MLB Trade Deadline Live Blog

SD gets:
Scott Barlow (RP)

KC gets:
Henry Williams (SP)
Jesus Rios (SP)

Scott Barlow moves to the west coast to strengthen the Padres’ bullpen for their push to the postseason. The right-hander has had a down year in Kansas City with a 5.35 ERA in 38 2/3 innings. However, he has been a proven late-innings asset in Kansas City over the last two years and figures to emerge as a key option for the Padres late in games along with Robert Suarez leading up to Josh Hader.

Henry Williams is also struggling this year in Low-A while working back from Tommy John surgery. He was a third round pick in last year’s draft and is a big body with a 94-95 mph fastball and plus spin rates and his slider and change-up. There’s some clay here for the Royals to work with.

FANTASY OUTLOOK

If you hadn’t dropped Barlow before, now appears to be the time. It’s highly unlikely he gets save opportunities in San Diego. Carlos Hernandez, long one of the top save spec targets, figures to close for the Royals.

BOS gets:
Luis Urias (INF)

MIL gets:
Bradley Blalock (SP)

The Red Sox had been linked to Tommy Edman, Paul DeJong, and Kolten Wong but instead end up with Luis Urias, who they sent to Triple-A. The 26-year-old was good for the Brewers in 2021 but has not been able to regain that form. He’s currently hitting .233 in Triple-A with four home runs and a steal in 29 games. The Red Sox will hope they can recapture some of that old magic and give him a shot to push Christian Arroyo and Yu Chang for MIF reps.

Blalock is a 22-year-old starter who climbed to High-A this season and has posted a 2.55 ERA in 35 1/3 innings with an 18.6% K-BB%. He’s throwing 97 mph on his way back from Tommy John and has some talent for Milwaukee to work with.

SD gets:
Garrett Cooper (1B/OF)
Sean Reynolds (RP)

MIA gets:
Ryan Weathers (LHP)

San Diego continued to try and fill out their lineup by adding Cooper, who’s hitting .256/.296/.426 with 13 home runs in 82 games for Miami. He gives the Padres a right-handed option at 1B/DH, where they are currently playing some combination of Ji-Man Choi, Jake Cronenworth, and Matt Carpenter.

Ryan Weathers is an intriguing pitching target for the Marlins. The 23-year-old hasn’t bene great in 143 MLB innings across three seasons, but he did have a 4.20 ERA and 29.2% strikeout rate in 40 2/3 minor league innings this year.

Sean Reynolds also has a big fastball and has pitched well out of the bullpen at Triple-A this year, so he’s not a bad gamble for the Padres.

FANTASY OUTLOOK

I love this long-term for Weathers, but I’m not sure he makes much of an impact this year. It’s also a downgrade for Cooper who figures to enter into more of a platoon than he had in Miami.

NYY get:
Kenyan Middleton (RP)

CWS get:
Juan Carela (SP)

The Yankees were the only team in baseball that hadn’t made a trade since July 1st, so they get on the board here with Middleton, who had a 3.96 ERA in 39 appearances for the White Sox. In 36 1/3 innings, he allowed 33 hits and posted an impressive 30.1% strikeout rate. He also walked 3.96 batters per nine innings and has a home run problem, which might not be ideal in Yankee Stadium. He figures to operate in middle relief.

Juan Carela is a 21-year-old starter at High-A, who has a 3.67 ERA and 31.3% strikeout rate. Carela has plus-plus spin on his slider but struggles to throw strikes with his fastball, which sits just 92 mph. However, the slider is good enough that there’s some upside if he can locate better.

FANTASY OUTLOOK:

Absolutely no impact.

LAD get:
Ryan Yarbrough (RP)

KC gets:
Devin Mann (INF)
Derlin Figueroa (SS/OF)

The Dodgers will add to their pitching depth with Yarbrough, who has been a starter and a bulk reliever in recent years. With the Royals this season, he has a 4.24 ERA and 1.20 WHIP but an uninspiring 9.4% K-BB%. He had taken some steps forward with the Rays in the COVID-shortened 2020 season, the Dodgers may try to recapture that as a versatile bullpen option.

Mann is a good flier for the Royals. The 26-year-old 2B was hitting .307 in 89 games in Triple-A with seven home runs, 71 RBI, and two steals. He’s also played LF, 3B, and 1B this season, so the Royals have plenty of places to give him a shot.

