The trade deadline is four days away and fell as the biggest pitching chip late Friday night. The Reds sent righty Luis Castillo to the Mariners for four prospects.. The trade would likely take Seattle out of the Nationals’ race for Juan Soto. The market is said to be down to four teams.. With that in mind, here are Saturday’s trade deadline rumors.
Padres in talks for Contreras
Padres in talks with Cubs about catcher Wilson Contreras ESPN reports. Contreras will become a free agent after the season and is certain to be traded before Tuesday’s trade deadline. San Diego’s catchers are hitting .258/.311/.366 this season, better than the .225/.294/.364 positional average, though Contreras would still be a significant upgrade.
The Padres had a 2.5-game lead for a wild-card spot entering Saturday, though they’ve lost 21 of their last 36 games, and the offense has really struggled at times. The Padres could use offensive help at multiple positions, especially the outfield. With Taylor Rodgers recently removed from the closer role, the bullpen could use reinforcements.
The Phillies acquired infielder Edmundo Sosa from the Cardinals for lefty bullpen prospect JoJo Romero, the team announced Saturday. Sosa finished last season as the Cardinals’ starting shortstop, though he’s dropped into a utility role this year and struggled. St. Louis is deep in infielders, so they traded Sosa for an interesting bullpen piece.
As for Philadelphia, their shortstop and second base production has left a lot to be desired this year, although Jean Segura is expected to return from his broken finger next week. Romero, 25, has allowed 21 runs in 21 2/3 career big league innings, though his mid-90s fastball and tight changeup give him a chance to become a long-term hitter.
The Blue Jays are interested in Fulmer.
The Blue Jays are among the teams interested in Tigers righty Michael Fulmer. MLB.com reports. Fulmer threw a scoreless eighth inning in Toronto on Friday. The Tigers have plenty of relievers to walk at the deadline — Andrew Chaffin and All-Star Gregory Soto are among them — though Fulmer is an impending free agent, so there’s some urgency needed to move him.
Pitching is a top priority for a Blue Jays team that has been falling apart offensively the last few weeks. Fulmer has turned into a slider machine that lacks at-bats, though he also has trouble walking. He’s the type of rental reliever who moves up every year at the deadline and is an upgrade in every contender’s bullpen.
Montas now Yankees no. 1 target
With Castillo off the board, Athletics righty Frankie Montas is now number one. 1 goal for the Yankees. USA Today reports. Everything must go in Oakland and Montas is the remaining trading chip at the top of the team. The right-hander missed two starts earlier this month with a minor shoulder issue, but has looked solid in his two starts, and has been at a high level for many years.
New York is looking for a rotation upgrade and will likely have to win a bidding war to acquire Montas. Several other contenders need rotation help and Montas is appealing because he will be under team control as an arbitration-eligible player next season. He’s not a rental, and as the Castillo trade showed, the impact starter’s two postseason runs are worth more.
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A’s, Brewers have talked to Laureano.
The Athletics and Brewers have discussed outfielder Ramon Laureano. According to The New York Post. Laureano is one of the A’s remaining trade chips and will remain under team control until 2025, so he’s a long-term addition. Center field has been a weakness for the Brewers all season and Laureano represents an upgrade over the Jonathan Davis/Tyrone Taylor platoon.
Currently in first place in the NL Central, Milwaukee could use another bat to lengthen the lineup and Laureano also brings the speed factor. His defense is overrated — Laureano’s arm is top of the line, though his range and routes are fine — but Brewers center fielders are hitting .213/.272/.313 this year. made, and it won’t fly when you’re fighting for a division title.
Instead of trading him at the deadline, The Rockies have signed closer Daniel Bard to a two-year contract extension. Worth about $19 million. Bard, 37, will be a free agent after the season and was a top trade candidate. Bard, the 2020 NL Comeback Player of the Year, is an excellent hitter and groundball receiver. The Rockies kept Trevor Story and Jon Gray at last year’s deadline but were unable to re-sign them as free agents. This time they were smart enough to increase the bard before it hit the market.
The Dodgers have added veteran righty Chris Martin to their bullpen.. Utility man Zach McKinstry went to the Cubs in a one-for-one trade. Martin adds depth to a bullpen that is without Blake Trainon (shoulder inflammation) and Daniel Hudson (torn ACL). The Cubs get a versatile bench piece with some pop in McKinstry.
The Rays bring in Peralta.
The Rays have acquired veteran outfielder David Peralta from the Diamondbacks.. Minor league catcher Christian Cerda goes to Arizona in a one-for-one trade. Tampa ranks in the bottom third of the league in runs per game and Peralta gives them much-needed power, though the lefty swinger needs a platoon partner. He will give the Rays a boost as they wait for Wonder Franco, Manuel Margot, Harold Ramirez and others to return from the injured list.
