Trade deadline tracker: Our latest intel, rumors and news
The 2023 MLB trade deadline is hours away, with contending teams deciding what they need to add before 6 p.m. ET arrives.
What does Shohei Ohtani‘s future look like with the Los Angeles Angels? What will follow Max Scherzer going to the Texas Rangers and Justin Verlander to the Houston Astros in blockbuster deals with the New York Mets? Could Eduardo Rodriguez and Jack Flaherty be dealt to contenders? And which of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves and Baltimore Orioles will go all-in to boost their 2023 World Series hopes?
Whether your favorite club is looking to add or deal away — or stands somewhere in between — here’s the freshest intel we’re hearing, reaction to completed deals and what to know for every team as trade season unfolds.
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Deadline day: Live updates, completed deals
Previous trades | Earlier buzz
MLB trade deadline day: Live updates, completed trades
Aug. 1 updates
COMPLETED TRADE: The Philadelphia Phillies are in agreement on a trade to acquire right-handed starter Michael Lorenzen from the Detroit Tigers, sources tell ESPN.
Why the Twins could move a starting pitcher: The market is drying up on starting pitching, and the Twins are getting a lot of calls on their arms. The team is still open to trading one of its starters, with Sonny Gray the one most mentioned in the rumor mill. The Twins seek offense in return; they rank 19th in the majors in runs per game, with Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton in particular struggling. — Alden Gonzalez
Braves could sit out trading for rotation help: The Braves have been involved in the starting pitching market, but now there is skepticism they will land one. Max Fried, Kyle Wright are due back soon. — Buster Olney
Dodgers’ plan B after Verlander heads to Houston: The Dodgers are still in on Eduardo Rodriguez, as far as I can tell. And if Dylan Cease and Mitch Keller are not moved, Rodriguez might be their last, best pivot. There doesn’t seem to be anybody else who would serve as a clear upgrade over their best young starters. –Alden Gonzalez
COMPLETED TRADE: The Houston Astros have a deal in place to acquire ace Justin Verlander from the New York Mets, sources familiar with the agreement tell ESPN. Days after their deal sending Max Scherzer to the Texas Rangers spiced up this trade season, the Mets have sent the reigning AL Cy Young winner back to his former team in a true deadline day blockbuster. Story »
COMPLETED TRADE: The Blue Jays have acquired infielder Paul DeJong from the Cardinals, sources tell ESPN. Story »
COMPLETED TRADE: The San Diego Padres are acquiring left-handed starter Rich Hill and first baseman Ji Man Choi from the Pittsburgh Pirates, sources told ESPN. Story »
COMPLETED TRADE: The Rockies and Braves have made the first deal of deadline day, with Colorado sending veteran reliever Brad Hand to Atlanta for RHP prospect Alec Barger, sources told ESPN. Story »
The latest on Verlander’s status: We do not know yet what Justin Verlander wants and he completely controls his situation with his no-trade clause. But as we discussed on “Sunday Night Baseball,” no team is better positioned to make a Verlander trade than the Orioles: They are loaded with prospects, and the Mets demonstrated a clear willingness to eat a lot of money. And there is a CLEAR need for a starter who could take the ball for a Game 1 or 2 in the playoffs or World Series — Buster Olney
Verlander is clearly the name everyone is watching on the heels of New York trading Max Scherzer over the weekend. While the Dodgers and Astros have been mentioned most often, they are far from the only suitors who could be in play for a Verlander blockbuster. — Jesse Rogers
Don’t expect the White Sox to move their shortstop: Things have cooled on the Tim Anderson front. Barring a last-minute change, he’s likely staying in Chicago. — Rogers
Why starting pitcher trades could rule deadline day: One MLB team staffer says there will be a barrage of starting pitcher deals completed today, maybe in the last couple of hours before the deadline, as desperation begins to factor in. Verlander, Jack Flaherty, Eduardo Rodriguez, Michael Lorenzen among the names in play in that corner of the market. The Braves, Dodgers, Reds, Astros and Orioles are among the primary teams looking to add a starter. — Olney
Will the Yankees make a move? As of late Monday night, the Yankees’ front office was not close to making a move. Tuesday will say a lot about the direction the franchise is going to go. There is lot of skepticism in the organization that they will affect a major unloading with the thought that they are more likely to make measured additions. — Olney
What does Bichette’s injury mean for Blue Jays? It could be that the Blue Jays’ trade deadline plans were greatly complicated by the knee injury that forced Bo Bichette to leave Toronto’s game Monday night. The Jays haven’t announced the specifics of the injury, and rival execs speculate that they may not until after the trade deadline, lest they are perceived to be in sudden and desperate need of a shortstop and lose leverage.