FANTASY OUTLOOK:

I would expect Kansas City to call Mann up and give him a chance to get some MLB at-bats. That would make him valuable in AL-only leagues since the bat is pretty solid.

LAA get:
Dominic Leone

NYM get:
Jeremiah Jackson (INF)

The supermarket sweeps in New York continued as the Angels raided the Mets for reliever Dominic Leone. The journeyman had a 4.40 ERA in 30 1/3 innings for New York this season while posting a 17.3% K-BB rate. He’s not an exciting bullpen addition, but he gives the Angels another competent arm to round out their staff.

Jackson is a pretty intriguing return for the Mets for Leone since he’s hitting .248/.321/.447 in Double-A with 15 home runs and 21 steals in 82 games. He has above average power but not a great feel for the strike zone. Still, the raw tools are intriguing for a middle infielder.

MIA gets:
Josh Bell (1B)

CLE gets:
Jean Segura (INF)
Khalil Watson (SS)

After acquiring Kyle Manzardo from the Rays, the Guardians no longer needed Josh Bell, so they sent him off the Miami for Jean Segura and intriguing prospect Khalil Watson. Segura will clearly not play 3B in Cleveland, but he could move to 2B and slide Andres Gimenez to SS or he could operate as a versatile defender off of the bench. The 33-year-old has struggled this year with a .219/.277/.279 slash line with three home runs and six steals in 85 games. It’s more than likely he comes off the bench in Cleveland.

Khalil Watson is a major upside flyer for Cleveland. He’s hitting only .206/.337/.362 in High-A with seven home runs and 14 steals in 58 games, but the 20-year-old is an elite athlete and could be special if he can iron out some of the flaws in his swing.

Josh Bell joins Jake Burger in adding some thump to the Marlins offense. With Garrett Cooper also traded today, Bell slides into the 1B job in Miami and likely in the middle of the order. However, he really hasn’t been the same hitter since last year’s deadline and is batting just .233/.318/.383 this season with 11 home runs in 97 games. Still, he’s an upgrade for the Miami offense.

FANTASY OUTLOOK:

Segura likely loses all value if he moves to the bench, and Josh Bell gets a park decline here. However, Bell is also hitting in the middle of a strong lineup so that might outweigh some of the issues leaving Cleveland and the soft AL Central. He retains much of the value he had prior to the deadline, which wasn’t a lot in a poor year.

BAL gets:
Jack Flaherty

STL gets:
César Prieto (INF)
Drew Rom (SP)
Zack Showalter (SP)

Baltimore needed one more arm for their rotation heading into the playoffs and they get one in Flaherty. The 27-year-old is not pitching up to the caliber he showed pre-injury years ago, but he’s been solid with a 4.43 ERA and is coming off of his best month with a 3.03 ERA in 29 innings in July. The walks have been a major problem for him this season, and he has an unsightly 1.55 WHIP; however, he improved somewhat to 1.42 in July. The Orioles have shown themselves to be a solid organization when it comes to developing pitching, so perhaps they have a fix in mind for Flaherty.

Prieto is a good get for the Cardinals. The 24-year-old was hitting .349/.393/.475 across Double-A and Triple-A this season with six home runs and seven steals. He’s a solid defender who has a good feel for the strike zone but was blocked in Baltimore’s crowded system.

Drew Rom has shown real swing-and-miss stuff in Baltimore, with a 25.1% strikeout rate in 86 innings at Triple-A. However, he also has a 11.5% walk rate and 5.34 ERA, so there is work to be done on the command. Still, he’s an intriguing gamble for the Cardinals and a name to watch.

FANTASY OUTLOOK

This is good for Flaherty’s value, moving to a better pitcher’s park with a better team behind him. However, I don’t expect Baltimore to have some immediate magical fix for him, so there shouldn’t be a huge change in his value.

ARI gets:
Tommy Pham

NYM gets:
Jeremy Rodriguez (SS)

This is an interesting move for Arizona after they just dealt Dominic Canzone away yesterday to clean up some of their outfield logjam. However, with Corbin Carroll, Alek Thomas, and Jake McCarthy all hitting left-handed, they may see Pham as a right-handed complement. The veteran has been great for the Mets this season, hitting .268/.348/.472 with 10 home runs and 11 steals in 79 games.

