Bo Bichette's future with the New York Mets remains uncertain as the team prepares for the Subway Series against the New York Yankees.
The Mets signed Bichette to a three-year, $126 million contract last winter. He now faces a major decision after the season.
MORE: Phillies announce results on Brandon Marsh's X-rays after 1-run loss to Astros
Bichette can opt out of the deal and enter free agency. If he stays, he would earn $42 million in each of the next two seasons.
ESPN's Jeff Passan recently called the decision a "genuine coin flip," according to reports on Bichette's future. That shows just how difficult the choice could be.

#METS #bichette #series

ESPN'S Jeff Passan made a humorous reference on social media Sept. 2, quoting a Milwaukee Brewers post that showed Christian Yelich's go-ahead home run in his team's 9-4 win over the Cubs one night earlier.
"Can I ask, by the way, how people in Chicago felt about their home game turning into a road game?" Passan wrote. "That can't happen."
Indeed, Brewers fans were pretty loud as Yelich circled the bases in the top of the sixth, though Passan's sentiment has some added history.
Can I ask, by the way, how people in Chicago felt about their home game turning into a road game? That can’t happen. https://t.co/FVYdN4nKXl
Passan caught a little bit of local flak for those same words directed at Brewers fans at the end of June, part of an interview with "Wilde & Tausch" on ESPN Milwaukee.

#brewers #milwaukee #felt #road

The White Sox continue their road trip with a stop in Houston to see the Astros, before they come back home to see another division rival. With the Guardians trying to steal first, a series win is needed as we enter September.
First, a few White Sox announcements:
Prior to tonight's series opener at Houston, the Chicago White Sox reinstated left-handed pitcher Tyler Schweitzer from the Paternity Leave List and optioned lefthander Tyler Gilbert to Triple-A Charlotte.
Per Jeff Passan, the White Sox are acquiring outfielder Tommy Pham from the Philadelphia Phillies, with Pham expected to join the team when rosters expand on September. 1. The 38-year-old veteran of the 121-loss debacle rejoins the Sox after spending parts of 2026 with the Mets, O's, and Phils. Watch out, Michael Kopech, you're next!
Anthony Kay will be on the mound tonight, with Jake Rogers behind the plate. Otherwise, the lineup is what we're used to, with Sam Antonacci leading off.

#houston #astros

With the relationship between MLB and the MLB Players ******* ociation already tense, the league is continuing to make suggestions that the union is not happy about. On Thursday, MLB reportedly proposed drastic changes to the offseason, including a shortened free agency window, ESPN's Jeff Passan reported Thursday.
Under the proposal, per Passan, the free agency window would open the Monday after the Winter Meetings in early December, and would close Dec. 21. No free agency signings or trades would be allowed until the first Monday in February, at which they would be allowed to resume.
The period would be preceded by a "dead period" where players can negotiate with players, but not sign — similar to the NFL's "legal tampering" period.
The somewhat radical proposal would slash the amount of time that players could sign in the offseason, making it much more difficult for players to leverage deals between teams, meaning that money is left on the table.
Additionally, the shortened offseason period relates to the contentious issue of the proposed salary cap, something that MLB has been heavily pushing for in the new collective bargaining agreement while the union has strongly pushed back.

