Welcome to the 2025 Trade Deadline Roundup. All trades will be added to this article as they are reported.

 

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July 31

Milwaukee Brewers acquire RHP Shelby Miller ($0.4M), LHP Jordan Montgomery (-$7.5M) and cash (reportedly $5.5M) from the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for a PTBNL or cash

Detroit Tigers acquire RHP Charlie Morton (-$3.2M) from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for LHP Micah Ashman (not in system)

San Diego Padres acquire LHP Nestor Cortes ($2.3M) and SS Jorge Quintana ($3.4M) from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for OF Brandon Lockridge ($0.4M)

Kansas City Royals acquire OF Mike Yastrzemski ($0.4M) from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for RHP Yunior Marte ($1.2M)

Houston Astros acquire SS Carlos Correa (-$35.1M) and cash ($33M) from the Minnesota Twins in exchange for LHP Matt Mikulski (not in system)

Philadelphia Phillies acquire RHP Matt Manning ($0.1M) from the Detroit Tigers in exchange for OF Josueth Quinonez (not in system)

Boston Red Sox acquire RHP Dustin May ($2.3M) from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for OFs James Tibbs ($9.1M) and Zach Ehrhard ($2.5M)

Tampa Bay Rays acquire RHP Adrian Houser ($4.5M) from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for 1B Curtis Mead ($3.3M) and RHPs Ben Peoples ($1.6M) and Duncan Davitt (not in system)

New York Yankees acquire RHP Camilo Doval ($3.5M) from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for C Jesus Rodriguez ($1.8M), RHP Trystan Vrieling ($1.4M), LHP Carlos De La Rosa ($0.2M) and IF Parks Harber (not in system)

Tampa Bay Rays acquire RHP Griffin Jax ($25.7M) from the Minnesota Twins in exchange for RHP Taj Bradley ($30.2M)

Toronto Blue Jays acquire RHP Louis Varland ($13.4M) and 1B Ty France ($1.3M) from the Minnesota Twins in exchange for OF Alan Rosen ($10.3M) and LHP Kendry Rojas ($5.2M)

Texas Rangers acquire RHP Phil Maton ($2.0M) from the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for RHP Skylar Hales ($1.6M), LHP Mason Molina (not in system) and international bonus pool money ($0.25M)

Cincinnati Reds acquire OF/3B Miguel Andujar ($0.3M) from the Athletics in exchange for RHP Kenya Huggins ($0.7M)

Chicago Cubs acquire LHP Taylor Rogers (-$0.3M) from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for OF Ivan Brethowr ($1.1M)

Texas Rangers acquire RHP Merrill Kelly ($4.8M) from the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for LHPs Kohl Drake ($7.8M) and Mitch Bratt ($2.9M) and RHP Dave Hagaman ($2.8M)

New York Yankees acquire UT Jose Caballero ($6.8M) from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for OF Everson Pereira ($0.0M) and a PTBNL

Kansas City Royals acquire LHP Bailey Falter ($3.6M) from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for LHP Evan Sisk ($0.6M) and 1B Callan Moss (not in system)

Chicago Cubs acquire UT Willi Castro ($3.1M) from the Minnesota Twins in exchange for RHPs Sam Armstrong ($1.0M) and Ryan Gallagher ($1.0M)

Los Angeles Angels in exchange for IF Oswald Peraza ($0.0M) from the New York Yankees in exchange for OF Wilberson De Pena (not in system) and international bonus pool money

San Diego Padres acquire OF Ramon Laureano ($6.6M) and 1B Ryan O'Hearn ($4.1M) from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for LHP Boston Bateman ($2.3M), RHPs Tyson Neighbors ($2.3M) and Tanner Smith (not in system) and IFs Cobb Hightower ($2.2M), Victor Figueroa ($0.3M) and Brandon Butterworth (not in system)

Los Angeles Dodgers acquire OF Alex Call ($3.4M) from the Washington Nationals in exchange for RHPs Sean Paul Linan ($2.3M) and Eriq Sqan ($1.7M)

