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[AZ Central] Diamondbacks manage just 2 hits in rain-delayed loss to Guardians – The Guardians scored five runs off Diamondbacks starter Merrill Kelly (8-9), who allowed eight hits. Kelly walked four with five strikeouts in five innings of work, and ran into major trouble in the bottom of the fifth inning. He gave up two runs with no outs on a walk, a single and a double, then another run after a walk and a single. Five straight Guardians reached base against Kelly before he struck out Brayan Rocchio and induced a double-play groundout to end the inning. “We hit this road trip knowing it was going to be a very tough challenge for us, but we checked that box because we’re a very good baseball team,” Lovullo said. “We’re coming home after a very rugged 11-day road trip and anxious to see what we put together inside the NL West.”

[Arizona Sports] Diamondbacks-Guardians finale resumes after 1.5-hour rain delay, benches clearing before – Guardians starter Gavin Wiliams had thrown five perfect innings, and Diamondbacks outfielder Tim Tawa attempted a bunt to break it up, with Cleveland ahead 5-0 in the top of the fifth. Tawa’s bunt went foul before he then hit a single to actually break up Williams’ bid for perfection. Guardians catcher Patrick Bailey took exception to Tawa’s bunt attempt to break up the perfect game. On the next play, Arizona’s Ildemaro Vargas grounded into a fielder’s choice. Tawa was out at second, but shortstop Brayan Rocchio committed a throwing error that advanced Vargas to second. Rocchio then chirped at Tawa on his way off the basepath.

[AP] A bunt, a perfect game bid and a tarp: How Diamondbacks-Guardians tensions boiled over – While some might think Tim Tawa trying to bunt during the sixth inning of Sunday’s game while Cleveland’s Gavin Williams had a perfect game bid going violated the unwritten codes of the sport, Lovullo said it was a perfectly acceptable decision. “Not even close for me,” Lovullo said after Cleveland’s 5-0 win over Arizona. “I’ve had this discussion with (Cleveland manager) Stephen Vogt before when he was in our dugout as a player. I play it clean and you can do basically anything in between the white lines for six innings. And then after that, you got to be careful. It’s either black or white for me. I don’t like gray stuff. Timmy asked if he could bunt. We all checked off on it, said absolutely. And they clearly took exception to that.”

Team News

[SI] Where the Diamondbacks Stand One Day Before the Trade Deadline – The Diamondbacks have firmly cemented their position at this Deadline. They may not be among the clubs swinging for the fences with high-profile moves, but they’ve shown GM Mike Hazen enough to push him in a buyer’s direction. Though no moves have come down as of this writing, the Diamondbacks are likely to be buyers, adding to their roster this Deadline as opposed to standing pat or auctioning off their trade assets in a smilar fashion to 2025. Arizona is, however, a bit limited financially. They only sit about $6-7 million under the threshold of the Competitive Balance Tax, and are not expected to surpass that number.So if Hazen does choose to add, it will be lower-cost players — perhaps in the arbitration or pre-arb phases of their careers.

[Dbacks.com] Buying? Selling? How each team will navigate Trade Deadline day – The Diamondbacks are going to buy, but it likely will not be splashy moves. GM Mike Hazen has to watch the budget as the team is getting closer to the first luxury tax threshold. So look for the D-backs to get some help at first base and possibly an arm that can help while they wait for injured pitchers to return.

[Fansided] What the Arizona Diamondbacks’ risky, but necessary, trade deadline strategy looks like – There is a strong sense that the Diamondbacks will not make any blockbuster moves. Complicating matters is that the Diamondbacks are approximately just $10 million under the first luxury tax threshold. There has been speculation that the Diamondbacks might try to free up money by trading three-time All-Star second baseman Ketel Marte, who is in the second season of a six-year, $105-million contract. Marte has been the source of clubhouse friction in the past and recently scrubbed his social media accounts of all things Diamondbacks-related. However, a team source termed the chances of a Marte trade as being “unlikely.”

