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If there was any doubt as to which direction the Baltimore Orioles were leaning as they sat in the precarious middle ground of playoff contention, we may have an answer.

The Orioles are trading outfielder Taylor Ward to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for a trio of minor-league right-handers, the teams announced.

The move could signal the start of more deals for the Orioles (54-58), who began the day on Monday 2½ games out of the final American League wild-card spot.

The 55-58 Mariners, meanwhile, are just a half-game ahead of the Orioles, but have much stronger postseason aspirations. Adding Ward will help address their most glaring need.

The Baltimore Orioles are trading catcher Adley Rutschman to the Boston Red Sox, per multiple reports.

Rustchman, 28, is currently on the injured list, but is expected to be ready to return in the near future. The first overall pick in the 2019 draft out of Oregon State, Rutschman was second in the American League Rookie of the Year voting in 2022 and 12th in the MVP voting, then followed up with a 9th place finish in the MVP voting in 2023. His bat regressed in 2024 and 2025, and he has had injury issues this year, as well as last year, though his .251/.331/.433 slash line this year represents an improvement over 2024 and 2025.

Rutschman is under contract for $7.25 million this year, and will be eligible for free agency after the 2027 season.

No word yet on who the Orioles are getting back from Boston. We will update when we know more.

UPDATE — The Orioles are reportedly getting the following players from Boston:

Anthony Eyanson (#2 on the BA Red Sox list)

Enddy Azocar (#5)

Kyson Witherspoon (#3)

Harold Rivas (#21)

Carlos Narvaez

Eyanson, #33 on the Baseball America top 100 list, was a third round pick of the Red Sox out of LSU in 2025 who got a well-above-slot $1.75 million bonus. He’s blown up this year, with added velocity helping him to a 1.32 ERA in 68 innings between high-A and AA.

Witherspoon, #97 on the BA top 100 list, was taken #15 overall out of OU in 2025. We wrote him up pre-draft here. A righthanded pitcher, Witherspoon has put up a 4.78 ERA in 75 innings at high-A with 78 Ks against 34 walks.

Azocar, a 19 year old center fielder, has slashed .286/.341/.540 between low-A and high-A this season after spending most of 2025 in low-A.

Rivas, 18, was signed by the BoSox out of Venezuela for $950,000 last year. He’s a speedy centerfielder who plays quality defense.

Narvaez is a catcher who has spent the past two seasons in the majors for the Red Sox. After putting up a 2.8 bWAR season with a 726 OPS last year, he has put up a -0.5 bWAR and a 535 OPS this season.

A.J. Preller went into deadline day with the worst farm system in baseball and still came out with a left-handed starter. The Padres GM dealt two minor leaguers to rent Robbie Ray for the rest of the season.

The Padres acquired Ray for shortstop Joniel Hernandez and right-hander Miguel Mendez, two prospects from the back half of a top 15 that most evaluators rank last in the league. Preller has been dealing from a pipeline he drained years ago, and he keeps finding somebody willing to take his calls.

San Diego needed this. Behind Michael King, their rotation is week: Walker Buehler, German Marquez, Griffin Canning, JP Sears and Randy Vasquez. The line Preller is walking is narrow. The Padres went into Monday night's games at 58-54, third in a division the Dodgers are running away with. The wild card is their only route and it's crowded. The Padres sit a game out of the last spot, behind Atlanta and Philadelphia, with Miami a half-game back of them and Pittsburgh and St. Louis close enough to matter. Six teams are chasing three spots.

Robbie Ray trade details

• Padresreceive: Robbie Ray
• Giantsreceive: Joniel Hernandez and right-hander Miguel Mendez

Padres trade grade: B

San Diego needed a starter more than anyone left buying and had the least to trade with. Its farm system is widely considered the worst in baseball after years of aggressive dealing under a budget crunch, and the rotation behind Michael King was Walker Buehler, German Marquez, Griffin Canning, JP Sears and Randy Vasquez. Ray walks in as the No.2 and would immediate lead the staff in ERA. If Joe Musgrave and Nick Pivetta get back in mid-August, a weakness turns into a strength.

Giants trade grade B

This is about what they could expect for a 34-year old two months from free agency. Mendez is a 23-year-old right-hander already on the 40-man who posted a 1.78 ERA in the lower minors last year before getting hit around in six Double-A starts. Neither he nor Hernandez are headliners.

When is the 2026 MLB trade deadline?

The MLB trade deadline for the 2026 season is set for Monday, Aug. 3 at 6 p.m. ET.

MLB schedule today

Here is the full Major League Baseball schedule for Aug. 3 and how to watch all the games. Or see our sortable MLB schedule to filter by team or division.

