MLB trade deadline recap: Jack Flaherty to Dodgers, Tanner Scott to Padres and everything else that ruled deadline day
The 2024 MLB trade deadline has officially passed, with Jack Flaherty being dealt to the Los Angeles Dodgers minutes before 6 p.m. ET arrived on Tuesday.
While this year’s deadline day did not have the same draw as last year’s — when Justin Verlander to the Houston Astros highlighted a flurry of deadline day activity — there were a number of impactful moves in addition to Flaherty, such as the San Diego Padres trading for closer Tanner Scott, the Baltimore Orioles snagging Trevor Rogers, Mark Leiter Jr. going to the New York Yankees and much more as pitching deals ruled the day.
Whether your favorite club added or subtracted — or stood somewhere in between — here’s our reaction to the completed deals and what to know for every team.
Grades for every MLB trade deadline deal
Jump to: Today’s buzz, completed deals | Previous deals | Previous updates
MLB trade deadline day buzz, deal tracker
Pre-deadline day trades
Soler, Jackson rejoin Braves in deal with Giants
The Atlanta Braves acquired outfielder Jorge Soler and right-handed reliever Luke Jackson from the San Francisco Giants, bringing back two key players from their World Series-winning 2021 team. Story » | Grades »
Brewers nab starter Montas in intradivision deal
The Milwaukee Brewers are acquiring Frankie Montas, one of the best starters left on the trade market, from the Cincinnati Reds, a source tells ESPN. Story » | Grades »
Dodgers land Rosario for more infield help
For the second consecutive year, the Los Angeles Dodgers are acquiring infielder Amed Rosario at the trade deadline, sources tell ESPN. Coming over from the Tampa Bay Rays, Rosario is the second veteran shortstop with outfield versatility the Dodgers have acquired today, following an earlier deal for Tommy Edman. Story » | Grades »
Astros bolster rotation with Kikuchi
The Houston Astros have acquired left-hander Yusei Kikuchi from the Toronto Blue Jays for RHP Jake Bloss, 1B/OF Joey Loperfido and IF Will Wagner (the son of former Houston great Billy Wagner), sources tell ESPN. Story » | Grades »
Guardians add outfield bat in Thomas
The Cleveland Guardians are finalizing a deal to acquire outfielder Lane Thomas from the Washington Nationals for left-handed pitching prospect Alex Clemmey along with two other prospects, sources tell ESPN. Story » | Grades »
Mariners get veteran hitter Turner from Blue Jays
The Seattle Mariners are acquiring Justin Turner from the Toronto Blue Jays, sources tell ESPN. Story » | Grades »
Three-team trade sends Edman and Kopech to Dodgers, Fedde and Pham to Cardinals
The White Sox, Cardinals and Dodgers agreed to a three-team, trade Monday that would see St. Louis land starting pitcher Erick Fedde and outfielder Tommy Pham, and Los Angeles get super-utility man Tommy Edman and reliever Michael Kopech, sources confirmed to ESPN amid multiple media reports Monday. Story » | Grades »
Pirates and Red Sox swap young players
The Boston Red Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates are finalizing a deal that will send right-handed starter Quinn Priester to Boston and infield prospect Nick Yorke to Pitttsburgh, sources tell ESPN. Story » | Grades »
Reds get France in deal with Mariners
The Cincinnati Reds have acquired IF Ty France and cash considerations from the Seattle Mariners in exchange for minor league C Andruw Salcedo. Story » | Grades »
Royals add Lorenzen in deal with Rangers
The Kansas City Royals have acquired starter Michael Lorenzen from the Texas Rangers in exchange for pitcher Walter Pennington. Story » | Grades »
Cubs add All-Star infielder in Paredes
The Chicago Cubs acquired third baseman Isaac Paredes in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays for Christopher Morel and pitching prospects Hunter Bigge and Ty Johnson. Story » | Grades »
Padres bolster bullpen with deal for Adam
The San Diego Padres acquired reliever Jason Adam from the Tampa Bay Rays for three prospects, sources told ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Story » | Grades »