[Burn City Sports] D-Backs fans have plenty to say after Tarik Skubal’s trade to NL rival Dodgers – Supporters aren’t necessarily upset that Arizona’s rival continues to stockpile top talent and compete at the highest level. Instead, their frustration comes from how it’s being done and what it could mean for the future. The move serves as another reminder of the challenge that comes with competing in the NL West. The Dodgers adding another frontline player raises the expectations for the rest of the division and puts more pressure on teams like the D-Backs to continue building a roster capable of competing with baseball’s biggest spenders. The Skubal trade represents more than just another Dodgers addition. It highlights the growing gap between some of baseball’s biggest spenders and the teams trying to find ways to compete, making every offseason decision and roster move even more important for Arizona’s future.

And, elsewhere…

[ESPN] MLB trade deadline 2026: Latest intel from Olney, Passan – Passan: Prices are finally going to come down — because they have to. All week long, executives looking to add have bleated about the premium being asked for players. Controllable players, rental players — it does not matter. There are more teams trying to get better than ones punting the season, and they know that because of the finite inventory, they can shoot high. At some point, however, the posturing and information-gathering needs to end and deals need to win the day. That point is now.

[MLB.com] Cubs trade for Blue Jays’ right-hander Gausman – The Cubs traded for Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman on Sunday night, with Toronto getting two Minor Leaguers, shortstop Ty Southisene (Blue Jays’ No. 17 prospect) and outfielder Brett Bateman (No. 20). The 2026 numbers don’t jump off the page in the same way as his previous seasons, with a 4.51 ERA over 115 2/3 innings, but the 35-year-old has looked stronger of late and can still pitch in the middle of a strong postseason rotation, especially after what he showed through the Blue Jays’ 2025 World Series run. Over those 30 2/3 innings, Gausman posted a 2.93 ERA, starting Game 1 in both the ALDS and ALCS, then making two starts in the World Series against the Dodgers.

[CBS Sports] Luis García Jr. trade grades: Yankees do whatever it takes to help offense; Nationals go quantity over quality – Ideally, the Yankees would have added a right-handed hitter to a lineup that already leans very left-handed, but beggars can’t be choosers. They need offense any way they can get it right now. García’s power breakout is tied to bat speed training and improvement under Washington’s new front office, something they’ve applied to several players with success. Furthermore, García is a left-handed hitter who pulls the ball in the air, something that will play very well at Yankee Stadium. His 18.5% pulled fly ball rate is a career high by three percentage points and comfortably above the 16.8% league average. If those bat speed and power gains are sticky, which the Yankees clearly believe they are, García will love hitting in the Bronx.

Send Help (2026)

• Rating: C-
• Dir: Sam Raimi
• Star: Rachel McAdams, Dylan O’Brien, Edyll Ismail, Xavier Samuel

There are some good moments here. Linda’s first attempt at boar hunting, while leaning heavily on obvious CGI, is still nicely blood-drenched and brutal. The reveal, too, has nice energy, when we discover just how deep Linda’s deception goes, in the service of maintaining her wilderness superiority. However, there were a lot of scenes which didn’t feel like they added much to proceedings. I’m not sure the message here is quite what some people think either.

Read more

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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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.

Lucas Braun is a soft tossing righty with a deep arsenal. He is Rule 5 eligible after the 2026 season.

Carter Holton was the 62nd overall pick in the 2024 draft. He has amassed just 43.2 IP in his pro career after under going TJS following his first start https://t.co/cTpz3Snbfppic.twitter.com/UhfVOS9cBt

— Thomas Nestico (@TJStats) August 2, 2026

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.

Carter Holton – Absolutely Shoved today.

6 IP
2 H
0 ER
1 BB
5 K

80 Pitches – 61 Strikes including 14 whiffs. Great control of the zone. Great feel for his off speeds. Kept the ball of the barrel and both hits allowed where only singles. pic.twitter.com/s9OiQVLUts

— Lethal platy (@LethalPlatypus1) July 19, 2026

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.

