It’s a firesale in Minnesota, with the Twins dealing another player, this time sending reliever Brock Stewart back to the Dodgers.
The righthander spent the first few seasons of his career in Los Angeles before a brief stint in Toronto and a handful of seasons in Minnesota. Stewart is in the midst of the best season of his career, posting a 2.38 ERA in 34 innings with 41 strikeouts and just 11 walks.
The NL East has been particularly busy at this trade deadline and the Phillies continued that trend with a trade for Twins outfielder Harrison Bader.
The Philadelphia Phillies are finalizing a trade to acquire outfielder Harrison Bader from the Minnesota Twins, sources tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 31, 2025
Bader is having his best offensive season since 2021 with a .778 OPS in Minnesota after struggling at the dish through stints with the Mets, Yankees, and Reds.
By Alex Speier
With five-and-a-half hours until the deadline, the Red Sox are focused chiefly on rotation upgrades — no surprise given they literally don’t have a No 5 starter right now.
The Red Sox had contact with the White Sox last week about back-end starting help (Adrian Houser and Aaron Civale fit that bill) but as of mid-day, weren’t believed to have had significant recent dialog.
A busy deadline for reliever movement continues as the Tigers are adding closer Kyle Finnegan in a trade with the Nationals.
Finnegan, a 33-year-old righthander who made his MLB debut in 2020 at the age of 28, was an All-Star last season but has struggled in posting a 4.38 ERA for Washington in 2025.
The Padres dealt for the biggest flamethrower in baseball on Thursday, giving up a huge haul to land closer Mason Miller from the Athletics along with starter J.P. Sears.
The A’s are receiving shortstop Leodalis De Vries, the No. 3 overall prospect in baseball, along with three pitchers from San Diego for Mason Miller and J.P. Sears, sources tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 31, 2025
Miller averages the highest velocity on his fastball — 101.1 miles per hour — of any pitcher in baseball. Miller was an All-Star as a rookie last season with a 2.49 ERA, but hasn’t looked quite as dominant this season with 3.76 ERA amid a rising walking rate.
It wasn’t cheap for San Diego, either. The Athletics landed three pitchers in the deal along with Leodalis De Vries, the No. 3 prospect in baseball.
The Blue Jays are continuing to bolster their position atop the AL East, as a Toronto team in need of more starting pitching got it with a trade for Guardians righthander Shane Bieber.
The Toronto Blue Jays are finalizing a trade to acquire right-hander Shane Bieber from the Cleveland Guardians, sources tell ESPN. The Jays have been looking for another starter, and they get one in the former AL Cy Young winner. On the news: @jonmorosi.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 31, 2025
There’s a catch for the Blue Jays — the 2020 AL Cy Young winner is returning from Tommy John surgery, having last pitched in the majors on April 2, 2024. The 30-year-old looked sharp in a rehab start this week, allowing one run over four innings and striking out seven for the Double A Akron RubberDucks, signaling an impending return to the big leagues.
By Alex Speier
Major league sources said the Sox have been engaged recently in talks with the Diamondbacks about Merrill Kelly (9-6, 3.22) and Zac Gallen (7-12, 5.60), with the Marlins about Sandy Alcantara (6-9, 6.36), and with the Pirates about Mitch Keller (4-10, 3.69) — while also checking in with teams on less-prominent candidates (example: White Sox starter Aaron Civale) who could help stabilize the back of the rotation.
There are different considerations with the more prominent group of Kelly, Gallen, Alcantara, and Keller (who represent just some pitchers whom the Sox have explored — not an exhaustive list). Gallen and Kelly will be free agents after this year; Alcantara and Keller would have multiple years of team control beyond 2025.
Kelly and Keller represent mid-rotation stability. Gallen and Alcantara had elite peaks but are amidst career-worst seasons — Alcantara while regaining his feel after missing all of 2024 while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery.
The question of team control is no small consideration, especially on the pitching front and with relievers. Given the volatility of relievers, the Sox are reluctant to give up top prospects — particularly upper levels pitchers — for two months of a reliever, given that the pitching prospect might have a comparable chance of delivering a bullpen impact.