Jeremy Rodriguez was the 47th-best prospect in this year’s international class and is hitting .250/.368/.383 with two HR, 22 walks and 26 strikeouts over 37 games in the Dominican Summer League. Obviously, he’s 17 so anything can happen before he’s ready to reach the majors.

FANTASY OUTLOOK:

This has to be a slight downgrade for Pham, who no longer figures to see every day at-bats in a crowded outfield.

TEX gets:
Austin Hedges (C)

PIT gets:
International bonus pool money

This is about Texas finding insurance behind the dish now that Jonah Heim is hurt. Hedges brings nothing with the bat but remains a pretty good defensive catcher, which makes him a good pairing with Mitch Garver on a Texas team that doesn’t really need more offense.

CWS get:
Luis Patiño

TB gets:
Cash

With Andrew Kittredge coming off of the IL, the Rays needed to make room on the 40-man roster, so they chose to simply sell Patiño off to the White Sox.

The right-hander was one of the more exciting prospects in baseball a few years ago, but he’s battled injuries and poor performance over the last two years, posting a 8.10 ERA in just 20 innings last year and a 9.00 ERA in four MLB innings this year. Unfortunately, things haven’t been much better in the minors as he has a 6.75 ERA in 45.1 Triple-A innings this year as both a starter and reliever. He’s only 23-years-old, so it’s possible that Chicago can fix whatever is broken, but the Rays clearly didn’t believe they were capable of it.

FANTASY OUTLOOK:

I guess this is good for Patiño’s value because he might get a crack at MLB innings this year, but it’s hard to see him having much value in 2023 with how much he’s struggled.

MIA gets:
Jake Burger (3B)

CHW gets:
Jake Eder (SP)

Miami looks to add some punch to their offense as they make a playoff push, adding Burger, who is hitting .214/.279/.527 in 88 games but has 25 home runs and a 19.6% barrel rate. He could push Jean Segura off of 3B for Miami or could slot in as the Marlins’ DH, which would move Jorge Soler to RF and put Avisail Garcia or Bryan De La Cruz on the bench depending on the handedness of the pitcher. Burger has some major swing-and-miss issues, but he has thump and makes the Marlins lineup a bit more dangerous.

However, Miami paid a price for this move. Jake Eder was emerging as one of the best pitching prospects in baseball before undergoing Tommy John surgery and then breaking his foot in the spring. He has good velocity from the left side and a wideout slider that should carry him. He is now the top pitching prospect in the White Sox system and could debut in 2024.

FANTASY OUTLOOK:

This is a pretty massive park downgrade for Burger. Guaranteed Rate Field ranked 6th in park factors for right-handed hitters according to Statcast, while LoanDepot Park is 26th. If you rank them just for right-handed home runs Guaranteed Rate Field is 6th and LoanDepot Park is 28th. Considering most of Burger’s game is predicated on power, that is concerning for his fantasy value, and I’d be looking to sell if I could.

This is also a long-term downgrade for Eder in terms of park, but his talent remains immense.

MIL gets:
Andrew Chafin (RP)

ARI gets:
Peter Strzelecki (RP)

The Brewers had thought Justin Wilson would join Hoby Milner as lefties out of the bullpen, but Wilson hurt himself in the bullpen just pitches before he entered the game two days ago, which is a brutal blow for a player working back from injury. Instead, Milwaukee will turn to Chafin, who has been solid in Arizona with a 4.19 ERA and 32.7% strikeout rate. The lefty interestingly has reverse splits this season with lefties hitting .314/.417/.431 off of him while righties are batting .185/.267/.370. He hasn’t really had splits in his career so it’s not likely something Milwaukee will worry about, but he makes that bullpen a little bit deeper.

This is an interesting move for the Diamondbacks, who acquired Paul Sewald yesterday but are now trading away their best left-handed reliever. With Chafin gone, Arizona figures to turn to Kyle Nelson as their primary left-handed reliever at the end of games. Sewald over Chafin likely is a net positive for Arizona, but they do lose a little bit of depth and experience by getting rid of Chafin.

Strzelecki is an intriguing pen arm under team control for a few more years, so this is a solid forward-thinking move for Arizona, even if it’s not an immediate improvement in 2023.

