There were already groans about the Los Angeles Dodgers’ sustained greatness and penchant for picking up available star players, both in free agency and via trade.
But Preller doesn’t see it that way, which he conveyed when speaking with the media on Tuesday.
When Preller was asked about whether the Dodgers are ruining baseball, he said, “When you have great teams and you have great players, it just raises the bar of other people and other players and other teams. Our focus is on what we needed to do to get better, and our group and our team,” according to an X post from ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez.
San Diego Padres President of Baseball Operations and General Manager A.J. Preller speaks to the media. Getty ImagesLos Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) in the dugout. Getty Images
Perhaps it would’ve been more surprising to hear Preller complain publicly about what the Dodgers are doing. Then again, he’s right in saying that the bottom line is that every other team must do what they can to keep up, or else they’ll get left in the dust time and time again.
A view of Bisbee towards the mountains, Bisbee, Cochise County, Arizona, November 1964. (Harvey Meston/Archive Photos/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Today’s Lineups
PADRES
DIAMONDBACKS
Fernando Tatis – RF
Corbin Carroll – RF
Jake Cronenworth – 2B
Geraldo Perdomo – SS
Manny Machado – DH
Max Kepler – LF
Ty France – 1B
Ketel Marte – 2B
Jackson Merrill – CF
Nolan Arenado – 3B
Luis Rengifo – LF
Adrian Del Castillo – DH
Luis Campusano – C
Tim Tawa – 1B
Xander Bogaerts – SS
James McCann – C
Sung-Mun Song – 3B
Ryan Waldschmidt – CF
Michael King – RHP
Brandon Pfaadt – RHP
After a brief break, it’s time for the next Most Important Series of the Season™. We welcome the Padres to Chase Field for the first time this season – though it’s not the first home series against them. That conundrum is explained by the fact that the home series in April took place in Mexico City. It was an offense-minded event, the teams combining to score 29 runs across the two games, each winning once, and was an interesting cultural exercise. But it kinda sucks that it counted as a “home” series for Arizona, when this set of four is the only time we actually get to host San Diego this year. With head-t0-head now the first tiebreaker, that could end up mattering.
Certainly, everything still to play for between the two teams, with the season score currently tied, at 3-3, with seven games left to play. The Diamondbacks have a slight edge after splitting the four games in Petco last month. If everybody “hold serve” the rest of the way, then they’d win 7-6. But I’ve a feeling it might not be that easy. While the D-backs are currently tied with the Phillies for the second/third wild-card spots, the Padres are lurking, just one game back. So, anything less than a split would see Arizona drop behind San Diego, and depending on what Philadelphia do (they’re hosting Washington), potentially out of a playoff spot entirely.
It might end up being a pitcher’s duel tonight. Both starters went in the July series, and got wins in their respective starts. Brandon Pfaadt gave the D-backs five scoreless innings, combining with two relievers on an eight-hit shutout, as they took the opener, 8-0. But two days later, Michael King was almost as good, allowing one run over six innings, as the Padres cruised to a 10-4 victory. We’ll see who prevails tonight, as we come down from the breathless excitement of the trade deadline [sorry, there’s no sarcasm font available when you’re writing a Gameday Thread…]
The Yankees added a big-time basher at this year’s MLB Trade Deadline, plus a platoon-side righty swinger who should help against left-handed pitching until their injured sluggers return. Two needs met – nice job, Brian Cashman and lieutenants.
But the Yanks’ deadline feels incomplete because the club did not address other glaring needs, particularly behind the plate and in the bullpen. There were a couple of big-name blockbusters that didn’t involve the Yankees, too, which is weird because those kinds of deals were once their annual domain.
So while we love the addition of slugger Luis García Jr., like well enough the trade for Heliot Ramos and understand the addition-by-subtraction of sending Camilo Doval away, we have mixed feelings overall. Too many flaws left unaddressed.
Here are our grades for the deals the Yankees made at the trade deadline:
Aaron Judge has not played since May 31, and the Yankees are 26th in runs scored, last in on-base percentage and 25th in slugging since then. Yikes. With Judge down and Cody Bellinger out for several weeks, too, the Yankee attack needed help. Desperately.
García, who is just 26 and comes with one more year of control beyond ‘26, is enjoying a breakout season. He entered Monday leading the National League in slugging (.560) and has already established career-bests with 23 home runs and 76 RBI. He ranks ninth in the NL in extra-base hits with 48 – the same number as some guy named Shohei Ohtani.
“He can hit, and he’s coming into the power this year for sure,” said a scout from another MLB organization who was granted anonymity to talk about García.
“He will wear out the right-field bleachers,” the scout added. “He’s got a really good feel for the barrel and he’ll use the whole field, too. He’ll create opportunities and balls will end up in the seats.”
Aaron Boone noted that García has been a “wrecking ball” in the NL this year and says he’ll add instant presence to the Yankee lineup. Monday night, Boone slotted García third in the order, tucked behind Ben Rice, the Yanks’ best hitter.
García, who was born in New York, doesn’t walk much, so he doesn’t have the patience profile that other Yankees do. Still, they’ll benefit from his thump. Swing-happy or not, he’s batting .283 and has been a very effective hitter.
It’s not an ideal trade – García is a left-handed hitter and it would’ve been better for the Yanks had their big acquisition on offense been a righty. He’s not positionally perfect, either – the Yankees now have three first basemen on their roster – García, Rice and Paul Goldschmidt.
García has played second base in the past, but “his tools fit best at first,” the scout noted.
Still, they needed some thunder before Judge, Bellinger and Giancarlo Stanton return from injury. They’re weeks away, though. The rough roster edges can sort themselves out whenever they get back.
In the meantime, García can mash. Maybe one or two of the pitchers morph into something good for Washington, but it’s worth it to fill this Yankee need.
With the abovementioned players out, especially Judge and Stanton, the Yankees lacked weapons against lefty pitching. Ramos is batting .292 against lefties this year with a .343 on-base percentage and .492 slugging in 65 at-bats. Overall, he has a .728 OPS. He figures to give Boone platoon options.
Two years ago, Ramos, a former first-round pick, was an All-Star for the Giants when he hit 22 homers and notched a .792 OPS.
Ramos is a handy pickup, though he cost the Yanks their No. 5 prospect (Lalane) and their 13th-ranked youngster (Kent). Lalane is a highly-regarded 6-7 lefty who had a 2.77 ERA across two levels of A-ball this season. Kent, the son of Hall-of-Famer Jeff Kent, is, perhaps not surprisingly, a bat-first second baseman who was hitting .302 at High-A.
