August 2025

There were 1,614 posts published in August 2025 (this is page 160 of 162).

MLB trade deadline: Grading every team’s deadline deals, from an A for the Athletics to Fs for the Twins and Red Sox

Another MLB trade deadline has come and gone, the annual event at which each team, at least theoretically, is trying to improve its fortunes, either for this season or for some time in the future.

So how did each team do? Who got better? Who got worse? Who stayed about the same?

Let’s run through all the moves and grade each team’s trade deadline.

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Moves:

  • Acquired SP Shane Bieber from Cleveland for SP prospect Khal Stephen

  • Acquired RP Seranthony Domínguez from Baltimore for SP prospect Juaron Watts-Brown

  • Acquired RP Louis Varland and 1B Ty France from Minnesota for OF Alan Roden and SP prospect Kendry Rojas

  • Traded IF Will Wagner to San Diego for C prospect Brandon Valenzuela

I really like the Bieber deal. I think it’s a risk worth taking. The former AL Cy Young has been injured since last April but threw four good innings in a minor-league rehab start Tuesday. If Bieber can be 80 percent of what he once was down the stretch for Toronto, he can start a playoff game. If he’s full Bieber, that’s a game-changer. If he’s nothing, whatever. Call me when Khal Stephen wins a Cy Young (he’s going to Cleveland; it could happen).

The nitpick here, in my eyes, is that the Jays didn’t do anything to capitalize on the immense momentum the club has built over the past month. Toronto, for all its raucous winning, is only 3.5 games safe in the AL East. Yes, there are multiple big reinforcements coming off the IL over the next two months who might help the cause: Alejandro Kirk, Andrés Giménez, Anthony Santander and Daulton Varsho. But still, I wanted a bit more from the Jays.

Moves:

  • Acquired RP Jake Bird from Colorado for IF prospect Roc Riggio and SP prospect Ben Shields

  • Acquired RP David Bednar from Pittsburgh for C prospect Rafael Flores, C prospect Edgleen Perez and OF prospect Brian Sanchez

  • Acquired RP Camilo Doval from San Francisco for C/3B prospect Jesus Rodriguez, SP prospect Trystan Vrieling, 1B/3B prospect Parks Harber and SP prospect Carlos De La Rosa.

  • Acquired 3B Ryan McMahon from Colorado for SP prospect Griffin Herring and SP prospect Josh Grosz

  • Acquired IF Amed Rosario from Washington for RP Clayton Beeter and OF prospect Browm Martinez

  • Acquired IF Jose Caballero from Tampa Bay for OF Everson Pereira and a PTBNL

  • Acquired OF Austin Slater from Chicago (AL) for SP prospect Gage Ziehl

  • Traded SP Carlos Carrasco to Atlanta for cash considerations

  • Traded IF Oswald Peraza to Anaheim for OF prospect Wilberson De Pena and international bonus pool money

This was a strong deadline for the Yankees, who filled three glaring holes on their roster: third base, the bench and the bullpen. Perhaps general manager Brian Cashman could’ve added a starting pitcher, but it seems like that market was quite steep this year, so Cashman opted to go all-in on relievers. Bird, Bednar and Doval all have additional years of control remaining, which is important considering that New York’s two best relievers, Luke Weaver and Devin Williams, are free agents this winter. The Yankees also completely renovated their bench, swapping out JC Escarra (optioned), Jorbit Vivas (optioned) and Oswald Peraza (traded) for Rosario, Slater and Caballero. That’s a nice upgrade.

Moves:

  • Acquired RP Steven Matz from St. Louis for 1B/3B prospect Blaze Jordan

  • Acquired SP Dustin May from Los Angeles for OF prospect James Tibbs III and OF prospect Zach Ehrhard

When the Red Sox shocked the ball world in June by sending Rafael Devers to the Giants, Craig Breslow, the team’s chief baseball officer, was adamant that the trade did not represent a surrender. “This in no way signifies a waving of the white flag on 2025,” he said. “We are as committed as we were six months ago to putting a winning team on the field.”

Since then, the Red Sox have shot up the standings and into a playoff spot. But their sleepy, lethargic deadline that failed to seriously address any of the flaws on the roster was a borderline insult to a fan base already fed up with Breslow’s robotic, bizarre and uninspiring style. Matz is fine; he’ll help the ‘pen. May is fine; he’ll add rotation depth.

Those two moves alone would’ve earned Boston a D, but then Breslow dropped an all-time fart of an explanation for his inaction. “I understand the frustration and disappointment … There’s not a lot of sympathy for how hard we tried to get deals across the line.” If Breslow is looking for sympathy from the famously unsympathetic Red Sox fan base? I don’t know. Dude might be good at his job, but he’s a PR disaster class right now.

Moves:

  • Acquired RP Griffin Jax from Minnesota for SP Taj Bradley

  • Acquired SP Adrian Houser from Chicago (AL) for IF Curtis Mead, SP prospect Duncan Davitt and RP prospect Ben Peoples

  • Traded IF Jose Caballero to New York (AL) for OF Everson Pereira and a PTBNL

  • Three-team trade with Los Angeles and Cincinnati: sent SP Zack Littell to Cincinnati and RP Paul Gervase and C Ben Rortvedt to Los Angeles, acquired SP prospect Brian Van Belle from Cincinnati and C Hunter Feduccia from Los Angeles

  • Acquired C Nick Fortes from Miami for OF prospect Matthew Etzel

  • Traded C Danny Jansen to Milwaukee for IF prospect Jadher Areinamo

Are the Rays smarter than the rest of us or too smart for their own good? Perhaps both. For what seems like the 95th year in a row, Tampa did a bunch of deadline needle-point, neither selling nor buying.

Poking its head into the Minnesota dumpster fire to scoop up Jax (under control through 2027) was a nice bit of business. The Rays also gave up a ton to get Hunter Fedducia, for some reason. That the Rays, widely considered one of the more analytically advanced teams, continue to shuffle through catchers like phone chargers (they’ve had the second-most backstops since the start of 2023) is very funny to me.

Moves:

  • Traded 1B Ryan O’Hearn and OF Ramon Laureano to San Diego for prospects SP Boston Bateman, SS Brandon Butterworth, IF Cobb Hightower, RF/1B Victor Figueroa, RP Tyson Neighbors, and RP Tanner Smith

  • Traded CF Cedric Mullins to New York (NL) for RP prospect Raimon Gómez, RP prospect Anthony Nunez and RP prospect Chandler Marsh

  • Traded RP Seranthony Dominguez to Toronto for SP prospect Juaron Watts-Brown

  • Traded Charlie Morton to Detroit for RP prospect Micah Ashman

  • Traded RP Gregory Soto to New York (NL) for SP prospect Wellington Aracena and RP prospect Cameron Foster

  • Traded RP Andrew Kittredge to Chicago (NL) for SS prospect Wilfri De La Cruz

  • Traded 3B Ramon Urías to Houston for SP prospect Twine Palmer

  • Acquired SP Dietrich Enns from Detroit for cash considerations

It’s hard to get excited about anything related to the 2025 Baltimore Orioles, a typhoon of disappointment, but GM Mike Elias had a nice deadline considering the circumstances. Baltimore traded most of its expiring contracts — Zach Eflin, Tomoyuki Sugano and Gary Sánchez were the only potential rentals who stayed put — and didn’t trade away too many pieces that could help the 2026 team, with Urias and Laureano the exceptions.