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• Nationals at Phillies, 6:40 p.m., NBC Sports Philadelphia
• Cardinals at Yankees, 7:05 p.m., Cardinals.TV
• Pirates at Brewers, 7:40 p.m., Brewers.TV
• Giants at Rangers, 8:05 p.m., ESPN
• Dodgers at Cubs, 8:05 p.m., Marquee Sports Network
• Blue Jays at Astros, 8:10 p.m., Space City Home Network
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who won Padres-Giants Robbie Ray trade? Grades for each team

In a stunning deal that marks the end of a failed rebuild in Baltimore, the Orioles are trading catcher Adley Rutschman to the Boston Red Sox Monday, Aug. 3, a rare intra-division deal for a three-time All-Star, according to a baseball official with direct knowledge of the deal.

The person confirmed the deal to USA TODAY Sports on condition of anonymity because it has not yet been announced.

Rutschman, 28, was the first overall pick in 2019, chosen over prep shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. as the Orioles’ reward for a 115-loss season that prompted the hiring of now club president Mike Elias. Through two more 100-loss seasons, Elias continued collecting elite draftees and building what appeared to be a sustainable and potentially imposing youth movement.

While the Orioles won 101 games and the AL East in 2023 and 90 games and a wild card spot the next season, they were 0-5 in postseason games over that two-year span and have badly regressed the past two seasons, entering the trade deadline 54-58 and 2 ½games out of a wild card berth. Elias said Friday the club would remain "open-minded" about dealing their players, including Rutschman.

Rutschman's trade, which was first reported by ESPN, may signal a greater teardown for the Orioles, who have stockpiled players such as fellow No. 1 overall pick Jackson Holliday and outfielder Colton Cowser that have piqued opposing teams' interests as the deadline lurches toward the final gun at 6 p.m. ET Monday.

The Red Sox managed to avoid dealing their No. 1 prospect, shortstop Franklin Arias, but the return for Rutschman, first reported by the Baltimore Sun, was significant: Right-handed pitchers Kyson Witherspoon and Anthony Eyanson, outfielder Enddy Azocar and major league catcher Carlos Narvaez.

Meanwhile, the Red Sox have been baseball’s hottest team for a month, winning 23 of their past 26 games to gain a firm grasp on the AL’s No. 2 wild card spot. It’s a stunning rise after the Red Sox started 10-17 and fired manager Alex Cora.

Now, they will upgrade one of the most offensively inept positions on their roster, although Rutschman is currently on the injured list with left wrist inflammation. Elias said Friday that Rutschman should be ready to embark on a rehab assignment this week.

Rutschman, a switch-hitter, will enhance the offensive production provided mostly by Narvaez and Connor Wong; Red Sox catchers have combined to bat .219 with just four home runs, fewest in the major leagues.

Talk about an upgrade: Rutschman has a career .756 OPS, 115 adjusted, and hit a career-best 20 home runs in 2023. He has been dogged by injuries since midseason 2024, but has shown much better this season, earning an All-Star nod after a strong first half. He’s also a net positive behind the plate, enabling the Red Sox to hew to their run prevention mantra while providing a sentient offensive presence in the lineup.

Rutschman is eligible for free agency after 2027, and the Orioles also are committed long-term to first-year player Samuel Basallo, who signed a club-friendly eight-year, $67 million extension last year. But Basallo is also on the injured list and has struggled to stay healthy, and he and Rutschman manned both the catcher and DH spots for most of the season.

The move marks a swift change for Red Sox club president Craig Breslow, who is typically cautious with prospects and pound-foolish with big contracts. Witherspoon was chosen 15th overall in the 2025 draft out of Oklahoma while Eyanson was taken in the third round; both are very hard-throwing right-handers and Eyanson has reached Class AA, where he has a 1.69 ERA in 11 appearances. They are the Nos. 2-3 ranked prospects in the Red Sox system, according to Baseball America. Eyanson is ranked 33rd among all prospects by Baseball America.

Azocar, meanwhile, is a fast-rising 19-year-old outfielder who has hit 18 home runs at two Class A levels this season. He was signed by the Red Sox for $40,000 out of Venezuela in 2024.

If I had a nickel for every time the Royals traded an injured left-handed starting pitcher that some people felt was better in the bullpen on an expiring deal to the Dodgers, I’d have two nickels. Which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it’s happened twice.