Doval, a former closer for the Giants, was acquired at this time last year with great fanfare as the Yanks rebuilt the bullpen by targeting relievers with control. Doval has high-octane stuff and nice peripherals, but he never thrived, pitching to a 4.63 ERA in 66 games for the Yankees.
Alfonzo, a 22-year-old minor-league catcher, has a .743 OPS this year, which he’s spent mostly in Double-A. Cruz, 18, was hitting .300 in the Dominican Summer League.
Doval was supposed to be David Bednar’s primary setup man, but his strikeouts backslid and he always walked too much. A change of scenery was inevitable and necessary for both Doval and the Yankees, regardless of the return. It’s fine.
GRADE: C-plus
IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect /
OVERALL
Again: love the García acquisition. But the Yankees should’ve pressed deeper into the trade market, even if it got pricey. The American League is, overall, pretty soft this season and an easy path to the World Series should’ve injected more urgency into the Yankee deadline.
They really needed to add to their catching department – a right-handed hitting catcher with power would’ve been ideal, especially since Yankee backstops are 26th in homers, 28th in average and 29th in OPS this season. Bleah.
Austin Wells is a quality defender and deft handler of pitchers. But he’s batting .161 with a .537 OPS. Wells swatted 21 homers last year and was supposed to be a contributor at the bottom of the lineup.
Cashman told reporters he had multiple conversations with the Orioles about Adley Rutschman, the three-time All-Star, but couldn’t agree on price. Then Baltimore traded him to the Red Sox – gulp! – instead. The Rays, the team the Yankees are chasing in the AL East, also acquired a catcher, getting Liam Hicks from the Marlins.
Non-moves there by the Yankees may prove costly in the division race. Or even October.
Maybe Wells gets his offense together. He’s been better lately, as Cashman noted. Wells also has the lowest catcher’s ERA in MLB this season among backstops with at least 50 games caught. It’s 2.84. Connor Wong of the Red Sox is second at 3.21.
Even though they have the second-best bullpen ERA in baseball (3.01, just 0.06 behind Boston), they could’ve and maybe should’ve added relievers. The bridge to David Bednar often feels rickety.
In fairness, they’ve been good at finding relievers in recent years. Maybe their rotation surplus, such as Ryan Weathers, helps keep the bullpen humming.
Finally, the Yanks saw Tarik Skubal get traded to the Dodgers. That could be a pinstriped problem come October. Cashman said the Tigers set an enormous price for the prized lefty and he also indicated that Detroit wanted one player in particular. Seems pretty certain that was the Yanks’ best prospect, George Lombard Jr., who might be in the Majors soon. Maybe including Lombard wouldn’t have even gotten the deal done.
Whatever the case, the Yanks left too much undone. Maybe it’s unreasonable to ask them to splurge prospect capital on Skubal, a luxury of sorts for a team with an already-terrific rotation. But the Yanks needed other fixes and didn’t get them. That hurts their overall mark at this deadline.
Aug 3, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies right fielder Derek Hill (49) celebrates after hitting a grand slam during the seventh inning against the Washington Nationals at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Nationals manager Blake Butera was ejected in the top of the seventh inning because he thought Garrett Stubbs tripped into Nasim Nuñez during a run down that began to change the tides into the Phillies favor.
While Butera was not witnessing the game from the dugout, he and the entire Nationals organization experienced a flashback and will have nightmares tonight because of their bullpen.
After cruising through six innings, the Nationals staff let Andrew Alvarez return for the seventh inning against the bottom half of the Phillies order with a three-run lead. After a flyout to Alec Bohm, Bryan De La Cruz was hit by a backfoot slider in an 0-2 count that gifted him first base. Bryson Stott then worked a walk and it was time for the 2026 Washington Nationals bullpen.
First up is left-hander Tom Cosgrove against the bottom of the Phillies order. Against Edmundo Sosa, Cosgrove could not find the strike zone and walked Sosa on five pitches to bring up Derek Hill.
Against a left handed pitcher for the Nationals in a big leverage spot? Flashbacks!
After a shutdown inning from Orion Kerkering that featured an excellent running catch by Hill to save a leadoff double, the Nationals bullpen roulette must go on!
Clayton Beeter was summoned from the bullpen to try and keep the Phillies lead to only one-run. Unfortunately, it is the 2026 Washington Nationals bullpen and this is a Phillies game recap so you know what is about to happen.
After a five pitch walk to Kyle Schwarber, the next right fielder of the Philadelphia Phillies crushed a dead-center fastball right over Jacob Young’s head to give the Phillies a three run lead.
The game was not trending this way for most of the night. In the aftermath of one of the weirdest trade deadlines a Phillies fan might ever witness, they experienced a normal version of the Phillies during their post all-star break rut for at least half a dozen innings.
Aaron Nola took the ball against a Nationals team that is now missing a few pieces after making a few trades at the deadline. One of their new corner infielders, Abimelec Ortiz, crushed a hanging curveball for his first career home run to draw first blood.
In the second inning, it was even more quick trouble for Nola, Keibert Ruiz began the inning with a single and then Daylen Lile almost immediately took a high fastball over the right field seats to give them a 3-0 lead.
Nola was able to work through six innings without any damage, striking out five in the process against a pesky Nationals lineup.
Kyle Backhus started the seventh inning with the Phillies down three runs and it began to feel like one of those nights. Nasim Nuñez laid down a solid bunt and Backhus threw a fastball to Bryce Harper that went right past his glove and down foul territory in right field, De La Cruz struggled handing the ball so Nuñez made it to third base standing.
On a two-two count, Brady House his a dribbler right to Backhus but Nuñez went on contact, forcing a controversial run down that squandered a thread. But the inning wasn’t over yet, after a Jacob Young walk, it was first and second with one out.
Backhus then worked through the next two hitters, getting James Wood to hit a ground ball to first base and Andrés Chaparro to strikeout.
With two more scoreless innings from the bullpen, the Phillies begin their homestand with a win before Luis Arraez joins the club with several position changes to make it all work.
For Colorado Avalanche fans, the lack of a Cale Makar extension might be starting to feel a little too familiar.