Texas Rangers acquire LHP Danny Coulombe ($0.9M) from the Minnesota Twins in exchange for LHP Garrett Horn ($1.0M)

San Diego Padres acquire UT Will Wagner ($5.7M) from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for C Brandon Valenzuela ($1.2M)

Houston Astros acquire OF Jesus Sanchez ($12.6M) from the Miami Marlins in exchange for RHP Ryan Gusto ($6.3M), SS Chase Jaworsky ($1.4M) and OF Esmil Valencia ($0.9M)

Los Angeles Dodgers acquire RHP Brock Stewart ($6.0M) from the Minnesota Twins in exchange for OF James Outman ($1.3M)

New York Yankees acquire RHP Jake Bird ($6.5M) from the Colorado Rockies in exchange for 2B Roc Riggio ($1.7M) and LHP Ben Shields ($0.4M)

New York Mets acquire OF Cedric Mullins ($3.3M) from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for RHPs Anthony Nunez ($2.8M), Raimon Gomez ($1.6M) and Chandler Marsh (not in system)

New York Yankees acquire RHP David Bednar ($7.4M) from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for Cs Rafael Flores ($7.3M0, Edgleen Perez ($4.3M) and OF Brian Sanchez ($1.1M)

San Diego Padres acquire C Freddy Fermin ($5.4M) from the Kansas City Royals in exchange for RHPs Stephen Kolek ($4.7M) and Ryan Bergert ($3.3M)

Detroit Tigers acquire RHP Codi Heuer ($0.0M) from the Texas Rangers in exchange for cash considerations

Detroit Tigers acquire RHP Kyle Finnegan ($0.6M) and cash ($2.0M) from the Washington Nationals in exchange for RHPs Josh Randall ($2.1M) and R.J. Sales (not in system)

Philadelphia Phillies acquire OF Harrison Bader ($3.1M) from the Minnesota Twins in exchange for OF Hendry Mendez ($3.1M) and RHP Geremy Villoria (not in system)

San Diego Padres acquire RHP Mason Miller ($30.4M) and LHP JP Sears ($12.4M) from the Athletics in exchange for SS Leo De Vries ($50.5M) and RHPs Braden Nett ($2.8M), Eduarniel Nunez ($2.0M) and Henry Baez ($1.4M)

Chicago Cubs acquire RHP Andrew Kittredge (-$3.1M) from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for SS Wilfrid De La Cruz ($1.9M)

Detroit Tigers acquire RHP Paul Sewald (-$1.5M) from the Cleveland Guardians in exchange for a PTBNL or cash

Toronto Blue Jays acquire RHP Shane Bieber (-$2.1M) from the Cleveland Guardians in exchange for RHP Khal Stephen ($9.8M)

 

July 30

Boston Red Sox acquire LHP Steven Matz (-$1.2M) from the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for 1B Blaze Jordan ($1.8M)

In the final year of what was ultimately a disappointing contract for the Cardinals, Matz has found success out of the bullpen. He's not a leverage guy, but the lefty should be able to provide length for the Red Sox. He's owed $4M the rest of the way.

Jordan was once a highly touted amateur prospect. He's had an up-and-down minor league career, and while he's currently on the "up" swing, he'll be Rule 5 eligible this offseason and didn't have a spot in Boston. There's some upside here if Jordan can make adjustments, but his defensive limitations and swing decisions make him a likely 1B-only short-side platoon bat in the long run.

This deal was accepted by our model as a minor overpay by Boston.

Seattle Mariners acquire 3B Eugenio Suárez ($9.3M) from the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for 1B Tyler Locklear ($2.1M) and RHPs Juan Burgos ($1.8M) and Hunter Cranton ($1.6M)

When the Mariners acquired Josh Naylor from Arizona, it was reported that Suárez remained their top target, despite plenty of other suitors and a high asking price. In the days since, some of those other suitors (namely the Yankees, Reds and Astros) pivoted to alternative options at third base, and Suárez had an injury scare after being hit in the hand by an errant fastball. Suddenly, he's a Mariner again, and for a package that looks lighter than the one Seattle gave up for Naylor.