Mets make deal for Winker
The New York Mets acquired outfielder Jesse Winker from the Washington Nationals for pitching prospect Tyler Stuart. Story » | Grades »
Phils land closer Estevez for prospects
The Philadelphia Phillies acquired closer Carlos Estevez from the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday, sending right-hander George Klassen and left-hander Samuel Aldegheri to L.A. Story » | Grades »
Yankees get much-needed bat in Chisholm
The New York Yankees are acquiring outfielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. from the Miami Marlins for three prospects, sources tell ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Story » | Grades »
Cubs acquire reliever Pearson from Blue Jays for prospects
The Chicago Cubs acquired right-handed reliever Nate Pearson from the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday for a pair of prospects. Story »
Stanek heads to Mets among Mariners frenzy
The Seattle Mariners traded reliever Ryne Stanek to the New York Mets for minor league outfielder Rhylan Thomas, clearing a spot for their new reliever, Yimi Garcia. Story » | Grades »
Orioles send trio of prospects to Rays for Eflin
The Baltimore Orioles added to their rotation by acquiring right-hander Zach Eflin from the Tampa Bay Rays. Story » | Grades »
Mariners land reliever Garcia in deal with Blue Jays
The Seattle Mariners, less than 24 hours after landing Randy Arozarena, made another splash on the trade market Friday, acquiring reliever Yimi Garcia from the Toronto Blue Jays. Story »
Phillies and Orioles make deal between World Series contenders
The Philadelphia Phillies have acquired outfielder Austin Hays and are sending reliever Seranthony Dominguez and center fielder Cristian Pache to the Baltimore Orioles. Story » | Grades »
Red Sox acquire Paxton from Dodgers
The Boston Red Sox are acquiring left-hander James Paxton in a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Paxton was DFA’d by the Dodgers after posting a 4.43 ERA in 89.1 innings this season. Story » | Grades »
Mariners add Arozarena from Rays
The Seattle Mariners are trading for outfielder Randy Arozarena in exchange for outfielder Aidan Smith, right-hander Brody Hopkins and a player to be named later. Story » | Grades »
D-Backs shore up pen with A.J. Puk
The Arizona Diamondbacks acquired left-handed reliever A.J. Puk from the Miami Marlins in exchange for slugging infielder Deyvison De Los Santos and center fielder Andrew Pintar. Story » | Grades »
Earlier MLB trade deadline buzz
July 29 updates
White Sox GM “taken aback” by Crochet camp’s usage stance: Chicago White Sox general manager Chris Getz expressed disappointment in starter Garrett Crochet‘s “tactics” in letting it be known how the pitcher wants to be used for the rest of the season, adding that he found out about Crochet’s stance when reports surfaced via the media last week. Getz also said he thinks the team will continue to be active before the deadline — though whether that includes Crochet remains to be seen. — Jesse Rogers
Is a run of reliever trades on the way? The market for relievers, even rentals, has spiked in recent days with the trade hauls for Carlos Estevez and Jason Adam opening eyes around the industry.
Miami Marlins‘ lefty Tanner Scott (also a pending free agent) is the best reliever likely to go before the deadline, but the potential return for noncloser types (especially with control beyond 2024) could also yield another eye-opening haul or two before the deadline.
The Rangers’ trade of Michael Lorenzen might be a sign that they’re open for business. They have a number of intriguing pending free agent pitchers: Kirby Yates, Jose Leclerc, David Robertson (mutual option) and Andrew Heaney.
The Rays seem completely open for business. Their remaining arms with a chance to go by Tuesday are Shawn Armstrong (pending free agent), Colin Poche (under control through 2025) and Pete Fairbanks (under control through 2026 via a cheap club option).