After watching Mikko Rantanen leave Colorado, there is an understandable fear that another franchise cornerstone could eventually walk away. Makar, however, is a very different situation—and Avalanche fans shouldn't be preparing themselves for another Rantanen-type departure.
Makar is going to re-sign in Colorado.
The question isn't whether the Avalanche will keep their superstar defenseman. The question is how much it is going to cost them.
And that is where things get complicated.
Makar is entering the final season of his contract, and after establishing himself as arguably the best defenseman in hockey, he is going to have an opportunity to command a life-changing payday. With the salary cap continuing to rise and the NHL's contract market being pushed to new heights, this isn't going to be a deal that gets completed overnight.
But that shouldn't be mistaken for a problem.
Big Contracts Take Time
One thing I learned during my years covering boxing is that the biggest fights rarely come together quickly.
There are countless reasons for that in boxing—networks, promoters, sanctioning bodies, venues, television rights, purse splits and championship politics can turn a seemingly simple fight into a negotiation that drags on for months or even years.
Hockey doesn't have nearly that level of chaos.
But when you're talking about a contract potentially worth more than $130-$140 million, negotiations are still negotiations.
Nobody should expect Makar, his representatives and the Avalanche to casually shake hands on a number and call it a day.
The landscape has also changed dramatically in recent weeks.
Leo Carlsson signed a five-year contract with an $18 million average annual value, and Macklin Celebrini subsequently pushed the NHL's AAV record to $18.8 million. Those contracts have given Makar's camp even more information to work with as they determine what an elite player in his position should command.
And Makar is not just another elite player.
He is the face of the Avalanche's defense, a two-time Norris Trophy winner, a Stanley Cup champion and the Conn Smythe Trophy winner from Colorado's 2022 championship run.
He's earned the right to ask for an enormous number.
Makar Is Going To Get Paid
Let's be clear about something: Cale Makar is going to make an absurd amount of money on his next contract.
He deserves it.
The only question is where the Avalanche and Makar ultimately draw the line.
Could Makar command $20 million per season?
Maybe.
Would he be deserving of it?
Absolutely.
But that doesn't necessarily mean Colorado should hand him the largest contract in NHL history.
There is a difference between paying a player what he's worth and building a championship roster around that player.
The Avalanche already have Nathan MacKinnon under contract. Martin Necas is part of the long-term picture. Gabriel Landeskog remains a major piece of the organization. And if Colorado wants to keep its Stanley Cup window open for years to come, it cannot afford to build a roster where an enormous percentage of its salary cap is tied up in a handful of players while the depth around them deteriorates.
That's the balancing act Joe Sakic and the Avalanche have to navigate.
Makar could very well become the highest-paid defenseman in NHL history.
I just don't believe he'll become the highest-paid player in the league.
And frankly, that may be better for everyone involved.
Don't Panic
The most important piece of this entire situation is something that has gotten lost in the conversation: Colorado wants Makar, and Makar has every reason to want Colorado.
Sakic has already made the organization's position abundantly clear, saying in June that Makar is going to finish his career with the Avalanche and that getting an extension done was the team's top offseason priority.
That doesn't sound like an organization preparing for another Rantanen situation.
Makar has spent his entire NHL career in Colorado. He has won a Stanley Cup here. He has won two Norris Trophies here. He has become one of the most recognizable and beloved athletes in the franchise's history.
More importantly, the Avalanche remain a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.
That's important.
Players don't simply make decisions based on the biggest possible number. Winning matters. Fit matters. Stability matters. Legacy matters.
Makar has all of those things in Colorado.
So while it's fair for Avalanche fans to keep an eye on the situation, there is a big difference between not being signed yet and wanting to leave.
Those are not the same thing.
The Clock Is Ticking On An Eight-Year Deal
There is, however, one legitimate reason this negotiation carries some urgency.
The NHL's new collective bargaining agreement takes effect on September 16, 2026. Under the new agreement, contracts signed with a player's current team will be capped at seven years rather than eight.
That means if Colorado and Makar want to maximize the term of his next contract, they have a very real deadline approaching.
An eight-year extension could potentially put Makar's total contract value somewhere in the neighborhood of $132 million to $136 million, depending on where the final annual value lands. Nobody should be surprised that both sides are taking their time to make sure they get it right.
The Avalanche have to determine what number allows them to keep Makar happy without compromising their ability to build a championship-caliber roster around him.
Makar has to determine what number properly reflects his value while giving him the long-term security he deserves.
Neither side benefits from rushing that process.
This Isn't Mikko Rantanen All Over Again
This is probably the most important distinction for Avalanche fans.
Rantanen's departure understandably left a scar.
But assuming every major contract negotiation will end the same way is dangerous.
Makar isn't Rantanen.
The circumstances aren't the same.
The Avalanche aren't approaching this negotiation unaware of the importance of the player involved. They have already publicly identified Makar's extension as a priority, and Sakic has gone as far as saying he expects the defenseman to finish his career in Colorado.
The organization knows exactly what is at stake.
So does Makar.
That doesn't guarantee there won't be difficult negotiations. It doesn't mean the final number won't make Avalanche fans gasp. And it certainly doesn't mean there won't be moments when the lack of an announcement causes speculation to explode.
DENVER, COLORADO - JUNE 30: Mickey Moniak #22 of the Colorado Rockies puts on a purple home run jacket after a first inning solo home run against the Miami Marlins at Coors Field on June 30, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Thomas Harding of MLB.com is reporting that the Colorado Rockies are nearing a two-year extension with outfielder Mickey Moniak.
Major League source: #Rockies are closing in on a two-year contract extension for OF Mickey Moniak. Likely to be completed tomorrow.
A former first overall pick of the Philadelphia Phillies in 2016, Moniak struggled to find his footing in his first few big league seasons. He was eventually traded by the Phillies to the Los Angeles Angels, where he had a career year in 2023. However, after a down year in 2024, Moniak was released by the Angels during spring training prior to the 2025 season. The Rockies then swept in and signed him to a Major League deal.
Moniak, now 28, has developed into an important contributor on this Rockies team. While it cannot be denied that he was a defensive liability in 2025, his bat was one of the few bright spots in an otherwise miserable season. Moniak hit .270/.306/.518 with a career high 24 home runs and 68 RBIs.