Locklear makes or breaks this deal for Arizona. At one point, he was sneaking onto industry Top 100 lists, but a poor 2024 MLB debut and disappointing hard-hit rates led to concerning Evan White comparisons. A cold start to 2025 didn't help matters, but he's been on fire this summer thanks to a swing change that has enabled him to consistently hit the ball significantly harder. He should get plenty of playing time down the stretch for the Diamondbacks now that Naylor and Randal Grichuk are off the roster.

Burgos, like fellow new Diamondback Brandyn Garcia, made his MLB debut earlier this season for Seattle. The righty throws hard and should get opportunities given Arizona's weak bullpen. Cranton is also a relief-only prospect. The 24-year-old is further away from the big leagues, having only reached High-A (he signed as a senior in 2024, and missed time after being hit in the head by a comebacker in spring training this year), but he could move quickly.

Despite his age and poor defense, Suárez is a great addition for the Mariners, both on and off the field. Seattle finally has a lineup that should be able to support its excellent pitching staff.

This deal was accepted by our model as a minor underpay by Seattle.

Houston Astros acquire UT Ramón Urías ($0.9M) from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for RHP Twine Palmer (not in system)

After receiving the bad news that Isaac Paredes' hamstring injury may sideline him for the rest of the season, the Astros were left seeking yet another hitter. They've at least started to backfill here with Urías, a plus defensive third baseman whose bat has been around league average for his career. He's under team control through 2026 and he can play multiple infield positions, so more additions may be on the way.

Palmer is more than just a fun name; he's been effective as a starter in Single-A. If he makes the big leagues some day, it'll likely be as a reliever. But for the Astros, being able to trade a former 19th round pick out of an Oklahoma community college for an actual MLB upgrade already constitutes a win.

Cincinnati Reds acquire RHP Zack Littell ($3.2M) from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for LHP Adam Serwinowski ($1.8M) and RHP Brian Van Belle (not in system)

Tampa Bay Rays acquire C Hunter Feduccia ($1.3M) from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for LHP Adam Serwinowski ($1.8M), RHP Paul Gervase ($0.4M) and C Ben Rortvedt (-$0.2M)

Though this was reported by some as a three-team trade, it's technically actually two separate two-team deals, since the Dodgers didn't send a player to the Reds to complete the trifecta. Pedantics aside, it still makes the most sense to analyze these two deals in tandem.

The Reds' side is extremely simple: the Rays have developed Littell into a capable back-end starter over the last three seasons. His addition bumps Nick Martinez to the bullpen and provides stability as top prospect Chase Burns finds his footing and ace Hunter Greene makes his way back from injury. Littell, a rental, could find himself in the bullpen by the end of the year.

Tampa Bay ends up with a catching upgrade in Feduccia, a 28-year-old who was blocked in Los Angeles. He doesn't do anything particularly well, but also doesn't do anything too poorly; he looks like a more than capable backup to recent addition Nick Fortes (with Matt Thaiss somewhere in the mix as well). Van Belle isn't really a prospect, but the 28-year-old pitched well in six Triple-A starts for the Reds after being acquired from the Red Sox for cash. He looks like depth, but no one would be surprised if the Rays turned him into more.

The Dodgers sneak into this deal to turn a back-up catcher into an interesting prospect. Serwinowski is missing a ton of bats in the lower minors and looks like exactly the kind of prospect the Dodgers' piching dev can run with (see: Jackson Ferris). Gervase is optionable depth for an injured pitching staff, and Rortvedt is likely included to offload a bit of money for the Rays - but maybe, just maybe, he's also insurance for a possible Dalton Rushing trade.

Detroit Tigers acquire RHP Rafael Montero (-$1.0M) from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for IF Jim Jarvis (not in system)

Just under $3M of Montero's contract was dumped from Houston onto Atlanta in April, and now the Braves send the remaining $1M to Detroit. His ERA is high, but his peripherals show a fine middle reliever. Jarvis is org depth, a Double-A utility man who likely doesn't hit enough to have much of a big league future.