#players #period #free

It's taken me a couple days to figure out what I want to say about Mark Walter, Guggenheim Baseball Management, and the ownership of the LA Dodgers. There's plenty of people, including Jeff Passan, who have breakdowns of the facts and the allegations of the case. What we think we know is that Walter and Co., already enjoying an exemption in their TV deal following a bankruptcy judgement under previous ownership, further financialized themselves by taking loans from insurance companies also owned by W&C, then used the interest on repaying those loans to write off even more of their revenue sharing obligations, which are based around local TV revenue minus certain expenses.
In short, it seems the Dodgers borrowed money from themselves to lower the amount of money they owed the subsidized teams around the sport. They are under federal investigation but not really for anything baseball related, rather more inquiries into specific classifications of the various businesses Guggenheim controls. There isn't even anything the Dodgers did that specifically goes against the Collective Bargaining Agreement — they seemed to have hired an army of accountants to find every gap in the rulebook and slip another $20 bill through it. It's the same playbook that's led the Ford Motor Company to be a lending service more than a car manufacturer.
At best it seems Bob Nutting might have been shorted a couple million dollars a year, but the object lesson you should be taking out of this is one of solidarity. Bob Nutting doesn't care if Mark Walter cost him a couple million a year, if it means that together they can lower all MLB payrolls by a couple hundred million dollars.
I actually don't think this is something that George Steinbrenner would have done. Capitalism has changed — you always bought an MLB team to make money off it, of course. But it used to be that you had to put a good product on the field to sell tickets and in-stadium ad dollars, or be the St. Louis Cardinals and take advantage of the country's most powerful radio transmitter to reach farmers in 1960s Nebraska, or take on all the foreign currency risk of the Blue Jays and weigh it against the payoff of being the only game in the entire country.
Now, you inherit a court-ordered exemption from paying your fair share, and further financialize every element of the off-field operations to continually lower every possible obligation you have to the rest of baseball, and because those efforts will help champion the case for a salary cap, the 29 other men in your cohort will go along with it. Maybe, in March or May or August 2027, the knives will come out for Walter, but until the billionaire class has exacted every ounce of control they can over a new CBA, they'll stand beside each other. What's a few million when there's a billion on the line?

#couple

Since he was designated for **** ignment earlier this season by the Arizona Diamondbacks, Carlos Santana has been biding his time with the Atlanta Braves' Triple-A affiliate, hoping to return to MLB at age 40.
Santana will continue to bide his time outside the Braves' organization. According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, the Braves will grant Santana his release from his minor league contract.
In 27 games with the Gwinnett Stripers, Santana slashed .292/.385/.382.
MORE: Yankees send message to Tommy John's family after pitcher's death
Santana has played 2,212 big league games in a career that began with the Cleveland Guardians in 2010. He is MLB's active leader in walks (1,332), a skill that still surfaced after he signed a minor league contract with the Braves on June 28.

#Braves #time

Mike Maddux has experienced a lot of success as a pitching coach over his career. But even his advice couldn't save the Los Angeles Angels.
Maddux — as well as ****** istant pitching coach Darryl Scott and bullpen coach Dom Chiti — was reportedly fired by the Angels on Tuesday, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.
Maddux, who took a one-year deal with the team in the offseason, was just a few months into that contract before being let go.
The Angels are mired in yet another miserable season. With the team sitting at 45-74 entering play Tuesday, the front office apparently decided Maddux's approach wasn't working and that he didn't need to stick around for the rest of his deal.
Entering play Tuesday, Angels pitching ranks 24th in MLB with a 4.53 ERA.

#team

Pat McAfee is a bigger name today as a sports show host than he was as a player. But for veteran Michael Wilbon, the flamboyant sportscaster's appeal couldn't move the needle. Wilbon does not see McAfee as one of the network's biggest faces.
"Two of them must be [Mike Greenberg] and Stephen A. [Smith], right? And Scott Van Pelt," Wilbon told Awful Announcing when asked about his top choices for ESPN's 'face.' "I'd say that those are the leading candidates for the face [of ESPN]. There can't be one.
"I don't consume Pat McAfee, so I don't have a sense of it," he added when host Brandon Contes asked about McAfee. "… It's not in the world in which I am. And that's just a matter of time. You know, the other guys have been at ESPN a **** of a lot longer than McAfee."
Wilbon also mentioned that it really depends on the circumstances; Adam Schefter could also be looked at as a face on transactional coverage grounds. Baseball would mean Buster Olney and Jeff Passan.
Get The Huddle Newsletter. The day's biggest NFL stories — rivalries, matchups, expert **** ysis, power rankings, and insider draft news.