Packaging O’Hearn and Laureano together surely upped whatever their returns might have been separately; San Diego gave up quite a haul. That said, Elias didn’t get any top-100 prospects here, appearing to opt for quantity over quality.

Moves:

  • Acquired SP Charlie Morton from Baltimore for RP prospect Micah Ashman

  • Acquired RP Paul Sewald from Cleveland for PTBNL/cash

  • Acquired RP Kyle Finnegan from Washington for SP prospect Josh Randall and SP prospect R.J. Sales

  • Acquired RP Rafael Montero from Atlanta for IF prospect Jim Jarvis

  • Acquired RP Codi Heuer from Texas for cash considerations

  • Acquired SP Chris Paddack and SP Randy Dobnak from Minnesota for C prospect Enrique Jimenez

  • Traded SP Dietrich Enns to Baltimore for cash considerations

  • Traded SP Matt Manning to Philadelphia for OF prospect Josueth Quinonez

The Tigers, up nine games in a once-again-lackluster AL Central, are going to win the division. They are going to play postseason games. And the stakes, considering this team has been really good for less than a year, will be relatively low. Detroit could get bounced in the ALDS, and while fans would be frustrated, they wouldn’t be furious. There’s no urgency here, and it showed, for the worse, at the deadline.

Competitive windows often open and close faster than teams think (see 2016 Cubs, Chicago). I wish Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris had been more aggressive. Reinforcing the bullpen with a cavalcade of relievers is solid if unspectacular, with nice moves to survive the grind of 162. But the Tigers didn’t do anything this week to up their World Series odds, which, given the talent on the roster, is a darn shame.

Moves:

  • Traded SP Shane Bieber to Toronto for SP prospect Khal Stephen

  • Traded RP Paul Sewald to Detroit for a PTBNL and cash considerations

Things in Cleveland got off to a … crummy start this week, as all-world closer Emmanuel Clase was placed on administrative leave after getting wrapped up in a gambling scandal. But while that news could’ve thrown the organization into full sell mode at the deadline, the Guardians stayed the course, holding on to outfielder Steven Kwan despite significant interest from multiple suitors.

That’s a good thing. José Ramírez is a once-in-a-generation force still cooking with gas. The Guardians owe it to themselves, their fan base and Ramírez himself to try to contend as long as this version of their star third baseman is still around. Sometimes, the best choices are the ones you don’t make.

Moves:

  • Acquired SP Ryan Bergert and RP Stephen Kolek from San Diego for C Freddy Fermin

  • Acquired SP Bailey Falter from Pittsburgh for RP Evan Sisk and 1B prospect Callan Moss

  • Acquired OF Randal Grichuk from Arizona for RP prospect Andrew Hoffmann

  • Acquired OF Mike Yastrzemski from San Francisco for SP prospect Yunior Marte

The most important move Kansas City made this week was extending hurler Seth Lugo through the 2027 season. It has been an odd year for the Royals, who sit just three games out of a wild-card spot despite battling an avalanche of pitching injuries. With that in mind, this deadline of half-measures doesn’t really bother me. Falter is a cheeky, under-the-radar add; he’s a solid back-end arm under team control.

Moves:

  • Traded SS Carlos Correa to Houston for salary relief and RP prospect Matt Mikulski

  • Traded CP Jhoan Duran to Philadelphia for SP Mick Abel and C Eduardo Tait

  • Traded SP Chris Paddack and SP Randy Dobnak to Detroit for C prospect Enrique Jimenez

  • Traded UTIL Willi Castro to Chicago (NL) for RP prospect Ryan Gallagher and SP prospect Sam Armstrong

  • Traded RP Griffin Jax to Tampa Bay for SP Taj Bradley

  • Traded OF Harrison Bader to Philadelphia for OF prospect Hendry Mendez, SP prospect Geremy Villoria

  • Traded RP Brock Stewart to Los Angeles for OF James Outman

  • Traded RP Danny Coulombe to Texas for SP prospect Garrett Horn

  • Traded RP Louis Varland and 1B Ty France to Toronto for OF Alan Roden and SP prospect Kendry Rojas

The Twins are currently up for sale. Apparently, so was their roster. Any time you trade 10 players off the big-league roster during a season in which you planned to contend, you get a big, fat F, regardless of the prospects. Dealing away Correa, whom Minnesota had hailed as a franchise cornerstone, was as deflating as it was shocking. What even is this team now? There are dark days ahead up north; a years-long winter of woe awaits.

Moves:

  • Traded SP Adrian Houser to Tampa Bay for IF Curtis Mead, SP prospect Duncan Davitt and RP prospect Ben Peoples

  • Traded OF Austin Slater to New York (AL) for SP prospect Gage Ziehl

The Pope’s team didn’t have a lot to trade after last year’s fire sale, but it was certainly interesting that GM Chris Getz held on to Luis Robert Jr. The mercurial outfielder has a $20 million team option for next year, an option that given his rough start to this season did not appear likely to be picked up. But the Sox didn’t deal Robert, likely because they value him as a controllable player while other teams saw him as a rental. They’ll hope he continues rebounding enough that they can justify picking up his option. That’s a nice haul for Houser, whom the Sox scooped up off the scrap heap earlier this year.

Moves:

  • Acquired SS Carlos Correa from Minnesota for salary relief and RP prospect Matt Mikulski

  • Acquired 3B Ramon Urías from Baltimore for SP Twine Palmer

  • Acquires OF Jesús Sánchez from Miami for SP Ryan Gusto, OF prospect Esmil Valencia, SS prospect Chase Jaworsky

From a vibes perspective, no club had a sicker deadline. This was essentially team owner Jim Crane climbing a bartop, hoisting a handle of tequila into the air and screaming “GUESS WHO’S BACK?!” to an adoring crowd. It was panache, theater, transactional bravado.

Does reuniting with Correa make this Astros team better? Probably yes, considering that 3B Isaac Paredes is out for a while. Plus, Correa is still only 30 and coming off a sensational, albeit injury-plagued, 2024. There’s juice left in this proverbial lemon, and you gotta think he’ll be rejuvenated by the move back to the team that drafted him first overall way back in 2012.

Moves:

  • Acquired 3B Eugenio Suárez from Arizona for 1B Tyler Locklear, RP Hunter Cranton, RP Juan Burgos

  • Acquired 1B Josh Naylor from Arizona for RP Brandyn Garcia and SP Ashton Izzi

  • Acquired RP Caleb Ferguson from Pittsburgh for SP prospect Jeter Martinez

This might be the best offense Seattle has had since the team won 116 games in 2001. Adding Suárez and Naylor gives them an imposing top six that also includes JP Crawford, Julio Rodríguez, Randy Arozarena and Cal Raleigh. President of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto caught some much-deserved flack a few years back for insinuating that he’s content to build a team that wins 54% of its games. This deadline was a refreshing departure from that ideology; the Mariners are going for it.