Chicago Cubs acquire RHP Michael Soroka ($3.4M) from the Washington Nationals in exchange for IF Ronny Cruz ($1.9M) and OF Christian Franklin ($1.8M)

This looks like a fair deal for a capable swingman in Soroka, who will give the Cubs flexibility to add more pitching to either their bullpen or their rotation on deadline day. He's been effective in the rotation this season, but his velo has dipped as of late and he was dominant out of the bullpen in 2024 for the White Sox.

Cruz is a complex league shortstop who looks the part, but has plenty of development to do and is showing the type of plate discipline issues common in teenagers at that level. He's a lottery ticket for sure. Franklin is an undersized 4th or 5th outfield type who's Rule 5 eligible. He's hitting decently in Triple-A and may get an opportunity as a short-side platoon player for Washington later this season.

New York Mets acquire RHP Ryan Helsley ($4.7M) from the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for IF Jesus Baez ($8.2M) and RHPs Nate Dohm ($1.8M) and Frank Elissalt (not in system)

This is a much more traditional rental reliever overpay than the Mets' earlier deal for Tyler Rogers. Helsley fits the mold of the flamethrowing lockdown closer, though his fastball has straightened out on him a bit this year and made him less effective overall. Still, he has everything in his toolbox, and is always one tweak (or even just a hot stretch) away from sheer dominance. The Mets' bullpen looks incredible now.

Baez is the clear headliner, a polarizing 20-year-old infielder. While most prospect sources agree he isn't a shortstop long-term, they're split on his bat, some seeing impressive power that will play and others seeing a questionable hit tool that will be exposed in the upper minors. Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs mentioned Maikel Franco in his evaluation of Baez, which may be a little concerning to some. Dohm and Elissalt look like relievers. Both have been effective in High-A, the former in the rotation and the latter out of the bullpen.

This deal was accepted by our model as a moderate overpay by New York.

Philadelphia Phillies acquire RHP Jhoan Duran ($25.7M) from the Minnesota Twins in exchange for C Eduardo Tait ($17.9M) and RHP Mick Abel ($5.1M)

The Phillies have searched for bullpen consistency for a few seasons now, and Duran should provide exactly that. He's a huge upgrade, and one with two years of arbitration remaining. The former top prospect has been remarkably consistent and effective since his debut in 2022, and between him and recent signing David Robertson, the Phillies bullpen looks much stronger than it did a couple weeks ago.

Last summer, not a single one of Baseball America's top 100 prospects was traded, but this year, Tait's inclusion broke that trend. The backstop was promoted to High-A a few weeks before his 19th birthday. He's an exciting prospect, pairing big power with a glove that looks like it may be above average behind the plate. His approach is a concern, but if he's a Sal Perez lite, that's a big addition for the Twins.

Abel was once an incredibly hyped prospect himself. While command issues have dropped his stock since then, he's righted the ship in Triple-A this year and still has the stuff to be an impact arm. He'll get a chance to start, but it wouldn't be surprising to see the Twins develop him into an effective high leverage reliever.

Seattle Mariners acquire LHP Caleb Ferguson ($1.1M) from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for RHP Jeter Martinez ($2.8M)

The Mariners were tied to most of the top relief arms, including more expensive and controllable targets like Jhoan Duran, but appear to have pivoted to a cheaper rental arm (at least for the time being). Ferguson is a reliable veteran lefty. He isn't missing as many bats as usual this season, but his low walk and home run rates have kept him effective.

Martinez is more than your typical lottery ticket. Plenty of prospect evaluators were surprised at his inclusion in this deal. The 19-year-old still has a lot of development to do, but there's real upside here, and the Pirates have done well with young pitchers in recent years. Keep an eye out for this name.

New York Mets acquire RHP Tyler Rogers ($0.2M) from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for RHPs José Buttó ($10.3M) and Blade Tidwell ($8.3M) and OF Drew Gilbert ($8.2M)

Holy overpay! This one goes into the BTV vault.

The model is clearly too low on Rogers, whose success has been unconventional but remarkably consistent throughout his career. We're planning on looking into tweaking the relief model to better account for players like Rogers, who have consistency and plus stuff despite lackluster strikeout rates.