Today the #Braves reportedly acquired OF Lane Thomas ($0.7M surplus trade value) and LHP Bailey Falter (-$1.2M) from the #Royals in exchange for RHP Lucas Braun ($2.1M) and LHP Carter Holton ($1.6M).

The deal is ccepted but the model as a moderate overpay by Atlanta.

— Baseball Trade Values (@BaseballValues) August 2, 2026

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.

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.

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.

The Toronto Blue Jays traded starting pitcher Kevin Gausman to the Chicago Cubs last night for minor leaguers Brett Bateman and Ty Southisene. This morning, it is being announced that the Jays are acquiring starting pitcher Jose Soriano from the Anaheim Angels for minor leaguers Arjun Nimmala, Eddie Mitcheletti and Angel Rivero.

So we have got some of the rare buy-and-sell action from the Jays. At 4.5 games back of Wild Card 3 and 13.5 games back in the American League East, it makes sense that the Jays would deal Gausman, a 35 year old in the final year of a 5 year, $110 million deal. Gausman’s 4.38 ERA in 2026 is the first 4+ ERA he’s had in his time with the Jays, though his FIP of 3.51 and xERA of 3.95 are in line with what he put up last year, when he had a 3.59 ERA, 3.73 xERA and 3.41 FIP. Gausman was a stalwart in the Jays’ playoff run in 2025, allowing ten runs in five starts and a relief appearance covering 30.2 innings in the 2025 postseason, and gives the Cubs a veteran arm to help them down the stretch and that can bolster their playoff rotation.

The return for Gausman is not as impressive as I would have expected. Southisene is #10 on the Baseball America Cubs top 30 list, and Bateman isn’t on their top 30. Southisene is a 21 year old middle infielder who was a fourth round pick in 2024 and is slashing .306/.425/.372 between low-A and high-A this season. Bateman was an 8th round pick in 2023 out of the University of Minnesota, and has slashed .312/.430/.421 at AAA this season while playing primarily center field.

Having parted with a starting pitcher who was slated to be a free agent at the end of the season, the Jays are apparently replacing him with a starting pitcher who is under team control through 2028. Soriano, 27, is a righthander who had a dominating start to the season, allowing just one run in his first six starts. For the season he has a 3.29 ERA and 3.79 FIP in 123 innings over 22 starts. He’s making just $2.9 million this season, and is likely looking at somewhere in the neighborhood of $6 million for 2027.

Soriano was reportedly generating a lot of interest, and the Angels were thought likely to deal him, though the expectation was that it would be a contender acquiring Soriano. Instead, the Jays were the top bidder, and while they are unlikely to be in the playoff mix this year, they do have someone they can pencil into their rotation for the following two years.

Nimmala, the Jays’ first round pick in 2023, is the prize of the deal, a 20 year old shortstop who has advanced to AA this year, and who is a consensus top 100 prospect who BA has as the top prospect in the Jays system. Micheletti was the Jays’ 8th round pick in 2024 out of Virginia Tech, and is a 24 year old outfielder slashing .251/.347/.454 in AA this year. Rivero is a 19 year old righthanded pitcher who put up a 2.36 ERA in 42 innings in the Gulf Coast League this summer. Neither of them are in the BA top 30 for the Jays.

On the lookout for bullpen help, the Phillies are going to make a move for a lefty to help out the group.

Brooks Raley to Phillies

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) August 3, 2026

Raley is a solid addition if it is done, giving them another left handed option that can supplant the options they have there currently.

More to come.

UPDATE: Here is the return for Raley.

The Phillies are sending RHP Luke Gabrysh and OF John Spikerman to the Mets for LH reliever Brooks Raley.

— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) August 3, 2026

The Mets are trading left-handed reliever Brooks Raley to the Phillies, reports SNY MLB Insider Chelsea Janes.

