July 31, 2025
Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher
Andrew Kittredge has been traded to the Cubs to fortify Chicago's bullpen for the stretch run. Kittredge pitched for the Cubs' rivals in St. Louis in 2024 before joining the Orioles this year. He got a late start to the season after a knee injury but has been very effective lately, allowing just one run over 7 2/3 innings in his last nine appearances. He has an impressive 41.3% chase rate, mostly due to his slider, and his 25.2% strikeout rate makes him an effective option when he comes into tight spots with runners on base. The 35-year-old righty is a solid pickup for the Cubs' bullpen and has a 2026 club option as well. Chicago had interest in Kittredge as a free agent before he signed with the Orioles, and will now add him to a solid bullpen as they look to claim the NL Central in what should be a great race to the finish with the Brewers.
--Zach ThompsonSource: Andy Kostka
July 31, 2025
The Washington Nationals are acquiring shortstop prospect Ronny Cruz from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for right-handed pitcher
Michael Soroka. The Nationals are also acquiring outfield prospect
Christian Franklin in this deal. Cruz is considered the headliner piece in this trade as he was ranked as the No. 12-best prospect in the Cubs' system before the move. The 18-year-old joined Chicago in the third round (90th overall pick) in the 2024 MLB Draft out of Miami Christian School. Cruz made his professional debut this season and has spent the entire campaign in the Arizona Complex League. Through 48 games, Cruz has posted a .270/.314/.431 slash line with 10 doubles, six triples, two home runs, and 10 stolen bases. The Nationals could opt to give Cruz a taste of Low-A ball later in the regular season.
--Andy SmithSource: Jesse Rogers
July 31, 2025
The Washington Nationals have acquired outfield prospect
Christian Franklin and infield prospect Ronny Cruz from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for right-handed pitcher
Michael Soroka. At the time of the transaction, Franklin was ranked as the No. 25 prospect in the Cubs' system on MLB.com. Franklin opened the season by making his Triple-A debut and has been rather productive during his first stint at the top level of the minor leagues. Through 86 games with the Iowa Cubs, the former fourth-round pick has held a .265/.393/.427 line with an .820 OPS. During this stretch, Franklin has hit eight home runs, tallied 20 doubles, and swiped 11 bags. Fantasy managers should monitor his status as the Nationals could opt to give Franklin a taste of the majors during the final weeks of the regular season.
--Andy SmithSource: Jesse Rogers
July 31, 2025
The Los Angeles Dodgers have acquired left-handed pitching prospect
Adam Serwinowski in a three-way trade alongside the Tampa Bay Rays and the Cincinnati Reds. In this deal, the Dodgers also added right-handed pitcher
Paul Gervase and catcher
Ben Rortvedt. Before the transaction, the southpaw was considered the No. 12-best prospect in the Cincinnati system on MLB.com. After spending the entire 2024 season with Single-A, Serwinowski has spent all of 2025 with High-A Dayton. Through 74 1/3 innings of work, the left-hander has posted a 4.84 ERA with a 1.44 WHIP. During this stretch, he has struck out 92 hitters while only allowing 39 free passes. Last summer, he held a 3.47 ERA at Single-A. He could be in the mix to earn a taste of Double-A later in the second half.
--Andy SmithSource: Jeff Passan
July 31, 2025
The Arizona Diamondbacks are acquiring right-handed pitching prospect
Juan Burgos from the Seattle Mariners in exchange for third baseman
Eugenio Suarez. In addition, the Mariners are also acquiring their top first base prospect,
Tyler Locklear, and another right-handed pitching prospect,
Hunter Cranton. Before the deal, Burgos was considered the No. 17-ranked prospect in the system on MLB Pipeline. Burgos made his MLB debut earlier this season and held a 4.05 ERA across 6 2/3 innings of relief. The right-hander has spent the majority of his time with Double-A, where he posted an elite 0.64 ERA and 0.61 WHIP through 28 innings of relief. During this stretch, he struck out 29 hitters. He then earned a brief look at Triple-A before making his MLB debut. Given his production in the upper levels of the minor leagues, Burgos could spend most of the second half with the Diamondbacks in the major leagues.
--Andy SmithSource: Daniel Kramer
July 31, 2025
The Arizona Diamondbacks are acquiring right-handed pitching prospect
Hunter Cranton in the deal that sent third baseman
Eugenio Suarez to the Seattle Mariners. In addition, the Mariners also acquired another right-handed pitcher,
Juan Burgos, and first baseman
Tyler Locklear. Before the trade, Cranton was ranked as the No. 16 overall prospect in the Seattle system on MLB.com. Cranton has only been able to log 10 innings of work this season as he was sidelined for the entire first half due to a concussion. He logged two innings in the Arizona Complex League before moving to High-A Everett, where he has tossed eight innings of one-run ball with an 11:3 K:BB. In 2024, Cranton made his professional debut and held a 3.24 ERA across 8 1/3 innings with Low-A. Cranton will likely remain at the High-A level during the entire second half.
--Andy SmithSource: Daniel Kramer
July
31,
2025
The
Arizona
Diamondbacks
are
acquiring
first
base
prospect
Tyler
Locklear
from
the
Seattle
Mariners
in
exchange
for
third
baseman
Eugenio
Suarez.