But even accounting for an adjustment like that, this seems like a huge price to pay for a rental reliever, especially one who isn't the type of high-octane closer teams typically covet at the deadline. Buttó has been a capable (and valuable) big league pitcher for parts of the last three seasons. He's only pitched in relief this season, but don't rule out the possibility of the Giants stretching him out to start. The 27-year-old comes with five additional years of team control, but he's already out of options, which is already accounted for in his valuation.

Tidwell and Gilbert are the bigger names, two notable prospects having somewhat disappointing seasons. Tidwell made his big league debut earlier this season. The 24-year-old carries some relief risk, as he hasn't quite been able to reign in his command as he's worked his way up the minors, but that risk comes with mid-rotation upside if the Giants can polish him up. After headlining the 2023 Justin Verlander deal, Gilbert stalled in New York. He doesn't have a ton of power and hasn't hit left-handed pitching well. There's still upside, but his arrow is pointing down and he's looking more like a fourth outfielder.

It's worth noting that the Mets essentially cleared three 2026 roster spots with this move, as Buttó was on the 26-man (and out of options), Tidwell was on the 40-man and Gilbert would have needed to be added to the 40-man this winter to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. Clearing that roster glut appears to have been at least part of the Mets' motivation.

The deal was rejected by our model as an overpay by New York.

Cincinnati Reds acquire 3B Ke'Bryan Hayes (-$8.9M) from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for IF Sammy Stafura ($6.7M) and LHP Taylor Rogers (-$1.3M)

In the first real shocker of the deadline, the Reds gave up talent to take on a contract that appears to be pretty clearly underwater in Hayes. The roughly $38.3M remaining on Hayes' contract over the next five-plus years doesn't make him an albatross by any means, and the $7M AAV is actually quite reasonable. But it's certainly a longer guarantee than any team would feel comfortable handing Hayes were he to become a free agent today.

As superlative as his defense continues to be, the Reds won't be very happy with this deal if Hayes continues to hit at a rate 40% worse than the league average, the way he has the last two seasons. They need an improvement, even to the 80 wRC+ level, for Hayes to be an everyday regular. If that doesn't happen, they'll still be stuck paying him for the next five years.

In exchange for that likely underwater contract, the Pirates add a quality shorstop prospect. Stafura runs well and has a solid glove. He's been an above average hitter to this point in his minor league career, but he'll need to refine his approach and cut down on his strikeouts if he wants to be successful in the upper minors. Rogers is a fine lefty reliever, and despite his subpar peripherals this year, the Pirates may find him a new home before the deadline passes, given the hot relief market.

Los Angeles Angels acquire RHP Luis Garcia ($0.2M) and LHP Andrew Chafin ($0.2M) from the Washington Nationals in exchange for LHP Jake Eder ($1.8M) and Sam Brown (not in system)

"What are the Angels doing?" is something of an evergreen question. Year after year, they simply refuse to sell, even staring down a 53-55 record and 5.2% playoff odds according to FanGraphs. This isn't an offensive move by any means - Garcia and Chafin are serviceable veteran relievers, and the price is relatively low - but it also doesn't make a whole lot of sense, especially if this means the Angels will be hanging onto trade chips like Taylor Ward, Luis Rengifo and Kenley Jansen.

Eder, a former top prospect, was once the headliner in the 2023 trade that sent Jake Burger from the White Sox to the Marlins. Since, he's struggled mightily; his lowest ERA at any minor league stop was 5.09 (Double-A with the White Sox in 2024). He was DFA'd by the White Sox in March and traded to the Angels for cash, where he's continued to underperform. The Nationals will be the latest to take a chance on the lefty, and he may even slot directly into Chafin's spot in the bullpen. Meanwhile, Brown is a lefty first baseman in Double-A without a lot of pop. He looks like org filler at this point.