The Jays expect to get more info about Bichette’s injury by noon ET, which will give them some clarity as they make decisions before the deadline.
If the Jays need a shortstop, two names to keep in mind: Paul DeJong, the Cardinals veteran who is nearing the end of his six-year, $26 million deal; he will make about $3 million over the last two months in a season in which he’s hit 13 homers so far; and Tommy Edman, who was among the NL leaders in fWAR in 2022. Edman has struggled this year, batting .237 in what has been a frustrating season for the Cardinals, but he has positional flexibility that would give the Blue Jays some options whatever the severity of Bichette’s injury. If Bichette is out for a short time, Edman would be capable of filling in briefly before moving around to other spots after Bichette returns; if Bichette’s injury is more serious, Edman could hold down shortstop in his absence. Edman is making $4.2 million this year while serving in a utility role — shortstop, second base, center field and right.
Another name worth adding is that of Tim Anderson of the White Sox, who is also available and might be a fit if the Bichette injury knocks him out for weeks and/or months. — Olney
Trades completed prior to deadline day
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Kurkjian: Jeimer Candelario fills a need for the Cubs
Tim Kurkjian reacts to the Cubs acquiring Jeimer Candelario and speculates what else the team has in store before the trade deadline.
Reds shore up bullpen with Sam Moll
The Cincinnati Reds are acquiring left-handed reliever Sam Moll from the Oakland A’s for right-hander Joe Boyle, sources tell ESPN. Story »
Giants add pair of hitters in trade with Mariners
The San Francisco Giants are finalizing a trade to acquire outfielder AJ Pollock and utilityman Mark Mathias from the Seattle Mariners, sources told ESPN. Story »
Cubs add Candelario in deal with Nationals
The Chicago Cubs have acquired third baseman Jeimer Candelario from the Washington Nationals, sources tell ESPN. Story » Grades »
Mets continue sale, deal Canha to Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are acquiring Mark Canha from the New York Mets, a source confirms to ESPN. The Brewers are sending right-hander Justin Jarvis, who’s at Double-A, back to the Mets. Story » | Grades »
Closer Sewald headed to Arizona
The Arizona Diamondbacks are finalizing a trade to acquire closer Paul Sewald from the Seattle Mariners, sources tell ESPN. Seattle will reportedly receive big leaguers Josh Rojas and Dominic Canzone and minor leaguer Ryan Bliss. Story » | Grades »
Angels land Cron, Grichuk from Rockies
The Los Angeles Angels landed outfielder Randal Grichuk and first baseman C.J. Cron from the Colorado Rockies for two minor league pitchers, RHP Jake Madden and LHP Mason Albright. Story » | Grades »
Braves get infield help from Royals
The Atlanta Braves acquired infielder Nicky Lopez from the Kansas City Royals on Sunday in exchange for left-hander Taylor Hearn. Story | Grades »
Rangers add second starter in Montgomery
The Texas Rangers acquire left-handed starter Jordan Montgomery and right-handed reliever Chris Stratton from the St. Louis Cardinals, who get infielder Thomas Saggese, right-hander Tekoah Roby and left-hander John King, sources told ESPN. Story » | Grades »
Blue Jays land deadline’s top reliever in Hicks
The Toronto Blue Jays are finalizing a trade to acquire right-handed reliever Jordan Hicks from the St. Louis Cardinals, sources told ESPN. Adam Kloffenstein and Sem Robberse are headed to St. Louis. Story » | Grades »
Rangers land Scherzer in blockbuster with Mets
Max Scherzer has been traded from the New York Mets to the Texas Rangers in the first true blockbuster deal of this MLB trade deadline. Story » | Grades »