Although he missed the start of the 2026 season with a hand injury, Moniak got off to a strong start when his year began. In his first 43 games he hit .280/.335/.607 with nine doubles, two triples, 12 home runs, and 28 RBIs. He was then sidelined with right ankle tendonitis for just over a month, but since returning he has continued to be a key offensive player. Coming into Monday night’s trade deadline, Moniak was hitting .273/.317/.547 with 17 home runs. He has also played fairly solid—if unremarkable—defense in left field.
Moniak was one of several names linked to trade rumors at the deadline, but ended up not being moved. Now we know why.
“I think Mickey’s an important part of what we’re doing here,” Rockies president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta said in a media availability following the deadline.
“Again, he had a very good year last year. I think he’s been off to a great start this year. Unfortunately, missed a little time with the injuries, but he is a legitimate middle-of-the-order bat for us. He’s a leader in our in our clubhouse. He’s a veteran. He’s been around a little bit longer. He’s also been in some different organizations, so he he knows what it should look like. He also knows sometimes maybe what it shouldn’t look like, which is just as valuable, and that’s important not just for his peers in the clubhouse, but also for me and for Schaeff as we try to shape our culture here. So I think Mickey’s value, both on on the field and off the field, is really important to us.”
The terms of Moniak’s extension are not yet public, but would buy out his final year of arbitration in 2027 and his first year of free agency in 2028. A formal announcement is expected some time tomorrow.
The Detroit Tigers lost their two best starting pitchers at this year’s trade deadline—and another one of their starters is in his feelings about their absence.
The clip has become a timeless internet meme, meant to be used when someone feels like they’ve been abandoned by the ones who were just with them a short time ago. And it makes sense why Flaherty is feeling this way right about now.
Flaherty is no stranger to being dealt at the trade deadline. He was traded to the Dodgers at the deadline in 2024 and was a key part of Los Angeles capturing the World Series that season. Therefore, he knows better than anyone that this is an unavoidable part of the sport.
Jack Flaherty walks off the mound during a Detroit Tigers game. AP Photo/Paul Sancya
Still, Flaherty is well within his rights to lament two guys who were surely not just colleagues, but friends. Plus, the Tigers trading both indicates they’re more or less giving up on competing this season.
Flaherty is hoping to compete again this season, after landing on the injured list with right flexor inflammation at the end of June. This injury is likely why he wasn’t at risk of being traded.
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman denied a report that the Yankees had conversations with the San Diego Padres involving right-hander Will Warren ahead of the MLB Trade Deadline.
"There was a lot of noise on whatever that was, but that wasn't true; that's all I can tell you," Cashman said when asked about the report after Monday's deadline.
"There's a lot of media reports, there's a lot of noise always constantly flying around, some are accurate, some of them aren't accurate," he continued. "It's a lot of people with a lot of information. Writers who cover the sport have a difficult time of trying to parse what's real and what's not.
"We never had a discussion with San Diego that way. So, I'll leave it at that."
Warren, 27, is under team control through the 2030 season. He is 8-5 with a 4.14 ERA and 1.362 WHIP in 108.2 innings over 22 games (21 starts) this season. His latest outing saw him allow four hits and strike out seven batters in 6.2 scoreless innings of Friday's 2-0 win at the Chicago Cubs.
The 27-year-old Morejon is a free agent after the 2026 season. In 60 frames through 52 games this season, the Padres' setup man 3.00 ERA and a 1.067 WHIP with 70 strikeouts to 15 walks.
Cashman did reveal that the Yanks “looked and engaged on trying to upgrade the ‘pen,” but weren’t able to get any deals done.
“There wasn’t a lot of arms that moved ‘pen-wise,” the GM Said. “More starters moving and certainly a lot less relievers, especially high-impact ones.
“But we definitely were on a number of different people but we were unable to find the matches there.”
He added: "We shopped in that aisle pretty heavily, but to no avail."
Warren was asked about trade noise after Friday's start and said you have to "control what you can control."
"Whatever's going to happen is going to happen. So, that's never really been on my mind," he said. "I feel like, ever since I've been with the Yankees, that's been a thing, so I'm kind of used to it by now. But just taking it day by day and, again, whatever happens is going to happen."
In the end, neither Warren nor Morejon was dealt before the deadline.
BRADENTON, FL - FEBRUARY 14: New York Yankees Senior Vice President, General Manager Brian Cashman talks to the the media during the 2025 Grapefruit League Spring Training Media Day at Pirate City on Friday, February 14, 2025 in Bradenton, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The 2026 Trade Deadline has officially come and gone, and it’s time for the immediate breakdown of the state of the Yankees following it. It’s fair to say that most weren’t projecting a flashy deadline for New York with a big-name blockbuster or anything of that sort, but it still comes as a surprise that at the end of the day they made only three moves: they traded Camilo Doval away to Pittsburgh, and then added Luis García Jr. alongside Heliot Ramos to bolster their lineup and provide some depth to the outfield while two of their stars are on the shelf.
Let’s start with what they did accomplish before we get into what they failed to get. García is a legit A-plus addition offensively, leading the National League in slugging and coming in just behind Ben Rice for third overall across MLB. They also managed to pry him away from Washington for a basket of arms that they likely didn’t have plans for this season and possibly even next, sending off their 14th-rated prospect Jack Cebert and their 25th-ranked prospect Ben Grable by MLB Pipeline’s scouting, alongside Yovanny Cruz and Jake Bird. Cruz impressed in Triple-A this season and got a couple brief stints with the major league team but never seemed to be in the plans for a postseason bullpen, while Bird actively worked his way off the roster two years in a row after getting acquired at the deadline last season. Overall, that’s a more than acceptable package to surrender in exchange for a bat that can mash against righties and bring some protection to Rice’s spot in the order.
García’s defensive fit is a bit more murky, as he’s a first baseman when the team already has Rice and Paul Goldschmidt working there. Goldschmidt, for all his early-season success, is still meant to be a backup for this team, and it looks as though he’ll cede playing time to García at first while Rice will primarily play as the designated hitter.
What that group looks like once Giancarlo Stanton is back in the fold, who knows, but the Yankees can’t plan on Stanton just sliding back in after missing most of the season and needing a bat in the worst way to stay afloat here and now. The Yankees will have García for the 2027 season as well, assuming there will be one amidst CBA negotiations and the very real threat of a lengthy lockout.