In return, New York is receiving outfielder John Spikerman and right-handed pitcher Luke Gabrysh from Philadelphia.

Spikerman was ranked No. 27 on the Phillies' top 30 prospects list that was released before the season. Gabrysh was not in the top 30.

A plus defender who has 70-grade speed, the 23-year-old Spikerman was selected in the third round of the 2024 MLB Draft. He has a .754 OPS this season for A-ball Clearwater and High-A Jersey Shore, with his .423 OBP standing out. 

Gabrysh, 23, was taken in the 15th round of the 2024 draft. In two minor league seasons, he has a 4.17 ERA and 1.31 WHIP over 146.2 innings. He has spent all of this season with High-A Jersey Shore, striking out 89 hitters in 68.1 innings in 18 games (17 starts) this year.

The deal of Raley follows the trade of Huascar Brazoban to the White Sox early Monday morning and last week's trade of A.J. Minter to the Twins.

Like Minter, Raley was set for free agency after the season. 

Raley, 38, had been a mainstay for New York at the end of games since 2023. 

This season, Raley had a 1.96 ERA (3.10 FIP) and 1.08 WHIP with 40 strikeouts and just two home runs allowed in 41.1 innings over 45 appearances.

For his Mets career, Raley posted a 2.31 ERA and 1.08 WHIP in 128.2 innings.

Raley, who was initially acquired by the Mets in a trade with the Rays in December of 2022, underwent Tommy John surgery in May of 2024 and was re-signed by the team in April of 2025. 

It’s deadline day and the Phillies have reportedly made a deal.

BREAKING: The Philadelphia Phillies are acquiring second baseman Luis Arraez in a trade with the San Francisco Giants, sources tell ESPN.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) August 3, 2026

Landing Arraez has been rumored for a few days, but it appears to have come to fruition. Here is the rumored return.

Phillies are trading for three-time batting champion Luis Arraez of the San Francisco Giants and right-reliever Kaleb Kilian. The Giants will receive starter Ramon Marquez, the Phillies’ No. 4 prospect and reliever Marty Gair. https://t.co/iPGhXIEUgm

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) August 3, 2026

That’s a hefty package, but it’s the offensive upgrade they need.

More to come

Now that the dust has settled on the Luis Garcia Jr. trade, I wanted to highlight my two favorite pieces. Yovanny Cruz and Ben Grable are two relief prospects who project to be weapons in the Nats bullpen for years to come. If Paul Toboni wanted to, he likely could have gotten prospects that were higher ranked on public sites, but instead he centered the package around dynamic bullpen arms that can help the team soon.

In Cruz and Grable, the Nats got two arms who should factor into the 2027 bullpen plans, with Cruz being a plug and play option. Despite giving away Garcia, who leads the NL in slugging, this move was largely made with 2027 and 2028 in mind. It is no secret that the Nats have issues in the bullpen, and these two arms should help fix that.

First, I want to talk about Cruz, who will immediately slide into the Nats bullpen. Cruz has some of the most effortless velocity you will ever see. He can throw 100 MPH fastballs and look like he is just playing catch. That type of electricity is badly needed in the Nats bullpen.

I don’t know about you, but I am VERY excited to see more of Yovanny Cruz. After another solid outing tonight, he has 6 Ks over his first 4.1 IP

Boy oh boy is that an EEEAAASSSYY 101🔥 pic.twitter.com/BFdRhxoTvz

— Baseball Unstitched (@BaseUnstitched) July 1, 2026

Before this season, Cruz had a winding path through the minor leagues. He was in the Cubs organization from 2017 to 2023, not getting above High-A. After the Cubs gave up on him, he had single season stints with the Padres and Red Sox organizations before signing with the Yankees as a minor league free agent this offseason. This season Cruz suddenly started throwing way more strikes in the Yankees system.