#host #biggest #michael

A plane flew over Wrigley Field ahead of Tarik Skubal's Los Angeles Dodgers debut on Tuesday, Aug. 4. It was supposed to read, "The Dodgers ruined baseball"... if it weren't upside down.
The fumbled stunt, funded by sports gambling company Underdog, was intended as a jab at the back-to-back World Series champions — and their projected $322 million payroll — in the wake of their blockbuster trade for the best pitcher in baseball.
"We just want to say what every fan is already thinking," Underdog said in a statement to USA TODAY Sports. And in that aspect, they accomplished just that. Just look at the replies under Jeff Passan's tweet when he broke news of the trade on Saturday night.
"They ruined the sport I love," wrote murphyJacks0n.
"We need a lockout," owennoble81 tweeted. "This is crazy."

#Dodgers #sports #Baseball #field

The trade deadline is one of the most hectic days of the entire regular season for all ball clubs, whether you are a fan of a team that is already looking ahead to the next season for how they can improve or a team that is in the middle of a playoff race and hoping to see October baseball, it's a day where all of us are constantly checking MLBTradeRumors or refreshing our twitter feeds for the next Jeff Passan bomb to grace our timeline.
Coming off a series victory over the Cleveland Guardians where the Dbacks would end up going 10-6 from the start of the 2nd half to the last day before the deadline, there was hope among fans and players on the team that GM Mike Hazen would go ahead and be an aggressive buyer and fill the positional needs this team has shown to be lacking throughout 2026. What we got was…far from the outcome we had been hoping for to say the least.
With today being the last day for teams to make trades before the deadline at 6 PM EST, the notifications from the top baseball reporters were going off all day. We saw nearly every NL playoff hopeful make some kind of move to strengthen their rosters, especially the teams like the Padres, Phillies, Cubs and even Pirates who are all still jockeying for one of the 3 Wild Card spots. There were some rumors about the Diamondbacks being involved in discussions for players like Casey Mize of the Tigers, or Alec Burleson from the Cardinals, but that's where it always seemed to end at just a "discussion" and nothing being finalized.

I sat there watching the time tick away thinking "Alright, (Mike) Hazen will get something done before time is up,let him cook" and kept repeating that to myself, but once the final 10 to 15 minutes approached I got nervous that we might not see anything come to fruition, but right as I had that thought, the news finally came through and the Snakes made a move.
Brandon, Gabe and I planned to have a deadline special episode where we would discuss all the moves that were made for the Diamondbacks and who was dealt for the reinforcements that we were sure were on their way, but like a lot of other online we were quite disappointed to see that the only trade Mike Hazen would be was trading Daniel Eagan (#5 prospect), Sandro Santana (#26 Prospect) and a Player-To-Be-Named-Later (PTBNL) in exchange for Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbar. Noot did miss a good chunk of time to start the season due to injury so his .234/.333/.354 line with 3 HR and 16 RBI might not seem like the most exciting numbers to Dback's fans, but some of his underlying metrics give fans some more hope that he could be a solid addition for a team that is still well in the wild card race.
While the addition of Nootbar does at least improve the roster by bringing in a guy who has a solid walk rate and low chase % (also would mean we have a player who can slot in for Kepler should we hold onto that playoff spot), the Diamondbacks biggest needs going into the deadline was more Starting Pitching an

Former Auburn baseball star Casey Mize was the center of several discussions ahead of the MLB trade deadline. On Monday, he was finally dealt just before the cut-off time.
ESPN's Jeff Passan reported Monday that Mize is heading to the San Diego Padres after spending time in the Detroit Tigers organization since he was drafted No. 1 overall in the 2018 MLB Draft. The trade is a four-player deal, as Mize and infielder Gage Workman are heading to the Padres in exchange for a pair of left-handers: Kash Mayfield and Jackson Wolf.
Mize departs the Detroit Tigers, a team sitting in fourth place in the American League Central Division, and heads to the San Diego Padres to join a starting rotation for a team just one game out of a National League Wild Card spot as of Monday.
Dealing for Mize was one of several pitching moves the Padres made ahead of the trade deadline. The Padres also traded for San Francisco Giants left-hander Robbie Ray and right-hander Hunter Stratton from the Pittsburgh Pirates to join a talented offensive roster that features stars Fernando Tatis Jr, Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts, and star closer Mason Miller.
Mize joins his new club with a 4-6 record, but boasts a 2.70 ERA with 85 strikeouts in 16 starts with the Tigers. If the Padres achieve their goal of making the MLB Postseason, it will mark the second time Mize has played with a playoff squad. Last season with Detroit, Mize started two games and struck out seven batters over six innings during the Tigers' American League Division Series against AL Central rival Cleveland.