The other piece of this deadline “haul,” Ramos is a league-average bat overall but owns a 127 wRC+ against left-handed pitching this season, a trend that was muted during his down 2025 season but carried his performance in his breakout 2024 with the Giants. Just 26-years-old, Ramos will be entering arbitration for the first time in 2027 and under team control until 2030, giving them a solid platoon to utilize for the foreseeable future and the right-handed bat they coveted to help cover the outfield’s holes with Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger still out. Is he the most exciting get? Not exactly, and the cost of getting him was a little steeper with No. 5 prospect Henry Lalane headlining the return alongside their 13th-best prospect Kaeden Kent. The sticker price probably looks a little bit riskier than it is, as the Yankees’ system is rather top-heavy and both Lalane and Kent are still a while away from playing in High-A. As far as who they got, I’m not complaining about either Ramos or García — they’re both fine additions that’ll hopefully raise the offensive floor from dreadful to watch towards tolerable until the cavalry arrives.
Speaking of dreadful, it’s time to address what the Yankees didn’t do at the deadline. For months, speculation has been centered on the Yankees seeking help at catcher and aiming for relief help, but when the pencils were put down, Brian Cashman came away with exactly zero additions for both departments. The bullpen is a lesser concern at this point than it was earlier in the year, to be fair, as Paul Blackburn and Brent Headrick have turned into fantastic options late in games while closer David Bednar locked in and allowed two runs combined throughout June and July. They’ve shed the disappointing arms in Doval and Bird, and will likely shift one of their starters over to the ‘pen alongside ramping up Clarke Schmidt for relief duties as he nears a return.
The biggest failure of the deadline comes from being unable to secure any upgrade at all at catcher. Simply put, Austin Wells and Ali Sánchez have been a disaster duo behind the plate. While Wells at least has the trust of the pitching staff, keeping him in the lineup, they needed to do something with their backup catching spot. But while several catchers indeed moved on deadline day, none of them will be donning pinstripes — the big ticket name was Baltimore’s Adley Rutschman going over to the archrival Red Sox, but the Rays secured a catcher as well in Liam Hicks from the Marlins. Rutschman being available is a shock to the system, but Baltimore fumbled their core with just a single postseason of getting swept to show for it, and the star is admittedly not doing too great health-wise. In fact, those medicals were concerning enough for the Yankees to not pursue him after doing some initial check-ins, but Boston was clearly willing to take the gamble.
Passing on Rutschman for health concerns is one thing, but the rest of the market entirely passing them by? How could that happen? Well, it takes two to tango, and unfortunately the other enticing options were Minnesota’s Ryan Jeffers and Colorado’s Hunter Goodman. Goodman looks to be a legit big bat at a premier position, so Colorado has been asking for the moon in any talks regarding his services; and it’s fair enough to balk at a king’s ransom for a player that hasn’t established themselves long-term yet. Jeffers, meanwhile, became unavailable as the Twins fancied themselves competitors despite sitting under .500 entering play on Monday because the AL Central has been anyone’s game and the AL Wild Card field is a bit of a joke with how many teams are within striking distance. Suddenly out of first-choice options, the Yankees were left scrambling to consider backup plans like Cincinnati’s Tyler Stephenson, a relatively unappealing defender but at least one with a pulse at the plate. Even there they couldn’t agree on a deal, and now they’ll be stuck with what they’ve got.
The Yankees have learned not to invoke the rage of the fanbase by acting like getting a whole host of players back from the IL is a sort of deadline acquisition on its own, but it feels like that’s still the case here. They did get one significant upgrade with García, and for that alone I’m not willing to rake Cashman over the coals for this deadline, but this undoubtedly is one of their weakest deadline performances since Aaron Boone took over and the team regained their expectations of always competing. It leaves a lot unsaid about their unwillingness to go all-in this year with the clock ticking on Judge, Stanton, and Gerrit Cole’s window to win a championship, but at the same time you can at least see how the perfect storm arose to prevent them from landing more meaningful additions despite seeking them out.
Following the trade deadline Monday night, odds to win the division favor the Rays, but I certainly wouldn’t count the Yankees out of the race. The Pinstripes return to the Bronx for the next three series, facing the Cardinals, Braves, and Mariners. For now, it’s on the Yankees to weather the storm for another two months and see if they can make some noise in October.
HOUSTON — Daulton Varsho was taking swings in the visitors’ batting cage at Daikin Park early Monday before the start of a series against the Houston Astros when he was called into Toronto manager John Schneider’s office.
It was then that Varsho learned he was on a new team and he’d have an incredibly short trip to join that squad.
The first-place Astros acquired the center fielder from the Blue Jays for starting pitcher Spencer Arrighetti just before the trade deadline. A couple of hours later, Varsho finished his pregame preparations by taking swings in the home batting cage.
“It was definitely weird going from that cage to this cage,” Varsho said, shaking his head.
The AL West leaders wasted no time putting Varsho in the lineup. Houston manager Joe Espada had him batting cleanup against his former team Monday night.
“This clubhouse is awesome,” Varsho said of the Astros. “They’re great, great people, they’re excited. So that’s the best part for me is I get to join a team that’s very excited to have me and I’m excited to be a part of it.”
Varsho, a Gold Glove winner in 2024, provides a big boost in the outfield for the Astros, who with a three-game sweep of the Texas Rangers last weekend took over the division lead for the first time since early April. Houston went from a half-game deficit to a 2 1/2-game lead after the weekend series.
“Excited to add Varsho to our lineup,” Espada said. “He fits a hole that we’ve had here for a while. He brings a different dynamic to our offense, can really play center field, lefty bat. This guy was in the World Series not that long ago, so he knows what it takes.”
Espada said he plans to play Varsho only in center field and raved about his skills on offense and defense.
“He’s got some juice,” Espada said. “I think his power will play really well in this ballpark. He can run, can steal some bases. He’s a plus defender in center, so those are things that will fit right in.”
In 99 games this season, Varsho has hit .243 with seven homers and 26 RBIs. He had 20 homers in 71 big league games last season for the Blue Jays, who are last in the AL East after winning the American League pennant in 2025.
Varsho became emotional when talking about his time with the Blue Jays and added that it was disappointing they couldn’t get things going this season after last year’s surprising run.
“I’m in a better place now after a couple of hours just kind of getting my breath, kind of understanding where I’m at,” he said. “But, obviously wish those guys the best, because I really do care for a lot of those guys, especially the coaches and, yeah, it’s just hard.”
Varsho is a .229 career hitter with 106 homers and 321 RBIs in 747 games for Arizona and Toronto since his 2020 debut. He can become a free agent this fall.
