MLB Player News

With the Tigers trading both Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize before Monday's trade deadline, Melton appears set as a top-of-the-rotation starter the rest of the season and potentially into 2027.

Detroit traded away two of its most established starting pitchers, leaving veteran Framber Valdez along with Keider Montero as currently healthy options along with Melton. Jackson Jobe (elbow) and Jack Flaherty (forearm) should return at some point, but Melton has done more than enough to lock down a spot at the top of the rotation the rest of this season, particularly with Skubal and Mize now out of the picture. In 11 starts, the 25-year-old righty has posted a stellar 1.75 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 60 strikeouts across 67 innings, and he could carry a ton of momentum into 2027 if he keeps up his current pace.

The Rays selected Piper's contract from Double-A Montgomery on Monday. He'll start at catcher and bat eighth in the series opener against the Rockies.

The Rays traded Hunter Feduccia to the Dodgers on Monday, and while they also brought in Liam Hicks from the Marlins, Hicks won't be able to join the team in time for Monday's game. As a result, Piper was brought aboard to give the Rays another option beyond Nick Fortes at catcher, though Piper could be sent back to the minors as soon as Hicks joins the team. Piper, 28, has slashed .253/.358/.498 with 11 home runs and 11 steals in 64 games at Double-A this season.

The Guardians optioned Manzardo to Triple-A Columbus on Monday, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.

Manzardo, who has struggled at the plate in his last 30 games, will make his first trip to Triple-A this season. This year, the 26-year-old has batted .215/.306/.378 with 13 home runs and 39 RBI in 356 plate appearances. With Cleveland's additions of Jo Adell and Nathaniel Lowe on Monday's trade deadline, Manzardo and David Fry were replaced on the active roster.

Cleveland optioned Fry to Triple-A Columbus on Monday, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.

With the new additions of Nathaniel Lowe and Jo Adell during Monday's trade deadline, Fry will move to Columbus. On the campaign, the 30-year-old has slashed just .182/.304/.336 with six homers and 13 RBI in 168 plate appearances. Fry will join the Triple-A squad for the first time this season.

Goldschmidt is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Cardinals.

On the bench for a second straight matchup versus a right-hander (Michael McGreevy), Goldschmidt looks like he could be headed for the short side of a platoon at first base with the newly acquired Luis Garcia. Yankees manager Aaron Boone acknowledged as much prior to Monday's contest, telling Bryan Hoch of MLB.com that Goldschmidt is likely to see most of his starts versus left-handed pitching moving forward. Goldschmidt has posted a monstrous .987 OPS in 143 plate appearances versus lefties this season, compared to a .581 OPS across 177 plate appearances versus righties.

The Orioles acquired Franklin from the Nationals on Monday in exchange for right-hander Joe Glassey, Andy Kostka of TheBanner.com reports.

Franklin is on the 40-man roster and has been a league-average performer (101 wRC+) in 93 games at Triple-A as a 26-year-old. He has plus speed and good defensive chops and will hope to eventually carve out time as a reserve outfielder. Franklin was traded from the Cubs to the Nationals at last year's deadline.

The Athletics acquired Johnson from the Phillies on Monday in exchange for outfielder Colby Thomas.

Johnson has yet to find much success in the majors, putting up a 7.18 ERA and 37:21 K:BB over 31.1 frames covering parts of three seasons. However, he's a hard thrower who holds a 2.17 ERA and 40:11 K:BB across 29 frames this season at Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Johnson might get a chance to pitch high-leverage innings as part of a patchwork Athletics bullpen.

The White Sox optioned Quero to Triple-A Charlotte on Monday, Mike McGraw of the Chicago Daily Herald reports.

After acquiring catcher Joey Bart on Monday, the White Sox have optioned Quero to Charlotte. In 193 plate appearances this season, Quero has slashed .194/.257/.235 with two home runs and 16 RBI. The White Sox will operate with Bart and Drew Romo behind the plate for now, with Kyle Teel (ankle) on the injured list for an extended period.

The Red Sox acquired Gutierrez and left-hander Erik Miller to the Giants on Monday in exchange for infielder Marcelo Mayer (forearm).

A 21-year-old outfielder, Gutierrez is slashing .271/.385/.441 with nine home runs, 26 steals and a 19.6 percent strikeout rate in 83 games at High-A. Despite his high stolen-base total, Gutierrez likely projects as a left fielder at the big-league level, so he needs to continue producing to have a shot as an everyday player.

The Tigers acquired Wolf and left-hander Kash Mayfield from the Padres on Monday in exchange for right-hander Casey Mize and infielder Gage Workman, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Mayfield is the clear headliner in this deal, as Wolf had already been designated for assignment by San Diego back in 2024. A 27-year-old southpaw, Wolf has logged a 7.05 ERA, 1.67 WHIP and 90 strikeouts in 89.1 innings this season in the Pacific Coast League.