White Sox righty Michael Kopech (control through 2025) isn’t having a great season so he could be a reclamation project while Oakland Athletics reliever Lucas Erceg (under control through 2029!) sits 98.8 mph on average and could yield a haul if Oakland is willing to move him. The Phillies have been tied to both Kopech and Erceg, but it’s unclear how hard they’re still looking for relievers after the Estevez deal. — Kiley McDaniel
What will the Cubs do next? After their weekend trades, one Chicago Cubs pitcher to watch is Jameson Taillon. As of this morning, the right-hander is scheduled to start in Cincinnati tonight. — Jesse Rogers
It’s deadline week! With less than 48 hours left to deal, pitchers Tyler Anderson and Jack Flaherty are among the names buzzing in the industry. Latest intel from Olney & Passan (ESPN+)
July 29 updates
White Sox GM “taken aback” by Crochet camp’s usage stance: Chicago White Sox general manager Chris Getz expressed disappointment in starter Garrett Crochet‘s “tactics” in letting it be known how the pitcher wants to be used for the rest of the season, adding that he found out about Crochet’s stance when reports surfaced via the media last week. Getz also said he thinks the team will continue to be active before the deadline — though whether that includes Crochet remains to be seen. — Jesse Rogers
Is a run of reliever trades on the way? The market for relievers, even rentals, has spiked in recent days with the trade hauls for Carlos Estevez and Jason Adam opening eyes around the industry.
Miami Marlins‘ lefty Tanner Scott (also a pending free agent) is the best reliever likely to go before the deadline, but the potential return for noncloser types (especially with control beyond 2024) could also yield another eye-opening haul or two before the deadline.
The Rangers’ trade of Michael Lorenzen might be a sign that they’re open for business. They have a number of intriguing pending free agent pitchers: Kirby Yates, Jose Leclerc, David Robertson (mutual option) and Andrew Heaney.
The Rays seem completely open for business. Their remaining arms with a chance to go by Tuesday are Shawn Armstrong (pending free agent), Colin Poche (under control through 2025) and Pete Fairbanks (under control through 2026 via a cheap club option).
White Sox righty Michael Kopech (control through 2025) isn’t having a great season so he could be a reclamation project while Oakland Athletics reliever Lucas Erceg (under control through 2029!) sits 98.8 mph on average and could yield a haul if Oakland is willing to move him. The Phillies have been tied to both Kopech and Erceg, but it’s unclear how hard they’re still looking for relievers after the Estevez deal. — Kiley McDaniel
What will the Cubs do next? After their weekend trades, one Chicago Cubs pitcher to watch is Jameson Taillon. As of this morning, the right-hander is scheduled to start in Cincinnati tonight. — Jesse Rogers
It’s deadline week! With less than 48 hours left to deal, pitchers Tyler Anderson and Jack Flaherty are among the names buzzing in the industry. Latest intel from Olney & Passan (ESPN+)
July 26 updates
How Yankees are approaching deadline: The New York Yankees had conversations with the Miami Marlins about A.J. Puk before the lefty was dealt to the Arizona Diamondbacks, and New York continues to work on deals that could help to upgrade the bullpen, while examining improvements in the infield. The Yankees not named Juan Soto and Aaron Judge have famously struggled over the past seven weeks, leaving the team in desperate need of more lineup depth. — Buster Olney
Why a Guardians blockbuster seems unlikely: Chris Antonetti, the head of baseball operations for the Guardians, made one of the most aggressive deadline deals of the past decade, trading highly rated prospects for Andrew Miller in July 2016 — and that fall, Miller led the way as Cleveland came within one run of winning the World Series for the first time since 1948. But it seems unlikely that the Guardians will go big before this year’s tradeline, as they look for help in their rotation and some upgrades among their position player group. Sources say the Guardians seem to be looking at smaller moves, as they consider a starting pitcher who might give them more innings. — Olney
Will this deadline heat up? There is generally a lot of frustration with this year’s trade market, for a couple of reasons — first and foremost, there are so few players available, given that so many teams are within range of a wild-card berth and are loath to deal away players. Secondly, talent evaluators have mentioned that a lot of the players who might be considered in deals are dealing with concerning injury issues, complicating the conversations about the possible trade compensation. — Olney