It’s sad to see Kris Bubic go. I still wonder if the Royals might try to bring him back on a one-year deal to a rapidly depleting pitching staff next year. There were strong rumors that the Royals had a deal worked out to send Bubic to the Angels for Taylor Ward this past offseason when Baltimore convinced them to take Grayson Rodriguez instead. Obviously, his value has diminished with a second straight season derailed by injury. Especially because no one seems to quite understand the nature of the injury. But he’s no longer the Royals’ problem.

Carlos Duran is a big right-handed reliever that the Dodgers added as a minor league free agent last year. He has struck out 12 batters per 9 innings but also walked nearly 6 per 9 in AAA for them this season. He still has a 3.38 ERA, though. He just turned 25 last week, and while he did make his major league debut last season, he only pitched 1/3 of an inning for the Athletics. You have to wonder if he could serve more as help in the Royals’ bullpen this year than a prospect for next season.

Kris’s true value seems like it’s probably far less than their model indicates since he’s currently on the 60-day IL and no one seems to know when he might return. If the Royals can turn Duran into a serviceable reliever, this would seem like a huge win for them.

With less than 24 hours to go before the trade deadline the Cubs made a move for a starting pitcher. It wasn’t a blockbuster deal for Tarik Skubal, who will take his electric left arm to Los Angeles to join a Dodgers team that is already flush with talent. It wasn’t a move for Freddy Peralta, who will take his body of work that has stymied the Cubs to the tune of a .169/.281/.305 career slashline against the Northsiders over 109.1 career innings against his former division rival to the American League East and the Tampa Bay Rays. Instead the Cubs made a savvy deal for veteran starter Kevin Gausman.

Gausman has certainly been an ace for both the San Francisco Giants and the Toronto Blue Jays dating back to the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. He fortifies a battered Cubs pitching staff and should bring a veteran presence along with Postseason experience to Chicago. You can see highlights from his 2025 Postseason where the Blue Jays fell just short of dethroning the Dodgers in the World Series:

The team context

Don’t get me wrong, Skubal and Peralta are great, but the cost to acquire them was steep. The Cubs may have been in on one of those starters if they had a deeper farm system or just needed a single ace in the rotation. But as we’ve discussed many times this season, pitching injuries have been a real Achilles’ heel for this Cubs team who have managed to ride the top offense in the league to a 63-49 record. They’re still 6.5 games back of the division-leading Brewers, but that record is good for a four-game lead for the top Wild Card spot. You can see the top ten teams by fWAR and some of their key offensive stats below:

For as good as their hitting has been this season, the Cubs pitching has needed help. By fWAR their starting pitchers rank 25th in MLB between the Washington Nationals and San Diego Padres. It doesn’t get better when you look at the bullpen, where the Cubs rank 26th in MLB by fWAR, in between the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland Athletics with a cumulative fWAR of -0.5.

But for all of their pitching woes, the Cubs are not the Nationals, Padres, Giants or Athletics. They are a team that is currently on track to play meaningful baseball in September and maybe even October with a 92.2 percent chance to make the playoffs according to FanGraphs:

To move their pitching up to the league median, or better the Cubs didn’t need one arm. Reporting says they are looking to add three additional pitchers between now and 5 p.m. CT today. Sunday night we found out the first of those pitchers is Gausman.

The arsenal

Gausman has a three pitch mix that he throws in similar ratios to both righties and lefties. He has a 94 MPH fourseam fastball he throws approximately half of the time. He pairs that with a split finger he throws about 38 percent of the time and mixes in a slider the remaining 10 percent of the time. It’s a pitch mix that has remained remarkably stable since 2022:

His fastball is still excellent, but the secondary pitches have fallen off a bit this season. It’s possible the Cubs have a fix for that. However, it’s equally possible they are just looking to upgrade the innings they just lost by designating Jameson Taillon for assignment. Either would be a suitable upgrade for the Cubs rotation, however if they have a fix for his secondary pitches Gausman may be able to return to closer to his prior ace status. Ironically, Taillon was claimed by the Blue Jays and the Cubs will receive a player to be named later for him.

The stats

Gausman has been one of the best starters in baseball since 2020 whether you measure that in innings pitched or results. Below you can see a list of the top 29 pitchers in baseball by fWAR, where Gausman ranks second behind Zach Wheeler. Fun fact, Cubs trade target, George Kirby of the Mariners just missed the cut at #24 here. For reference the first pitcher with any Cubs experience during this time on this leaderboard is Justin Steele who ranks #66:

If you were to sort that full table by innings pitched, Gausman is also second there (behind Logan Webb’s 1141.2). High quality innings, and a lot of them, sounds like exactly what this iteration of the Cubs needed at the trade deadline.