Astros reuinite with Graveman in deal with White Sox
The Houston Astros and Chicago White Sox are in agreement on a deal that will send right-handed reliever Kendall Graveman to the Astros. Story »
Lynn, Kelly headed to Los Angeles
The Los Angeles Dodgers added an experienced arm for their shorthanded rotation and a familiar face to the back end of their bullpen on Friday, acquiring starter Lance Lynn and reliever Joe Kelly from the Chicago White Sox, sources told ESPN. In exchange, the White Sox received outfielder Trayce Thompson, who was originally drafted by Chicago, along with minor league starter Nick Nastrini and minor league reliever Jordan Leasure. Story »
Mets send Robertson to Miami
The Mets’ offloading officially began on Thursday night with a deal sending closer David Robertson to the Marlins for infielder Marco Vargas and catcher Ronald Hernandez. Story » | Grades »
Santana traded across NL Central
The Milwaukee Brewers are acquiring first baseman Carlos Santana from the Pittsburgh Pirates with 18-year-old shortstop Jhonny Severino headed back to Pittsburgh. Story » | Grades »
Giolito heads to the Angels
The Los Angeles Angels acquired RHP Lucas Giolito and RHP Reynaldo López from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for minor league LHP Ky Bush and C Edgar Quero. Story » | Grades »
Rosario to the Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers have acquired shortstop Amed Rosario from the Cleveland Guardians. Noah Syndergaard is headed to the Guardians in return. Story » | Grades »
Twins and Marlins swap relievers
The Minnesota Twins acquired Dylan Floro from the Miami Marlins in exchange for Jorge Lopez on Wednesday in a swap of struggling right-handed relievers. Story »
Mariners adding arm to pen
Reliever Trent Thornton, who was DFA’d last week by Blue Jays, is being traded to the Mariners. Toronto will receive Triple-A infielder Mason McCoy. Story»
Dodgers reunite with former utility player
Enrique Hernandez is headed back to Los Angeles after the Dodgers traded RHP Nick Robertson and RHP Justin Hagenman for him. Story » | Grades »
Mets add to bullpen in early deal
Bullpen help is on its way to New York, with the Mets trading LHP Zach Muckenhirn to the Mariners for RHP Trevor Gott RHP Chris Flexen. Story »
Texas lands resurgent reliever
Breakout Rangers acquire Aroldis Chapman from Royals for LHP Cole Ragans and OF Roni Cabrera. Story »
Previous trade deadline buzz
July 31 updates
What’s next for the Cubs? After acquiring an infield bat in Jeimer Candelario, the Cubs are turning their attention to the mound, with a focus on the bullpen. They desperately need a left-hander and could use a righty as well. Colorado has two of the former as Brent Suter or Brad Hand; both would be good fits. If the Tigers move any of their relievers, Chicago could be interested in Alex Lange or Jason Foley, both of whom remain under team control past this year. Lange is a former Cubs farmhand, and the Cubs could have an in with the front office: Tigers president Scott Harris began his career at Wrigley. It’s unclear if the Cubs would add a starter, but there could be a need — both Marcus Stroman and Drew Smyly have struggled lately. — Jesse Rogers
Could we see a rare New York-New York deal? The Yankees and Mets have made few trades over the past 30 years, but staffers on both sides say the teams would work with each if there’s a deal to be found. That wasn’t always the case. Billy Eppler, the Mets’ general manager, formerly worked as the assistant GM for Yankees exec Brian Cashman. This is all worth remembering with outfielders Tommy Pham and Mark Canha available.
