Betting

It’ll be prospects Omar Alfonzo and Luis Cruz heading to the Yankees in the deal. The 29-year-old reliever is on the move for the second consecutive trade deadline after struggling to a pedestrian 4.54 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and 39/18 K/BB ratio across 39 2/3 innings for New York. His high-leverage experience, along with a change of scenery, give him some value for the Pirates as they attempt to cobble things together at the back-end of their relief mix.

Divish and Jude add that Seattle is also listening on starter George Kirby, which was reported by ESPN’s Jeff Passan earlier on Saturday. The fact that the Mariners are willing to consider moving Arozarena is a notable development as they sit three games out of the AL West division lead and a Wild Card playoff spot. The 31-year-old impending free agent would be one of the strongest right-handed bats available on the trade market. Where Seattle sits in the standings leading into Monday’s deadline is going to be the deciding factor whether they buy or sell.

Passan adds that the sense is that Kirby is available and could be moved prior to Monday’s deadline. He also notes that Seattle has been listening to offer for Emerson Hancock and Luis Castillo. The Mariners have top prospect Kade Anderson knocking on the door of the majors and figure to move at least one, if not more, of their current rotation members. Kirby would net the largest return in any potential trade package, despite holding a pedestrian 3.98 ERA across 120 innings this season.

Mathews will make his major-league debut against the Blue Jays on Saturday at the Rogers Centre. The 25-year-old southpaw was widely regarded as one of baseball’s most exciting pitching prospects entering last season before a shoulder injury, compounded by mechanical issues that wreaked havoc on his command, completely derailed his development. The result was nearly 50 Triple-A starts over the past two seasons instead of a prolonged opportunity in the majors. He still misses bats at an impressive clip, keeping him firmly on the fantasy radar, but his inability to consistently throw strikes amplifies the risk more than most pitching prospects. He’s a fascinating talent, but forecasting his future is extremely challenging. He’s certainly not a fit for risk-averse fantasy managers.

Feinsand’s update coincides with a report from The Athletic’s Ken Rosental earlier this week that the Rockies have been asking for a top prospect as part of any multi-player package. The 26-year-old slugging backstop is the rare hitter that is statistically better away from Coors Field’s high-octane offensive environment and should command a massive prospect haul, especially since he won’t reach free agency for three more years. Goodman would be one of the biggest names moved at the trade deadline and it seems like Colorado’s new-look front office, which features Paul DePodesta at the helm, will have to be blown away to consider jettisoning their lineup anchor.

Glasnow will make his first rehab start after facing hitters in a pair of live batting practice sessions. The 32-year-old has been out with a lingering back issue since early May. He’ll need a handful of outings to build up his pitch count and stamina before returning to Los Angeles’ rotation, most likely at some point in late August.

McAdam spoke with a league source that indicated the chances of a deal to send Lopez to Boston are “dead” and it appears highly unlikely the Marlins will trade him. It’s purely speculation, but the Red Sox figure to be extremely reluctant to move either of their top prospects in shortstop Franklin Arias, who is tearing the cover off the ball since being promoted to Triple-A Worcester recently, and righty Anthony Eyanson, who struck out a season-high 10 batters at Double-A Portland on Friday night. The Red Sox have been linked to multiple shortstops ahead of next week’s trade deadline, but it seems highly unlikely that Lopez is going to Boston, or anywhere else at the moment.

Naylor’s arrival seems to signal that Milwaukee is open to moving current backup catcher Gary Sánchez. The 26-year-old former top prospect never lived up to his potential in Cleveland, but he represents an interesting reclamation project for the Brewers behind starter William Contreras. He’s flashed some occasional over-the-fence pop, but needs to start making more frequent hard contact if he’s going to be a fantasy-relevant option in the future. It’s the type of challenge trade between two forward-thinking front offices that has a range of potential outcomes wider than the Grand Canyon.

Skubal is the largest domino holding up the entire starting pitching market ahead of next week’s deadline. It’ll be fascinating to see whether Detroit hangs on until the last moment or they’re blown away by a “Godfather offer” that forces them to take action prior to Monday when the baseball world puts their proverbial pencils down. According to multiple reports, the Dodgers and Brewers are the overwhelming favorites to land Skubal considering their combination of big-league talent and loaded farm systems. Get your popcorn ready.

It’s fair to wonder whether Seattle will wait until mid-August to promote Anderson since that would allow him to remain rookie-eligible for next season. There will be a rotation spot open one they move on from either Emerson Hancock or Luis Castillo ahead of next week’s trade deadline. There’s a chance that both of them are on the move. Anderson has checked every metaphorical box during his professional debut with a microscopic 1.20 ERA and 119/12 K/BB ratio across 82 1/3 innings over 16 starts for Double-A Arkansas. Needless to say, Anderson should be stashed in all fantasy formats. His time is coming.