Arrighetti, on the 15-day injured list because of nerve irritation in his right foot, is 7-5 with a 4.60 ERA in 17 starts this season. The 26-year-old right-hander, who grew up in Texas, is 15-23 with a 4.66 ERA in 52 major league starts and one relief appearance for the Astros since 2024.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 18: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks celebrates on a float with the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy during the New York Knicks Championship ticker tape parade and victory rally celebrating winning the 2026 NBA Finals on June 18, 2026 in New York City. The New York Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs in five games to win their first NBA Championship in 53 years. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images) | Getty Images
SB Nation’s Ricky O’Donnell, who along with the excellent James Dator comprise about 100% of the site’s NBA “staff,” wrote about seven teams he expects to be much improved this season. The Knicks are not one of the seven; their only mention in the piece is to say Philadelphia can match up with anyone in the East now, including New York. Usually that sorta schtick angries up my blood.
I want to hear my favorite team is better than I think, than anyone thinks, better than any anything in the history of everything. Don’t tell me Jalen Brunson isn’t the best player alive. Don’t gimme that “OG Anunoby never turned water into wine” blasphemy. Now that the Knicks are on top of the basketball world, I figure let them stay there. I want constant coronation. Endless adoration. Give them the key to the city. And the keys to Atlanta, Philadelphia, Cleveland and San Antonio. They owned them joints, too.
O’Donnell’s piece centers on who he thinks will show the greatest leap from last year to this, all teams who added All-NBA talent(s) this summer or a top-three draft pick — and also the Nets, likely to level up by finally fielding an actual professional team. As far as games won in 2027 versus 2026, the Knicks are unlikely to improve dramatically on 53 wins (if they do, they’ll make history). And what could they possibly do for an encore after the title run they just staged, anyway?
And yet — what if they are a lot better?
Why not?
Think of all the lessons the 2025 team learned that benefited the 2026 team. Last year’s squad won together and learned together, and everyone from that team is back this year minus Mitch. The better defenses around the league will spend the offseason preparing for the offense the Knicks unleashed starting with Game 4 in Atlanta. But nearly half the league doesn’t even make the playoffs. Opponents may have a better idea what the Knicks will throw at them, but that doesn’t mean there’s much they can do about it. And the Knicks will have had an offseason to work some new wrinkles into their play style.
What if last spring was only the beginning? Odds and evens fit together; odds and logic, not so much. The odds are against the Knicks, if only because the last seven teams to win it all failed to defend their crown. Maybe the Knicks don’t repeat as champs. Probably not, even. But there’s logic that says they can.
Of those prior seven champions, only one, the 2025 Celtics, had continuity at the top of their rotation for their title defense: the five players who led them in minutes in ‘25 also did in ‘26. The other six champs all lost a top-five player from one year to the next. Four lost two. From Kawhi leaving the Raptors to the Bucks shipping Donte DiVincenzo to Sacramento to the Thunder’s Jalen Williams’ year-long injury struggles, the group tasked with repeating usually isn’t the same one that peated in the first place.
Every championship team is freakish in some way. The Heatles were freakishly athletic. The Warriors went on freakish scoring runs. The Bubble Lakers were freakishly big. The Bucks were led by a literal Freak. The five Knicks who led them in minutes in 2025 did so again last season. Is it asking too much for them to threepeat? If there’s a lineup that can, it’d be the New York Five. And while title-winners usually empty the tank in their pursuit, the Knicks took their foot off the gas, relatively.
In Tom Thibodeau’s last year in charge, that quintet averaged a combined 181.6 minutes per game. Last year Mike Brown cut it to 162.2, an 11% drop. Presumably his years with defending champs in San Antonio and Golden State clued him in to the benefits of load management, even as the owners continue to insist the sun revolves around the Earth. One would expect the Knicks to be as mindful of the big picture this year as last.
Just like we knew 12 months ago the roster wasn’t finished, what we see today is not the end-product. The last time we saw the Knicks best lineup — after two years of plus/minus angst — they were freakishly dominant against the best the league had to offer. They’re freakishly resilient, with more 20-point comebacks the past two postseasons than the other 30 playoff teams combined. They won the most lauded, longed-for championship possible in the Association, in the most impressive way possible. And their top-seven in minutes and 11 of their top-12 are back. What if they are a lot better?
NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 11: Luke Weaver #30 of the New York Mets pitches during the eighth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Citi Field on June 11, 2026 in New York City. The Mets won 5-4. (Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With their playoff odds at 0.1% according to Fangraphs, the Mets’ season is effectively over. That was reflected in the fact that the Mets traded away eight players since Thursday and, if we are counting David Peterson’s departure on June 25th, have jettisoned eight of their prominent MLB players (and one Triple-A depth piece) for a haul of prospects. For most of these moves, the trades were to rid the team of expiring contracts and bring back something, anything, in exchange for 50 games of rental.
Every year, our Lukas Vlahos grades all of the Mets’ major acquisitions and he will do a deep dive into the trade deadline in the coming days. For now, let’s do a quick reaction to the weekends’ moves.
AJ Minter is traded to the Twins for Billy Amick and Bruin Agbayani
Who the Mets gave up: Veteran lefty Minter missed most of the season and a half that he was signed to the Mets with a lat injury. In 2026, Minter threw 34.0 innings in his time with the Mets with a 2.12 ERA and a 3.35 FIP.
Who the Mets got: Two prospects of minor note, including the power-hitting first baseman Amick and the scion of 2000 Met Benny Agbayani, but neither figures to be a top-flight prospect.
Quick Reaction Grade: C+ – if the Mets waited another day or two, they might’ve been able to milk a little more out of a trading partner, but overall, for half the season of an aging reliever, this is more or less what you get.
Freddy Peralta is traded to the Rays for Aidan Smith, Émilien Pitre, and Gary Gill Hill
Who the Mets gave up: Their Opening Day starter, acquired in the offseason for two (then) Top 100 prospects who has been more or less bad all season.
Who the Mets got: Peralta hasn’t been very good, but there was still some value to be had in him, and so the Rays had to pony up a package that isn’t going to set the world on fire, but had to have something to it. That something appears to be infielder Pitre, with a pitcher for whom some adjustments could unlock value, and a toss in.
Quick Reaction Grade: B – Again, not a gargantuan haul, but the return looks better in August 2026 than what the Mets gave up for Peralta in the first place.