FANTASY OUTLOOK:
Nothing really changes here, but if you were still holding Chafin in the hopes that he would get some saves if lefties came up in the ninth then you can drop him now.

PHI gets:
Michael Lorenzen (SP)

DET gets:
Hao-Yu Lee (INF)

Philadelphia strengthened its bullpen for the playoff run by acquiring Lorenzen from the Tigers. The former reliever was solid in his first year as a starter last year but has taken that to a new level in 2023 with a 3.58 ERA and 1.10 WHIP in 105.2 innings. He’s not a big strikeout pitcher with just a 13.4% K-BB%, but he will slide into the Phillies’ rotation with Aaron Nola, Zach Wheeler and Taijuan Walker.

If the Phillies don’t go with a six man rotation, then either Ranger Suarez or Cristopher Sanchez will likely head to the bullpen. Or perhaps even Lorenzen himself since he’s nearing his career-high in innings.

Lee is a good get for Detroit as an infielder with a plus hit tool and good speed. It’s unclear yet where he settles defensively, but he’s only 20 years old, so there is a lot of time to work that out. Given his bat-to-ball skills, he has a pretty high floor.

FANTASY OUTLOOK:

Somebody figures to lose out in Philadelphia, but it’s not clear who that will be right now. Given how solid Sanchez has looked, it wouldn’t be a shock to see Ranger Suarez or even Lorenzen head to the bullpen.

Lorenzen is eight innings from his career high and has experience out of the pen, so the Phillies may like him as a bulk reliever, which would kill his fantasy value. If he does remain a starter, he has much better team context but is in a worse home park. He’s currently giving up the highest fly ball rate of his career, so that could lead to more home runs in Philadelphia if that continues. You may see worse ratios but more wins going forward.

HOU gets:
Justin Verlander

NYM get:
Drew Gilbert (OF)
Ryan Clifford (OF)

Well, the biggest fish at the 2023 MLB trade deadline is finally on the line as the Mets shipped Justin Verlander back to Houston.

It was a quick and forgettable tenure in New York for the 2022 AL Cy Young Award winner, who posted a 3.15 ERA and 1.14 WHIP while posting his worst strikeout rate since 2014 with a 21% mark and a 13% K-BB%. However, the 40-year-old got better as the season went on and is coming off of his best month, with a 1.69 ERA; however, he still had just a 21.6% strikeout rate and 10.8% K-BB%. It’s entirely possible that, like Max Scherzer, Verlander has entered the final stages of his career where his stuff is simply not at the caliber to get consistent swings and misses. However, he is still a top tier starting pitcher in the league and should boost Houston’s rotation as they push for the AL West crown.

The Mets rotation without Verlander, and potentially without Jose Quintana is likely to be a mess. David Peterson will eventually slide back into his old spot, even though he has looked good in a bullpen role. Tylor Megill could also be called back up or the Mets could give Mike Vasil a shot at his MLB debut.

Getting Drew Gilbert back was a must for the Mets. The 22-year-old is Houston’s top prospect and is hitting .274/.363/.458 with 12 home runs and 10 steals in 81 games across High-A and Double-A. A first-round pick (22nd overall) last season, the fact that he’s already in Double-A tells you everything you need to know about his upside as a future CF who will have average power but strong average and speed. He’s the Mets future in CF.

Clifford is another good get for the Mets as he has risen into the Top 100 prospects on certain mid-season lists. At 6'3" 200 pounds, Clifford is more of a power prospect who can also play 1B. He’s hitting .271/.356/.547 in 58 games at Double-A this season with 16 home runs and 46 RBI.

With Gilbert, Clifford, and Luisangel Acuna, the Mets seem to have gotten their OF of the future in two trades. Of course, who knows what that means for Ronny Mauricio, who seems to have nowhere to play.

FANTASY OUTLOOK:

Nothing really changes for Verlander. I know he’s going to a better team, and he’s pitched well in Houston before but expecting him to flip a switch simply because he’s back in Houston is not relying on any statistics or evidence you’ve witnessed with your own eyes while he’s on the mound this season. Citi Field is also one of the most pitcher-friendly parks in baseball, so it’s a park downgrade for Verlander too. Still, he’ll remain in your fantasy rotations of course.