But it is worth noting that the Cubs aren’t getting 2021 Gausman in this deal. Gausman turned 35 in January and Father Time is undefeated. The Cubs are hoping a trade to a contender and some tweaks on Gausman’s secondaries, gets him closer to his ace-like status for seven more regular season starts and as far as the Cubs can go in October. Cubs fans have seen the idyllic version of this movie before when the Cubs traded for 34-year old Cole Hamels during a down year, only to see him return to form at the corner of Clark and Addison.

And there are reasons to believe Gausman might be better in blue pinstripes than he was in Blue Jays baby blue. For starters, Gausman’s 4.38 ERA is almost a run worse than his 3.51 FIP. As a reminder, FIP stands for fielding independent pitching, and tries to look at what a pitcher can control rather than the impact a good or bad defense may have on his outcomes. But Gausman isn’t moving to a neutral defense, he’s moving to the best defense in baseball by many metrics. Of the 19 pitchers who have thrown at least 10 innings for the Cubs this season, 16 have ERAs that are lower than their FIP — including newcomer David Peterson. That’s notable, because Peterson did not have a lower ERA with the Mets, and close readers of this blog will recall I highlighted that metric for him as well (yes, that includes the July 3 start against the Cardinals we’d all rather forget).

Another reason for cautious optimism that the Cubs may be getting a better version of Gausman can be seen in his BABIP, which is an uncharacteristically high .313 for the 2026 season. That could indicate a decline for a 35-year old pitcher, but it could also indicate some bad luck. The type of bad luck that turns into better results when you swap Andrés Giménez for Dansby Swanson at shortstop, Ernie Clement for Nico Hoerner at second and Jesús Sánchez for Ian Happ in left field and, of course, Daulton Varsho for Pete Crow-Armstrong in center.

At the risk of introducing some non-statistical analysis in a “by the numbers” column, it also seems like Gausman is just a great guy who should fit right into a Cubs clubhouse that is by all accounts close, business-like about their approach to the game and genuinely likeable. There was genuine sadness among Toronto fans and writers that the time had come to part ways with a great guy:

The return

The Cubs gave up two prospects for Gausman, both contact-oriented infielders in Brett Bateman and Ty Southisene. I’ll confess, even as the person who peers into minor league stats in the NL Central regularly for BaseballHQ, neither were on my radar as being particularly close to the big league roster. So I did the exact same thing y’all probably did and sought out the reaction of a trusted prospects expert. Below is what Keith Law wrote up for The Athletic:

This feels like a very light return for two months of Gausman, even the 2026 version who’s down from his peak performance. Brett Bateman bounced back after he was beset by a broken hamate bone in 2025 and bottomed out at a .307 slugging percentage. This season, he’s hitting .312/.431/.422 with better contact quality too. He could be the strong side of a center field platoon, or a quality fourth outfielder who can handle all three spots against right-handed pitching. He’s an above-average runner with probably 40 power, enough that he should hit in the .270-280 range with some walks thanks to his strong contact skills. Ty Southisene, brother of Atlanta prospect Tate Southisene, has zero power — literally, no pro homers in over 700 plate appearances — and probably has to move to second. He’s very small, so there’s no projection here for him to get stronger.

Takeaways

Overall, this feels like the first of a series of moves to improve the Cubs pitching staff before 5PM tonight. Gausman adds innings with more of a track record than the Cubs other options, including a decent amount of Postseason experience and excellent clubhouse vibes. If the Cubs get the same version of Gausman the Blue Jays saw in 2026 they’ll have improved on 2026 Taillon considerably, if they have some tweaks that can return him to something like his 2025 form, this is a straight-up steal of a trade.

Welcome to Chicago, Kevin Gausman. Here’s hoping a couple of other guys are on the way to join you as the reinforcements at Wrigley Field as the Cubs kick off the post-trade deadline run with a series against none other than those juggernaut Dodgers at Wrigley Field tonight.

The Blue Jays have traded swingman Adam Macko to the Texas Rangers for utility infielder Josh Smith and prospect Josh Stephan, per Ben Nicholson-Smith:

Macko, the first Slovak MLB player since the retirement of Elmer Valo in 1961, appeared in /2 games this season for the Jays, posting a 4.91 ERA and 23 strikeouts against 10 walks in 22.0 innings. He profiles as a swing man or potential fifth starter if he’s able to stay healthy and refine his command.

Smith, who turns 29 on Friday, was functionally an everyday player during the 2024 and 2025 seasons with the Rangers, splitting time all over the infield. He’s fallen out of the lineup this season due to some struggles at the plate, but when he’s on can provide slightly above average hitting based on a solid OBP that makes up for limited power along with below average but passable defence anywhere on the dirt or in left field.