Moves:

  • Acquired RP Danny Coulombe from Minnesota for SP prospect Garrett Horn

  • Acquired SP Merrill Kelly from Arizona for SP prospect Mitch Bratt, SP prospect Kohl Drake and SP prospect David Hagaman

  • Acquired RP Phil Maton from St. Louis for SP prospect Mason Molina and RP prospect Skylar Hales

  • Traded RP Codi Heuer to Detroit for cash considerations

To be fair, the Rangers were in an odd spot entering the deadline. This team has one of the best pitching staffs in baseball and a bunch of famous, well-paid hitters who aren’t hitting. Because Texas is kind of stuck with that position-player group, it opted to improve on the margins by adding arms. Kelly gives the Rangers nice depth as a rental. Coulombe and Maton should help the ‘pen. But what this team really needs — for its veteran sluggers to wake up — can’t be acquired via trade.

Moves:

  • Acquired RP Andrew Chafin and RP Luis García from Washington for SP/RP Jake Eder and 1B Sam Brown

  • Acquired IF Oswald Peraza from New York (AL) in exchange for OF prospect Wilberson De Pena

The Angels operate in their own universe, and honestly, it seems like a great universe, full of joy and rainbows and hopeful obliviousness. Is this team bad? No. Are they going to win the World Series? Definitely not. Will they make the playoffs? Probably not. That four-game gap between the Angels and a postseason spot looks a lot larger when you remember these are the Angels. Adding Peraza, the once-upon-a-time top prospect, is a nice buy-low move, but adding two middle relievers to “go for it” is fittingly odd for this organization.

Moves:

  • Traded RP Mason Miller and SP JP Sears to San Diego for prospects SS Leo De Vries, SP Braden Nett, SP Henry Baez and RP Eduarniel Núñez

  • Traded DH Miguel Andujar to Cincinnati for SP prospect Kenya Huggins

Trading away a reliever, even one as dominant and as controllable as Miller, for a potential franchise-altering piece such as De Vries is a no-brainer. That’s especially true for a team such as the A’s, who aren’t in a competitive window right now. In other words: Bullpen arms are almost as volatile as prospects.

Talent evaluators I spoke with say De Vries has a real shot to be a superstar, somewhere on the scale between Francisco Lindor and Ketel Marte, depending on how his body develops. The rest of this group has some interesting arms, too. Good for the A’s, who are putting together a really exciting position-player group ahead of their supposed move to Vegas in 2028.

Who got better? Who got worse? Who stayed the same? (James Pawelczyk/Yahoo Sports)

Moves:

  • Acquired RP Ryan Helsley from St. Louis for SS prospect Jesus Baez, SP prospect Nate Dohm and RP prospect Frank Elissalt

  • Acquired RP Tyler Rogers from San Francisco for RP José Butto, OF prospect Drew Gilbert, SP Blade Tidwell

  • Acquired RP Gregory Soto from Baltimore for SP prospect Wellington Aracena and RP prospect Cameron Foster

  • Acquired CF Cedric Mullins from Baltimore for prospects RP Raimon Gómez, RP Anthony Nunez and RP Chandler Marsh

The Mets added four meaningful rentals without giving up any of their elite prospects; that’s exactly what a great deadline looks like. This club has been ravaged by pitching injuries, particularly to the bullpen, so kudos to president of baseball operations David Stearns for rebuilding his relief corps on the fly. Slotting Helsley, Rogers and Soto alongside Edwin Díaz, Reed Garrett, Ryne Stanek and Brooks Raley gives New York one of the more interesting bullpens in the NL. Getting Mullins was also a big upgrade in center field, where Tyrone Taylor has struggled on offense this year.

Moves:

  • Acquired RP Jhoan Duran from Minnesota for SP Mick Abel and C prospect Eduardo Tait

  • Acquired OF Harrison Bader from Minnesota for prospects OF Hendry Mendez, SP Geremy Villoria

  • Acquired SP Matt Manning from Detroit for OF prospect Josueth Quinonez

President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and his front office deserve credit for adding Duran, one of the more dominant relievers in the game, to a bullpen in need of reinforcements. They also deserve criticism for not properly addressing the bullpen in the offseason, when both Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estévez departed in free agency. That said, the suspension of José Alvarado was impossible to predict. The Duran move helps the Phillies now and for the next few seasons, as he’s under control through 2027. Bader is a fine addition, though a more impactful bat would’ve been nice, considering the Phils are 26th in MLB with a .677 outfield OPS.

Moves:

  • Traded OF Jesús Sánchez to Houston for SP Ryan Gusto, OF prospect Esmil Valencia and SS prospect Chase Jaworsky

  • Traded C Nick Fortes to Tampa Bay for OF Matthew Etzel

It was a relatively quiet day in South Florida for the team that made more deals than any other last deadline. Gusto is a nice get for a player in Sánchez who clearly wasn’t considered an integral part of the next good Marlins team. Most notably, Miami chose not to trade starters Sandy Alcantara and Edward Cabrera, both of whom were heavily mentioned in rumors all last month. Without knowing the details, I like that decision. It shows me that president of baseball operations Peter Bendix isn’t out here to trade for the sake of it.

Moves:

  • Traded RP Rafael Montero to Detroit for IF prospect Jim Jarvis

  • Acquired RP Tyler Kinley from Colorado for RP Austin Smith

  • Acquired SP Erick Fedde from St. Louis for cash considerations or PTBNL

  • Acquires SP Carlos Carrasco from New York (AL) for cash considerations

The Braves, 13.5 games adrift of a wild card, were not particularly flush with enviable rentals. Between Marcell Ozuna’s offensive decline/hip injury and Raisel Iglesias’ poor season, Atlanta was never going to conjure up a massive prospect bounty. But still … this is it? They couldn’t even find a home for solid reliever Pierce Johnson? Odd deadline for Alex Anthopolous, who truly might not know how to be a seller.

Moves:

  • Traded SP Mike Soroka to Chicago (NL) for OF Christian Franklin and IF prospect Ronny Cruz

  • Traded IF Amed Rosario to New York (AL) for RP Clayton Beeter and OF prospect Browm Martinez

  • Traded OF Alex Call to Los Angeles for SP prospect Eriq Swan and SP prospect Sean Paul Liñan

  • Traded RP Kyle Finnegan to Detroit for SP prospects Josh Randall and SP prospect R.J. Sales

  • Traded RP Andrew Chafin and RP Luis García to Los Angeles (AL) for SP/RP Jake Eder and 1B Sam Brown

It was a pretty straightforward deadline for interim head honcho Mike DeBartolo, who took over for the fired Mike Rizzo less than a month ago. The Nats dealt five rentals in Soroka, Rosario, Finnegan, Chafin and García and got a really interesting prospect (Swan) back for Call, who was a weird fit on a roster with so many young outfielders who need every-day time. I’m somewhat surprised the Nats couldn’t find a suitor for Josh Bell, who has experience and an .842 OPS against righties since June 1.

Moves:

  • Acquired RP Shelby Miller and SP Jordan Montgomery for PTBNL/cash

  • Traded SP Nestor Cortes and SS prospect Jorge Quintana to San Diego for OF Brandon Lockridge

  • Acquired C Danny Jansen from Tampa Bay for IF prospect Jadher Areinamo

I feel odd critiquing an organization made up of people who are smarter than I am and have a track record of sustainable roster-building, which I very much do not have. But I look at this Brewers team and those 96.6% playoff odds, and I wish they’d been more aggressive. Milwaukee could’ve used one more versatile offensive piece like Willi Castro or one more difference-making bat like Ryan O’Hearn or one more lockdown reliever like Ryan Helsley. The postseason is a roulette wheel, but the Brewers should at least try to help their own odds every once in a while.