#trade

LOS ANGELES — With Monday's 6 p.m. ET trade deadline fast approaching, the Red Sox are finalizing a deal to land a three-time All-Star from a division rival — and paying a big price to do so.
Boston has agreed to acquire catcher Adley Rutschman from the Orioles, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan, marking a major step in Craig Breslow's efforts to bolster the club's offense for the stretch run. The Red Sox will send a hefty five-player package to Baltimore of catcher Carlos Narváez, pitching prospects Anthony Eyanson and Kyson Witherspoon, outfield prospect Enddy Azocar and a player to be named later. The Sox are also getting backup catcher Jake Rogers and cash in the swap. Contrary to some reports, outfield prospect Harold Rivas isn't in the deal.
The Red Sox, who have won 31 of their last 39 games and now possess the third-best record in the American League behind the Rays and Yankees, have been looking for upgrades at catcher and shortstop in recent days as well as searching for rotation and bullpen depth. Adding Rutschman provides clear upside behind the plate, where Narváez, Connor Wong (and for a spell, Mickey Gasper) have combined to post the sixth-worst OPS in the sport (.615) and the fewest home runs (4). The move — paired with last Saturday's 1-for-1 swap that sent Connelly Early to Washington for Curtis Mead — is a clear sign Breslow believes in his group and believes the Sox can make a deep run. Mead's bat will not be a factor in the coming weeks after he broke his wrist when he was hit by a pitch in his Red Sox debut.
BETTING: The Red Sox are listed at +500 on DraftKings to win the AL East Division. Our comprehensive DraftKings Sportsbook review provides a trustworthy guide on how to use their app. Also, make sure to check out our MLB betting guide if you're interested in learning more about how to bet on baseball.
In Rutschman, the Red Sox are getting a former No. 1 overall pick (2019) who had an up-and-down tenure in Baltimore, where he once appeared to be a franchise cornerstone. After a very strong three-year start to his big league career from 2022 to 2024, Rutschman took a step back last season and was limited, by injury, to 90 games. This year, he has taken a step forward again and was named an All-Star for the third time.

#rutschman #baltimore #draftkings #league

The Chicago Cubs had a clear focus ahead of the 2026 MLB trade deadline: starting pitching. One day after the team brought in veteran Kevin Gausman, the Cubs traded for Miami Marlins starter Braxton Garrett, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.
Garrett, 28, has spent the majority of the 2026 season in the minors. He has been excellent at Triple-A, with a 2.90 ERA over 77 2/3 innings.
Garrett, a lefty, was a top-100 prospect back in 2017. He eventually reached the majors in 2020 and — after a few middling years — turned in a promising 2022, posting a 3.58 ERA over 17 starts. He came back in 2023 with another strong year, posting a 3.66 ERA over 30 starts.
Injuries wrecked Garrett's 2024 season. He made just seven starts, posting a 5.35 ERA before going down with an elbow issue. He missed all of 2025 after undergoing elbow surgery.
Garrett returned to action in 2026 but — despite performing well in the minors — face-planted in two major-league starts with the Marlins in May. He lasted just 1 1/3 innings in his first start with Miami, giving up five runs. In his next outing, he gave up two runs over three innings.