Atlanta Braves acquire RHP Tyler Kinley (-$1.1M) from the Colorado Rockies in exchange for RHP Austin Smith ($0.9M)

Another year, another underperforming reliever traded from Colorado to Atlanta. Kinley has always thrown hard, but struggles with locating his pitches and limiting hard contact. His peripherals this year are the strongest they've been since his small sample 2022 and there's plenty of red on his Savant page. If the Braves can get him to click outside of Coors Field, they'll be able to exercise his affordable $5M club option for 2026. If not, he's pitching depth for a team that desperately needs it.

This has already been Colorado's most active deadline in recent years, with more likely to come. Smith is a 26-year-old Double-A reliever, so certainly nothing flashy, but he has a plus fastball and is easily more valuable to the Rockies right now than a pending free agent.

New York Yankees acquire OF Austin Slater ($0.9M) from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for RHP Gage Ziehl ($1.8M)

Slater joins Amed Rosario as LHP-mashing rental hitters the Yankees have added to their left-handed heavy roster on the cheap. He also helps fill out the outfield in the wake of Aaron Judge's injury.

Ziehl was New York's fourth-round pick in 2024. He profiles as a possible depth starter, as he doesn't throw particularly hard or have a standout pitch. Still, this is another sign of good process for Chicago, turning a cheap veteran free agent signing into a possible future big leaguer.

 

July 29

Toronto Blue Jays acquire RHP Seranthony Dominguez (-$0.6M) and cash (unknown) from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for RHP Juaron Watts-Brown ($2.3M)

For the second year in a row, Dominguez was traded at the deadline. This time, he was in the midst of a very solid season, easily his best since 2022. The hard-throwing righty misses plenty of bats, and this year he's done a good job of keeping the ball in the yard, compensating for a career-high walk rate. He's a rental owed roughly $2.7M down the stretch.

Watts-Brown is having something of a breakout year. The former third-round pick struck out the world in High-A before earning his first promotion to Double-A, where his strong season has largely continued. Improved command has been key to his success, though his repetoire (he's largely fastball-slider) gives him a fair bit of relief risk.

We don't currently know how much cash the Orioles are sending. Without any cash, the deal is accepted by our model as a minor overpay by Toronto, but the cash likely evens that out.

 

July 28

Milwaukee Brewers acquire C Danny Jansen (-$0.5M) and cash (unknown) from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for 2B Jadher Areinamo

The cash value headed to Milwaukee has not yet been reported. With no cash involved, it's accepted by our model as a major overpay by the Brewers. If the Rays are sending at least $1.9M of Jansen's remaining $2.7M salary, it gets upgraded to a moderate overpay.

It isn't hard to see why our model doesn't like this deal for Milwaukee. Jansen is a rental whose 99 wRC+ is above average for a catcher. But his defense has not rated well this year and he projects to be worth less than a win down the stretch. Meanwhile, our prospect sources like Areinamo, a 21-year-old who walks almost as much as he strikes out and he can put a charge into the ball fairly regularly given his 5'8" stature.

But according to reports, the Brewers may have soured on Areinamo, who hasn't made the adjustments to his aggressive approach that they would have liked to see in his second stint in High-A. They also have a long track record of helping catchers improve defensively and likely have some adjustments in mind for Jansen.

Tampa Bay Rays acquire C Nick Fortes ($0.4M) from the Miami Marlins in exchange for OF Matthew Etzel ($1.9M)

Fortes has never hit at all, but he's consistently rated as a plus defender, and the 28-year-old should help stabilize the catching position for the Rays during his next three years of team control. The cost was low, as Etzel looks like a fourth or fifth outfielder at best. For Miami, the priority was opening up spots at the big league level for highly regarded young catchers Agustin Ramirez, Liam Hicks and Joe Mack.

This looks like a pair of savvy trades for the Rays, especially given their position on the bubble of contention. They made a significant defensive upgrade behind the plate, adding the controllable Fortes at a low prospect cost. They then saved some money by shipping Danny Jansen to Milwakuee and added a much more valuable (at least according to our sources) prospect in exchange.