Moves:

  • Acquired UTIL Willi Castro from Minnesota for RP prospect Ryan Gallagher and SP prospect Sam Armstrong

  • Acquired RP Andrew Kittredge from Baltimore for prospect SS Wilfri De La Cruz

  • Acquired SP Mike Soroka from Washington for OF Christian Franklin and prospect IF Ronny Cruz

  • Acquired RP Taylor Rogers from Pittsburgh for OF prospect Ivan Brethowr

In an oddly timed maneuver, the Cubs handed president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer a contract extension just days before the deadline. Whether that was the reason for Hoyer’s relative passivity is unclear, but Chicago didn’t make a serious upgrade Thursday, despite holding the third-highest playoff odds in baseball. Castro is a really underrated player, an above-average, switch-hitting bat capable of playing almost anywhere on the diamond. His addition was the only thing keeping me from crushing the Cubs with a D or an F.

Moves:

  • Acquired 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes from Pittsburgh for RP Taylor Rogers and SS prospect Sammy Stafura

  • Three-team trade with Tampa Bay and Los Angeles: Acquired SP Zack Littell from Tampa Bay, traded SP Brian Van Belle to Tampa Bay, traded SP Adam Serwinowski to Los Angeles

  • Traded DH Miguel Andujar to Cincinnati for SP prospect Kenya Huggins

Some folks were clowning on the Reds for the Hayes deal, but I actually dig that move. He’s a bad hitter (career 87 OPS+), but the glove at the hot corner is downright special. If Hayes keeps swinging with a pool noodle and keeps picking it like Brooks Robinson, he’s a 2.0-WAR player. And leaving the debacle that is the Pirates could be a boon for Hayes. If there’s any untapped potential in the bat, this could be a really valuable player who’s making only $7 million.

Moves:

  • Traded Ryan Helsley to New York for prospects SS Jesus Baez, SP Nate Dohm and RP Frank Elissalt

  • Traded RP Steven Matz to Boston for 1B/3B prospect Blaze Jordan

  • Traded SP Erick Fedde to Atlanta for cash considerations or PTBNL

  • Traded RP Phil Maton to Texas for SP prospect Mason Molina and RP prospect Skylar Hales

St. Louis got off to a hot start but tumbled down the standings as the weather warmed. This was a basic deadline for the Cards, who sold off some of their rentals and did nothing else. They didn’t send away any controllable pieces, such as Brendan Donovan, Alec Burleson or Lars Nootbaar. This was neither a disasterclass nor a masterclass.

Moves:

  • Traded 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes to Cincinnati for RP Taylor Rogers and SS prospect Sammy Stafura

  • Traded RP David Bednar to New York (AL) for C prospect Rafael Flores, C prospect Edgleen Perez and OF prospect Brian Sanchez

  • Traded SP Bailey Falter to Kansas City for RP Evan Sisk and 1B prospect Callan Moss

  • Traded RP Taylor Rogers to Chicago (NL) for OF prospect Ivan Brethowr

  • Traded RP Caleb Ferguson to Seattle for SP prospect Jeter Martinez

For a team so far out of it, the Pirates didn’t do nearly enough to improve their future. They also made it through the deadline without trading their three soon-to-be free agents who could’ve brought back some real value. Tommy Pham, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Andrew Heaney are all still Pirates, for some reason, as is Mitch Keller, who drew significant trade interest amid a career year. Sure, GM Ben Cherington made a few moves, but he seems to have left on the table the deals that could’ve actually helped his team begin to get out of the basement of the National League.

Moves:

  • Acquired OF Alex Call from Washington for SP prospect Eriq Swan and SP prospect Sean Paul Liñan

  • Acquired RP Brock Stewart from Minnesota for OF James Outman

  • Three-team trade with Tampa Bay and Cincinnati: Sent C Hunter Feduccia to Tampa Bay, acquired RP Paul Gervase and C Ben Rortvedt from Tampa Bay, acquired SP prospect Adam Serwinowski from Cincinnati

  • Traded SP Dustin May to Boston for OF prospect James Tibbs III and OF prospect Zach Ehrhard

An atypically serene day for the defending champs, who in recent years have been very aggressive at the deadline. There wasn’t even that much buzz around the Dodgers, save for a pursuit of Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan. In the end, Los Angeles added two helpful, unspectacular pieces in Call and Stewart. The Dodgers just need to get some arms back, but it’s a bit odd they didn’t think it necessary to solve part of that issue via trade.

Moves:

  • Acquired RP Mason Miller and SP JP Sears from the Athletics for prospects SS Leo De Vries, SP Braden Nett, SP Henry Baez and RP Eduarniel Núñez

  • Acquired 1B Ryan O’Hearn and OF Ramon Laureano from Baltimore for prospects SP Boston Bateman, SS Brandon Butterworth, IF Cobb Hightower, RF/1B Victor Figueroa, RP Tyson Neighbors, and RP Tanner Smith

  • Acquired C Freddy Fermin from Kansas City for SP Ryan Bergert and RP Stephen Kolek

  • Acquired SP Nestor Cortes and SS prospect Jorge Quintana from Milwaukee for OF Brandon Lockridge

Many teams, nowadays, use computer models to help inform and, in some cases, dictate decision-making. Padres GM AJ Preller cares not one bit for your model or anyone else’s. Once again, the free-wheelin’ exec swung a headline deal for an All-Star and gave up a bounty in prospect capital to do it. I think giving up De Vries for a reliever is a mistake, though it appears San Diego might be planning to move Miller back to the rotation next year. 

But nor now, the flame-throwing closer gives the Padres a dynamite bullpen capable of knocking off the Dodgers in October, which is the whole point of this, anyway. And don’t sleep on the O’Hearn/Laureano deal. Those guys are both having splendid offensive seasons, and the top-heavy Padres lineup was in desperate need of reinforcements.

Moves:

  • Traded RP Tyler Rogers to New York (NL) for RP José Butto, OF prospect Drew Gilbert, SP Blade Tidwell

  • Traded RP Camilo Doval to New York (AL) for C/3B prospect Jesus Rodriguez, SP prospect Trystan Vrieling, 1B/3B prospect Parks Harber, and SP prospect Carlos De La Rosa

  • Traded OF Mike Yastrzemski to Kansas City for SP prospect Yunior Marte

These trades, in and of themselves, are perfectly cromulent. But it’s certainly not the approach people thought Giants POBO Buster Posey would be taking at deadline time when he swung a blockbuster for Rafael Devers last month. San Francisco has plummeted down the standings since then, so kudos to Posey, I guess, for being realistic.

Moves:

  • Traded 3B Eugenio Suárez to Seattle for 1B Tyler Locklear, RP Hunter Cranton, RP Juan Burgos

  • Traded SP Merrill Kelly to Texas for SP prospect Mitch Bratt, SP prospect Kohl Drake and SP prospect David Hagaman

  • Traded RP Shelby Miller and SP Jordan Montgomery to Milwaukee for PTBNL/cash/salary relief

  • Traded 1B Josh Naylor to Seattle for RP Brandyn Garcia and SP Ashton Izzi

  • Traded OF Randal Grichuk to Kansas City for RP prospect Andrew Hoffmann

Once it was clear this season was a goner, Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen pivoted into full seller mode with a clear intention. All the pieces headed out of the desert were rentals, a sign that the Snakes fully plan on competing again as soon as next season. The only notable player to stay put was starter Zac Gallen; whether that’s because Arizona couldn’t find a match or because they plan on hanging on to Gallen and extending him the qualifying offer is unclear. In all, this was a well-run deadline by the D-backs.