As a result, he started dominating in AAA. Cruz posted a 3.53 ERA and 3.39 FIP in the minors this year. He struck out 33.1% of hitters while walking just 8.9% of them, which is very manageable for a reliever. In 5.1 big league innings, he walked just one batter and struck out six, posting a 1.69 ERA.

When you look at Cruz’s stuff, it is easy to see why he gets all these strikeouts. His fastball sits around 100 MPH, which is rare even in the modern game. The shape of the pitch is not great, which means the heater plays down slightly. However, it is still premium velocity which makes it an effective offering. I would argue his slider is his best pitch though. He throws it more than his fastball and hitters just can’t seem to touch the offering.

Four Pitchers. Just what the Nationals need!

Jack Cebert is the only arm from this group that projects to be a starter. He has been on fire since the All-Start break and now holds a 4.03 ERA, 27.4% K%, and 7.1% BB% this season. His arsenal consists of 5 pitches, including a trio… https://t.co/fXSbbKqMSSpic.twitter.com/q0npfWNKmz

— Thomas Nestico (@TJStats) August 2, 2026

It is a 91 MPH bullet that just drops off the table. He has commanded the pitch well this season too. The final pitch of his arsenal is a splitter he throws about 5% of the time. It is a really intriguing pitch that the Nats could look to unlock further.

The fact Cruz is almost 27 and did not throw strikes before this year is somewhat concerning. However, we see pop up relievers fairly often. A lot of great bullpen arms take a while to figure things out. If this strike-throwing sticks, the Nats have a potential closer as soon as right now. 

The stuff is nasty and there are some tweaks to be made as well. With his poor fastball shape, I wonder if adding a sinker would help him out. A 100 MPH power sinker would make him even more devastating. That splitter also has a chance to be featured more, especially against lefties. Cruz should immediately slide into a high leverage role, and if he keeps throwing strikes like he has this season, he could be in that role for many years.

Unlike Cruz, Ben Grable is not quite big league ready yet, but his upside might be even higher. Grable may not throw 100, but his fastball is better than Cruz’s. He sits around 96, but gets over 20 inches of induced vertical break. That makes his fastball look like it is rising, making hitters swing under the pitch.

Grable has a nutty fastball. Sits 96 with 20-21" vertical break from a 6.2' release. 35% zone miss on it.

Cebert has strikes and chase with a sweeper-cutter combo that has a bunch of lift.

Data snapshow below. https://t.co/OSkY6mD17Ppic.twitter.com/bzQemZ4hk1

— Lance Brozdowski (@LanceBroz) August 2, 2026

It is a true unicorn of a heater and that pitch alone should carry him to the big leagues. What makes it even more special is Grable’s ability to command the pitch. Between High-A and AA, Grable is striking out 38.4% of hitters while walking just 6.8%. He has a 2.45 ERA and an even lower 1.86 FIP this season. The 24 year old is one of the best pure relief prospects in all of baseball.

There is some risk, most of it being health related. He had a couple elbow surgeries in college, including Tommy John and has an unusual arm action. However, he has been healthy lately and has a chance to be a big league closer.

To go with the plus-plus heater, Grable has a solid slider that is nothing special, but does enough to fool hitters sitting dead red. He will also mix in a curveball and splitter on very rare occasions. Grable throws the fastball 75% of the time though, and for good reason. Even though hitters know what is coming, they still can’t hit it.

Ben Grable has one of the best fastballs in the entire Yankees organization. It was dominant again last night, touching 97mph and striking out 5 in his 2 innings of work.

The Yankees 11th round pick last year now has 13 strikeouts in 5.2 innings this season pic.twitter.com/300XGbQtNE

— . (@HalToHell) April 16, 2026

As he gets to AAA and eventually the big leagues, he may need to mix in his other pitches slightly more. However, the fastball is good enough where he can throw it 65 to 70% of the time and have success. Ironically, his approach is similar to Nats assistant pitching coach Sean Doolittle, who also leaned heavily on his rising heater.

