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Smith also struck out nine and walked just two on the day. His pure raw stuff was impressive, but he threw 55 of his 89 pitches for strikes and needed almost 90 pitches to get 13 outs. Some of that is the result of him looking for, and getting whiffs, which led to longer counts and strikeouts. However, Smith has also struggled with his command at times this season. The fifth overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft has plenty of upside but still has some work to do at Triple-A.

This seems like a weak return for Baltimore, but maybe one of the arms will develop. Hoppe, 27, is the one with major league experience, having posted a 5.79 ERA and a 34/11 K/BB in 28 innings out of Seattle’s pen this year. He’s a pure reliever with upper-90s gas but a history of control problems. He still needs to refine his slider if he’s going to emerge as a force in short relief.

The 6-foot-6 Moore has a big fastball and a quality slider, but he’s 26 and seriously lacking polish. He currently has a 5.56 ERA and a 35/17 K/BB in 22 2/3 innings as a reliever in Double-A. The Mariners drafted him in the seventh round out of the University of Oregon two years ago.

Kreiling underwent elbow surgery after being drafted, so he’s made just four professional appearances to date. At least they’ve been good ones; he has a 1.69 ERA and a 16/1 K/BB in 10 2/3 innings between the ACL and Low-A ball.

The Braves reportedly had inquired about deGrom, who is making $38 million in the fourth year of a five-year, $185 million contract. He has full no-trade protection.

Brayden Taylor is one of three prospects Miami is getting back, says Will Sammon. The New York Post’s Joel Sherman says Adrian Santana and Jacob Kisting are the other two. The Marlins didn’t have a dire need for Hicks as a catcher following Joe Mack’s emergence, so this makes a ton of sense. The Rays will probably send down fellow left-handed-hitting catcher Hunter Feduccia and keep Nick Fortes as Hicks’ backup. The Marlins could recall Agustín Ramírez to DH and play behind Mack.

Ray will join a Padres rotation that’s pretty much just Michael King and some swingmen at the moment. He has a 3.08 ERA this season as he closes out a five-year, $115 million deal he originally signed with the Mariners.

Ward has gone from a power hitter to a walk merchant in one season. After hitting 36 home runs in 2025 and posting a .317 on-base percentage and 11 percent walk rate, he has now hit seven home runs in 111 games with the Orioles, with a .383 on-base percentage and over a 17 percent walk rate. You wonder if the Mariners will try to turn him loose a little bit more, but this is a team that needed right-handed pop. This likely pushes Victor Robles back to the bench.

Smith was a darling for the Rangers in 2025 as a utility player, but he hit .213/.299/.272 in 154 plate appearances this year and has spent most of the season in Triple-A. Macko is a 25-year-old left-handed pitcher who was moved to the bullpen this season. He has a 4.91 ERA in 22 innings for the Blue Jays, but he has shown strikeout upside in the minors as a starter before, so it remains to be seen how the Rangers want to use him.

Considering the Guardians now have Patrick Bailey on the big league roster, another defensive-first catcher isn’t really a priority, so moving Cozart for Adell seems like good business. The 27-year-old has taken a step back this year, hitting .239/.287/.395 with 16 home runs and 62 RBI in 111 games, but he gives the Guardians some thump in the middle of their order. Adell is also under team control for one more season.

Cozart was the 38th overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft. He is a tremendous defensive catcher who is hitting .239/.330/.384 in 79 games at Double-A with 10 home runs and 44 RBI. He will be, at worst, a solid backup catcher with his elite glove, but he’s also a left-handed hitter, so he could be a regular MLB starter if he can just be average with the bat.