#garrett #Miami #season

The Boston Red Sox are reportedly acquiring catcher Adley Rutschman from the Baltimore Orioles in a rare intra-divisional trade, per ESPN's Jeff Passan.
Rutschman was part of Baltimore's youth movement two years ago, but has come back down to earth after a hot start to his career. With the Orioles looking to be deadline sellers, his name consistently was brought up since Baltimore had a surplus at catcher between Rutschman and Samuel Basallo.
Baltimore drafted Rutschman with the first overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft. He made his debut in the majors in 2022. That year, he played in 113 games and hit .254 with 13 home runs and 42 RBI.
The catcher's best season so far was in 2023. He was an All-Star and won the Silver Slugger Award that year after slashing .277/.374/.435 with 20 home runs, 80 RBI and a 4.3 WAR.
Rustchman has played in 67 games this year for the Orioles. His numbers across the board are down, with just eight home runs and 47 RBI so far.

#orioles #down #played

Pitcher Robbie Ray might be moving 500 miles south down the California coast. The San Diego Padres are working on a trade to get the left-hander from the San Francisco Giants, ESPN's Jeff Passan reports.
Ray, 34, has made 21 starts (in 22 appearances) for the Giants this season, compiling a 3.08 ERA, 10-6 record and 107 strikeouts in 122 2/3 innings. He's on pace to pitch more than 180 innings for the fourth time in the past six seasons.
The 13-year veteran was in his third season with the Giants after being traded by the Seattle Mariners in 2024. He's in the final year of five-year, $115 million contract he signed in free agency.
In return for Ray, the Giants will receive right-hander Miguel Mendez and shortstop Joniel Hernandez, according to The Athletic's Dennis Lin and Ken Rosenthal. Mendez was ranked as the Padres' No. 4 prospect by MLB.com and pitching in Double-A. Hernandez, the organization's No. 9 minor-leaguer, is playing for San Diego's Dominican Summer League team.
Moving Ray to the Padres is the third deal the Giants have made before the trade deadline.

#season

The Los Angeles Dodgers have reportedly acquired left-handed starting pitcher Kris Bubic from the Kansas City Royals, per ESPN's Jeff Passan.
Bubic has been dealing with elbow and shoulder injuries this season and is currently on the 60-day IL. He hasn't pitched in the bigs since May 14.
The southpaw was an All-Star last season. Before getting hurt this year, Bubic had made nine starts. He tallied a 3-2 record with a 4.11 ERA, striking out 51 batters in 50.1 innings of work.
Bubic is in the final year of arbitration and will be a free agent at the end of the season if he isn't signed to an extension.
The 28-year-old will provide further depth to the Dodgers down the stretch of the season. He started a throwing program in late July and is expected to pitch again this season, barring any setbacks.

#season

Dodgers acquire Royals left-hander Kris Bubic in intriguing deadline trade originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Los Angeles Dodgers have added another potentially valuable arm to their pitching staff, although their latest acquisition comes with considerable uncertainty.
Los Angeles is acquiring left-handed pitcher Kris Bubic from the Kansas City Royals, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan. The players heading to Kansas City were not immediately reported. Bubic is currently on the 60-day injured list after dealing with elbow soreness and a subsequent shoulder setback. He recently began a throwing progression, but there is no firm timetable for his return to a major league mound.
That makes this an intriguing deadline gamble for the Dodgers. Bubic went 3-2 with a 4.11 ERA and 1.23 WHIP over nine starts for Kansas City this season. He recorded 51 strikeouts across 50 1/3 innings before injuries interrupted his year. The 28-year-old is not necessarily an immediate solution for Los Angeles. If he can get healthy, however, he could provide the Dodgers with another experienced starting option for the stretch run and potentially the postseason.
Bubic last pitched for Kansas City on May 14, when he allowed five earned runs over four innings against the Chicago White Sox. He was initially sidelined by an elbow issue before later experiencing discomfort in his shoulder. Bubic began a throwing progression in late July, making 30 throws from distances between 45 and 60 feet.