By Alex Speier
Start with pitching, where the Sox’ rationale to upgrade is fairly obvious.
The market for relievers picked up considerable steam Wednesday, with trades of closers Jhoan Durán from the Twins to the Phillies, Ryan Helsley from the Cardinals to the Mets, Tyler Rogers from the Giants to the Mets, and more.
The Sox are open to bullpen upgrades. They’ve received solid relief work this season, with a 3.37 bullpen ERA (fourth best in baseball), but a modest 22 percent strikeout rate (15th) and 10 percent walk rate (21st).
While Aroldis Chapman has been overpowering throughout the year and Garrett Whitlock has been brilliant since his role shifted to single-inning appearances, there’s a degree of uncertainty beyond those two.
Lefty Justin Wilson has been great against same-handed hitters (.349 OPS against) but vulnerable against righties (.950). Both Greg Weissert and Brennan Bernardino have alternated stretches of brilliance with pronounced struggles while fatigued. Righthander Jordan Hicks, acquired in the Rafael Devers trade, has been unable to harness lively stuff with any consistency.
There’s room to upgrade the bullpen — but adding a starter seems like an even higher priority.
The rotation has performed as a middle-of-the-pack group, with starters forging a 4.04 ERA (16th in MLB) that reflects the uneven contributions of the group. Garrett Crochet (12-4, 2.23, 31 percent strikeout rate) is in the conversation for the American League Cy Young Award, and both Brayan Bello (7-5, 3.19, 18 percent) and Lucas Giolito (7-2, 3.80, 21 percent) have been solid.
But Walker Buehler’s 5.72 ERA ranks 141st out of 150 pitchers with at least 60 innings this year, and Richard Fitts’s demotion this week underscored the lack of a No. 5 starter.
By Alex Speier
For the first time since 2021, the Red Sox will arrive at the trade deadline in possession of one of the American League’s six postseason spots.
Their position is hardly secure. The Sox remain in a tight cluster with the Yankees, Mariners, and Rangers for the AL’s three Wild Card berths.
Still, for the first time in years, the front office doesn’t need to wrestle with the question of how hard to push for the postseason while sitting on the outside of the postseason picture. After a 13-1 victory over the Twins on Wednesday, the Sox’ playoff odds stood (according to Fangraphs) at 60 percent.
The value of upgrades is clearer than it has been since the team nabbed Kyle Schwarber at the 2021 deadline. It’s a team capable of getting to the playoffs, and it’s not hard to imagine upgrades having a meaningful impact on the team’s ability to compete in postseason series.
With Thursday’s 6 p.m. trade deadline nearing, according to major league sources, the Red Sox remain engaged with numerous clubs about potential upgrades. Their primary focus appears to be pitching in just about any form — starters or bullpen, rentals or longer-term contributors — though the team has also shown openness to improvement in other facets as well.
Chicago continued to stock its bullpen, reportedly adding 35-year-old righthanded reliever Andrew Kittredge in a trade with the Orioles.
Kittredge was an All-Star with the Rays in 2021, and is 2-2 with a 3.56 ERA and 31 strikeouts in 30⅓ innings this season. Over his nine-year career, seven of which were spent with the Rays, Kittredge is 25-14 with 15 saves and a 3.45 ERA.
The Chicago Cubs have acquired veteran Orioles reliever Andrew Kittredge. The deal was completed earlier in the day and will be announced in the morning
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) July 31, 2025
After adding bullpen help earlier in the day, the Mariners added to their deadline haul with one of the premier bats on the market: Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suárez.
Suarez, 33, is leading the National League with 87 RBIs as of Wednesday night, and is among the league leaders with 36 home runs.
The slugger, who has 312 homers in his 12-year career, previously spent two years with the Mariners, hitting 53 homers from 2022-23. A two-time All-Star, he’s also led the majors three times in strikeouts.
In exchange, Arizona reportedly receives Tyler Locklear, a 24-year-old first base prospect ranked No. 9 in Seattle’s system by MLB Pipeline, and a pair of righthanded pitching prospects: Hunter Cranton and Juan Burgos.