With Verlander in town, Houston could move to a six-man rotation or they could potentially move Hunter Brown into a bulk reliever role. The young right-hander has thrown 111.1 innings this season and has a career-high of 126.1 innings. If he remained in the rotation for the rest of the season then he might have to be shut down for the playoffs.

However, Cristian Javier has also struggled a bit this season and has filled a bulk reliever role before, so perhaps Houston piggybacks Brown and Javier going forward.

Drew Gilbert and Ryan Clifford will not be up this season, so there is no real redraft impact here.

TOR gets:
Paul DeJong

STL gets:
Matt Svanson (RP)

While we don’t yet know the extent of Bo Bichette’s injury, this is not good news for his outlook.

DeJong is a plus defender at short, who is hitting .233/.297/.412 with 13 home runs and four steals in 81 games. He is a solid fill-in in a pinch but makes for a major downgrade for a team that’s trying to get into the postseason.

Svanson is an intriguing reliever headed to a team that seems to get the most out of their relievers. The 24-year-old is just in High-A, but he has a 1.11 ERA in 32.1 innings this year with 39 strikeouts to 11 walks, so there is some ability for St. Louis to mold.

FANTASY OUTLOOK

A value upgrade for DeJong here moving to a better hitter’s park and a better lineup overall. He’s certainly not going to become a star, but makes for a good MIF option and a potential fill-in for Bichette or Corey Seager at SS in deeper leagues.

TB gets:
Adrian Sampson (RP)
Manny Rodriguez (RP)

CHC get:
Josh Roberson (SP)

Not much to see here, but the Rays may turn Sampson or Rodriguez into a stud reliever.

ATL gets:
Brad Hand (RP)

COL gets:
Alec Barger (RP)

The Braves keep adding experienced depth with the acquisition of Brad Hand. The 33-year-old is having a career-worst season in Colorado, with a 4.54 ERA and 1.43 WHIP. However, he has found the swing-and-miss that he’s been lacking the last three seasons, posting a 15.9% K-BB%, which is his highest since 2020. He figures to be an infrequently used middle relief option in Atlanta.

Barger is a 25-year-old reliever in Double-A who has a 3.29 ERA. The Rockies are clearly banking on his swing-and-miss stuff as he has a 29.3% strikeout rate this year and 31.3% rate last year. However, that comes with control issues, so he’s the definition of a flier.

SD gets:
Rich Hill (SP)
Ji-Man Choi (1B)

PIT gets:
Jackson Wolf (SP)
Estuar Suarez (OF)
Alfonso Rivas (1B/OF)

After sweeping the Rangers over the weekend, A.J. Preller was given the go-ahead to buy at the deadline. His first move seems geared towards adding experienced depth to the fringes of the roster. Considering Pedro Avila is starting today for San Diego, they can use a little help at the back of their rotation with Michael Wacha out. The 42-year-old Hill is an established veteran but is in the midst of his worst season since 2013. In 119 innings, he’s posted a 4.76 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, and 10.8% K-BB%. Still, San Diego will prevent him from going deep into games and will rely on his experience to help them get into the postseason.

Ji-Man Choi figures to take Alfonso Rivas’ spot as a left-handed hitter off of the bench, but also feels a bit redundant with Matt Carpenter. Both players give San Diego options to start at 1B if they want to rest Jake Cronenworth, who is also in the middle of a poor season with a .219 average and eight home runs in 105 games.

Jackson Wolf is actually a pretty good get for the Pirates for Hill and Choi. The 24-year-old left-hander made his MLB debut this year after posting a 4.08 ERA in 88.1 innings with an impressive 23.6% K-BB% that puts him 23rd in all of minor league baseball among qualified starters. The relies primarily on deception for his success, but perhaps the Pirates can use him as a consistent back-end of the rotation option.

Alfonso Rivas is an intriguing 26-year-old who has good plate discipline and hit .332 in Triple-A this year with nine home runs and eight steals in 58 games. Perhaps the Pirates give 24-year-old Mason Martin a chance at the 1B job. He has not taken steps forward since 2021 and was demoted to Double-A this year, but the Pirates could likely afford to see if there is anything there before moving on.

FANTASY OUTLOOK:

Rich Hill gets a slight boost moving to a better team, but he likely won’t pitch deep enough into games to make a fantasy impact. In deeper leagues, Jackson Wolf is worth an add because he figures to slide into the Pirates rotation and has good swing-and-miss numbers in the minors.