#bubic #left

With the Tampa Bay Rays holding strong atop the American League East, they opted to use the 2026 MLB trade deadline to add another key piece. The Rays acquired 27-year-old catcher Liam Hicks from the Miami Marlins in exchange for multiple prospects, as ESPN's Jeff Passan first reported. The deal comes after the Rays also acquired Freddy Peralta via trade from the New York Mets, bolstering their starting pitching staff.
Hicks is in the midst of an impressive breakout season, with 100 hits in 101 games thus far. He's posted marks of .265/.355/.391 with 14 home runs and 62 RBIs. The addition of Hicks will give the Rays another weapon as they look to make a run to the World Series, and we're going to break down their new-look roster and lineup.
C: Liam Hicks
Hunter Feduccia, Nick Fortes
1B: Jonathan Aranda

#rays #trade #look #american

We've at last arrived at the MLB Trade Deadline. Once the clock strikes 6 p.m. EST this evening, teams will no longer be able to trade to reshape their rosters; what you have is what you've got the rest of the way. It's the last chance for clubs around the league, and for Brian Cashman and the Yankees, to load up for a playoff push.
Though this deadline season took a while to heat up, we at last saw some marquee names exchanged this weekend. Yesterday, Freddy Peralta went to the Rays, Kevin Gausman went to the Cubs, and the Yankees made a major move with the acquisition of slugger Luis García Jr. Of course, the biggest news was the Dodgers' addition of Tarik Skubal late Saturday night, a move that was expected by many but is still earth-shaking in its impact on the pennant race.
The Yankees laid in wait for some time leading up to the deadline, but after dealing Camilo Doval to the Pirates for prospects and then shipping out prospects for García, they're out of the shadows and moving actively. Will they stay active on deadline day? Follow along with us as we keep you updated with every move and rumor from across the league all day.
2:00 PM EST: It's a double-batch of trades reported at the same time at two o'clock. Figures. More relevant of the two: the Rays are getting a big boost behind the plate while the Yankees still don't have an answer beyond Austin Wells. Jeff Passan says that they've arranged an all-Florida swap with the Marlins for Liam Hicks, who has broken out with 2.5 rWAR and a 124 OPS+ in 101 games. He's 27 but is under team control through 2030. Ack. 2023 first-round pick Brayden Taylor is among the three players going to Miami per Will Salmon Sammon. Ack. The other trade of the moment has the Giants sending Robbie Ray to the Padres, to which we say… "alrighty then." You do you, Preller.
1:50 PM EST: Perhaps take it with a grain of salt, but Bob Nightengale reports that the expectation is that Tigers starter Casey Mize will be moved before the deadline, and that the Diamondbacks are among the teams interested. Whether the Tigers would go into full sell mode after dealing Tarik Skubal has been a major topic of conversation in the last two days, and so far, they've yet to trade off anyone other than their ace.

#garc

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. The return is not yet known.

#Giants #deadline #diego #passan

Folks, we have another trade! According to Jeff Passan from ESPN, the Atlanta Braves have once again linked up with their frequent trade partners from the AL West, the Los Angeles Angels. This time, they've added to their bullpen by bringing in lefty reliever Brent Suter.
We'll have more to come, so stay tuned…

#jeff

The market's top rental bat is reportedly off the board. Contact wizard Luis Arraez is heading from San Francisco to Philadelphia, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan. The 29-year-old Venezuelan has been one of the game's most unique position players for a while now. He strikes out and whiffs less often than anyone, but also barrels the ball up less than anyone. Call him a throwback, call him an old soul, call him overrated, but Arraez is a phenomenal change of pace for a Phillies lineup that strikes out far too often.
Since the beginning of time, it seems, the Phillies and their president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski have been searching for a right-handed outfielder come deadline time. Arraez, a lefty infielder, is neither of those things, but he's good enough with the stick that the defensive fit is a secondary concern.
But it's still an area Dombrowski and skipper Don Mattingly need to get sorted. For the past few seasons, Philly has had a static infield alignment of Bryce Harper at first, Bryson Stott at second, Trea Turner at short and Alec Bohm at third. Kyle Schwarber's presence keeps the DH spot clogged up with home runs. Arraez has been adamant about staying at second base ahead of another trip to free agency this winter. So how does he slot in? There are a bevy of options.
Harper, as recently as last week, expressed a willingness to move back to the outfield, where he spent the early years of his career. That would push Bohm to first, Stott to third and give Arraez the everyday second base job. Bohm could also move to the bench, or get dealt elsewhere before Monday's 6 p.m. ET deadline. Another path, as reported by The Athletic's Matt Gelb, would be trying the fleet-footed Stott in the outfield.
It wasn't that long ago — literally last winter — that Arraez was considered a below-average first baseman. But he signed with the Giants, in part, to prove that he could still handle the keystone, which he has. Still, it's worth noting he's graded out closer to average over the past few months following an elite defensive April.