Moves:

  • Traded RP Jake Bird to New York (AL) for IF prospect Roc Riggio and SP prospect Ben Shields

  • Traded 3B Ryan McMahon to New York (AL) for SP prospect Griffin Herring and SP prospect Josh Grosz

  • Traded RP Tyler Kinley to Atlanta for RP Austin Smith

The Rockies did some trades! Baseball’s most isolated organization usually doesn’t engage much in the deadline, preferring to hang on to players, no matter how ugly the loss column. But things clearly changed this season, perhaps because the Rockies are on pace to be one of the worst teams of all time. 

I don’t particularly care which players they got or gave up; I’m just happy the Rockies are outside with the rest of us, participating in the real world.

Former NBA star Gilbert Arenas arrested on suspicion of running illegal high-stakes poker game from his mansion

Former Washington Wizards star and three-time NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of running an illegal high-stakes poker game out of his mansion, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced. 

Arenas, 43, was charged with one count of conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling business, one count of operating an illegal gambling business and one count of making false statements to investigators. He was one of six men to be arrested in connection with running illegal high-stakes poker games.

Arenas is accused of renting out his mansion in Encino, California, for the purpose of hosting illegal high-stakes poker games. Arenas reportedly asked another man, Arthur Kats, to stage his mansion, find others to host games and collect rent from them for Arenas. Kats’ name was not listed as one of the arrested parties in the U.S. Attorney’s Office release Wednesday.

Per the indictment, authorities claim Arenas denied being involved with the party in question, despite allegedly texting a picture to a co-defendant of a poker table featuring his name, silhouette and jersey number in 2021.

That could be the poker table of any basketball player named Arenas with a No. 0 jersey. (Image from U.S. District Court filing)
U.S. District Court

Arenas made multiple posts on social media on Wednesday night, including a video in which he was seen running down stairs and saying, “they can’t hold me.”

Arenas spent 11 seasons in the NBA after he was taken by the Golden State Warriors in the second round of the 2001 NBA Draft. His production far exceeded his draft spot. After winning the Most Improved Player award during the 2002-03 season, Arenas signed a deal with the Wizards, where he blossomed into a superstar.

Nicknamed “Agent Zero,” Arenas averaged 27.7 points and 5.7 assists over thee seasons between 2004 and 2006. He made the All-Star in three straight seasons over that period. 

Injuries affected Arenas’ career after that stretch. He played in just 15 games with the Wizards over the next two seasons. 

Arenas returned during the 2009-10 NBA season, but played in just 32 games due to a suspension stemming from a gun-related incident. Arenas was suspended by the NBA after bringing unloaded guns into the locker room due to an argument over gambling debts. The incident reportedly started due to a high-stakes card game. 

Arenas spent time with both the Orlando Magic and Memphis Grizzlies before retiring from the NBA following the 2011-12 season.

Following his playing career, Arenas got into podcasting, hosting the popular “Gil’s Arena” show. The last episode of “Gil’s Arena” went up July 17.

Arenas’ son, Alijah Arenas, was set to star on the USC basketball team this season, but he tore his meniscus earlier this month and is expected to miss most — if not all — of the season due to the injury.

Four other men arrested Wednesday. Yevgeni Gershman, Evgenni Tourevski, Allan Austria and Yarin Cohen are accused of running the poker games, which featured “Pot Limit Omaha,” among other illegal games. They are accused of collecting a house fee from those participating in the games and hiring women who “served drinks, provided massages, and offered companionship to the poker players,” per the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Chefs, valets and armed guards were also reportedly hired for the games. 

Gershman is a “suspected organized-crime figure from Israel,” per the U.S. Attorney’s office release.

Ievgen Krachun was also arrested in connection with the illegal poker games. He was accused of tracking wins and losses, distributing chips and paying employees assisting with the games. 

Gershman, Tourevski, Austria, Cohen and Krachun were all charged with one count of conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling business and one count of operating an illegal gambling business.

All six men appeared and were arraigned at the U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday. If convicted, they face “a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for each count,” per the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

MLB trade deadline: Rogers twins, Taylor and Tyler, get traded on the same day

Wednesday was moving day for the Rogers twins, as both Taylor and Tyler were dealt ahead of the MLB trade deadline.

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First up, Taylor Rogers was dealt from the Cincinnati Reds, along with shortstop prospect Sammy Stafura, to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes. 

Rogers, a 34-year-old lefty, made 40 appearances in Cincinnati this season and held hitters to a .240 batting average with a 2.45 ERA and 1.45 WHIP in 33 innings pitched. He spent the previous two seasons with the San Francisco Giants alongside his brother, Tyler. On Thursday, he was traded again, this time from the Pirates to the Cubs.

Hours later, it was Tyler’s turn to start packing. The Giants sent the submarine reliever, who will be a free agent after this season, to the New York Mets for a package consisting of José Butto, Drew Gilbert and Blade Tidwell.

That move follows the Mets’ adding Gregory Soto from the Baltimore Orioles last week. Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said earlier this month that he wanted to bring in “reinforcements” for his team’s bullpen. He has done just that with the addition of a workhorse reliever.

According to Stathead, Rogers’ 375 appearances since 2020 are the most by any MLB pitcher in that span. In 53 games this season in San Francisco, he has recorded a 1.80 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, .212 opponent batting average and 38 strikeouts in 50 innings pitched.

This is the fifth time in MLB history, per Sarah Langs, that brothers have been dealt on the same day. The Rogers brothers join Bill and Dick Conway (1886), Rick and Wes Ferrell (1937), Hank and Ed Sauer (1949) and Hal and Danny Breeden (1970).

MLB trade deadline: Putting all 30 teams into tiers from full buyers to full sellers

The 2025 MLB Trade Deadline is in the books. Calls and inquiries from contenders to pretenders, from buyers to sellers flew around the league.

This year’s midseason transactional extravaganza was unique for a few reasons. Notably, the
Other interesting pieces: Jonathan India, Maikel García, Vinnie Pasquantino, Kris Bubic

Playoff-quality starting pitchers are difficult to come by around the deadline, which made Lugo a very valuable commodity. Yet the Royals hung onto Lugo, reaching a two-year, $46 million extension, according to multiple media reports. He had a $15 million player option for next year. Perhaps the likeliest path forward for Kansas City was to also hold onto its controllable bats, try to upgrade its feeble offense in the offseason and go for it again in 2026. Considering the dearth of big bats that were available this deadline, there was a small chance somebody overpaid for García or Pasquantino, both of whom are years away from free agency. That didn’t happen. Instead, the Royals added a bat with a reported trade with the Giants for RF Mike Yastrzemski. 