The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Jen McCaffrey reported the Red Sox had talks with the Diamondbacks about acquiring Suarez to play first base.
The Red Sox finally made their first move of the deadline period, dealing for Cardinals lefthander Steven Matz in exchange for minor league first baseman Blaze Jordan, according to multiple reports.
The Boston Red Sox are finalizing a trade to acquire left-handed reliever Steven Matz from the St. Louis Cardinals, sources tell ESPN. The deal is agreed to and pending medical review.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 31, 2025
The St. Louis Cardinals are receiving first baseman Blaze Jordan from the Boston Red Sox in the deal for Steven Matz, sources tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 31, 2025
Matz, 34, has experience as a starter (172 career starts) and as a reliever (30 of his 32 appearances this season). He’s 5-2 with a 3.44 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 55 innings this year and is 60-62 with a 4.24 ERA over an 11-year career with the Mets, Blue Jays, and Cardinals.
Matz is in the final year of a four-year, $44 million deal he signed with the Cardinals after the 2021 season
The Red Sox selected Jordan, 22, in the third round of the 2020 MLB Draft out of DeSoto Central High School in Mississippi, and he has progressed through the system to reach Triple A this year, where he was hitting .289/.333/.476 with six home runs in 43 games. In 87 combined games between Double and Triple A this season, he’s slashing .308/.377/.495 with 12 homers and 61 RBIs.
With All-Star third baseman Isaac Paredes sidelined for the remainder of the season with a hamstring injury, Houston reportedly added some infield help in the form of Orioles utility infielder Ramón Urías, a former Gold Glove winner.
Urias, 31, won the 2022 Gold Glove at the hot corner, but also has experience at shortstop and second base.
Urias is slashing .248/.300/.388 in 77 games and has been worth 1.4 bWAR. Over his six-year career, all in Baltimore, Urias has slashed .259/,324/.404 and has accumulated 10.5 bWAR.
The Orioles reportedly receive Single A pitcher Twine Palmer.
Ramon Urias goes to the Astros
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 31, 2025
Cincinnati is pushing for a playoff spot by reportedly adding 29-year-old righthanded starter Zack Littell from the Rays in a three-team deal.
Littell, who pitched two games for the Red Sox in 2023, is 8-8 with a 3.72 ERA and 85 strikeouts in 128⅓ innings this season for Tampa, although he’s allowed a major league-leading 26 home runs.
Littell is 32-29 with a 3.73 ERA over eight seasons with the Twins, Giants, Red Sox, and Rays.
The Rays reportedly receive minor league pitcher Brian Van Belle and catcher Hunter Feduccia, while the Dodgers will acquire Adam Serwinowski along with righthander Paul Gervase and catcher Ben Rortvedt, according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale.
The Cincinnati Reds are finalizing a trade to acquire right-hander Zack Littell from the Tampa Bay Rays, sources tell ESPN. Deal is agreed to, pending medical review.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 31, 2025
Detroit added to its bullpen, trading minor league infielder Jim Jarvis to Atlanta for righthanded reliever Rafael Montero.
Montero, an 11-year veteran, pitched for the Astros in the 2022 World Series and again in the 2023 playoffs.
This season, he’s 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA in 38⅓ innings between the Braves and Astros. For his career, the 34-year-old is 22-29 with 30 saves and a 4.76 ERA in 500⅔ innings.
Jarvis, a 24-year-old shortstop in Double A, was not considered one of the Tigers’ top 30 prospects by MLB Pipeline.
The Cubs have reportedly fortified their starting rotation, adding 27-year-old righthander Mike Soroka in a trade with the Nationals on Wednesday night.
Soroka, a 2015 first-round pick by the Braves, is 3-8 with a 4.87 ERA and 87 strikeouts in 81⅓ innings over 16 starts this season, but has been the victim of bad luck, pitching to a 4.12 FIP and 3.32 xERA.
In exchange, Washington receives Triple A outfielder Christian Franklin and 18-year-old shortstop Ronny Cruz.
