Major League Baseball's trade deadline, slated for July 30, continues to draw ever closer with each passing hour. Friday saw the market get moving, with the Seattle Mariners obtaining outfielder Randy Arozarena and the Baltimore Orioles netting right-handed starter Zach Eflin, each in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays. What will Saturday have in store? Keep it locked in here for all the latest news and rumors.
Yankees acquire Chisholm
The Yankees have traded for second baseman/outfielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. Full story here.
Phillies acquire Estévez
The Phillies have traded two pitching prospects to the Angels in exchange for All-Star closer Carlos Estévez. Full story here.
Yankees also talking to Rays
The Yankees have had "numerous conversations" with the Rays, per Jack Curry of YES. The Rays have already traded Arozarena, Eflin and Aaron Civale this season, but there are more players who could be moved. Curry name checks All-Star third baseman Isaac Paredes, All-Star first baseman Yandy Díaz and reliever Pete Fairbanks as possible fits for the Yankees. Sure enough, Randy Miller of NJ.com reports the Yankees are in "serious talks" to acquire Fairbanks.
Orioles 'not done'
The Orioles made a couple moves on Friday, namely acquiring Eflin, but they aren't done making moves, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. They are looking at starting pitching, including rental options -- players who will hit free agency after the season like ace Corbin Burnes. Names being discussed, according to the report, are Jack Flaherty, Yusei Kikuchi, Frankie Montas and Blake Snell. Snell is a player who hasn't appeared much in trade rumors, but he has a player option for next season and most people believe he won't exercise it and will hit free agency again.
Braves not after starting pitching?
The Braves lost ace Spencer Strider very early in the season and now lefty Max Fried is on the injured list. There was some thought that they'd be looking to acquire a starting pitcher. Instead, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports that the Braves are "not expected to acquire an impact starter" before the deadline. He says that they believe Fried will be back soon and apparently that's enough, although that may depend on your definition of "impact."
Red Sox acquire Jansen
Catcher Danny Jansen has been traded from the Blue Jays to the Red Sox. Full story here.
Crochet declines to address report
White Sox lefty Garrett Crochet is considered one of, if not the top arm available this deadline. His situation became trickier this week when Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that he has some specific desires for how he's used the rest of the season -- and that he would require a contract extension if he's to pitch into October. Heyman noted that Crochet "views starter routine as best for health."
Crochet was asked about the validity of Heyman's report on Friday. He declined to comment.
"No comment. Right now, I'm just focused on pitching for the White Sox," Crochet told reporters, including Scott Merkin of MLB.com. "In terms of that, it kind of just is what it is. I'm focused on pitching for the White Sox. Beyond that, I'm not really controlling much."
Crochet has already thrown a career-high 111 1/3 innings. His previous high was 65 -- and that came as a college sophomore in 2019.
Conforto could be on the move
The Giants appear ready to trade outfielder Michael Conforto, Rosenthal reports. He could be attractive to a team seeking left-handed bats. In 80 games this season, he's hitting .226/.298/.415 (105 OPS+) with 10 homers and 40 RBI.
Phillies looking for bullpen help
The Phillies acquired Austin Hays and as part of the deal, they sent out reliever Seranthony Domínguez. They are now searching for relievers, according to Rosenthal. They are looking at Michael Kopech of the White Sox, Tanner Scott of the Marlins and Nationals closer Kyle Finnegan, among others.
Please note that this report was published before the Phillies acquired Estévez (see above).
Rangers intrigued by Rays bats
The Rangers have "had discussions" with the Rays about third baseman Isaac Paredes and first baseman Yandy Díaz, according to ESPN's Buster Olney. The Rangers are looking to improve an offense that is without Evan Carter and Josh Jung, and that has seen Adolis García and Jonah Heim (among others) underperform.
The Rays, of course, traded away Randy Arozarena and Zach Eflin on Friday. Paredes and Díaz were two other trade candidates we identified on their roster. You can click here to find out who else we named.
Cubs acquire reliever
The Cubs have obtained right-handed reliever Nate Pearson from the Blue Jays in exchange for infielder Josh Rivera and outfielder Yohendrick Piñango. Pearson, 27, was once a top prospect who has struggled to find success in the majors. In 41 appearances this year, he's amassed a 5.63 ERA (72 ERA+) and a 3.00 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Brewers also acquire reliever
The Rockies traded right-handed reliever Nick Mears to the Brewers for two pitching prospects.
Mears, 27, has a 5.56 ERA and 1.50 WHIP with 57 strikeouts in 45 1/3 innings. Keep in mind it's awfully tough to pitch for the Rockies while the Brewers are generally great at getting the most out of relievers.
Mets interested in Conforto reunion
Count the Mets among the teams with interest in Giants outfielder Michael Conforto, according to Mike Puma of the New York Post. Conforto is, of course, no stranger to the Mets: he spent the first seven seasons of his career with New York.
Across 80 games this year with the Giants, Conforto has hit .226/.298/.415 (105 OPS+) with 10 home runs and 40 runs batted in. In an odd twist, he's been more productive against lefties than righties -- that seems more likely than not to be a small-sample quirk given his history of spottiness when faced with a southpaw.
The Mets are currently without outfielders Starling Marte and Harrison Bader (though he's expected to return soon), leading to them using more of Tyrone Taylor and DJ Stewart. Conforto would represent an obvious offensive upgrade over them both.
Padres among Taillon suitors
It wouldn't be a trade deadline without Padres general manager AJ Preller attempting to make a splash. One potential target for San Diego over the next few days? Cubs right-hander Jameson Taillon, according to The Athletic.
The Padres are in the market for pitching because of the absences of Joe Musgrove (working his way back from elbow inflammation) and Yu Darvish (on the restricted list dealing with a personal matter).
Taillon, 32, has compiled a 2.96 ERA (140 ERA+) and a 3.71 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 17 starts this season. It should be noted that Taillon will have two more seasons and $36 million remaining on his contract after this year.
The Cubs are more than six games removed from the final National League wild-card spot, putting them in a position to sell at the deadline.
Yankees among those with interest in Scott
Marlins lefty Tanner Scott might be the biggest lock to be traded before Tuesday. More than a handful of teams are interested in adding him to their bullpen, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. That crop includes the Yankees, who, fittingly, saw their bullpen implode in a loss on Friday night against the Red Sox.
Scott, 30, has tallied a 1.18 ERA (369 ERA+) and a 1.96 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 44 appearances. He's also notched 18 saves, for whatever that's worth, and has experience across a variety of high-leverage roles.
Scott will qualify for free agency at season's end.
