline day, and I’m sure it will be sandwiched between articles on here with news and updates, or barring that, fevered refreshes of MLBTR. Appreciate you stopping. Second, take everything from here on out with a grain of salt. Both Mike Hazen and AJ Preller could up end anything I write at any moment, maybe even before it publishes! Isn’t the trade deadline fun?
Well, its definitely more fun for the Diamondbacks this season than it was last season. Last year saw them get swept in Detroit leading up to the deadline, this time they find themselves having won four of their last five series, tied for the second Wild Card, and six games over .500. All done with arguably more injuries. YCPB.
This series in particular will be important as they are facing off against the Padres. Those Padres are just a single game behind the Diamondbacks in the Wild Card standings, and a winning series here would give them a little breathing room. Losing the series, and they’d more than likely be out of a playoff spot after all the effort they’ve put in to get one.
Game 1 — 8/3, 6:40 PM: Brandon Pfaadt (5-1, 0.6 bWAR, 4.00 ERA/107 ERA+, 1.29 WHIP) vs Michael King (6-7, 2.8 bWAR, 3.38 ERA/121 ERA+, 1.17 WHIP)
Welcome to the over 100 ERA+ club Pfaadt! That’s new since the last time I wrote one of these previews. It’s been the product of a string of very quality pitching since he’s returned to the starting rotation. In those six startsx, he has yet to give up more than two runs, yet to pitch fewer than five innings, and has most recently capped it off by a masterful 7 IP scoreless outing against Wild Card rival Pirates. The team believed that he was tipping pitches, and that is specifically what he was sent down to the minors top work on, and it’s impossible to deny the results. That extension he signed is looking much better than it was even two months ago.
King has been a good, steady pitcher for the Padres since they acquired him in 2024. He’s had an ERA+ of 129 over the 2.5 seasons, and this year has been much the same. He’s limited opponents to two runs or less in five of his last seven starts, but perhaps the best news for the Diamondbacks is that he gave up four to the Rockies, in San Diego on top of it, in his last start. If there is a carry over from that rough start to this one, it could be beneficial. There is precedent for it as well, as he had a three game stretch at the end of May/beginning of June where he gave up four or more runs in each game.
Game 2 — 8/4, 6:40 PM: Eduardo Rodriguez (10-3, 4.5 bWAR, 2.48 ERA/172 ERA+, 1.20 WHIP) vs TBD
The fairy tale season of Eduardo Rodriguez continues with an eight inning scoreless outing against the Pirates in his last start. At this point, it’s hard to find much to say new about Rodriguez, but unlike some other players (glares at Gallen) it’s for a positive reason. If the Diamondbacks are to finish the season strong, it will be on the back of his future performance. So here’s to continuing the run, E-Rod.
Game 3 — 8/5, 6:40: Mitch Bratt (0-1, 0.0 bWAR, 5.23 ERA/83 ERA+, 1.83 WHIP) vs TBD
Bratt has been in the league now for five starts, and it’s been a bit of a roller coaster. His last couple starts, he finally seems to have stretched out a bit, going five innings in back to back starts. The quality of those starts were wildly all over the place, however, as one was a five run, five walk stinker, and the other was just a single run, but also with four walks. His FIP, at 6.77, says it all, given that is even higher than his already high ERA.
Drake has had a fairly unspectacular start to his MLB career. Two decent, if short outings, one not so great. Still early days, so it’s still far to soon to tell. Like Bratt, however, his FIP is another run over his already high ERA, so a concern to look out for in the coming games. Additionally, he has been a huge good luck charm for the offense, as he has yet to get fewer than six runs of support in any of his starts.
Buehler has come a long way since he was the next big thing and was placing in the Cy Young Award top tens, and not in a good way. He hasn’t had a season over 100 ERA+ since 2022, and really, he’s only had one over 80 in that time frame too. This season has been more of the same, not going far into games and giving up multiple runs. On July 6th, he faced off against the Diamondbacks to detrimental effect, giving up seven runs in five innings, only striking out four, but limited the walks to one.
Conclusion
It’s hard to write about a conclusion when I’m not even 100% sure who is going to be on the team when this series is played. For all I know, Casey Mize pitches instead of Bratt or Drake. Really going crazy, there’s nothing to say that Hazen doesn’t pull a build-and-sell move like he loves so much and Rodriguez is shipped out for a haul. Who knows. But I do think that the awakened Diamondbacks offense is a plus for them in this series, and they’re starting out on the right foot with Pfaadt in game one, so I think they stand a chance. Stay tuned for more, though…
Reid Detmers is 27 and has two years of team control after this year. He’ll make the Cubs rotation a bit more left-handed, adding to Matthew Boyd and Shōta Imanaga. This is one move I really wanted the Cubs to make, and now they have.
We do not yet have the return to the Angels in this deal — I have seen some reports online but nothing from any of the Cubs beat writers or from a national writer so I’ll wait for that when it comes.
Depending on the return this would seem to be a good deal for the Cubs, especially with two more years of team control after 2026. I wrote a lot about Detmers last week and you can read more about him here.
Have at it; this post will be updated when we know the return.
If there was any doubt as to which direction the Baltimore Orioles were leaning as they sat in the precarious middle ground of playoff contention, we may have an answer.
The Orioles are trading outfielder Taylor Ward to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for a trio of minor-league right-handers, the teams announced.
The move could signal the start of more deals for the Orioles (54-58), who began the day on Monday 2½ games out of the final American League wild-card spot.
The 55-58 Mariners, meanwhile, are just a half-game ahead of the Orioles, but have much stronger postseason aspirations. Adding Ward will help address their most glaring need.
Taylor Ward trade details
Mariners get: OF Taylor Ward
Orioles get: RHPs Alex Hoppe, Brock Moore, Harrison Kreiling
Orioles trade grade: C
A bit of a disappointment in his initial season with Baltimore, Ward's career as an Oriole lasted a mere 111 games.
For GM Mike Elias, Ward's expiring contract made him a logical trade candidate if the team wasn't going to make a push for the playoffs. As such, the return isn't overwhelming.
Hoppe is a 27-year-old right-hander who made his MLB debut with Seattle earlier this season. He's posted a 5.79 ERA in 28 mostly low-leverage innings.
Neither of the minor league pitchers the Orioles received crack the Mariners' top 30, according to MLB Pipeline. But they're hoping quantity will make up for any perceived lack of quality.
Moore, 26, was drafted in the seventh round in 2024. Promoted from High-A earlier this season, he has a 5.56 ERA in 22⅔ innings at Class AA.
Kreiling, 24, has a 1.69 ERA over 10⅔ combined innings this season in Rookie League and Low-A ball.
After hitting a career-high 36 home runs for the Los Angeles Angels in 2025, Ward signed a one-year contract over the winter to give the Orioles a jolt of right-handed power.
However, he morphed into something completely different in orange and black. The nine-year veteran stopped hitting home runs and became an on-base machine, ranking sixth in the American League with a career-best .383 mark. Yet his .346 slugging percentage is a significant decline from the .475 he generated a year ago in Anaheim.
With the majors' third-worst offense (4.02 runs per game), the Mariners will welcome any kind of an offensive upgrade. This version of Ward could easily slide into the leadoff spot in their batting order, especially with usual leadoff hitter J.P. Crawford on the injured list.
Their exceptional pitching depth made it much less painful for them to give up three arms in order to land Ward.
