MLB Player News

De La Cruz will add to the Yankees’ depth in the outfield. The 28-year-old struggled mightily in his time with Atlanta as seen in a slash of .191/.240/.213, but he has had some success — in limited spurts — at the highest level. It’s hard to see him being a fantasy relevant player in 2025, however.

This is a big one. Chicago came into the trade deadline desperately seeking starting pitching help and they’ve seemingly came away with Holmes in addition to veteran Kevin Gausman. They paid a steep price to land the impending free agent as Rojas is one of their better infield prospects. The emergence of Pedro Ramírez as an everyday option at the highest level seems to be what made him expendable. Holmes looked sharp in a pair of recent minor league rehab outings and should step into Chicago’s new-look rotation by mid-August, if not sooner. Taylor feels like a throw-in, but he’s been sizzling-hot at the dish lately and provides the Cubs with a lefty-mashing bench option for the home stretch.

Hoffman heads to Kansas City after being designated for assignment by Philadelphia earlier on Monday. He’ll head to Triple-A Omaha as organizational relief depth.

The procedural move frees up a spot on Kansas City’s 40-man roster. Seabold hit the injured list with a lat strain last month. He’s unlikely to return this season.

The Padres’ cupboard is pretty bare, but Mendez projects as a quality reliever and Hernandez has been a big success as a 17-year-old in the Dominican Summer League. Mendez is still starting at the moment, having posted a 4.93 ERA and a 38/17 K/BB in 34 2/3 innings over 11 starts since moving up to Double-A. It’s possible he’ll emerge as a closer candidate someday.

The Giants already have two of the game’s best teenaged shortstop prospects. Joniel isn’t on the with Josuar Gonzalez and Luis Hernández, but he does have an excellent .303/.424/.503 line as a 17-year-old in the Dominican Summer League. He’ll probably being playing in the U.S. next year.

The deal is now official. It’s a phenomenal landing spot for Weaver’s immediate fantasy value as he figures to take over as Pittsburgh’s primary stopper with Gregory Soto and Mason Montgomery lurking as potential vultures. The 32-year-old former closer was outstanding in his Mets debut this season with a sparkling 1.84 ERA, 0.82 WHIP and 45/11 K/BB ratio across 44 innings of work. According to MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo, the Mets are eating roughly $15.5 million left on Weaver’s contract through next season, presumably in order to get Stafura in the deal.

Stafura came over to the Pirates for defensive wizard Ke’Bryan Hayes last trade deadline and finds himself shipped to New York where he projects as a versatile role player down the line. The 21-year-old prospects has seen his stock rise considerably this season, hitting .276/.367/.593 with 20 homers and 20 steals in the lower minors.

Grove returns to Tampa Bay’s relief mix prior to Monday’s series opener against the Rockies at Coors Field. The 29-year-old former Dodgers arm tossed three scoreless innings against the Diamondbacks during his Rays debut last week. He’ll operate in long relief out of the bullpen.

Varsho will switch clubhouses prior to Monday’s series opener at Daikin Park in Houston. The Athletic’s Mitch Bannon reports the Blue Jays are getting starter Spencer Arrighetti, who is currently on the injured list with right foot nerve irritation, back in the deal. Varsho shores up Houston’s significant need for a center fielder after Jake Meyers struggled to the point that he was demoted last month. The 30-year-old played a key role in Toronto’s run to the World Series last year. He’s supplied seven homers and nine steals in 365 plate appearances across 99 games this season.

García will make his Yankees debut batting in the heart of the lineup after being acquired from the Nationals in a trade over the weekend. The 26-year-old’s left-handed swing should fit beautifully in hitter-friendly Yankee Stadium and he’s in the midst of a career year at the dish, posting an .873 OPS with 23 homers in just 374 plate appearances. His fantasy stock increases exponentially with the move to New York, especially with Aaron Judge (rib) and Cody Bellinger (hamstring) on the shelf for a couple weeks.