In 2019, as a 21-year-old rookie with the Braves, Soroka went 13-4 with a 2.68 ERA, made the All-Star team, finished sixth in Cy Young voting, and was runner-up for NL Rookie of the Year. He missed the 2021 and 2022 seasons because of injury, and only started 15 combined games between 2023 with the Braves and 2024 with the White Sox.
News: The Cubs have acquired pitcher Mike Soroka from the Nationals, sources tell ESPN. Soroka, 27, is 3-8 with a 4.87 ERA in 16 starts but the key with him is his expected stats are much better than his actual ones, starting with his xERA which is 3.32. Could be a pen arm too
— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) July 31, 2025
Carlos Correa said discussions about a trade from Minnesota back to Houston before Thursday’s deadline aren’t “serious,” but he didn’t rule out the possibility of returning to the city where he won a World Series.
“That’s not something that’s, I don’t think, serious right now,” the shortstop said after sitting out Minnesota’s 13-1 loss to Boston with a migraine. “We’ll see where everything goes, but my goal has always been to be here and win here.”
The three-time All-Star has a no-trade clause in the six-year, $200 million contract he signed with the Twins in 2023, so he’d need to sign off on any deal. Correa said he’s been in frequent communication with Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey and manager Rocco Baldelli, and said he has “full control” over what happens between now and the 6 p.m. Thursday deadline.
The Astros may be in need of an infielder, with third baseman Isaac Paredes continuing to battle a strained hamstring. Correa is a beloved fixture in franchise history who led Houston to a 2017 World Series crown and batted .277 with 489 RBIs in seven seasons.
— Associated Press
Trying to keep pace with the NL East rival Phillies, the Mets bolstered their own bullpen by adding Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley.
According to the New York Post’s Jon Heyman, the Mets are sending minor leaguers Jesus Baez, Nate Dohm, and Frank Elissalt to St. Louis. Baez, a 20-year-old shortstop/third baseman, is eighth on MLB Pipeline’s top Mets prospects list, while Dohm, a 22-year-old righthander, is 14th.
The 31-year-old Helsley is 3-1 with a 3.00 ERA and 21 saves this season. He led the NL in 2024 with 49 saves, earning his second All-Star nod and finishing ninth in Cy Young voting.
Helsley is 31-15 with a 2.67 ERA and 355 strikeouts in 299⅔ career innings over seven seasons.
He will be a free agent after the season.
The New York Mets are finalizing a deal to acquire closer Ryan Helsley, sources tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 30, 2025
Phillies GM Dave Dombrowski plucked one of the top relievers off the trade market, agreeing to a deal for Twins closer Jhoan Duran about 24 hours ahead of Thursday’s deadline.
According to ESPN, the Twins acquired 23-year-old righthanded pitching prospect Mick Abel and 18-year-old Single A catcher Eduardo Tait. According to MLB Pipeline, Tait was the Phillies’ No. 4 prospect, and Abel, a first-round pick in 2020, was ranked No. 6.
Duran, 27, is 6-4 with a 2.01 ERA and 16 saves this season. He has 74 saves since making his major league debut in 2022, and owns a career 2.47 ERA and 292 strikeouts in 233⅔ innings.
The Phillies have had eight different players save a game this season, with Jordan Romano securing a team-high eight and Jose Alvarado adding seven.
The Philadelphia Phillies are finalizing a deal to acquire closer Jhoan Duran from the Minnesota Twins for two top prospects, sources tell ESPN. The biggest move of the deadline so far is almost complete.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 30, 2025
After adding first baseman Josh Naylor last week, the Mariners continued to push for a playoff run, adding lefthanded reliever Caleb Ferguson from the Pirates, according to multiple reports.
The Mariners are reportedly sending pitching prospect Jeter Martinez to Pittsburgh.
Ferguson, 29, is 2-2 with a 3.74 ERA and 34 strikeouts in 43⅓ innings this season. He has a career 3.69 ERA over seven seasons and 308 appearances.
Ferguson is making $3 million this year and is eligible for free agency after next season.
Seattle entered Wednesday in position for the third and final American League wild-card spot.