Detroit Tigers acquire RHPs Chris Paddack ($2.6M) and Randy Dobnak (-$2.0M) from the Minnesota Twins in exchange for C Enrique Jimenez

Despite flashing tantalizing upside from time to time, at this stage of his career Paddack has settled in as a back-end starter. That's exactly what Detroit needed to fill out its rotation, and that was before it announced that Reese Olson would miss the rest of the season with a shoulder injury. Paddack is a fine rental option to lock in at a low price, but it wouldn't hurt for the Tigers to add another impact arm by the end of the week.

Dobnak is just a bit of a salary dump, as the 30-year-old has never been able to replicate his brief run of rookie success in 2019. He's owed $2M the rest of the way and is nothing more than depth. Jimenez is an interesting return for the Twins, a switch-hitting complex league catching prospect. He has a solid hit tool, but has plenty of development to do before he can be seen as a viable big league back-up.

 

July 27

Atlanta Braves acquire RHP Erick Fedde (-$0.5M) and cash (unknown) from the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for a PTBNL or cash

A year after being dealt to St. Louis in the three-team Tommy Edman deal, Fedde was unceremoniously DFA’d and shipped off to Atlanta for salary relief. The 32-year-old was a replacement level player for the Cardinals in 2025, and they’ll be covering at least some of his remaining $2.7M in salary as he attempts to right the ship with Atlanta. The Braves are desperate for healthy arms, and despite his struggles this season, Fedde should at least be able to take the ball every fifth day.

July 26

New York Yankees acquire UT Amed Rosario ($0.5M) from the Washington Nationals in exchange for RHP Clayton Beeter ($0.7M) and OF Browm Martinez (not yet in system)

Rosario plays multiple positions and hits left-handed pitching well, making the 29-year-old rental a great fit for the Yankees, particularly after their addition of Ryan McMahon. Beeter is a fastball/slider depth reliever who has only gotten a brief MLB cup of coffee, while Martinez is a lottery ticket outfielder hitting well in the DSL.

Kansas City Royals acquire OF Randal Grichuk (-$2.3M) from the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for RHP Andrew Hoffman ($1.5M)

After adding Adam Frazier on July 16, the Royals failed to gain any ground in the playoff race and appeared to be sellers. But instead they continued to add on the fringes, adding a platoon outfielder in Grichuk who could easily pair with MJ Melendez.

It’s not too questionable of an approach - the next day, Kansas City would sign its most notable trade chip, starter Seth Lugo, to an extension, signaling its intent to keep the core together and see if it can sneak into the postseason - but it’s odd that the Royals couldn’t get any of Grichuk’s contract covered by Arizona. He’s owed a $3M buyout on a mutual option for 2026, and if the Diamondbacks had covered even a portion of that buyout, the values would have lined up nearly perfectly.

Still, it’s not an offensive move by any means. Grichuk hasn’t been great in 2025, but he’s always mashed left-handed pitching and has continued to hit them well this year. Arizona’s return is Hoffman, a 25-year-old right-handed reliever who made his MLB debut this year and sports a good changeup.

The deal was accepted by our model as a minor overpay by Kansas City.

July 25

New York Yankees acquire 3B Ryan McMahon (-$18.1M) from the Colorado Rockies in exchange for LHP Griffin Herring ($1.8M) and RHP Josh Grosz ($1.0M)

After weeks of being connected to every third baseman on the market, the Yankees jumped on McMahon, in a deal that our model is not a fan of.

McMahon is owed just over $36M through 2027. That isn’t an exorbitant amount, but it’s significantly more than our model expects McMahon to be worth in that span. He’s literally never been even a league average hitter by wRC+, his career-high 97 mark coming back in 2022. You’ll see some red on his Baseball Savant page, but also plenty of blue, as he’s always been held back by plenty of swing-and-miss. Maybe the Yankees think they can get more out of his bat, but he’s 30 now, and this is who he’s always been.

McMahon’s solid third base defense has helped him remain a somewhat productive player overall, but he’s a step below the Ke’Bryan Hayes/Matt Chapman tier. The final product is something like a 2.0-2.5 fWAR player, mostly driven by defense, who is entering his 30s. Teams typically don’t pay two years and $32M for that type of player, and that’s what he’s owed from 2026-27.

