Major League Baseball's Aug. 1 trade deadline is just around the bend, and that means teams are making plans to buy or sell leading up to that essential checkpoint on the baseball calendar. While some borderline clubs will probably wait until the last minute to pick a lane, others are already laying groundwork for major trades, even if some of them are never realized.
That, in turn, means a steady supply of rumors leading up to the deadline, and we're here to round up Monday's supply. Let's do it now.
Angels taking part in Ohtani trade discussions
While it still seems quite unlikely that the Angels will trade two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani before the deadline, they there are indeed having talks to that potential end. Here's more from MLB Network's Jon Morosi:
The Angels are still very much alive in their quest to make the postseason for the first time since 2014, but trading Ohtani would in essence sink those hopes, however modest they are. That plus the possibility that Ohtani, the current MLB home run leader, will make a stretch-drive run at 50 or even 60 homers is ample incentive to keep him around until the end of this, his walk year. That said, the Angels would be foolish not to listen to what contenders are proposing as Aug. 1 approaches, and GM Perry Minasian appears to be doing just that.
While teams don't tend to pay all that much in trade for "rental" players these days, Ohtani may be an exception. Given his prowess as a starting pitcher and his elite power at the plate, he's in essence two star deadline additions in one roster spot. It seems unlikely that Halos owner Arte Moreno will approve a trade of the most popular baseball player in the world, but options are being explored.
Mets seem unlikely to trade Scherzer, Verlander
The highest payroll in MLB history hasn't yielded contention, and that's why the Mets may wind up as sellers. The problem is that they don't have much that's both appealing to other teams and easily movable. That could change if tandem veteran aces Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander decide they're open to going elsewhere and the Mets, in turn, can find teams willing to take on their salary commitments.
Speaking of all that, the idea that the Mets will part with one or both future Hall of Famers is starting to look like more noise than signal. On that front, Jon Heyman of the New York Post writes:
"Anyway, Max Scherzer's agent Scott Boras said the Mets haven't yet inquired about Scherzer's willingness to accept a trade, and didn't sound like he expected them to, and Justin Verlander said a few days ago he hadn't been approached either (He politely declined to discuss it Sunday after generously providing much time on the subject during the week)."
Things can change over the next week, but given that the Mets surely intend to return to contention in 2024, parting with either Scherzer or Verlander would likely be damaging to those aims.
Pirates listening to offers for All-Star pitchers
The Pirates entered play Monday 11 1/2 games out in the NL Central and 10 1/2 out of the last NL wild card, so after a brief tease job in the early going, they are once again in sell mode. Jon Heyman reports that the Pirates are "willing to listen to trade offers" on both starting pitcher Mitch Keller and closer David Bednar. Heyman notes that, as things stand right now, either pitcher being traded isn't very likely, but it's a sellers' market this deadline.
Keller, 27, made the All-Star team this season. He's now 9-6 with a 4.01 ERA (112 ERA+), 1.20 WHIP and 137 strikeouts against 37 walks in 128 innings. He had a stellar stretch early in the season but has struggled the last several weeks. He's under team control through 2025.
Bednar, 28, made the All-Star team each of the last two seasons. Entering Monday, he'd closed 19 of 20 save chances with a 1.15 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 47 strikeouts against six unintentional walks in 39 innings.
Reds willing to part with India
While the surprising Reds figure to eventually get healthier in the rotation with the returns of Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo, they'll probably need rotation help over and above that if they're to continue putting heat on the Brewers at the top of the NL Central standings. The problem for the Reds and any other team looking for starting pitching is that the seller side figures to be pretty thin, and thus the competition for starters figures to be intense. On that front, the Reds may be willing to part with a core piece of their lineup:
The 26-year-old India this season is slashing .251/.338/.411 (98 OPS+) with 14 home runs and 12 stolen bases in 100 games. India isn't eligible for free agency until after the 2026 season, so he can be seen as a long-term anchor by whatever team that acquires him in trade. As Feinsand notes, the Reds' impressive collection of young infielders -- led by rookie phenom Elly De La Cruz -- has made India expendable.
Braves add bullpen help
The Braves have acquired right-handed reliever Pierce Johnson from the Rockies in exchange for minor-league pitchers Victor Vodnik and Tanner Gordon, MLB.com's Mark Feinsand reports. As well, Mark Bowman adds that Atlanta has also acquired lefty reliever Taylor Hearn from the Rangers.
Johnson, 32, has pitched to a 6.00 ERA and 2.32 K/BB ratio in 39 innings for Colorado this season. Over those 39 innings, he boasts 58 strikeouts, and getting out of Coors Field could help his homer-prone tendencies. For his career, he has an ERA+ of 94 across parts of six MLB seasons with the Cubs, Giants, Padres, and of course Rockies. Johnson is owed the balance of a $5 million salary for 2023.
Hearn, 28, has made just four relief appearances for the Rangers this season. Across parts of five MLB seasons, he's pitched to a 5.11 ERA and 2.11 K/BB ratio in 67 relief appearances and 25 starts.