Who Colorado will — and won’t — deal at the deadline: The Rockies have informed clubs they aren’t trading All-Star Ryan McMahon, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be active before the deadline. They’re actively looking to trade starter Cal Quantrill and are willing to move second baseman Brendan Rodgers, according to a league executive. Quantrill, 29, was a 2016 first-round pick and has a 4.09 ERA in 21 starts this season, his first in Colorado. The 27-year-old Rodgers, the third pick in the 2015 draft, is slashing .270/.313/.394 with seven home runs in 85 games. Both players are under team control through next season. Jeff Passan recently reported the Rockies are also willing to trade starter Austin Gomber and catchers Elias Díaz and Jacob Stallings. — Jorge Castillo
July 25 updates
How will Crochet’s requests impact trade deadline? Chicago White Sox starter Garrett Crochet, wants a contract extension if he’s traded in order to pitch in the postseason this year, according to sources familiar with the situation. Crochet is also telling teams he has no desire to pitch out of the bullpen, citing health concerns for all of the above requests. — Jesse Rogers
Possible fits for Seattle’s struggling offense: With Julio Rodriguez and J.P. Crawford both on the IL, the Seattle Mariners‘ offense has gone from inept to worse. The Los Angeles Angels just swept them in a three-game series — a series in which Seattle’s rotation allowed just one earned run in each start. The season is slipping away, but the Mariners remain just a game behind the Houston Astros.
Some potential fits: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. would be the best match for need and position (they just cut Ty France), but would they include a cheap, controllable starter such as Bryce Miller or Bryan Woo? Jonathan India of the Cincinnati Reds has been floated as a fit at second base or DH, and they could use a temporary solution at shortstop (Paul DeJong?). And as the Randy Arozarena rumors heat up, here’s a reminder that the Mariners and Tampa Bay Rays have made several deals with each other throughout the years. — David Schoenfield
How will Yelich’s status impact Brewers at deadline? Christian Yelich will see a back specialist on Thursday and could face season-ending surgery. It’s a major blow for the first-place Brewers, to say the least. But it isn’t expected to impact their deadline strategy. The Brewers feel they still have enough depth in their outfield, composed of Jackson Chourio, Garrett Mitchell, Sal Frelick and Blake Perkins. Their pitching staff has been ravaged by injury, but they recently added Aaron Civale to their rotation and expect to get a handful of key pitchers back off the injured list in the coming weeks, most notably closer Devin Williams but also Joe Ross, DL Hall and J.B. Bukauskas. The Brewers could desperately use a front-of-the-rotation starter, but at this point, it seems unlikely they’d come away with one of the few impact arms who might be available in the next six days. — Alden Gonzalez
July 24 updates
L.A. the best fit for Crochet? One NL executive believes the Chicago White Sox will indeed trade both Luis Robert Jr. and Garrett Crochet, saying Crochet to the Los Angeles Dodgers feels inevitable. — Jesse Rogers
Pittsburgh’s deadline direction taking shape: The Pittsburgh Pirates are clearly adding players, not subtracting, according to rival teams. Scouts following Pittsburgh hoping to add to their own teams have been pulled off those assignments. — Rogers
Who will Tampa Bay deal away? The Rays are planning to subtract, and both Zach Eflin and Randy Arozarena can be had at the deadline. Dealing both would amount to a big savings in payroll for next season, always a concern for Tampa Bay. — Rogers
Why you shouldn’t expect the A’s to move their closer: The Oakland Athletics are 21 games under .500 and not close to playoff relevancy, and the value of relievers is never higher than it is leading up to the trade deadline. But sources say that All-Star closer Mason Miller is out of play in the trade market. Miller has struck out 70 of the 153 batters he has faced this season, establishing himself as one of the most dominant relievers of 2024. If he were available, he likely would have myriad contenders chasing him in trade talks. But Miller will have less than two years of service time at the end of this season and is under team control well into the Athletics’ time in Sacramento, so the club’s leadership has apparently made the decision to keep him. — Buster Olney