He’ll likely be fine overall for the Yankees over the next few years and provide stability at a position that has been something of a revolving door. But especially when factoring in the luxury tax implications, it seems like money that could have been better spent elsewhere.

Colorado’s biggest return here is salary relief. Herring throws strikes, but his fastball sits around 90 mph, leaving him as a back-end starter at best (and one who might not find much success at Coors Field). Grosz perhaps has better stuff, but is a less complete pitcher, and has a similarly low ceiling. These are a pair of lower minors depth arms who certainly aren’t bad players to add to Colorado’s system, but also won’t be missed much by the Yankees.

This deal was rejected by our model as an overpay by New York.

New York Mets acquire LHP Gregory Soto ($0.6M) from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for RHPs Wellington Aracena ($3.3M) and Cameron Foster (not yet in system)

David Stearns’ Mets tend to shop in the value bin for relievers, and this move is more of the same. Soto is a fine, albeit unspectacular, left-handed flamethrower. Command has always been a problem, but he’s perfectly fine as your fourth or fifth reliever out of the bullpen. Aracena is a live arm in the lower minors whose own control issues give him plenty of reliever risk, while Foster is a 26-year-old Double-A reliever having a fine season. This deal is accepted as a minor overpay by the Mets.

July 24

Seattle Mariners acquire 1B Josh Naylor ($4.0M) from the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for RHP Ashton Izzi ($5.4M) and LHP Brandyn Garcia ($2.8M)

After weeks on the bubble, the Diamondbacks declared themselves sellers by trading the first of their four big rental players in Naylor. As a non-elite rental first baseman, Naylor’s value was limited, but he still provided a strong return.

Izzi was Seattle’s fourth-round pick in 2022, and he’s spent the 2025 season at High-A, where he’s missed a ton of bats. He has a plus changeup but has to improve his command to stick as a big league starter. Garcia made his big league debut less than a week prior to the trade. The lefty has a funky arm slot and will slot directly into Arizona’s deep bullpen.

Naylor is a perfect fit for the Mariners, who sorely needed infield upgrades. He lacks the thump typically associated with his position, but he’s a great contact hitter who can still put a charge in the ball from time to time.

Perhaps the Mariners paid a bit more than our model would have expected, but it’s still well within our normal margin of error, and Seattle shouldn’t be losing sleep over this deal. It was accepted by our model as a moderate overpay.

July 17

Atlanta Braves acquire RHP Dane Dunning (-$0.6M) from the Texas Rangers in exchange for RHP José Ruiz (-$0.4M) and cash

The Braves have been shuffling arms through their roster all season, and Dunning is the latest they add in the hopes of finding a solid swingman. He’d bounced between Triple-A and the majors for Texas in his final option year, and he has one year of arbitration remaining if he can find success in Atlanta. Ruiz had been a capable middle reliever, but 2025 has been a disaster. The Rangers will give him another change of scenery after his short stint with the Braves.

July 16

Kansas City Royals acquire UT Adam Frazier (-$0.4M) from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for SS Cam Devanney ($1.1M)

Amidst a rush of injuries, the Royals went out and grabbed Frazier, who was having a very Frazier-esque season (83 wRC+ with Pittsburgh). He’s a rental utility man. Devanney is a career minor leaguer who was tearing the cover off the ball at Triple-A at the time of the deal, albeit as a 28-year-old.

July 10

Tampa Bay Rays acquire RHP Bryan Baker ($5.2M) from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for Competitive Balance Round A draft pick ($4.2M)

The Rays effectively kicked off the trade season by sending a spare draft pick to Baltimore in exchange for a live arm in Baker. Competitive balance picks can be traded once each, and Tampa Bay had two at the time, having acquired one from the Athletics in the offseason Jeffrey Springs trade. This move gave the Orioles a total of six draft picks in the first two rounds, which certainly doesn’t hurt given their 2025 struggles.

Baker’s surface numbers don’t jump off the page, but he throws hard and misses tons of bats. His peripherals were much better than his ERA in 2024. He comes with three additional years of team control. So, basically, he’s the perfect Rays reliever.