Stephan, 24, is a right handed starter in AAA. He has plus command of pretty mediocre stuff, relying heavily on spotting his lone above average pitch, a slider, around the zone. He’s gotten hit a bit at Round Rock, posting a 5.41 ERA, but his 97:31 K:BB ratio shows some promise and he’ll probably join the up and down mix at the back of the Jays’ 40-man roster in a similar role to what Macko had this season.

Happy trails to Macko, and welcome to the Josh S.s

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The Los Angeles Dodgers' acquisition of star pitcher Tarik Skubal from the Detroit Tigers over the weekend didn't just leave rival fans frustrated and analysts debating the trade's implications for collective bargaining.

It also sparked a surge of World Series futures betting at BetMGM.

Key Takeaways

• The Dodgers’ odds to win the World Series shortened from +170 to +150 at BetMGM.
  
  
• The operator doesn’t have the favorite under liability watch right now.
  
  
• Los Angeles is a huge favorite to win its division.

“The Dodgers were already the favorites and the most-bet team to win the World Series before the addition of reigning back-to-back Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal,” BetMGM senior trading manager Christian Cipollini said. “Since the trade on Saturday, 54% of money wagered has been on Los Angeles to win a third consecutive World Series.”  

It's no surprise bettors are backing a team that owns one of MLB's best records at 69-43. Skubal was considered the best player available on the trade market this year, and even though he’s set to become a free agent at the end of the season, he could’ve helped sway expectations for a number of contenders. 

The Dodgers' rotation also includes 2026 All-Stars Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Justin Wrobleski, as well as two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell.

Their odds of making history and winning the World Series again have shortened from +170 before the trade to +150 after acquiring Skubal, who will make his Dodgers debut Tuesday against the Chicago Cubs. 

Other operators reported similar odds shifts.

Dodgers Futures Odds Movement @DKSports

World Series: +190➡️+150
National League: +105➡️-110 https://t.co/YFug7c1oIvpic.twitter.com/6Wr49dHhAC

— DK Insights (@DKInsights_) August 2, 2026

LA DODGERS UPDATED LINE MOVEMENTS 🚨

▪️World Series: +175 ➡️ +150
▪️NL Pennant: -115
▪️Win Total: 103.5 (O -115)
▪️2026 & 2027 Titles: +650 ➡️ +600 pic.twitter.com/PXwavMg90m

— Caesars Sportsbook (@CaesarsSports) August 2, 2026

No big liability ... yet

L.A. has seen the most tickets (12.4%) and handle (23.4%) to win it all at BetMGM. No other team has seen at least 10% in either category. However, the Dodgers, who opened the market as a +350 favorite, aren’t a major liability for the operator at this time.

“That could change,” Cipollini said. 

BetMGM's biggest World Series liability remains the Colorado Rockies, though the sportsbook has little concern about the NL-worst club.

MLB odds could still shift following Monday’s 6 p.m. ET trade deadline. 

Massive favorites

In the NL pennant market, the Dodgers went from +100 to -120 at BetMGM over the weekend. They’re getting 13.2% of the bets and 26.3% of the money in that futures market.

.@Dodgers odds to win the National League at @BetMGM

+100: Before trading for Tarik Skubal

-120: After 📈

Dodgers were already the favorites and the most bet team to win the NL before the trade and they just got better! pic.twitter.com/4k5CyvSwdw

— John Ewing (@johnewing) August 3, 2026

Los Angeles’ odds to win the NL West, however, didn’t budge. The Dodgers are a whopping -10,000 to claim the division, which they currently lead by 10 games over the second-place Arizona Diamondbacks. The second-biggest favorite to win a division is the Atlanta Braves at -1,100 in the NL East. 

Bettors haven’t been able to get a price under -1,000 on the Dodgers to win the division since late March, so only 12% of the tickets and 11% of the handle are on L.A.

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

It’s the MLB trade deadline! The most speculative, bizarre, and usually personally disappointing day in the baseball calendar is upon us, and I’m grading every major deal as they happen. From prospect hauls to rental pitchers all the way to the Dodgers probably trading for the Star Wars force ghost of Ted Williams (or something like that), I’m here for the intrigue and chaos all day. Let’s have some fun!

This story will be updated as new deals are reported. 

Boston Red Sox receive: C Adley Rutschmann

Baltimore Orioles receive: RHP Anthony Eyanson, CF Enddy Azocar, RHP Kyson Witherspoon, C Carlos Narvaez

Red Sox grade: A

Rutschmann hasn’t necessarily lived up to the hype of “holy moly this guy is the cornerstone of our franchise” that he reached after his first two seasons… otherwise he would not be getting traded within the division to the Boston Red Sox. But it’s impossible to overstate how big of an upgrade Rutschmann is over the current catcher platoon of Carlos Narvaez and Connor Wong. He’s an elite defender and power hitter that adds 4.0-5.0 WAR into a lineup in a spot that has been a black hole for years. The Red Sox managing to grab a player of his quality without including top prospect Franklin Arias is a massive win.