Will Twins add to their rotation? The Minnesota Twins are one of several teams in the market for a starting pitcher, but their pursuit is more complicated than most. First off, they’re in the same division as the White Sox and Tigers, two clubs with a few of the top starters that could are — or could be made — available (Garrett Crochet, Erick Fedde, Jack Flaherty and Tarik Skubal). They would have to pay an intradivision tax — if the Tigers and White Sox would want to do business with them at all. Secondly, financial restrictions would likely force the Twins to shed some salary if they’re going to add any. The factors limit their selection and create a delicate balance. Striking it in their push for the AL Central title could prove difficult. — Jorge Castillo
How NL wild-card race impacts Padres and Giants: The National League wild-card race is so muddled, industry executives say the first few games coming out of the All-Star break could have a major say on a team’s approach ahead of the trade deadline. The rival Padres and Giants stand as two perfect examples. The Padres began their second half with three wins in four games, two of them against the first-place Guardians, and are expected to be in the market for starting pitching with Joe Musgrove on the injured list and Yu Darvish on the restricted list. The Giants are set to welcome Robbie Ray and Alex Cobb back into their rotation, but they’re also six games under .500 after dropping four of five coming out of the break. Rival executives expect a conservative approach from them. — Alden Gonzalez
July 23 updates
Players the Angels could deal: The Los Angeles Angels aren’t viewed as the prolific dealers that the Chicago White Sox are, but they have some players who are popular in the trade market. Carlos Estevez has what so many contenders are looking for — dominant stuff and experience closing games. The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox have closers, in Clay Holmes and Kenley Jansen, respectively, but Estevez would provide either one of those teams someone who could take the ninth inning if the closer was weary or slumping.
The 31-year-old has allowed only 20 hits and five walks in 33 innings, for a 2.45 ERA, and has 19 saves. And he’s making a very affordable salary of $6.75 million this year, meaning that he’d cost the acquiring team little more than $2 million for the rest of the season. According to sources, the Angels are also in listening mode on Tyler Anderson, who is under contract for the 2025 season; any team that makes a move on the All-Star lefty would have to be prepared to give up something substantial. Anderson has a 2.90 ERA in 20 starts. — Buster Olney
Rays could be big players in the next week: Tampa Bay could shed future salary in the form of both Randy Arozarena and Zach Eflin in deadline deals. Eflin is due $13 million next season while Arozarena will get a bump up through the arbitration system which is currently paying him $8.1 million — especially if his numbers continue to improve as they have this month. — Jesse Rogers
Astros looking for rotation help: The Houston Astros are interested in starting pitching. They’re probably not in the Garrett Crochet sweepstakes, but have scouted both Chicago teams including looking at White Sox right-hander Erick Fedde and Cubs righty Jameson Taillon. — Rogers
Who will the reigning champs deal away? Some believe Texas could deal away veteran players before the deadline, with Nathan Eovaldi the biggest prize among several players who could move in a retool. David Robertson, Kirby Yates, Robbie Grossman and even Adolis Garcia could possibly be had. — Rogers
Cubs reliever drawing interest: Chicago reliever Mark Leiter Jr. could be a popular name for teams in need of bullpen help. Since coming off the IL earlier this month, he has retired all 16 batters he’s faced — striking out 11 of them. Both New York teams are among his suitors. — Rogers
Two impact hitters on Dodgers’ radar: The Los Angeles Dodgers will be chasing high-impact talent on the trade front the rest of this month. They will prioritize starting pitching, largely because of the uncertainty surrounding Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who has been out since the middle of June with a strained rotator cuff. But they would also like to add an everyday outfielder to join Teoscar Hernandez, deepening their lineup and allowing them to find the best platoon in their third outfield spot. The Dodgers have the depth and flexibility to target either a corner outfielder or a center fielder. The two best fits at the moment, according to people familiar with their thinking: Randy Arozarena and Luis Robert Jr. — Alden Gonzalez