The 19-year-old Martinez has a 6.18 ERA in 16 starts for Class A Modesto. A native of Mexico, he was rated as the Mariners’ No. 13 overall prospect.
The Seattle Mariners have acquired left-handed reliever Caleb Ferguson from the Pittsburgh Pirates, sources tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 30, 2025
As the Mets look to solidify their place atop the NL East, New York is adding to its bullpen with a trade for Giants reliever Tyler Rogers.
Tyler Rogers is really good. Submariner who doesn’t throw hard but just gets outs. Has a 1.80 ERA this season and 2.74 over the last five years. Consistent relievers are hard to come by, and Rogers, who’s a free agent after this season, has been a model of consistency.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 30, 2025
A rare submarine pitcher, Rogers has posted a 1.80 ERA in a league-leading 53 appearances this season.
Earlier in the day, Rogers’s twin brother, Taylor, was traded from the Reds to Pirates.
Cincinnati, which sits three back in the National League wild-card standings, traded for Pittsburgh third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes.
The 28-year-old is is hitting .236 with two home runs in 369 at-bats for the Pirates, with whom he won a Gold Glove in 2023. The Reds are sending prospect Sammy Stafura and righthander Taylor Rogers to Pittsburgh.
Full trade, per ESPN sources:Cincinnati receives: 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes
Pittsburgh receives: SS prospect Sammy Stafura and RP Taylor Rogers
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 30, 2025
The Angels are moving to improve their bullpen, adding two relievers on Wednesday in a trade with the Nationals.
Los Angeles is acquiring former Red Sox righthander Luis Garcia — who was designated for assignment after posting an 8.22 ERA in 15 ⅓ innings for Boston last season — and lefthander Andrew Chafin.
A 12-year MLB veteran, Chafin is having a resurgent campaign in Washington with a 2.70 ERA over 20 innings
As part of this deal, left-handed reliever Andrew Chafin is also going to the Angels. Left-hander Jake Eder is one player heading back to the Nationals in the deal, sources tell ESPN. https://t.co/bl4ny681ty
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 30, 2025
The Yankees continue to make moves for their lineup, adding White Sox outfielder Austin Slater on Wednesday.
The New York Yankees have acquired outfielder Austin Slater in a trade with the Chicago White Sox, sources tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 30, 2025
Slater is having a middling year at the plate, slashing .236/.299/.423 in 51 games, but can play across the outfield positions and has an .859 OPS against lefties this season.
The Orioles traded reliever Seranthony Domínguez to Toronto — in between games of their day-night doubleheader against the Blue Jays.
Domínguez did not pitch in the the opener, which the Orioles won 16-4. Then the trade — Domínguez for minor league righthander Juaron Watts-Brown — was announced about an hour before the first pitch of the nightcap.
Domínguez is 2-3 with a 3.24 ERA in 43 relief appearances this season. The last-place Orioles have also traded away relievers Bryan Baker and Gregory Soto as part of what has been a mild sell-off so far.
The 23-year-old Watts-Brown was ranked as Toronto’s No. 10 prospect by MLB Pipeline. He’s 2-5 with a 3.54 ERA in 19 starts at Class A and Double-A this year.
A few teams have already done some business well before the deadline. Here’s a recap of some of the moves that have already happened:
▪ The Yankees acquired 3B Ryan McMahon from the Rockies and utility infielder Amed Rosario from the Nationals to shore up their infield.
▪ The Mariners, holders of the second wild card spot as of Tuesday, added a significant bat in 1B Josh Naylor in a trade with the Diamondbacks.
▪ The Royals traded for Diamondbacks outfielder Randal Grichuk and Pirates 2B Adam Frazier as Kansas City tries to jumpstart its struggling lineup.
▪ The Mets bolstered a big area of need in adding lefthanded reliever Gregory Soto from the Orioles.
▪ A little short in the rotation behind Tarik Skubal, the Tigers traded for two righthanders — Chris Paddack and Randy Dobnak — from the Twins.
Amin Touri can be reached at [email protected]. Brendan Kurie can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on X @BrendanKurie. Alex Speier can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him @alexspeier.