KC gets:
Nelson Velázquez (OF)

CHC get:
José Cuas (RP)

Cuas will provide some bullpen depth for the Cubs. On the season, he has a 4.54 ERA in 41.2 innings, but he does have an impressive 27.1% strikeout rate. However, because of his low release point, Cuas gets a lot of arm-side run on his sinker, which has made him effective against lefties. This season, he has a .206/.359/.397 slash line against lefties, compared to a .320/.377/.485 line against righties, so it’s possible the Cubs see him as a reverse-splits specialist.

Nelson Velázquez hasn’t yet produced at the MLB level, with just a .210 career average in 90 games; however, he was hitting .253/.333/.469 with 16 home runs and seven steals in 74 games. At just 24-years-old, he’s an intriguing flier for the Royals in exchange for a 29-year-old middle reliever.

FANTASY OUTLOOK:
It would make sense for the Royals to give Nelson Velázquez a look at the end of this season. Edward Olivares is arbitration eligible starting next year, and the Royals have never seemed really inclined to give him full-time at-bats. Velázquez is also a better defender, so he could get a look in the outfield next to MJ Melendez and Drew Waters.

ARI gets:
Jace Peterson (UTIL)

OAK gets:
Chad Patrick (SP)

The Diamondbacks sent reserve utility man Josh Rojas to the Mariners earlier today, so they make a quick trade to replace him with the exact same archetype. Peterson is a left-handed hitter who can play 2B/3B/OF, which makes him a really solid bench player. On the season, he’s hitting .221/.313/.324 with six home runs and 11 steals in 93 games.

Patrick is a 24-year-old with a 4.71 ERA and 13.7% K-BB% at Double-A. He was drafted in the 4th round in 2021 and is a control-oriented pitcher with a sinker he locates for soft contact. It’s the kind of profile that reads as organizational depth.

FANTASY OUTLOOK

Nothing. Peterson wasn’t even an every day starter on the A’s, so there aren’t really going to be any changes in value to take advantage of here.

CIN gets:
Sam Moll (RP)

OAK gets:
Joe Boyle (SP)

The Reds are looking for bullpen depth here. Moll is a classic lefty-specialist. Right-handed hitters are batting .276/.424/.355 off of him while lefties are hitting .197/.254/.303. Considering the Reds only other lefty, Alex Young, has reverse splits, this move strengthens the Cincinnati bullpen.

Oakland gets Boyle, who has clear swing-and-miss stuff but problems harnessing his control. At Double-A this year he has a 4.50 ERA over 84 innings with 122 strikeouts and 75 walks. The A’s will try to mold him into a starter but might settle for long-term bullpen upside.

FANTASY OUTLOOK:

Nothing of relevance for 2023.

SF gets:
AJ Pollock (OF)
Mark Mathias (INF)

SEA gets:
Player to be named later
Cash considerations

The Mariners were clearly looking to unload an outfielder in order to create a space for newly-acquired Dominic Canzone. To that end, this is a salary dump and a roster flexibility move with cash and a future player coming back.

For the Giants, this appears to be “buying” to a certain extent. Pollock is an established veteran who could be a right-handed complement to outfielders like Michael Conforto and Mike Yastrzemski. However, Pollock is only hitting .173/.225/.323 this season with five home runs in 49 games.

FANTASY OUTLOOK

None, really. I mean, I guess Pollock could steal some at-bats from Conforto/Yaz against left-handed pitching, which would ding their value a bit, but it’s hard to see the Giants trying to give Pollock that many at-bats with the way he’s hitting this year and his .245/.292/.389 season in 138 games last season.

CHC get:
Jeimer Candelario (3B)

WAS get:
DJ Herz (SP)
Kevin Made (INF)

The Cubs were once thought to be sellers, but considering they are just 3.5 games out of the NL Wild Card, they decided to hold onto Cody Bellinger and do some cautious buying at the deadline instead. Candelario has been really good in his first season with Washington, hitting .258/.342/.481 with 16 home runs, 57 runs, 53 RBI, and six steals. He will slide into the 3B spot for the Cubs, sending Nick Madrigal to the bench.

