As the baseball calendar creeps closer toward the Trade Deadline on Aug. 3, the rumor mill continues to churn.
Here are some of the latest topics picking up steam, including an All-Star catcher on the market, a club open for business and another team searching for pitching.
Would the A’s trade Langeliers?
The Athletics appear to have fallen out of the playoff race, losing 10 of their last 11 games to fall 14 games below the .500 mark. The stretch of poor play may very well dictate their Deadline fate. MLB Network insider Jon Heyman (subscription required) reported that the A’s are “open to anything.”
Langeliers, 28, has established himself as one of the best catchers in baseball. He’s hitting .258/.327/.490 with 22 home runs and 52 RBIs through 88 games in his fifth Major League season.
Any trade involving Langeliers would almost certainly command a steep price. Beyond providing high-level production at a premium position, Langeliers is also under club control for two more years. He’s not due to reach free agency until after the 2028 season.
Of note, the A’s have been aggressive at locking up members of their young core to long-term contract extensions, agreeing to deals with outfielders Lawrence Butler and Tyler Soderstrom and designated hitter Brent Rooker. But Heyman noted that attempts to strike a similar deal with Langeliers “went nowhere.”
Langeliers would have plenty of suitors, should the A’s decide to move him. The Yankees — whose catchers have combined for a .519 OPS this season — are known to be seeking an upgrade behind the plate and would prefer a right-handed bat to complement the lefty-hitting Austin Wells. Amid news that All-Star catcher Will Smith is taking a pause from baseball activities as he works his way back from neck inflammation, the Dodgers could also be in the market to add a catcher (subscription required).
The Reds are ready to trade
Like the A’s, the Reds envisioned contending this season behind a promising young core. But it hasn’t played out that way: Cincinnati entered play on Sunday sitting nine games below .500 and seven games out of the third National League Wild Card spot.
The Athletic reported on Saturday that the Reds have informed teams that they are “open for business” and primarily looking to deal players on expiring contracts.
On the pitching front, the headliner would be veteran right-hander Brady Singer, a dependable arm who owns a 4.56 ERA in 19 starts this season. Singer, 30, opened the post-All-Star break slate with seven innings of two-run ball at Coors Field on Friday.
Cincinnati has several veteran hitters on expiring deals, such as third baseman Eugenio Suárez, first baseman Nathaniel Lowe and catcher Tyler Stephenson. Suárez has just 12 home runs this season — a year after clubbing 49 long balls — but he could be an intriguing power option for teams hoping to add some thump to their lineup.
Right now, according to The Athletic, the Reds are concentrated on moving rentals. But could their strategy shift in the weeks leading up to the Deadline? If it does, the Reds have a few players with additional years of team control who could draw interest. That includes utility man Spencer Steer (16 home runs, 109 OPS+) and resurgent outfielder JJ Bleday (127 OPS+).
Houston’s rotation entered play on Sunday with a 5.18 ERA that ranked third worst in the Majors. The relief corps haven’t been much better, with a 4.26 ERA that resides in the bottom half of the league.
Of the seven pitchers to make at least seven starts for the Astros, only two — Peter Lambert and Hunter Brown — have an ERA under 4.00. And the 27-year-old Brown has made just seven starts this season, after missing two-and-a-half months with a right shoulder strain.
Last month, Astros general manager Dana Brown told MLB.com that the club was “locked in on” bolstering its rotation and finding an upgrade in the outfield.
It’s also possible that Houston relies on internal reinforcements to patch its rotation together. Right-handers Hayden Wesneski and Ronel Blanco should each be ready to rejoin the big league club later this month; both players are working their way back from Tommy John surgery. Blanco was Houston’s Pitcher of the Year in 2024, and Wesneski was one of the three players acquired in the Kyle Tucker trade ahead of the ‘25 season.