#bohm #call

Padres' Adrian Morejon gets 40% trade deadline update after false Yankees report originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The San Diego Padres have a few major decisions to make before Monday's 6 p.m. EDT cutoff time for the Major League Baseball trade deadline.
San Diego has two of the best relievers in baseball at their disposal. Will one or both of them be traded?
Neither? San Diego is 8-2 in its last 10 games and is just 1.5 games back of an NL Wild Card spot.
"The Padres have a huge ask on [Adrian] Morejón, and with good reason. If he is dealt, he could very easily be the best reliever to move this deadline," ESPN's Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan wrote. "Morejón is an impending free agent and at this juncture is likelier to go than [Mason] Miller because of it."

#Padres #adrian

George Kirby trade update could be 'deadline game changer' for Cubs, Braves originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Seattle Mariners could trade one of their top starting pitchers before Monday's Major League Baseball trade deadline.
Right-hander George Kirby's trade odds have skyrocketed over the past several days, according to ESPN's Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan.
The ESPN duo tabbed Kirby's chances of being traded at 50%.
"Seattle's openness to moving Kirby could be a deadline game changer, with the starting pitching market at a standstill and Kirby rising to the top of all non-Skubal arms," McDaniel and Passan wrote.

#changer

The 2026 MLB trade deadline has already brought some significant moves, including the highly discussed deal that sent Tarik Skubal to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Now, the Toronto Blue Jays made a pitching move of their own, as ESPN's Jeff Passan reported they've acquired 27-year-old right-handed pitcher Jose Soriano from the Los Angeles Angels.
According to Passan, the deal will send Blue Jays' top shortstop prospect Arjun Nimmala, outfielder Eddie Micheletti and right-hander Angel Rivero to the Angels. Nimmala is unquestionably a great addition for the Angels, and he's currently listed as the No. 43 overall prospect on MLB.com.
Nimmala is just 20 years old and was selected in the first round of the 2023 MLB draft with the No. 20 overall pick. He entered the MLB draft at just 17. When Nimmala was 19, he moved to High-A Vancouver and hit .224/.313/.381 with 13 home runs in 120 games.
As for Soriano, he's in the midst of a strong year, posting a 9-6 record through 22 starts and a career-best 3.29 ERA. Through 123 innings pitched, he's posted 127 strikeouts.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Who is Arjun Nimmala, the big name the Angels got in the Jose Soriano trade?

#soriano #angeles #passan

Luis Arraez has found a new home, with the San Francisco Giants trading the infielder to the Philadelphia Phillies, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.
Arraez signed a one-year, $12 million deal with San Francisco in January after a surprisingly weak free agency this offseason. But Arraez has done well with the Giants, and his production has ticked back up this season, making him one of the likely players to get dealt ahead of the deadline.
After a middling year with the San Diego Padres in 2025, Arraez is on track for a career-best season coming out of the All-Star break. Though the infielder is sometimes criticized for not having a lot of power on offense, his batting average is one of the best in baseball.
Arraez also has value as a defender, starting at second base with the Giants after being shunted to first base last year with the Padres.
The Giants are one of the bleakest teams in the league this season. Though they don't have the worst record in MLB — that honor is being passed between the Colorado Rockies and the Los Angeles Angels — San Francisco is down near the bottom, and doesn't have a lot of direction.