Washington got back 20-year-old shortstop Kevin Made, who is only in High-A and years away from the big leagues, and left-handed pitcher DJ Herz. Herz is the primary target here. The 22-year-old lefty features an elite change-up that he has ridden to a solid season at Double-A with a 3.97 ERA and 16.3% K-BB% in 59 innings.

FANTASY OUTLOOK:
This is a boost for Candelario who will now hit in the middle of a better lineup and get the slightest park boost since Wrigley ranks 6th for left-handed power while Nationals Park ranks 7th. He should be an add in most formats given how he was hitting.

Neither prospect will see the big leagues this year, or maybe even next, so the only value in Washington will be for who slides into the starting lineup. At first, it seems like Ildemaro Vargas, but perhaps Jake Alu gets called up from Triple-A, which would be far more exciting for fantasy since he has a .298 average in Triple-A with five home runs, 16 RBI, and just a 13.9% strikeout rate.

NYM get:
Justin Jarvis (SP)

MIL gets:
Mark Canha (OF)

The Mets continued their sell off of expiring contracts on Monday, trading outfielder Mark Canha to the Brewers for 23-year-old starting pitcher Justin Jarvis.

The 34-year-old Canha has been solid for the Mets, posting a .245/.343/.381 line with six home runs and seven steals in 89 games in 2023. He figures to move into an everyday role with the Brewers as their DH with the potential to spell Christian Yelich in LF or Carlos Santana at 1B.

For the Mets, they finally add some upper minors pitching to their organization. Jarvis had a 3.33 ERA in 14 Double-A starts this year with a 20.4% K-BB% and 1.26 WHIP. He has not been as successful in his first three Triple-A starts, but he possesses upside as a back-of-the-rotation arm with a deep arsenal of pitches.

FANTASY OUTLOOK:

Mark Canha gets a slight boost here with more secure playing time in a better hitter’s park, but he’s not going to all-of-the-sudden turn into a 20+ home run bat. The counting stats may not improve much as the Brewers lineup isn’t much better than what the Mets were putting out there.

Jarvis won’t be up with the Mets until 2024 (likely), so the result of this trade from New York’s standpoint is more that D.J. Stewart should see increased playing time (for now), until the Mets make a move for another outfielder or decide to call up Ronny Mauricio.

Arizona gets:
Paul Sewald (RP)

Seattle gets:
Josh Rojas (UTIL)
Dominic Canzone (OF)
Ryan Bliss (INF)

Two years after dealing erstwhile closer Kendall Graveman to the Astros in the middle of a playoff run, the Mariners did it again, sending Paul Sewald to the Diamondbacks 24 hours before the deadline. Sewald figures to slide in as the primary closer for Arizona, pushing Kevin Ginkel back to a set-up role, and the move is a clear indication that the Diamondbacks are looking to capitalize on their strong season and secure a playoff berth. It doesn’t hurt that they primarily dealt from an outfield that is already super crowded.

However, this not a white flag for Seattle. They, rightfully, feel confident in a bullpen that features Andres Munoz, Matt Brash, Justin Topa, and rookie Isaiah Campbell, so they dealt from a position of strength to acquire three hitters with multiple years of control.

Josh Rojas hasn’t done much this season, hitting .228/.292/.296 in 59 games, but he can play all over the diamond and makes for a good bench bat. Dominic Canzone had a great season in Triple-A for Arizona, hitting .354 with 16 home runs. The lefty could push Cade Marlowe and Taylor Trammell for regular left field at-bats. Bliss is a middle infielder who was just promoted to Triple-A after obliterating Double-A to the tune of .358/.414/.594 with 12 home runs and 30 steals and could be Kolten Wong insurance for 2024.

FANTASY OUTLOOK:
There’s a good chance Canzone emerges as the everyday left fielder for Seattle, which is a huge boost to his value, and a hit to the emerging value of Cade Marlowe. However, Canzone certainly won’t be handed the job, so Marlowe can still get his fair share if he keeps producing.

Josh Rojas and Ryan Bliss don’t figure to have any value since Rojas will remain a bench bat and Bliss likely won’t be up until 2024.

Sewald retains pretty much the same value; although, there’s an argument he’ll see more save opportunities in Arizona with less competition. In his stead, Seattle will likely lean on Andres Munoz and Matt Brash since we know they like to use multiple relievers instead of relying on just one closer.