Orioles grade: B-

Eyanson is an excellent prospect in the Red Sox system, and he’s been tearing up AA this season in Portland. That’s a real asset to get back, but many Orioles fans will be angry that their former savior got traded for a package that did not even include Boston’s top prospect in Arias. It’s a tough pill to swallow, but with Samuel Basallo extended long term, it made sense to get as much value as you could. Still, doing it in the division has the potential to really sting down the road. 

Los Angeles Dodgers receive: LHP Kris Bubic

Kansas City Royals receive: RHP Carlos Duran

Dodgers grade: B+

Bubic has fallen way back to earth after a stellar 2025, but the Dodgers can afford to gamble on a player they are conceivably hoping to turn back into an All-Star. There’s very little risk with a player making so little money on a one-year deal, so this is well worth it.

Royals grade: C+

Apparently Bubic’s reputation in the league was not much, but I still thought the Royals could have gotten more for a lefty rental from a needier team. Evidently, they could not. 

San Diego Padres receive: LHP Robbie Ray

San Francisco Giants receive: SS Joniel Hernandez, RHP Miguel Mendez

Padres grade: C

You can only make so many “win now” trades without actually winning now. The Padres just traded their fourth-overall prospect, Mendez, to a division rival for a 34-year-old starter rental with San Diego still on the outside looking in to the playoff picture. I understand this team isn’t exactly primed for a rebuild, but this seems to be heading down a very specific street: it either works or AJ Preller is fired. That’s a dangerous spot for any organization.

Giants: B+

Robbie Ray is going to do effectively nothing for the Giants anymore as their season descends into nothingness, but he has been one of the best pitchers in baseball since June even if his underlying data hasn’t been all that great. He’s not the star he used to be but clearly still has real value to a desperate Padres team. Even in division, I like the return for San Francisco.

Tampa Bay Rays receive: C Liam Hicks

Miami Marlins receive: INF Brayden Taylor, RHP Jacob Kisting, SS Adrian Santana

Rays grade: B

Hicks is a fine defensive catcher and very controllable bat with bizarre underlying metrics. He has showed excellent plate discipline and slugged a good amount in 2026 but with really low bat speed for how much power he’s creating. He also has zero opposite field power, pulling all 14 of his home runs sharply to right field. He could be a good, long-term option for Tampa, or this could be a major overpay.

Marlins: A-

Brayden Taylor was a first-round pick and a 50 FV prospect who will need to develop his plate discipline if he’s going to make it as a big leaguer. The Marlins probably feel that an infielder with pedigree and fixable issues is a solid return for their perplexing catcher, a presumption I agree with.

Philadelphia Phillies receive: 2B Luis Arraez, RHP Caleb Kilian

San Francisco Giants receive: RHP Ramon Marquez, RHP Marty Gair

Phillies grade: B

The Phillies certainly had to do something, and reconfiguring the ever-living heck out of their infield appears to be that thing. Arraez will slot into second base, moving Bryce Harper into the outfield as Alec Bohm ends up at first. Arraez immediately becomes Philadelphia’s third-best offensive player on a team seriously wanting for contact hitting. He’s become a really interesting player, and one I’ve come to believe in as an asset. Still, they gave up a real guy to get him.

Giants grade: A-

To net a Top 100 pitching prospect in Marquez for a player you signed to a one-year prove-it deal after it became clear he had zero market is an absolute win. It’s just a shame that this Giants team, which was banking on a lot of shaky propositions from the jump, couldn’t ultimately benefit from such a great signing. But in terms of price to value? This is a slam dunk situation. 

Seattle Mariners receive OF Taylor Ward

Baltimore Orioles receive: RHP Alex Hoppe, RHP Harrison Kreiling, RHP Brock Moore

Seattle Mariners grade: B+

The Mariners got a solid player in Ward for a cheap rental price in what looks to be a last-ditch effort to save their season. He’s been startlingly consistent the past few years, a 3.0ish WAR guy who walks a lot and hits to both fields. The Mariners must now do the harder thing than trading for 32-year-old rentals: winning enough games to get back in the AL Wild Card race.

Baltimore Orioles grade: C+ 

They were never going to get anything for Ward, who was almost certainly going to walk after this season, and so this is a pure “thank you for your service” type trade. Nothing really special going on here for Baltimore, who appears to be packing it up for 2026 in more ways than one. 