Not surprisingly, the Yankees are said to be still working hard to get an outfielder. Their left fielders went into Sunday night ranking 27th in the majors in OPS and last in some key defensive metrics. — Olney
Two contenders looking for rotation upgrades: Now that the Rays have landed Aaron Civale, the Reds and Orioles are seen by rival execs to be among the most aggressive teams searching for starting pitching today. — Olney
Rays add to rotation with Civale
The Tampa Bay Rays are acquiring right-hander Aaron Civale from the Cleveland Guardians, sources tell ESPN. Cleveland will receive first baseman Kyle Manzardo in return. Story » | Grades »
San Diego is now going for it: The Padres did their due diligence about possibly offloading before the deadline, but that chapter is apparently over. They are now out in the market checking on possible OF/DH help and relief pitching. Fangraphs assesses their chances of making the playoffs at 39.8% after a good weekend against the Rangers. — Olney
Could a Candelario trade happen soon? With trade winds swirling, Nationals third baseman Jeimer Candelario is not in the starting lineup on Monday. Washington GM Mike Rizzo said Sunday that eight teams were interested in the switch-hitting veteran. The Twins, Yankees, Marlins, Cubs, Brewers and Angels were among the possible suitors though it’s believed Los Angeles has dropped out after trading for two hitters in a weekend deal with the Rockies. — Rogers
Could Verlander be headed to L.A.? The Dodgers have been engaged with the Mets on the potential of landing Justin Verlander, sources have told ESPN. But the prospect of pulling something off has seemed unlikely given the nature of Verlander’s 2025 option, which automatically vests with 140 innings in 2024. If he hits that number, the acquiring team would be on the hook for somewhere in the neighborhood of $92 million for two-plus seasons of Verlander, who will be 41 in February.
But the machinations of the Max Scherzer trade made this interesting. In it, the Mets paid down all but $22.5 million of Scherzer’s remaining salary in order to acquire a premier prospect in Luisangel Acuna, the brother of Braves star Ronald Acuna Jr. The younger Acuna is now the Mets’ second-best prospect, according to MLB.com.
Each of the Mets’ top five prospects is a position player. What they need are pitchers, and the Dodgers have plenty of those. The question is whether they’re willing to give up the ones who would prompt the Mets to pay down enough of Verlander’s remaining salary to make both sides comfortable.
It’d be a complex scenario, potentially made even more difficult by Verlander’s no-trade clause. If Blake Snell and Marcus Stroman are off the table, and Logan Gilbert isn’t really available, Verlander — and potentially Eduardo Rodriguez — could be the last high-ceiling starting pitcher remaining. The Dodgers aren’t expected to add another starter if he isn’t of that caliber. — Alden Gonzalez
Padres’ sweep helps clear their murky deadline decisions: Have the Padres’ players convinced their front office to keep them together? Word throughout the industry as of Friday was that Padres GM AJ Preller still hadn’t decided whether to trade Blake Snell and Josh Hader and essentially punt on the 2023 season; he and his lieutenants wanted to wait and see how the weekend played out before making a decision on Monday, the last full day before the trade deadline.
Well — the Padres swept the first-place Rangers, outscoring them 16-4 in the process.
The Padres are still two games under .500 and eight games out of first place, and they have yet to win more than three consecutive games all season. But they also have a plus-63 run differential, have been the best defensive team in baseball based on outs above average, and one could make the case that they’ve been generally unlucky, going 0-9 in extra-inning games and 6-17 in one-run games and posting only a .706 OPS with runners in scoring position. In other words, they’re not quite the Mets.
At this point, it will probably take a lot to pry Snell and Hader from the Padres (especially Snell). — Gonzalez
India likely to stay a Red: Any chances of Jonathan India getting traded this summer were probably put to rest Sunday, when the Reds placed him on the injured list because of a bout with plantar fasciitis. The Reds hope India’s stint on the IL is relatively brief — but the chances of him being dealt seemed unlikely to begin with.
India seems like something of a redundant player given the emergence of young, promising infielders like Elly De La Cruz, Matt McLain and Spencer Steer, with Noelvi Marte on the way. But he’s also a critical presence in the clubhouse. The Reds’ desire to get controllable starting pitching in return might be better served for the offseason. — Gonzalez
July 30 updates
Angels additions continue: The Angels continued to go all in on 2023 on Sunday, sending two more prospects to the Rockies in exchange for first baseman C.J. Cron and outfielder Randal Grichuk, both of whom were originally first-round picks by the Angels. Cron and Grichuk represent the fifth and sixth veteran players acquired by the Angels over the last five weeks, joining infielders Mike Moustakas and Eduardo Escobar, starter Lucas Giolito and reliever Reynaldo Lopez. They’re all expected to become free agents this offseason.