In
this
package,
the
Mariners
are
also
acquiring
right-handed
prospect
read more...
July
31,
2025
The
Seattle
Mariners
have
agreed
to
acquire
third
baseman
Eugenio
Suarez
from
the
Arizona
Diamondbacks,
Jeff
Passan
of
ESPN
reports.
First
baseman
Tyler
Locklear
and
right-handed
pitching
prospects
Hunterread more...
July 30, 2025
The Boston Red Sox are set to acquire left-handed reliever
Steven Matz from the St. Louis Cardinals, per Jeff Passan of ESPN. The Cardinals will receive first baseman
Blaze Jordan in return. Matz has spent most of his career as a starter since debuting with the New York Mets in 2015, but the 34-year-old has turned into a quality reliever. In 32 appearances this year, Matz has piled up 55 innings of 3.44 ERA ball with a 1.18 WHIP, 47 strikeouts, nine walks, and seven holds. He should be a nice addition to a Boston bullpen that ranks fourth in the majors in ERA.
--Connor ByrneSource: Jeff Passan
July 30, 2025
The San Francisco Giants have made right-hander
Justin Verlander available ahead of Thursday's trade deadline, according to Jon Morosi of MLB.com. Verlander has a full no-trade clause, giving him the right to block a deal anywhere. The Giants signed the 42-year-old to a $15 million contract in the offseason, but this season has been a struggle for Verlander. The three-time Cy Young winner has made 18 starts and gone 1-8 with a 4.53 ERA, a 1.49 WHIP, and 77:34 K:BB across 89 1/3 innings. While Verlander could still be of interest to teams looking for back-end rotation help, it's likely the Giants would have to eat at least some of his remaining salary for a trade to come to fruition.
--Connor ByrneSource: Jon Morosi
July
30,
2025
The
Cincinnati
Reds
have
agreed
to
acquire
right-hander
Zack
Littell
from
the
Tampa
Bay
Rays,
Jeff
Passan
of
ESPN
reports.
They're
finalizing
a
trade
that
involves
a
third
team,
according
to
Bob
Nightengale
of
USA
Today.
Littell,
read more...
July 30, 2025
The Houston Astros will acquire third baseman
Ramon Urias from the Baltimore Orioles, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports. Single-A right-hander Twine Palmer is going to Baltimore in return, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. Urias will give the Astros a veteran third base option to help cover for the loss of
Isaac Paredes (hamstring), who could miss the rest of the season with a hamstring injury. While Urias doesn't make the same type of offensive impact as Paredes, the 31-year-old has offered respectable production since debuting with the Orioles in 2020. Urias has batted .259/.324/.404 with 47 home runs in 1,755 career plate appearances. He hit .248/.300/.388 with eight homers, 34 RBI, 27 runs scored, and two stolen bases in 290 trips to the plate with the O's this year.
--Connor ByrneSource: Jon Heyman
July 30, 2025
The Seattle Mariners traded right-handed pitching prospect Jeter Martinez to the Pirates in exchange for lefty reliever
Caleb Ferguson, according to Adam Jude of the Seattle Times. Martinez is a 19-year-old who has spent all of the 2025 season starting at Low-A, where he has a 6.18 ERA, 1.61 WHIP, and a 7.7% K-BB% in 62.2 innings. The walk rates have been out of control in Martinez's short time in the minor leagues, and Fangraphs' present command grade of 20 reflects that. He has a high 90s fastball to go with a strong slider, which is a potentially strong foundation for the right-hander. His future will be determined by his ability to throw strikes consistently, and he could eventually turn into a reliever with electric strikeout stuff.
--Kyle McCarthySource: Adam Jude
July 30, 2025
Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander
Mitch Keller has been popular in trade rumors leading up to Thursday's deadline. Surprisingly, though, Keller will "likely" remain with the Pirates, sources have told Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The Pirates haven't found any offers to their liking, and they're not in any rush to give away Keller after signing him to a reasonably priced extension before the 2024 campaign. Now in the second season of a five-year, $77 million contract, Keller has notched a 3.69 ERA with a 1.20 WHIP, 100 strikeouts, and 33 walks over 127 innings. The 29-year-old has also racked up 15 quality starts in 22 tries, but he has only managed a 4-10 record because of the Pirates' lack of offense.
--Connor ByrneSource: Ken Rosenthal
July 30, 2025
New York Yankees outfield prospect
Spencer Jones went 1-for-3 with a strikeout in his second game returning from a back spasms injury that held him out for a game. He appears to be just fine after going 2-for-4 with a double on Tuesday and swiping two bases tonight. The 6'7" lefty hitter has been crushing the ball in July, hitting .419/.477/.946 with 11 homers, seven steals, and a 9:20 BB:K ratio in 74 at-bats. The whiffs have still been at an untenable rate for the season, with a whopping 17.7 percent swinging strike rate and 66.8 percent contact rate. The power upside is undeniable, but there are still plenty of concerns with the hit tool. With how dominant he's been, however, there is a chance we see him in the majors at some point this season.
--Kyle McCarthySource: MiLB.com
RADIO