Huascar Brazobán is traded to the White Sox for Gabe Davis and Zach Franklin
Who the Mets gave up: Their cost-controlled but old (by MLB standards) middle reliever who is having his best season in the pros.
Who the Mets got: The Mets got a nearly MLB-ready reliever in Franklin, who could be essentially the new Brazobán in no time, and a lottery ticket on a talk drink of water who played college ball with Carson Benge and Nolan McLean.
Quick Reaction Grade: B – I actually like both of these pieces in a vacuum, but to trade away Brazoabán’s team control (three seasons after 2026), you’d have hoped that the Mets could’ve brought in a little more.
Brooks Raley is traded to the Phillies for John Spikerman and Luke Gabrysh
Who the Mets gave up: Since 2022, Raley has been one of the Mets lefty relievers in all of baseball, not counting the year he lost to Tommy John Surgery, obviously. He, like Brazobán, is no kid, but his contract expires in the autumn, so this was as close to a must move as possible.
Who the Mets got: A low-power, glove-first centerfielder and a somewhat intriguing High-A starter.
Quick Reaction Grade: B+ – I think we’d all have liked to get more for Raley, but the reality of his age and contract status meant that it was always going to be slighter than fans hoped.
Ben Rortvedt is traded to the Dodgers for Chayce McDermott
Who the Mets gave up:One of their minor league catchers, who was claimed off of waivers from the Dodgers back in February.
Who the Mets got:A quad-A reliever (and occasional spot starter) who will likely fill the same role on the Mets’ roster.
Quick Reaction Grade: B – I got nothing of value to add to this. The Dodgers needed catching depth and didn’t want to pay much for it. The Mets gain another fungible churn piece.
Luke Weaver is traded to the Pirates for Samy Stafura
Who the Mets gave up: One of the most effective relievers in baseball, under control for 2027 as well.
Who the Mets got:A NY native with a speedy middle infielder who is on an insane power streak right now.
Quick Reaction Grade: B- – I actually like Stafura’s profile a lot, but for a guy as good as Weaver who is also under control for next year, this return seems light.
Clay Holmes and Tyrone Taylor are traded to the Cubs for Jefferson Rojas
Who the Mets gave up: Their very successful (though recently injured) reliever to starter success story and their veteran fourth outfielder.
Who the Mets got: The second best prospect in the Cubs’ system and a bottom tier Top 100 prospect in baseball.
Quick Reaction Grade: A- – This is the type of prospect that you’d expect for a pair of players like Taylor and Holmes, both of whom have flashed excellence at times this season but have some questions. That said, it isn’t exactly a ‘blow you away’ type of return, hence the A-. It wouldn’t shock me if the Mets tried to bring one or both of these folks back in the off-season.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 30: General Manager Dana Brown of the Houston Astros speaks during an end of season press conference at Daikin Park on September 30, 2025 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The 2026 MLB trade deadline has come and gone, and barring some minor league callups, this is essentially the team the Houston Astros will be going to battle with the rest of the season.
Houston had clear deficiencies coming to the deadline. Their outfield OPS is the worst in baseball. Their starting pitchers’ ERA was the highest in the league. Their bullpen has been heavily taxed and three of their 4 leverage reliever are lefties. The one righty, Bryan Abreu, has had an inconsistent season.
The Astros had stated clear agendas for the trade deadline: a left-handed hitting outfielder who could impact the lineup, a starting pitcher who could stabilize the rotation, and a right handed reliever who could handle some leverage innings.
Dana Brown achieved none of his goals today.
The Astros traded SP Spencer Arrighetti to the Toronto Blue Jays for CF Daulton Varsho.
Varsho is a very good defensive player and former Gold Glove winner in 2024. He is also a below average offensive player with a career batting average under .230 and career OBP under .300. He does have some pop, but he has also played in two of the best hitters parks in baseball in Chase Field (AZ) and Rogers Centre (TOR).
Varsho is a free agent at the end of the season.
He gives the Astros an excellent defensive CF with moderate pop, albeit with a low average, low OBP and high strikeouts.
Spencer Arrighetti had clearly fallen out of favor in Houston, mainly due to his poor command. Arrighetti is walking 5.1 batters per nine this season, identical to his walk rate a year ago. That is an unsustainable rate. It would be one thing if Arrighetti was 23 coming out of Double-A, but he’s 26. His command hasn’t improved.
He also doesn’t throw particularly hard (93), and in his career, he’s essentially had 2 great months and the rest of his time in MLB he has been lousy. He has a career 4.66 ERA and 1.39 WHIP. Those are not the numbers of a good pitcher, not even those of a promising pitcher.
The returns of Ronel Blanco and Hayden Wesneski bounced Arrighetti from the rotation, even if he weren’t currently on IL with nerve irritation in his foot. Arrighetti’s injury history has to be taken into account as well.
In the end, they traded a player that they didn’t have a role for to get player who will be their starting everyday CF.
Overall, I would give that specific deal a B-. It didn’t address any of their clear needs, but it was an upgrade without losing anyone who would help the team this year or really in future years.
Overall Deadline Grade
For the deadline overall, to achieve none of their stated agenda and fill none of their needs, I give them a F. They had an opportunity to improve the team and really separate themselves from the AL West, make themselves into solid contenders in the AL, and they completely whiffed.
Staying under the luxury tax seemed to be more important than winning. In a year when the AL is wide open, and several AL contenders made big improvements, the Astros failed to move the needle for their team at a time when the team is playing the best it has in a full calendar year. It’s a colossal miss and one that likely will result in the team having a new GM next season.
The Houston Astros are listed at +115 to win the AL West division and +3000 to win the World Series on the FanDuel Sportsbook. sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/mlb
We've reached the point in the offseason where the rumors are more speculation about what will happen as we get closer to the start of training camp — or once camp opens — than they are about things that might happen in the near future. With that framing in mind, here are the latest rumors flying around the NBA — and some advice from Chris Bosh to Victor Wembanyama.
Mavericks considering Klay Thompson trade
The problem is pretty straightforward: The Dallas Mavericks have 16 players under guaranteed contracts but can only carry 15 into the season. Someone has to be traded or waived.
The Mavericks have explored his trade market but have yet to find a deal, multiple sources with rival teams told The Athletic on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss any potential negotiations... My understanding is that Thompson would welcome a return to Los Angeles, where he spent part of his childhood and still owns a home. The Miami Heat are another team frequently mentioned in NBA circles as a potential landing spot for the future Hall of Famer."