It cost the Angels a total of five prospects ranked within the top 20 in their system, according to MLB.com, including two of the top three. The latest moves were a reaction to a lineup that is without Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon and is now without Taylor Ward for the remainder of the regular season after he took an Alek Manoah fastball to the face on Saturday. The lack of depth was causing teams to barely attempt to pitch to Shohei Ohtani. — Gonzalez
In St. Louis, Hicks and Montgomery are just the beginning: The trades of Jordan Hicks to the Toronto Blue Jays and Jordan Montgomery to the Texas Rangers are just the start for the Cardinals, who are in uncharted territory as a team moving pending free agents instead of adding help in July. Starter Jack Flaherty is as good as gone, with Baltimore and San Francisco looking for help on the mound. Infielder Paul DeJong could be part of a package with one of the pitchers, and outfielder Dylan Carlson, who has been scouted by the New York Yankees, could be moved as well. St. Louis will look very different come Tuesday night. — Rogers
Cubs shifting focus from subtracting to adding: As the Cubs continue to add wins to their pre-deadline streak, the team has decided to pull Cody Bellinger‘s name off the trade market, sources told ESPN.
Now that the Cubs are certain to add, bullpen needs are a top priority. It’s likely the team wants to remain under the first luxury tax threshold, so cheaper additions could be in order. Rockies left-handers Brad Hand and Brent Suter fit the bill, but White Sox reliever Aaron Bummer might be the best of the group simply because he’s a ground ball machine. The White Sox didn’t have the defense behind him to take advantage, but the Cubs do. Bummer is signed through next season, so the return would be decent for the White Sox, though considering he has a 6.69 ERA this year, the Cubs probably wouldn’t have to give up a top prospect to land him. — Rogers
July 29 updates
Rangers make megadeal for Max Scherzer
The Mets’ surprisingly aggressive teardown continued on Saturday, by agreeing on a deal to send three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer to the first-place Texas Rangers and Scherzer waived his no-trade clause to complete the deal. The Rangers now have a legitimate top-of-the-rotation starter to make up for the loss of Jacob deGrom. The Mets, meanwhile, will have another hole to fill in 2024. It’s clear they’ve given up on 2023 and are using the trade deadline to bolster the farm system and secure long-term sustainability, a stated goal of lucrative Mets owner Steve Cohen, who doesn’t want to be in a position to surpass the highest level of Major League Baseball’s luxury-tax threshold on a yearly basis. — Gonzalez
Will the Padres upend the trade market again? This is the one time of the year in the baseball industry that a small sample size can make an enormous difference, and this might be the case for the San Diego Padres, who beat Texas on Friday to stay on the fringes of the NL wildcard race (Fangraphs pegs their playoff chances at 29.8%). Rival executives say that AJ Preller, San Diego’s head of baseball operations, has been in contact with other teams and is assessing the trade value of some of his most elite players — pitchers Josh Hader and Blake Snell and outfielder Juan Soto, included. The sense from other execs is that Preller would prefer to keep his team intact or even add through the deadline, but that he could pivot and decide to offload before the deadline.