Chicago Cubs receive: RHP Kevin Gausman

Toronto Blue Jays receive: CF Brett Bateman, 2B Ty Southisene

Cubs grade: A

The Cubs needed a starting pitcher, and they got one. He may be a 35-year-old rental, but in the grand scheme of rental pitchers, you could do a lot worse than Gausman. The Cubs believe they can win the NL this year, and Gausman will be key to any chance they have against the Dodgers and the Brewers. 

Blue Jays grade: B

As with every one of these rental pitchers, you’re just not going to get major beans for a guy with every ability to walk after 50 games. Both are 35+ grade prospects, so we’re not really reinventing the franchise here. The Blue Jays are all-but cooked in 2026, so getting something (anything really) for Gausman is good stuff. 

Blue Jays receive: RHP Jose Soriano

Los Angeles Angels receive: SS Arjun Nimmala, OF Eddie Micheletti, RHP Angel Rivero

Blue Jays grade: D-

???. I’m not sure Soriano is the kind of guy you want to be trading Top 50 prospects like Nimmala for, as the inconsistent righty had an unhittable start to 2026 before massively tailing off. Trading Gausman was an admission of defeat, but getting Soriano (who is more controllable and thus more expensive) feels like a step backward. Was there no better option in the starter market? Could they not have waited until the winter?

Angels grade: A

I love this for the Angels. Soriano’s beginning of the season was a total mirage, and Nimmala is the kind of prospect that will allow the Angels to reset their timeline somewhat. If we just accept that the Mike Trout Era is not likely to yield results, we need to be talking future — like, the far future. Trading a questionable starter for serious value is excellent work.

Tampa Bay Rays receive: RHP Freddy Peralta

New York Mets receive: CF Aidan Smith, RHP Gary Gill Hill, 2B Emilien Pitre

Rays grade: B-

The Skubal backup plan could have been worse, but Peralta has been legitimately terrible in 2026 after the New York Mets invested in him as their big-name addition. The Rays needed to add to their rotation if they want a prayer in October, though, and it’s hard to think Peralta will continue to be this bad after his Brewers tenure so recently. A necessary move, but a sour consolation after losing out on Skubal.

Mets grade: D+

An admission of defeat in a season filled with nothing but defeats. The Mets got some decent pieces back in the trade given that Peralta is a rental, but the whole fiasco deserves a low mark. It could not realistically be going worse for the Mets in 2026, and Peralta is the image of that failure. 

New York Yankees receive: 1B Luis García Jr.

Washington Nationals receive: RHP Yovanny Cruz, RHP Jake Bird, RHP Jack Cebert, RHP Ben Grable

Yankees grade: A-

A healthy Yankees roster does not want for power hitting, but this is not a healthy Yankees roster. They gave up a pretty serious prospect haul for Luis Garcia Jr., who only has one more year of team control after this, but it’s necessary in a year when the American League is so up for grabs it may as well have a sign pinned to it that reads “FREE” like a couch on the curb. Garcia has seen a major production spike this season, and the Yankees will hope it continues this fall.

Nationals grade: B-

I flirted with including Garcia Jr. in some previous trade candidates list, but I felt they would be best served hanging onto him as part of their young core. Of course, he would be worth even less next season as a true expiring deal, and then you’re in real trouble. If they knew they couldn’t sign him when he hits the open market, it’s not the worst idea to get the Yankees premium price while you still can.

Los Angeles Dodgers receive: LHP Tarik Skubal

Detroit Tigers receive: OF Zyhir Hope, RHP River Ryan, RHP Brady Smith

Dodgers grade: A+ (obviously)

Oh, what, you thought there was some other angle to this? Nope. The Dodgers traded a comparatively low sum for the best pitcher on planet earth and have ascended from “overwhelming World Series favorite” to “overwhelming World Series favorite.” Huh, maybe it’s not an A+ (sarcasm). 

It’s obviously pretty lame that the Dodgers once again got the best player available, but honestly, who cares at this point? Until some kind of salary cap takes shape, the Dodgers will be the presumptive favorites to sign every really-super-duper good player on the market until the end of time. And short of a cap, there appears to be nothing anyone can do about it.

Tigers grade: B-

The Tigers are getting some bad press for this trade given Ryan is 27 years old and it feels unlikely that neither the Tampa Bay Rays or Milwaukee Brewers could have beaten that offer. Conspiracy theories that the Dodgers are being gifted all the best players to convince fans of the necessity of a salary cap are hilarious but ultimately absurd; if the Brewers and Rays wanted to beat that offer, they would have, so why didn’t they?