Los Angeles? The Lakers are an unlikely landing spot, unless the Mavericks want two years of Jarred Vanderbilt plus another contract (Dalton Knecht?), but the Lakers have 16 guaranteed contracts on the roster and are hard-capped at the first apron, so they can't take on a lot of salary. The Clippers remain in limbo until the Kawhi Leonard/Aspiration investigation comes to its eventual conclusion — which may well be into the start of the season, or even 2027 — and the fit isn't great anyway.
Miami, like other teams, is not really engaging Dallas at this point, hoping that Thompson gets bought out and they can snap him up on a minimum (or close to it) contract.
Kings not buying out Zach LaVine
The Kings are rebuilding, starting with rookie Darius Acuff, and one thing that is clear is that Zach LaVine is not part of that long-term future. However, with LaVine in the final season of a massive contract paying him $48.9 million this season, good luck finding a trade.
The sides are looking for a trade, but with that huge salary, a deal is unlikely. The most likely outcome is the two sides stick together through the February trade deadline, and if no trade happens then, they might revisit the buyout conversation.
One other Kings note: Don't expect them to trade Domantas Sabonis, either. Part of that is his huge contract (two years, $94.1 million remaining), but also having a veteran center to work pick-and-rolls, as well as dribble hand-offs, with Acuff will help accelerate his growth.
Chris Bosh on his health, Wemby
Chris Bosh was forced out of the NBA much too young due to blood clot issues in his legs. That hasn't changed, the Hall of Famer told Sam Yip of HoopsHype he nearly died earlier this year from the condition.
Chris Bosh to HoopsHype: "I had an episode in January. I almost dropped dead pretty much and came back to life. I'm not joking. I had another pulmonary embolism. It was in January. I was in the hospital for a week." pic.twitter.com/cEkj5eOieB
"I almost dropped dead pretty much and came back to life. I'm not joking. Yeah. I had another pulmonary embolism. It was in January. Yeah, yeah, this past year. I was in the hospital for a week... I thought I was past it. I am not."
Victor Wembanyama missed the end of the 2024/25 season due to something very similar, deep vein thrombosis, although in his shoulder. While Wembanyama was medically cleared and played all of last season without issue, Bosh had advice for the young Spur.
"Take your medicine. Make sure that he's staying on top of his regimen to make sure that doesn't happen again because it only takes one more time. It happened one more time for me, it happened twice, and I couldn't play anymore. So I guess with him, just making sure he does everything necessary to keep that blood as thin as possible and take care of that body off the court."
Caleb Houstan headed to Pelicans camp
Just a little training camp note for everyone, via Michael Scotto of Hoopshype.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MAY 14: Kris Bubic #50 of the Kansas City Royals delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field on May 14, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jayden Mack/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The dust has settled, and the hard trade deadline is over. There were some big trades this year. There were some notable non-trades this year, too—we’ll get to that, later. Kansas City was quiet, though, with only a handful of deals completed.
Let’s grade the ones that they did, and one that they didn’t do.
Lane Thomas and Bailey Falter to the Braves for Lucas Braun and Carter Holton
Grade: B+
Lane Thomas probably knew when he signed with Kansas City that he’d either make the playoffs with the team or end the year playing for someone else. Bailey Falter has probably wished he was somewhere else for a while, as did the Royals front office at this point. By trading them to the Braves, the Royals enacted their most impactful trade of the deadline.
The key player here is Lucas Braun, a 24-year-old righty selected by Atlanta in the 2023 draft. Braun has seen success in the high levels of the minors as a starter; in 94 innings pitched this year across Double-A and Triple-A, he has a 3.53 ERA and a 3.76 FIP. The Royals also got Carter Holton, the 62nd overall pick in the 2024 draft who missed all of 2025 with Tommy John.
To get legitimate rotation depth and a buy-low lefty pitcher drafted in the second round a few years later is a pretty good result. The only reason this doesn’t get an A is because you just have to wonder what the Royals could have gotten if they didn’t attach Falter and his salary to the deal.
Kris Bubic to the Dodgers for Carlos Duran
Grade: A-
When healthy, Kris Bubic has ended up as the most valuable of all the vaunted 2018 Royals draft class arms. But that is the key: when healthy. Bubic has only pitched a little more than 200 total innings across the last four seasons, and he’s never tossed more than 130 innings. With looming free agency at the end of the year as well as lingering arm problems, it was no guarantee the Royals would be able to move him for anything at all.
However, the Royals did find a suitor for Bubic in Los Angeles. The Dodgers are the cozy home for enigmatic-but-talented pitchers and aren’t afraid to spend the annual GDP of Iceland on players on the injury list. Moreover, the Royals got something back—Carlos Duran. A right-handed pitcher from the Dominican Republic, Duran just turned 25, and threw one third of an inning with Atlanta last year. But in 37 innings for the Dodgers’ Triple-A squad, Duran struck out over 31% of total batters with a 3.38 ERA. He’s got two more option years remaining and many years of control.
Expect him to be the closer by Thursday. I jest. But do I? It was a good trade.
Manuel Colon to the Phillies for Nolan Hoffman
Grade: B-
Not many Royals fans know who Manuel Colon is, and sort of for good reason: he’s a 19-year-old with two innings in A ball this year. He is the definition of a lottery ticket—might be worth something, might be worth less than that—which is the going rate to require roughly replacement level talent in the upper minors, which is what Nolan Hoffman is. Hoffman, 28, is with his fourth big league organization, and is a right-handed arm with a strikeout rate north of 25% in each of the last three seasons at Triple-A.
Kansas City needs arms right now, and Hoffman will probably see the big league bullpen sooner rather than later.
Not trading any of Michael Wacha, Seth Lugo, or Daniel Lynch IV
Grade: F
Sometimes the most impactful trades are the ones you don’t make. Kansas City entered the trade deadline with three pitchers who had multiple years of control and who would have been big additions for another club looking to add legitimate, playoff-caliber talent: starting pitchers Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo, and left-handed reliever Daniel Lynch IV.
Kansas City didn’t trade any of them.
In some comments to the media after the deadline, general manager JJ Picollo was clear that no deal worked out because the Royals wanted big league ready talent and other playoff teams balked at that. He believes that the Royals will compete next year and thinks that Wacha and Lugo and Lynch can help the team then. I think it’s a big miss.