Notable impending free agents: Carlos Santana, Jakob Junis
Other interesting pieces: Shane Bieber, Emmanuel Clase, Steven Kwan

I don’t expect this hyper-rational front office will cling to postseason pipe dreams. Cleveland’s trade deadline forecast got even cloudier after the stunning news that Clase was put on non-disciplinary paid leave Monday as MLB conducts a sports gambling investigation that includes teammate Luis Ortiz. Clase has scuffled this year after putting up an all-time relief season in ’24. Contenders need relievers, and Clase is a damn good one, but Monday’s revelation heightens the limbo for Clase this trade deadline. He’s on leave through Aug. 31. On Thursday, the Guardians answered the Blue Jays’ desire to bolster their starting rotation with the trade of Bieber.   

You can’t have an estate sale with an empty house. These subpar teams simply don’t have many expiring contracts to trade and would prefer to hold on to anybody who can help them in 2026.

Notable impending free agents: Marcell Ozuna, Raisel Iglesias, Rafael Montero, Pierce Johnson
Other interesting pieces: Sean Murphy

As much as it will pain president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos, the Braves have to sell. And they will, at least with the expiring contracts. Montero, a reliever, was sent to Detroit on Wednesday. Ozuna was a top-10 hitter in baseball last year, but he has been awful the past two months while playing through a hip issue. A contender with bad DH production, such as San Diego, Texas or Houston, might take a flyer. Given the controllable talent still on Atlanta’s roster, I doubt Anthopoulos is going to trade away anybody he thinks can help the 2026 team. Murphy, who is splitting time with breakout rookie backstop Drake Baldwin, is the one exception, but starting catchers rarely get dealt at the deadline. They started this week by trading for RHP Erick Fedde. 

Notable impending free agents: Cal Quantrill
Other interesting pieces: Edward Cabrera, Sandy Alcantara, Jesús Sánchez, Anthony Bender

Last summer, the Marlins went full fire sale, trading practically anything of value. I think their deadline looks different this year. Most importantly, they aren’t that bad anymore! The Fish were eight games over .500 since May 1 entering Thursday’s trade deadline. A few shrewd offseason moves, and they could be a sneaky dark horse next season, so don’t expect anybody not listed above to move. Given the low supply of impact rotation arms on the market, I thought the Marlins would get an enticing package for one of Cabrera or Alcantara and hang on to the other. They’re hanging onto Alcantara. Remember, they didn’t need to trade either of those guys and could wait to get a similar haul in the winter. Of the Marlins’ interesting pieces, they reportedly dealt Sánchez to the Astros. 

Notable impending free agents: Luis Urías, Sean Newcomb, Miguel Andujar
Other interesting pieces: Mason Miller, Luis Severino

Not much was here outside of Miller. The A’s have a good lineup full of exciting, controllable, young players they weren’t going to trade. I’m sure they would have loved to deal Severino, who (fairly) trashed the team’s temporary stadium setup earlier this year, but he hasn’t been quite good enough to warrant the return they’d want. Even though Miller was under contract through 2029, the A’s dealt him to the Padres. Andujar was sent to the Reds. Urías is a decent utility man, and Newcomb is an inoffensive, low-leverage bullpen arm.

Notable impending free agents: Germán Márquez
Other interesting pieces: Ryan McMahon, Antonio Senzatela, Mickey Moniak

The isolationist Rockies, notoriously difficult to trade with, couldn’t be evaluated as a rational actor. Even when they have interesting deadline pieces, they often hang on to them for no reason other than loyalty and vibes. McMahon drew interest and, in a shocking turn of events, was traded to the Yankees on Friday. A team with good pitching development probably thought Márquez was salvageable, but that’s a better free-agency play.

Major impending free agents: Michael Soroka, Josh Bell, Kyle Finnegan
Other interesting pieces: MacKenzie Gore, Nathaniel Lowe

The Nats were in “light sell” just because they didn’t have many expiring contracts to trade. I was skeptical that interim general manager Mike DeBartolo would deal away anyone who could help the 2026 team challenge for a wild card. Finnegan was dealt to the Tigers, showing that Detroit wasn’t skittish about the outrageous workload he has carried for the Nats over the years. Soroka could eat innings down the stretch and move to the ‘pen in October, a role in which he shined last season. The Cubs were intrigued enough to strike a deal for Soroka, per ESPN’s Jesse Rogers. 

Anything and everything must and will go.

Major impending free agents: Ryan O’Hearn, Cedric Mullins, Zach Eflin, Gregory Soto, Seranthony Domínguez
Other interesting pieces: Ramón Laureano, Félix Bautista, Trevor Rogers, Ryan Mountcastle, Ramón Urías

It has been a disastrously disappointing season in Birdland, so bad that the O’s were a stone-cold lock to sell. They’ll try to trade the guys on expiring contracts — they began by sending Soto to the Mets on Friday and Domínguez to the Blue Jays on Tuesday — but will GM Mike Elias go further and part with players who have multiple years of control left? The Orioles sent Urías to the Astros late Wednesday night. Given how difficult it has been for Baltimore to develop impact pitching, I think they’ll keep the arms and deal the bats. Nearly two hours before Thursday’s deadline, one of those bats was reportedly dealt when Mullins was sent to the Mets. O’Hearn and Laureano joined him out of town when the O’s reportedly struck a deal Thursday with the Padres. 

Major impending free agents: Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Caleb Ferguson, Andrew Heaney, Tommy Pham
Other interesting pieces: David Bednar, Ke’Bryan Hayes, Mitch Keller

Yet another deadline of vaguely gesturing to the future in Pittsburgh. The Buccos were in a similar position to the Orioles — impending free agents should be gone, but the more compelling pieces have more control — except without the foundation of young talent. How and if the potential end to GM Ben Cherrington’s tenure — there have been rumblings he’ll be on the chopping block this winter — impacted the deadline is a storyline to watch. They got things started with the trade of Hayes to the Reds on Wednesday. They also dealt Ferguson to the Mariners, according to The Athletic. Nearly three hours before the deadline, the Pirates reportedly dealt Bednar to the Yankees. 

Major impending free agents: Adrian Houser, Luis Robert Jr., Aaron Civale, Austin Slater
Other interesting pieces: Mike Tauchman, Steven Wilson, Dan Altavilla

The worst team in the American League, predictably, was open for business. After a catastrophic start to 2025, Robert was a .779 OPS hitter between June 1 and July 23. Remember, this dude finished 12th in AL MVP voting in 2023. Yet, he reportedly will be staying with the White Sox. Houser reportedly got dealt to the Rays. Among pitchers with at least 10 starts, his 2.10 ERA is third-lowest. He’s not that good, but the Rays saw value in him. The White Sox moved Slater, shipping the outfielder to the Yankees on Wednesday. 

MLB trade deadline: Top 26 players who could’ve been traded before the deadline

The 2025 MLB trade deadline is in the books, and many, many players were traded leading up to the buzzer on Thursday. 

With this year’s deadline shaping up to be pretty unpredictable, one week ahead of time, we power-ranked the players who seemed like top candidates to be traded.

Here are the top 26 players who were contenders to be wearing new jerseys in August — with updates on how things actually played out.

UPDATE: Suarez was reportedly traded to the Mariners on Wednesday in exchange for first-base prospect Tyler Locklear and two pitching prospects, RHP Hunter Cranton and RHP Juan Burgos, according to reports.

There might not be a hotter hitter in baseball right now than Suárez. The D-backs’ third baseman seems to hit a home run almost every night and currently leads baseball in RBI. There are plenty of teams in on Suárez at this point, and given the way he’s swinging the bat, he could be one of the biggest X-factors down the stretch for a contender.