No reporting suggests this is the case, but as a theory: I wonder if Skubal’s camp made it clear that he would be signing with the Dodgers this offseason and other teams refused to give up real value for what was truly a 1/3rd of the season rental. The calculation of “just make the Dodgers give up something for the guy before they sign him anyway” would explain why nobody trumped that offer, and the Dodgers still have no special advantage in signing him. You can’t really get above a B when you’re giving up a godly player, but for such a franchise-altering trade, the Tigers surely netted the best deal they could get for their ace. 

The San Francisco Giants are continuing their busy trade deadline. On Monday, about four hours before the deadline, it was reported that the Giants are trading left-handed starting pitcher Robbie Ray to the San Diego Padres. ESPN’s Jeff Passan was first to report the news.

According to a report from Jon Heyman, the return for Ray is right-handed pitcher Miguel Mendez and shortstop Joniel Hernandez. The teams are splitting the cost of Ray’s trade bonus, though it seems like the Padres are paying for the rest of Ray’s deal.

Mendez, who is 24 and was signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2021, is a well-regarded pitcher, who was ranked No. 4 in San Diego’s system by both Fangraphs and MLB Pipeline. He has a mid-high 90s fastball that can reach triple digits, with an excellent slider. He also has a changeup. Mendez had a breakout 2025 but has been a little less sharp this year: in 11 starts with San Diego’s AA affiliate, he has a 4.93 ERA and a 3.21 FIP, with 38 strikeouts to 17 walks in 34.2 innings. He will be Rule 5 eligible this winter.

Hernandez is more of a flier, which is always exciting. Signed in January out of Cuba for $1.4 million, the right-handed hitter only turned 17 in March. He’s been having a strong debut season in the Dominican Summer League, where he’s hitting .303/.424/.503, for a .927 OPS and a 120 wRC+, with just a 16.1% strikeout rate, and made the All-Star team. MLB Pipeline ranks him as the No. 9 prospect in San Diego’s system, and notes that he has tremendous speed with both his bat and his legs. He has the potential to develop into a plus-power, plus-speed prospect up the middle, and you can never have enough of those.

It’s been a foregone conclusion for a while that the Giants would trade Ray. He’s a proven starter with a lot of pedigree — he’s a two-time All-Star and a former Cy Young winner — and his contract runs out after this year. The Giants, who have been out of the playoff picture for months, were always going to sell off their rentals at the deadline.

After some serious struggles, Ray rebuilt his trade value massively over the summer. In his last eight games, Ray has posted a 1.09 ERA and a 3.04 FIP, with 41 strikeouts and 21 walks in 49.1 innings. That included back-to-back outings at the end of June in which the southpaw threw eight innings with no earned runs allowed, which really brought his trade value back up.

The Padres got a very close look at Ray’s recent resurgence. His final start as a Giant came on Thursday in San Diego, when he held his new team to one run in six innings. That, apparently, was all that AJ Preller needed to see.

Ray’s trade follows a trade of Luis Arráez on Monday morning, and Tyler Mahle on Sunday night. With that, the Giants have traded all of their rentals and obvious candidates. It wouldn’t be at all surprising if they have a few more moves up their sleeves, though. The team is widely considered likely to trade a few relievers (they’ve already traded one, as Caleb Kilian was part of the Arráez trade), and they have reportedly been fielding offers for Heliot Ramos as well. The Giants have also reportedly been looking at unloading one or more of their big contracts (Rafael Devers, Matt Chapman, and Willy Adames), though that seems unlikely to materialize.

The Tampa Bay Rays have a made a major addition to their roster by acquiring catcher Liam Hicks from the Miami Marlins in exchange for three prospects.

Hicks is currently hitting .282/.363/.432 with 14 HR this season, registering a 119 wRC+ (140 vs RHP, 47 vs LHP) and has accrued 1.6 fWAR over 409 PA. He will be expected to enter into a fairly strict platoon with Nick Fortes moving forward.

A Rule 5 selection from the Tigers following the 2024 season, Hicks has appeared at catcher in 100 games (81 starts) and at first base (54 games, 42 starts) across two seasons in Miami, and dramatically cut his strikeouts at the plate this year.

The Rays are sending three prospects in the deal:

• INF Brayden Taylor — 2023 19th overall selection, resurgent after a down 2025 at the plate
• SS Adrian Santana — 2023 31st overall selection, who boasts a 108 wRC+ in High-A this year
• RHP Jacob Kisting — 2024 14th rounder and helium pitching prospect that we profiled over the weekend

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

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

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

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

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

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

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