The calendar reads July 20, which means we’re exactly two weeks away from the Aug. 3 Trade Deadline.
Here are some of the latest topics swirling in the rumor mill, including the Padres considering all options, the Angels’ plans for their top starters, a potential shift in the Dodgers’ Deadline strategy and more.
Padres ‘have not ruled out anything’ as potential sellers
The Padres avoid a sweep against the Royals with a 19-2 win on Sunday, but they are still just 20-32 over their past 52 games and entered Monday behind five other teams in the race for the third NL Wild Card spot at 49-50 (albeit while sitting only 2 1/2 games from a playoff spot).
One option reportedly being discussed is the idea of attaching Miller to Xander Bogaerts as a way to shed the latter’s undesirable contract. Bogaerts, who owns a .645 OPS this season and will turn 34 in October, has more than seven years left on the 11-year, $280 million deal he signed with the Padres after the 2022 campaign. Bogaerts would also need to waive his no-trade clause to make a trade possible.
Angels expected to make Detmers and Soriano available
Although the Angels haven’t made the playoffs since 2014, owner Arte Moreno typically has resisted big Trade Deadline sales, even when it might have benefited the organization in the long run. This year, though, the club at least appears open to the idea of moving some of its more valuable trade chips.
Detmers and Soriano are both controllable through 2028, so the Halos aren’t going to be in a rush to deal them. But the two may never be more valuable on the trade market than they are this year.
The Red Sox are unlikely to sell now that they’ve won 13 straight, and the Tigers and Twins could also end up holding onto their coveted starters if they remain in the mix for a playoff spot as we move closer to the Deadline.
As a result, the options for buyers looking to add a starter who can potentially start in the playoffs could be limited, giving the Angels a chance to capitalize if interim GM John Mozeliak can convince Moreno that trading Detmers and Soriano is the right move.
Injuries could cause Dodgers to shift Deadline plans
The Dodgers may need to be more active than they planned at the Trade Deadline, with sudden needs arising in their rotation and behind the plate.
The Dodgers expect Ohtani to pitch again this season, but they are backing off on the pitching side for now. With Blake Snell (left elbow surgery) and Tyler Glasnow (lower back spasms) still sidelined and Ohtani’s pitching status in limbo, the Dodgers’ rotation is facing significant uncertainty behind ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
Meanwhile, Roberts said that catcher Will Smith recently had to be shut down from baseball activities because his injured neck wasn’t progressing. He’s expected to be out at least another month, if not longer. Smith’s extended absence could lead the Dodgers to enter the market for a catcher.
Dalton Rushing had recorded an .803 OPS on the year, but he’s slashed just .228/.339/.402 with three homers in 31 games since Smith last played and has been a minus defender this season.
Yankees, Rays scout Jeffers at Wrigley Field
The Yankees and Rays aren’t just competing with each other for the American League East crown. They also have some shared interests in the trade market.
He’s a coveted option for catcher-needy teams like the Yankees and Rays, but the Twins are reportedly still deciding whether to buy or sell. They sit two games out in the AL Wild Card race at 49-51 after losing two of three to the Cubs.
‘Playoff-caliber starter’ on Braves’ Deadline wish list
Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos has been through enough Trade Deadlines to know not to build your whole plan around players returning from the injured list.
So, as he explained in an appearance Sunday on MLB Network Radio, he’s been working the phones for upgrades. While Anthopoulos mentioned the team’s pitching needs in particular, he made it clear adding a bat is a possibility, too. It’s going to depend on the market.
“As much as we all like to say, ‘I need to get this, I need to get that,’ sometimes you just have to take what might be available to you,” Anthopoulos said. “I think it’s been pretty obvious, if there’s a playoff-caliber starter out there, we would jump at that. If there’s a reliever [out there], we would jump at that.”