If Preller decides to clean house, he would instantly transform the trade market. Soto would become the best position player available, perhaps attractive to a team like the New York Yankees; Hader would become the best reliever available, someone who could transform the bullpen of the Houston Astros or Atlanta Braves; and Snell would become the best starter available, for potential buyers like the Baltimore Orioles or Boston Red Sox. The Padres made the biggest splash in the market last season, when they acquired Soto, Hader and others. They could have a similar impact this year as a one-stop shop for star talent. — Olney
July 28 updates
Will Giants get infield help from Braves or Royals? The San Francisco Giants are looking for middle infield help, particularly one that comes with a steady glove. Atlanta Braves shortstop Vaughn Grissom and Kansas City Royals infielder Nicky Lopez have been connected to the Giants by industry sources. Giants catcher Joey Bart (out of options next year, probably needs a change of scenery) appears to be available, but Kansas City and Atlanta seem flush with catching so that likely wouldn’t be a fit. — Kiley McDaniel
Two K.C. relievers drawing interest: The Royals are asking for a high return for reliever Scott Barlow — one team was asked for a back-end Top 100 prospect — but have also been getting interest in Carlos Hernandez. As the starting pitchers are coming off the board, the market for relievers should be getting ready to move. — McDaniel
How the Reds could upgrade their rotation: The Reds have used a handful of relievers often — six relievers have already thrown 40 innings each — and have the third-most relief innings thrown in the NL. They’re looking to add an innings eater starter and Lance Lynn (now with the Dodgers) would’ve fit well. The Reds may be turning their sights toward arms like Marcus Stroman, Jose Quintana, Jack Flaherty, Jordan Montgomery, and former Red Michael Lorenzen. — McDaniel
The Dodgers were expected to be among the most active teams in this year’s trade deadline, and they lived up to that reputation on Friday, striking a deal to acquire Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly from the White Sox. The Dodgers began the week by adding a new shortstop (Amed Rosario) and a right-handed-hitting option against lefties (Enrique Hernandez). Now, in Lynn, they have added a veteran arm for their needy rotation and, in Kelly, a familiar face for the back end of their bullpen in Kelly. Though all four of those players — essentially rentals, though Lynn and Kelly have club options for 2024 — have had disappointing seasons thus far, the Dodgers are clearly confident they can get more out of them once they get them into their system. They have a history of doing so. — Gonzalez
Could Arenado fit in L.A.? While the hefty return it would take to pry the All-Star third baseman from St. Louis still makes a deal seem like a long shot, keep this in mind as rumors swirl about Nolan Arenado potentially going from the Cardinals to the Dodgers: The Dodgers have a history of making blockbuster deals around the trade deadline. In 2017, it was Yu Darvish. In 2018, Manny Machado. In 2021, Max Scherzer and Trea Turner. With a close division race this year, that could mean it’s more likely they do make a big move. To fit Arenado, they could slide Max Muncy over to second base and Mookie Betts back to the outfield. And, yes, Arenado is signed through 2026, but the only players the Dodgers have signed beyond 2024 are Betts, Freddie Freeman and Chris Taylor, so there is payroll flexibility to fit in Arenado long term — and still make an offseason run at Shohei Ohtani. — David Schoenfield
Chicago at the center of this trade deadline: With five days left to deal, the Chicago White Sox are looking to follow up their deal sending Lucas Giolito to the Angels by trading away more of their veteran players with Lance Lynn and Tim Anderson two names drawing interest. Meanwhile, the surging Cubs have a tougher deadline decision to make. — Rogers
July 27 updates
Will Seattle add to its lineup? The Mariners have had an up-and-down and generally disappointing season thus far, and internally, the organization is unsure how much to truly invest into this season when it comes to assessing needs in this market.
The Mariners are not expected to give up key players of their future for would-be free agents at season’s end, like the Angels did while trading two of their best prospects for Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez. Ideally, the Mariners would instead find controllable offensive players — preferably a second baseman or a corner outfielder.
Those types of players will be hard to come by this summer. But in order to truly contend — this year and moving forward — the Mariners need to address their offense. — Gonzalez
Will the Angels add to their deadline splash? The Angels made their big move with six days left until the trade deadline, and they might not be done. Giolito is a nice addition to their rotation and Lopez could be a boost to the back end of their bullpen if he gets right. But the Angels would still like to add to their bullpen and would ideally walk away with another bat, either an outfielder or a corner infielder. A big name here seems unlikely, however.
“We’ll see,” Angels general manager Perry Minasian told reporters from Detroit on Thursday. “I’m not taking off to the Bahamas tonight. We have some time. We’ll try and look to add in places that we can and improve the team any way we can. I’m not gonna box ourselves into one spot. I think there’s definitely multiple ways to continue to improve the club.” — Gonzalez
Texas looking to add to both rotation and bullpen: We’d heard the Rangers could be one of the most aggressive teams this deadline. By all accounts they are, canvassing the market in a push to land both a starter and a reliever as they try to distance themselves atop the AL West — Rogers
Miami attempting to find lineup upgrades: With an offense that lags behind the teams they are battling in the NL wild-card race, the Marlins are casting a wide net for potential improvements, including at shortstop and in the outfield. They are willing to trade from their system strength of young pitching to get the bat they desire. — Rogers
