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The trade deadline is about seven hours away. Here’s everything you need to know as the clock ticks down. Live blog here! I’m Levi Weaver, here with Ken Rosenthal — welcome to The Windup!
Deadline nigh: A handful of new deals
We have a full recounting here of every trade from yesterday (well, except for one … I’ll get to that). But here are two of the whoppers:
- The Cardinals, White Sox and Dodgers worked a three-way trade that answered a lot of questions (and raised a few others). The Dodgers continued to broaden their defensive versatility by acquiring Tommy Edman (who should return from the IL soon) from the Cardinals. They also bolstered their bullpen by getting Michael Kopech from the White Sox.
- The Cardinals, meanwhile, landed a much-needed starter (Erick Fedde from the White Sox) and a right-handed outfield bat (Tommy Pham, who returns to the team that drafted him).
The big question: was the return (IF/OF Miguel Vargas and two 19-year-old minor leaguers in Low A) really worth it for the White Sox to deal three of their trade chips? This was meant to be a tear-it-down, build-a-farm deadline for them. It still might be, but the early returns don’t look overwhelming.
- The trade that came in after that “all trades from Monday” article was published saw the Atlanta Braves getting the band back together. They acquired DH Jorge Soler and RHP Luke Jackson from the Giants, sending left-handed reliever Tyler Matzek, who has missed most of the season with injuries, and third-base/outfield prospect Sabin Ceballos.
If I were to include another, I’d tell you how much the Houston Astros paid for Yusei Kikuchi, but instead, let’s throw it to Ken for more on the starting pitching market.
Welcome aboard: How the new guys are already doing
While we’ve been so focused on the next trade, quite a few players have debuted with their new clubs already. Here are a few noteworthy moments, as they try — with varying degrees of success — to push their new club to a playoff spot.
- Randy Arozarena is 5-for-9 with a home run in his first three games with the Mariners, who won the first two before last night’s 14-7 blowout loss to the Red Sox. Meanwhile, reliever Yimi García has made two appearances, and hasn’t allowed a single baserunner in two innings.
- Recent Mariner and new Mets reliever Ryne Stanek hasn’t had quite such a soft landing. In his Mets debut, he allowed three runs (and two home runs) in a 9-2 loss to the Braves on Sunday.
- Zach Eflin made his Orioles debut in the first game of yesterday’s doubleheader against the Blue Jays. Pitching to catch James McCann (more on that later), Eflin gave up 10 hits in 6 innings, but only allowed three runs, as the Orioles won 11-5.
- Newest Brewer Nick Mears debuted Sunday, pitching a perfect eighth inning, but not before revealing that he had been tipping pitches for over a month with the Rockies.
- In a contender for the most eventful (bad) new-team debut, new Cubs reliever Nate Pearson allowed a home run to Cincinnati’s Jeimer Candelario, then was ejected after hitting Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson in the head with the next pitch.
- On the flip side, contending for most eventful (good) new-team debut, Jazz Chisolm overcame a collision at second base (then stole third) while playing center field for the Yankees, then came back in game two and hit two home runs (the second of which he hit using Aaron Judge’s bat!) in a 14-4 win over the Phillies while playing third base for the first time in his professional career.
Ken’s Notebook: Three deadline statuses to monitor
From my column today on the eight biggest storylines to watch on trade deadline day:
Garrett Crochet: The demand for starting pitching is so intense, the Chicago White Sox might get their price for Crochet even with all the concerns about his availability for the postseason. Crochet reportedly will not pitch in October unless a team that acquires him gives him a contract extension. But the way his innings total is mounting, in his first professional season as a starter, he might not be available anyway.
The San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles have shown various levels of interest in Crochet, according to sources familiar with the White Sox’s discussions. If a trade is completed, Crochet and his new organization can figure out a plan for how to use him the rest of the season – and in his remaining two years under club control.
Jack Flaherty: Flaherty’s ERA is 2.95. Yusei Kikuchi’s is 4.75. So one would think Detroit Tigers general manager Scott Harris can reasonably expect more for his rental than the impressive package the Toronto Blue Jays landed from the Houston Astros for Kikuchi – right-hander Jake Bloss, outfielder Joey Loperfido and infielder Will Wagner.