Of all the names listed here, Gore is probably the least likely to be moved. But after the front office and managerial changes in D.C., nothing can be ruled out with this team. That said, the Nationals keeping their talented young starter to continue building around a talented young core would not be the worst idea, either.

Ryan doesn’t have the name recognition of some others on this list, but he has proven to be as productive as any of them. A first-time All-Star this season, Ryan is having the best year of his career and has only gotten stronger as the season has gone on. He has a 1.80 ERA in four starts in July.

UPDATE: Clase was placed on non-disciplinary paid leave Monday, through Aug. 31, in connection with a sports gambling investigation.

Clase has been the best closer in baseball since 2021, recording the most saves in that span. Clase had one of the best seasons we’ve ever seen from a reliever in 2024, but in the postseason, for the first time in a long time, he didn’t look dominant. Fortunately, Clase has regained his elite ability this year, with a 1.17 ERA since May 1. Will Cleveland truly be a deadline seller? The Guardians have a closer in waiting in Cade Smith and could expedite their return to AL Central relevance if they decide to move their franchise leader in saves.

Paul Skenes isn’t the only Pittsburgh pitcher that teams have been salivating over. Keller has put himself on the map this season, and unlike his teammate Skenes, he’s a realistic candidate to be traded. After signing an extension in 2024, Keller has three years of club control after this season.

UPDATE: Lugo and the Royals agreed to a multi-year extension on Sunday.

Lugo has been one of the most consistent arms in the American League since he got to Kansas City in 2024, and he was the type of starter a contender could’ve penciled into their postseason rotation. Given how well he has pitched since signing in K.C., it’s a win for the Royals to keep Lugo.

UPDATE: Kelly was reportedly traded to the Texas Rangers on Thursday in exchange for three prospects.

Things have not gone well in the desert this season, but the Arizona right-hander has gotten back to being one of the best in the National League. Kelly, a free agent at season’s end, has plenty of postseason experience and should have his fair share of suitors as we approach the deadline.

(From left) Ryan O’Hearn, Zac Gallen, Eugenio Suárez, Sandy Alcantara, Mitch Keller and Emmanuel Clase were all candidates to be traded, but only O’Hearn and Suárez changed teams. (Mallory Bielecki/Yahoo Sports)
Mallory Bielecki/Yahoo Sports

8 & 9. Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax, RPs, Minnesota Twins

UPDATE: Duran was reportedly traded to the Phillies on Wednesday in exchange for catching prospect Eduardo Tait and pitching prospect Mick Abel.

UPDATE: Jax was reportedly traded to the Rays on Thursday in exchange for pitcher Taj Bradley.

The Twins’ tandem of reliever Jax and closer Duran have turned into an elite duo at the back end of the Twins’ bullpen. Duran has saved at least 23 games in each of the past two seasons and is on pace to reach that mark again this year. Jax has some of baseball’s best swing-and-miss stuff, with a K/9 over 14 this season. Both Duran and Jax could be weapons come October, and neither is a free agent until 2028, which is an added bonus.

UPDATE: Bednar was reportedly traded to the Yankees on Thursday in exchange for prospects Rafael Flores, Edgleen Perez and Bryan Sanchez.

It once appeared that the Pirates had missed their opportunity to move their former All-Star closer, as Bednar began the 2025 season struggling and was demoted out of the closer role. But after working through his struggles, Bednar has returned to elite form. Since May 24, he has not allowed an earned run. He would be an elite addition to any contender’s bullpen.

UPDATE: Helsley was reportedly traded to the Mets on Wednesday in exchange for minor-league infielder Jesus Baez and pitching prospects Nate Dohm and Frank Elissalt.

You can make the case that coming into this season, only one closer in baseball was more dominant than Cardinals closer Helsley, and that would be Clase. Like Clase, Helsley didn’t look like himself to begin the 2025 season, but he has started to find his form at the perfect time to give St. Louis a big trade piece at the deadline.

UPDATE: Naylor was traded to the Mariners on July 24 in exchange for LHP Brandyn Garcia and RHP Ashton Izzi.

Naylor knows how to produce runs, and his ability to be a thumper in the middle of a lineup went with him from Cleveland to Arizona. Naylor is on pace for a career high in hits, and though he’s not known for slugging, he provides more than enough power, with a 126 OPS+. With his contract expiring at the end of 2025, the D-backs’ first baseman was an intriguing name for teams in need of a left-handed bat.

One of the best starters in the National League for the past several years, Gallen is an ace when he’s right. The problem is, he just hasn’t been right in 2025, and for the entire first half, things looked bad for the Arizona right-hander. But in recent weeks, Gallen has started to turn the corner. He’s still not his old self yet, but he might be a worthwhile gamble for the right team.

UPDATE: Castro was reportedly traded to the Cubs on Thursday in exchange for prospects.

In the postseason, playoff teams need a player who can do it all, and Twins utility man Castro could be the player on this year’s market who fits that mold. Castro has a lot of the skills that made Tommy Edman such an intriguing addition for the Los Angeles Dodgers at last year’s deadline. He has played every position on the diamond outside of catcher (yes, he has even pitched!) and is putting together his best offensive season yet. Assuming the Twins move him, Castro might go down as the most underrated player acquired at the deadline.

UPDATE: O’Hearn was reportedly traded to the Padres along with Ramón Laureano on Thursday in exchange for a package of six prospects.

Since he arrived in Baltimore, O’Hearn has had a resurgence and provided a spark for the Orioles. Although Baltimore as a whole has disappointed this season, O’Hearn has continued to thrive, earning his first All-Star nod. With a keen ability to get on base and low strikeout numbers, O’Hearn has a unique skill set that stands out among the bats on this year’s trade market.

No player on this list has a higher upside than Alcántara. When he’s right, he’s one of the best starting pitchers in the world, as seen when he won the 2022 NL Cy Young Award. But in his first full season back following Tommy John surgery in 2023, things have not gone well for Alcántara. He looked to be trending up in June, but July has been a struggle thus far, as he has a 7.94 ERA in three starts. If the Marlins don’t see improvement or get the deal they want for Alcántara, his two more years of club control might lead them to wait to move him until the offseason.

Alcantara isn’t the only Marlins starter getting some trade attention. Right-hander Cabrera has quietly had a strong season in South Beach and has actually been more productive than his teammate Alcántara. Cabrera is the type of high-upside arm who could be a monster down the stretch in the right team’s hands.

UPDATE: Maton was reportedly traded to the Rangers on Thursday in exchange for two prospects and bonus pool money.

Maton is going to make a contender very happy at this year’s deadline. The Cardinals’ right-hander is having the best season of his career, with a 2.48 ERA, and he brings with him plenty of postseason experience.

UPDATE: Soto was reportedly traded to the Mets on Friday in exchange for two pitching prospects.

The Orioles are expected to move only players on expiring deals, and that means left-hander Soto could be one of their most valuable assets at this year’s deadline. He has plenty of high-leverage experience, and with the Boston Red Sox headed toward being buyers, Aroldis Chapman probably won’t be available. For a team looking for a power arm from the left side, Soto might be their man.

UPDATE: Houser was reportedly traded to the Rays on Thursday in exchange for Curtis Mead and two prospects.