Will Dodgers find a fit for Paxton? A trade market desperate for starting pitching gained an intriguing arm on Monday, when the Dodgers made the rather surprising decision to designate 35-year-old left-hander James Paxton for assignment. Paxton was 8-2 with a 4.43 ERA and had made every start, but the Dodgers are activating Tyler Glasnow and Clayton Kershaw this week, and Bobby Miller and Walker Buehler are expected to return to the rotation shortly thereafter. They essentially didn’t think there would be any room for Paxton. His underlying metrics also aren’t good; he has walked a National League-leading 48 batters in 89⅓ innings, and his chase rate and expected ERA are unfavorable. Still: The Dodgers are widely expected to be able to find a trade partner for Paxton over these next seven days. — Gonzalez
Why Angels are a deadline team to watch: Given that the Los Angeles Angels are way out of the race, it’s obvious that pending free agents like closer Carlos Estevez, center fielder Kevin Pillar, infielder Brandon Drury, and relievers Luis Garcia and Hunter Strickland will be available. The question rival executives are asking themselves: How do the Angels see themselves in 2025? If they see themselves as competitive, then they might have a higher-than-expected asking price for outfielder Taylor Ward, utility man Luis Rengifo, and starting pitchers Tyler Anderson and Griffin Canning, players controllable through 2025 or 2026. If they don’t, then those players can be had. The Angels would be well-served to capitalize on the market and part with what would be some pretty coveted assets, even if it means resetting next year. But they’re always among the most difficult teams to predict. — Gonzalez
July 22 updates
How Blue Jays are approaching the trade deadline: The Toronto Blue Jays have signaled to other teams that they intend to try to win in 2025 rather than to go through a full rebuild, and this is being interpreted by some other teams as an assertion that Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette — each eligible for free agency after ’25 — won’t be moved this summer. Two rival officials say their sense is the Jays would listen to offers for any player but would have to be overwhelmed. Toronto has indicated to other teams that it is ready to move players who will be free agents at the end of this year, such as pitcher Yusei Kikuchi, catcher Danny Jansen and reliever Yimi Garcia, who may become one of the most sought-after names on this year’s market. Garcia was just activated from the injured list, and on Saturday, he struck out all three batters he faced in an inning of work against the Tigers. — Buster Olney
New York blanketing the trade market: The New York Yankees are looking for corner infield help along with some pitching add-ons, which includes the bullpen, where closer Clay Holmes has struggled some over the past month. Both Tanner Scott from the Miami Marlins and Kyle Finnegan of the Washington Nationals could fit. The Yankees could be close to all-in mode, which means don’t discount any big name on the market, including Chicago White Sox starter Garrett Crochet. It also means they might be inclined to move one of their top prospects, such as Spencer Jones or Jasson Dominguez — if the deal is a home run for the Yankees, that is. — Jesse Rogers
Chicago looks likely to deal: The Chicago Cubs told teams a couple of weeks ago that they would probably be willing to trade some of their veterans, but then a sweep of the Orioles in Baltimore before the All-Star break put that on pause. But they’re back to subtraction mode after losing a home series to Arizona. A few of their relievers look desirable, with Hector Neris and Mark Leiter Jr. drawing the most interest. Neris has a team option for 2025 that turns into a $9 million player option if he makes 65 or more appearances. That could complicate a deal for him. On the position player front, Cody Bellinger‘s finger injury and contract status make a deal for him complicated as well — but not impossible. — Rogers
Market for Fedde could heat up: The Milwaukee Brewers already added hurler Aaron Civale, but they might not be done with the starting pitching market. White Sox pitcher Erick Fedde fits a need and comes at the right price. Signed for just $7.5 million for next season, he could interest several midmarket teams, such as the Brewers. Count the Cleveland Guardians in that category as well. — Rogers