According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Rays have secured some rotation depth by pulling off a trade for right-hander Aaron Civale. In return, Cleveland will net prospect first baseman Kyle Manzardo.

Civale, 28, has thrived to the tune of a 2.34 ERA (3.67 xERA) and 58/22 K/BB ratio in 77 innings across 13 starts this season. Of course, the Rays lost Drew Rasmussen and Jeffrey Springs early in the year and Taj Bradley has struggled after getting off to a hot start in the majors, so it’s no secret that help was needed. And this move isn’t just about this year, as they will have Civale under team control for two more years beyond this one.

Coming off a monster month of July, it’s not hard to see why Civale caught the Rays’ eye...

Manzardo entered 2023 with some serious helium as a prospect after putting up a 1.043 OPS between High-A and Double-A last year, but he’s taken a bit of a step back in Triple-A this year with 11 home runs and a .238/.342/.442 batting line across 73 games. Still, he’s highly-regarded for his approach and ability to make contact, even if he doesn’t profile as a prototypical left-handed slugger.

On the surface, it’s a smart trade for the Guardians as they look to bolster their offense for the future. One could argue that Civale might never be more valuable than this moment (until the Rays get their hands on him, that is) and Cleveland is great at developing starting pitching. Still, it’s a weird message for the Guardians to send to their fans given that they are tied with the Twins in the loss column for first-place in the AL Central.

While it’s more confusing than ever to identify which teams are “buying” or “selling” at the deadline due to the expanded playoff format keeping so many teams in the hunt, the following is the most accurate list we can come up with of teams that are looking o acquire MLB-ready talent at the deadline, teams that are looking to trade it away, and a few teams that are looking to do both.

BUYERS
Los Angeles Dodgers
Texas Rangers
Los Angeles Angels
Atlanta Braves
San Francisco Giants
Arizona Diamondbacks

Philadelphia Phillies

Miami Marlins (maybe already done)
Baltimore Orioles (allegedly)
Cincinnati Reds (allegedly)
San Diego Padres (as of Monday morning)

SELLERS
Chicago White Sox
New York Mets
St. Louis Cardinals
Kansas City Royals
Colorado Rockies
Washington Nationals
Detroit Tigers

BUYING AND SELLING
Boston Red Sox
Seattle Mariners
Minnesota Twins

UNCLEAR
Tampa Bay Rays
Pittsburgh Pirates
New York Yankees

Players listed in italics are minor league prospects

July 31

KC gets:
Taylor Hearn (RP)
ATL gets:
Nicky Lopez (INF)

LAA get:
Randal Grichuk (RF)
C.J. Cron (1B)
COL gets:
Jake Madden (RP)
Mason Albright (SP)

July 30

TEX gets:
Jordan Montgomery (SP)
Chris Stratton (RP)
STL gets:
John King (RP)
Thomas Saggese (INF)
Tekoah Roby (SP)

TOR gets:
Jordan Hicks (RP)
STL gets:
Adam Kloffenstein (P)
Sem Robberse (P)

July 29th

TEX gets:
Max Scherzer (SP)
NYM get:
Luisangel Acuna (SS) - MLB Pipeline #44 overall prospect

July 28

CWS get:
Korey Lee (C)
HOU gets:
Kendall Graveman (RP)

CWS get:
Nick Nastrini (P)
Jordan Leasure (P)
Trayce Thompson (CF)
LAD get:
Lance Lynn (SP)
Joe Kelly (RP)

NYM get:
Ronald Hernandez (C)
Marco Vargas (MIF)
MIA gets:
David Robertson (RP)

July 27th

MIL gets:
Carlos Santana (1B)
PIT gets:
Jhonny Severino (SS)

LAD gets:
Amed Rosario (SS)
CLE gets:
Noah Syndergaard (SP)

CWS gets:
Ky Bush (SP)
Edgar Quero (C)
LAA gets:
Lucas Giolito (SP)
Reynaldo Lopez (RP)

July 26th

MIN gets:
Dylan Floro (RP)
MIA gets:
Jorge Lopez (RP)

July 25th

BOS gets:
Justin Hagenman (P)
Nick Robertson (P)
LAD gets:
Enrique Hernandez (SS)

July 24th

ATL gets:
Pierce Johnson (RP)
COL gets:
Victor Vodnik (RP)
Tanner Gordon (SP)