#year #infielder #base

Blue Jays bolster rotation with Jose Soriano trade in deadline-day deal with Angels originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Toronto Blue Jays have made their move to strengthen the starting rotation. Toronto is acquiring right-hander Jose Soriano from the Los Angeles Angels, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan. The return heading to Los Angeles was not immediately reported.
Soriano gives the Blue Jays a proven starter in the middle of an impressive season. The 27-year-old has made 22 starts for the Angels in 2026, going 9-6 with a 3.29 ERA across 123 innings.
He has also recorded 127 strikeouts while posting a 1.25 WHIP.
Soriano's arrival gives Toronto another pitcher capable of handling a significant workload during the final two months of the regular season.

#soriano #toronto

LOS ANGELES — Dave Roberts never feels good after getting swept, but Sunday might have been an exception. How else can you really feel less than 24 hours after finding out the your team just traded for Tarik Skubal?
"That's a silver lining, I guess," Roberts said after the Los Angeles Dodgers' 8-4 loss to the Boston Red Sox.
Moments after Saturday's 3-2 loss, ESPN's Jeff Passan dropped his biggest bomb of the trade deadline: the Dodgers were acquiring Skubal from the Detroit Tigers in exchange for outfielder Zyhir Hope and right-handed pitchers River Ryan and Brady Smith. The price was steep — Hope and Ryan are MLB Pipeline's No. 25- and 68-ranked prospects, while Smith was No. 17 on the Dodgers' top 30 prospects list — but not one that president of baseball operations couldn't afford.
And after spending almost all of July downplaying his pursuit of the reigning back-to-back American League Cy Young winner, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said negotiations started picking up on Friday before he eventually pulled the trigger on Saturday night, adding the best pitcher in baseball to a rotation that (when healthy) consists of 2025 World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and Shohei Ohtani.

#roberts #ryan

The MLB trade deadline keeps sending shockwaves through the league, and the Yankees just made the biggest splash. New York secured Luis García Jr. from the Nationals to fix a lineup that has struggled without its stars. This deal brings a massive offensive boost right when the team needs it most. The Yankees are clearly buying now, and García is the centerpiece of that strategy.
Manager Aaron Boone knows the roster needs depth, especially with Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, and Giancarlo Stanton out. García Jr. leads the National League with a .560 slugging percentage, a stat that screams power for the short porch in right field. He will not just fill a hole; he will change how the offense attacks every pitcher. This acquisition is a direct response to the team's lackluster production this season.
ESPN's Jeff Passan broke the news that the Yankees sent a package of four prospects to Washington for the infielder. MLB.According to reports, the roster features pitchers Ben Grable, Yovanny Cruz, Jack Cebert, and Jake Bird. That is a heavy price in young arms, but the return on a hitter with García's current form makes sense. The Nationals will get these four players to help their future, while the Yankees get immediate help for their playoff push.
Somerset teammates saw Jack Cebert say farewell during a match versus the Richmond Flying Squirrels, signaling his departure from the system. In 104 games this season, García Jr. has hit 23 home runs, a career high, along with 20 doubles and five triples. He is batting .283 with an .873 OPS, proving he can drive the ball consistently. A wRC+ of 134 proves he ranks among the National League's top hitters currently.
García doesn't walk much, sporting only a 4.While his walk rate sits at 3 percent, he maintains a high enough hit frequency to reach base adequately. This season's 93 games at first base have caused a logjam involving Ben Rice and Paul Goldschmidt. He also played 129 games at second base last season, where Jazz Chisholm Jr. currently sits. Jack Curry of YES Network observed that García should mainly fill first base or DH roles against right-handers to boost his effectiveness.

#garc #games

Cubs land Kevin Gausman in blockbuster trade with Blue Jays originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Chicago Cubs spent the days leading up to the MLB trade deadline searching for a starting pitcher capable of making a difference in October.
They finally found one.
Chicago is acquiring veteran right-hander Kevin Gausman in a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays, ESPN's Jeff Passan reported Sunday. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic and Mitch Bannon were first to report the agreement.
The players heading back to Toronto were not immediately revealed.

#gausman #jays #sporting #toronto