Considering that we have a market desperate for starting pitchers, the White Sox might’ve struck gold when they took a flier on right-hander Houser heading into 2025. Houser has been fantastic in his stint in Chicago, putting himself on the radar of teams in need of starting pitching. For a team such as the White Sox that has to find developmental wins as they rebuild, Houser is a huge success.

Santana, like Bednar, has stood out in Pittsburgh and has shown himself to be capable of getting plenty of swing-and-miss. The Pirates’ right-hander has one of the best sliders in the game, ranking 10th in MLB in run value with the pitch. Santana is the type of arm that could bolster a bullpen in a big way.

Iglesias has been closing games for a long time, and in his 11th season in the big leagues, he’s still getting it done. The Braves’ closer was unhittable last season, with a sub-2.00 ERA, and while things have not quite been as automatic this season, Iglesias still has the ability to close or be part of a high-leverage duo or trio for a team that already has a dominant closer. A free agent at season’s end, Iglesias should have his fair share of suitors.

Ozuna has been a force since his arrival in Atlanta, and he’s capable of carrying a lineup for weeks at a time. Injuries have seen the Braves’ slugger take a step back in 2025, but right-handed power is a valuable asset, and Ozuna would bring plenty of it to a needy contender.

The White Sox’s star was in hibernation for the entire first half, looking like a shell of the All-Star he was in 2023. But since the break, Robert has shown flashes of the special talent he has shown he can be when healthy. Chicago’s center fielder is an intriguing name, as he has the most talent among the center fielders available and comes with two club options after this season. Will he deliver enough production down the stretch to make that worth it for a contender?

UPDATE: Hayes was reportedly traded to the Reds on Wednesday in exchange for reliever Taylor Rogers and shortstop prospect Sammy Stafura.

Since his arrival in the big leagues, Hayes has never lived up to his top-prospect hype. But one thing the Pirates’ third baseman has delivered is elite defense at third base. If not for Nolan Arenado, we might be talking about Hayes as a multiple Gold Glove Award winner at the hot corner. Meanwhile, his bat is fine hitting at the bottom of a playoff-caliber lineup, where he’s not expected to be a run producer.

UPDATE: Laureano was reportedly traded to the Padres along with Ryan O’Hearn on Thursday in exchange for a package of six prospects.

Cedric Mullins was the first Orioles outfielder moved at the deadline, but Laureano has also been getting attention. He’s one of the best hitters in baseball against right-handed pitching, currently ninth in MLB in OPS vs. righties. Laureano could be a strong right-handed corner outfielder for a contender, and his being a reverse-splits guy makes him even more intriguing.

OKC Thunder jersey history No. 35 – Paul Silas (1977-80)

The Oklahoma City Thunder (and the Seattle Supersonics before them) have 51 jersey numbers worn by the players who have suited up for the franchise since its founding at the start of the 1967-68 season. To commemorate the players who wore those numbers, Thunder Wire is covering the entire history of jersey numbers and the players who sported them since the founding of the team.

And while those Supersonics jerseys may not remain part of the franchise history should a new team be established in Seattle as was the case with the return of the Charlotte Hornets, they are part of the Thunder’s history today.

For this article, we continue with the 35th jersey number in the series, jersey No. 35, with 11 players in total having donned the jersey in the history of the franchise.

The third of those players did so in the Seattle SuperSonics era, forward alum Paul Silas. After ending his college career at Creighton, Silas was picked up with the 12th overall selection of the 1964 NBA Draft by the (then) St. Louis (now, Atlanta) Hawks.

The Prescott, Arkansas native also played for the Phoenix Suns, Boston Celtics, and Denver Nuggets before he was dealt to Seattle for the final three seasons of his career.

During his time suiting up for the Sonics, Silas wore only jersey No. 35 and put up 5.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game.

All stats and data courtesy of Basketball Reference.

This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Thunder jersey history No. 35 – Paul Silas (1977-80)

Brent Venables believes the Oklahoma Sooners have a better overall roster this year

Fall camp ahead of the 2025 college football season is officially underway for the Oklahoma Sooners. There are a little over four weeks remaining before OU’s Week 1 game. In advance of fall camp, the Sooners held press conferences and player media availability on Wednesday, with head coach Brent Venables taking the mic to answer questions before camp gets rolling.

It didn’t take long for Venables to point out a couple of key differences between last year and this year. The fourth-year head coach told reporters, in response to the first question he was asked, that he believes Oklahoma’s roster in 2025 is better overall than it was in 2024.

“I really like this roster,” Venables said. “I think that it’s a better overall roster from where we were a year ago and the test of time will tell where this team stands … This is a group that’s very competitive. They’ve allowed us to push them and challenge them. They haven’t flinched. We’ve made tremendous improvement from where we started in January and all of the strength, speed, body composition. Really excited about the improvements that we’ve made there and I think our guys are a confident, competitive group.”

The Sooners struggled to a 6-7 overall record and a 2-6 mark in the SEC last season. There were times in 2024 that the roster just didn’t look good enough for the SEC, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Venables hopes he’s made the necessary moves this offseason to change that. There are plenty of new faces on this season’s roster, as Oklahoma will be counting on some newcomers to play big roles in their first seasons in Norman.

One of the most significant moves the Sooners have made since late November was the addition of offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle. Despite not yet being 30 years old, he’s tasked with returning the OU offense to its past glory. Venables also spoke about how he feels about his new OC a few months into their partnership.

“I feel really good about the most major change we had and that’s the change at offensive coordinator,” Venables said. “When we realized that things needed to change, I think making those hard, tough decisions at a tough time, we showed that we’re willing to do that and that’s what the players deserve; but really excited about this football team.”

Venables hand-picked Arbuckle out of Washington State from a nationwide search and a large crop of potential other OCs such as Tulane’s Joe Craddock, Pittsburgh’s Kade Bell, Georgia Tech‘s Buster Faulkner, Syracuse’s Jeff Nixon, Baylor‘s Jake Spavital, and Texas State’s Mack Leftwich (now the OC at Texas Tech). He’s hoping that Arbuckle was the right choice to right the ship for Oklahoma on offense, and it sounds like he’s been pleased with what he’s seen so far.

If Venables is right about the roster being better overall this year compared to last year, and Arbuckle being the right guy for the OC role, the Sooners could bounce back in a big way in 2025.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions.You can also follow Aaron on X @Aaron_Gelvin.

This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Sooners HC believes his roster this season is better than last year’s

WATCH: Ohio State football head coach Ryan Day talks opening day of fall camp

In case you’ve been significantly out of the loop as an Ohio State football fan, then you know that Thursday was the first day of fall camp for the Buckeyes. There was plenty to see on the field, and we always get to hear from head coach Ryan Day after the first day, and that’s exactly what we got after practice.

There’s still a lot of key battles for some key starting and depth positions, a quarterback competition still ongoing, and some new coaches in meaningful positions that have to all come together to make this team become what it can be. All of that, and more, was reflected and opined upon by Day, and we have the entire press conference for you thanks to the WBNS 10TV YouTube channel.

In it, you’ll hear Day talk about the attitude of this team, how he thought the quarterbacks did in practice numero uno, staying away from injuries, and more.

We’ll continue to keep you updated and have news, analysis, and opinion of what’s coming out of the Woody Hayes Athletic Center as Ohio State fall camp grinds on.

Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on X.

This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: LOOK: Ohio State coach Ryan Day discusses the opening day of fall camp