Grable could have a similar career to Doolittle as a fastball heavy closer with good command. As long as he stays healthy, I think he can be an elite reliever. He should be big league ready sometime next season. It is clear what Paul Toboni was looking for in this package, and if you wanted potential high leverage arms for Garcia, he did very well here.

There is only so much value in relief pitchers, so I am not sure this is the most upside rich package here. However, it matches the Nats needs very well and sets up the bullpen for the present and future. This organization was not going to let the bullpen be this bad again, and they showed that by getting two potential controllable relief weapons. Get used to Yovanny Cruz and Ben Grable because they should be in the Nats bullpen for a long time.

Good morning and happy trade deadline day! Last week, we heard one of the game’s most prominent insiders tell us that the Red Sox were “going to go big” at this year’s trade deadline. Yesterday, we got confirmation that the team is at least trying to do that, as Breslow has pursued Elly de la Cruz, a genuine star who would have represented perhaps the biggest trade deadline deal the Sox have ever consummated.

Of course, the de la Cruz deal did not materialize. That happens, especially when you’re talking about a player of his profile — young, great, not particularly expensive. And while we’ve been hearing rumors about players like CJ Abrams, Zach Neto, and Otto Lopez for weeks now, the failed de la Cruz pursuit reminds us that getting these deals over the line is hard. I mean, there’s a reason why no one was even considering de la Cruz as a possible option until yesterday.

This raises the question: how will you feel if the Sox don’t do something big today? Would it be a failure of the front office? A prudent move to hold onto prospects? Something in between, with the additional context that it might be a good thing not to rock the boat that’s currently carrying the hottest team in baseball?

Talk about trades that may or may not happen and whatever else you want in this space and, as always, be good to one another.

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

The Philadelphia Phillies, who have been desperately searching for a right-handed hitting outfielder, instead pivoted and are acquiring the finest left-handed infielder in the game.

The Phillies are trading for three-time batting champion Luis Arraez of the San Francisco Giants and right-reliever Caleb Kilian, a person with direct knowledge of the trade told USA TODAY Sports. The Giants will receive starter Ramon Marquez, the Phillies’ No. 4 prospect and reliever Marty Gair.

The person spoke on the condition of anonymity since the trade has yet to be announced until physicals are complete.

Arraez, a three-time All-Star, is hitting .324 this season with four homers, 47 RBI and an .801 OPS. And although he’s left-handed, he still rakes against lefties, hitting .315 with a .341 on-base percentage, .441 slugging percentage and .782 OPS.

Really, he’s exactly the type of hitter the Phillies are looking for: someone who is dramatically different than what they have in place. Instead of slug, he is contact. Instead of home runs, he brings singles. Instead of strikeouts, he gets on base, striking out just 21 times all season.

Arraez will play second base in Philly, and the Phillies are planning on moving Bryson Stott to third base and Bryce Harper to right field.

The Phillies also acquired Mets left-handed reliever Brooks Raley and are still are searching for another veteran starter.

Luis Arraez contract

Arraez will be a free agent at the end of the season, unless the Phillies decide to extend his contract. The second baseman is on a one-year deal. He signed for $12 million with the Giants on February 10, 2026.

Luis Arraez age

Arraez turned 29-years-old near the beginning of the 2026 season. He will turn 30 in April 2027.

Luiz Arraez MLB career and stats

Arraez is a Venezuelan professional baseball infielder who's nickname is "La Regadera," which is Spanish for "The Sprinkler."

He made his Major League Baseball debut with the Minnesota Twins on May 18, 2019. He is in his eighth MLB season having previously played for the Twins, Miami Marlins, Padres and Giants.

Arraez became a four-time All-Star, two-time Silver Slugger Award-winner and three-time batting champion.  He has a career batting average of .318 with 40 home runs and 348 RBIs. His career slugging splits are .363 OBP/.417 SLG/.780 OPS.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Luis Arraez traded to Phillies: Giants send hit machine to Philadelphia