Teams might tell Harris, “Sorry, we’re not going to do something stupid just because the Astros seemingly overpaid.” But again, the laws of supply and demand might take over. The New York Yankees, Dodgers and Padres are among the teams believed to be on Flaherty. The Orioles and Red Sox would prefer a controllable starter, but also could be in the mix.
Other starting pitchers: At least eight teams – the Yankees, Orioles, Red Sox, Cleveland Guardians and Minnesota Twins in the AL; New York Mets, Dodgers and Padres in the NL – are still looking for starters, many of them urgently.
After Crochet and Flaherty, and assuming the Tigers hold Tarik Skubal and the San Francisco Giants hold Blake Snell, the most attractive starter available might be the Chicago Cubs’ Jameson Taillon.
Among the others also in play: The Yankees’ Nestor Cortes Jr.; Tampa Bay Rays’ Zack Littell; Miami Marlins’ Trevor Rogers; Los Angeles Angels’ Griffin Canning and Reid Detmers; and Colorado Rockies’ Austin Gomber, Cal Quantrill and Ryan Fentner.
The big question: Will the price the Astros paid for Kikuchi compel a team to exploit the market with a starter who is not thought to be available? Or will the desire of sellers to extract the same type of package the Blue Jays did for Kikuchi stall the market
Hard-nosed baseball: Now we know not to mess with McCann
It felt like a scene out of Gladiator 3: This Time It’s Baseball. Orioles backup catcher James McCann had been hit in the nose by a 95 mph fastball. It wasn’t (thankfully) a direct blow, but there is no angle at which a nose enjoys contact with a baseball at that speed. McCann was down on the ground for quite some time.
One factor: it was the bottom of the first inning in a doubleheader. McCann was in the lineup to give starting catcher Adley Rutschman a normal day’s work instead of 18 innings behind the plate.
So while Blue Jays starter Yariel Rodriguez was removed from the game — the hit-by-pitch came with the bases loaded and drove in the fourth run of the inning — McCann went to the dugout, got some cotton stuffed up his nose, and went back to first base. He played all nine innings, and even singled (!!) as his left eye began to swell shut.
You can see the effects in this video of McCann’s postgame comments, taken by Kyle Goon of the Baltimore Banner.
James McCann is a legend.
🎥: @kylegoon pic.twitter.com/XMyvBhOsFk
— Baltimore Banner Sports (@AllBannerSports) July 29, 2024
“It stinks,” McCann said, succinctly. “I take a lot of pride in being tough and doing everything I can to stay on the field.”
Mission accomplished. Get to know him via our Q&A with him from last season.
Handshakes and High Fives
Bookmark it for the rest of the day: Here’s our trade deadline live blog, which we’ll keep updated all day with the latest breaking news.
Reyes Moronta, who pitched for the Giants, Dodgers, Diamondbacks and Angels from 2017-2023, passed away in a car accident in the Dominican Republic.
Bally Sports is coming back to Comcast, but if you want to watch your local team in one of the affected markets (surprise), it’s going to cost an extra $20 per month.
Sure, trades are fun, but have you ever tried improving from within? This week’s Power Rankings identify one thing that can help each team.
The Phillies still have the sport’s biggest divisional lead at 8.5 games, but the vibes have been a little off since June’s London series. They’re 21-22 since then, and 4-9 in their last 13 games. (Side note: how do we feel about Bryce Harper’s PSA-graded cleats?)
After tying a franchise record with 14 straight losses earlier this year, the White Sox have now broken that record. They’re the only team in AL history (and the first MLB team since the 1935 Boston Braves) to have two losing streaks of 14 or more games in a season …
… but you should watch the highlights from yesterday’s Sox game anyway, because Bobby Witt Jr. is special. After hitting a go-ahead grand slam in the eighth inning, he had two highlight-reel plays in the ninth to seal the win for Kansas City.
What a comeback. The Diamondbacks trailed the Nationals 8-4 but scored five in the ninth, capped by a Corbin Carroll pinch-hit home run to walk it off for a 9-8 win. Something to keep an eye on with the trade deadline coming later today: First baseman Christian Walker left the game with an oblique injury.
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(Photo: Griffin Quinn/Getty Images)
