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
July 30, 2025
Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander/designated hitter
Shohei Ohtani (hip) left his start against the Cincinnati Reds in the fourth inning with cramping in his right hip. Ohtani told reporters after the game that the cramping began in the first inning. Despite that, he wound up throwing three innings of two-run ball with five hits allowed and four strikeouts against two walks before exiting with an athletic trainer. Ohtani stayed in as the DH and finished the night 0-for-5. The Dodgers haven't given a date for Ohtani's next start, but it's a relief that he won't miss any time on the mound as he continues building up in his return from 2023 Tommy John surgery. The hard-throwing Ohtani has totaled 15 innings over seven short starts and recorded a stellar 2.40 ERA with 17 strikeouts and five walks.
--Connor ByrneSource: David Vassegh - AM 570 LA Sports
July 30, 2025
The Detroit Tigers announced that they have acquired right-handed reliever
Rafael Montero from the Atlanta Braves for minor-league infielder
Jim Jarvis. This is the second trade of the season involving Montero, who went from the Houston Astros to the Braves in April. The 34-year-old has struggled to keep runs off the board in recent seasons and has put up an inflated 5.40 ERA with a 1.38 WHIP, 39:23 K:BB, and seven holds in 38 1/3 innings in 2025. Montero is going from a non-contender to a division leader, but he's still unlikely to have any fantasy relevance as a Tiger.
--Connor ByrneSource: Detroit Tigers
July 30, 2025
St. Louis Cardinals right-handed pitching prospect
Gordon Graceffo was recalled from Triple-A Memphis on Wednesday. Left-handed reliever
John King was placed on the 15-day IL with a strained oblique as the corresponding move. Graceffo has had a solid season at Triple-A as a starter and reliever, with a 3.89 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, and 17.2% K-BB% in 39.1 innings. He made 13 appearances with the big league club this year and had a poor ERA at 5.11, but limited baserunners effectively with a 1.05 WHIP and had a favorable 2.69 FIP. He should be expected to take King's place in the bullpen for the time being.
--Kyle McCarthySource: St. Louis Cardinals
July 30, 2025
The Cincinnati Reds acquired third baseman
Ke'Bryan Hayes from the Pirates in exchange for relief pitcher
Taylor Rogers and shortstop prospect
Sammy Stafura. Stafura is a 20-year-old former 2nd round pick, and he's posted a .262/.393/.411 slash line with a 131 wRC+ in 402 plate appearances at Low-A this season. He's consistently posted high walk rates during his time in the minors since 2023, with his lowest walk rate in a stint being 14.8 percent. There is still a good amount of swing and miss in his profile, and the power hasn't fully materialized yet, but he does have an average future power grade. Stafura's calling card is his speed, as he has stolen 28 bases so far this season after swiping 31 across multiple levels in 2024. The upside is in question with a questionable hit tool and limited power, but his speed is intriguing.
--Kyle McCarthySource: ESPN
July 30, 2025
Baltimore Orioles right-handed pitching prospect Braxton Bragg (elbow) underwent right UCL reconstruction surgery on Wednesday, according to Jake Rill of MLB.com. Bragg is the No. 7 overall prospect in the Orioles system, per MLB Pipeline, and was having a strong 2025 season before going down. He totaled a 1.68 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, and a 25.5% K-BB% across 59 innings between High-A and Double-A. He boasted promising swinging-strike rates along with higher ground-ball rates, but now the 24-year-old is expected to miss most, if not all, of the 2026 season.
--Kyle McCarthySource: Jake Rill
July 30, 2025
The Chicago Cubs have acquired right-hander
Michael Soroka from the Washington Nationals, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports. Two prospects - outfielder
Christian Franklin and infielder Ronny Cruz - are going to Washington in return. Soroka joined the Nationals on a one-year, $9 million contract in free agency and pitched to a 4.97 ERA over 16 starts and 81 1/3 innings in their uniform this season. While the 27-year-old's ERA is hardly inspiring, Soroka does carry a 3.32 xERA/4.11 FIP/4.04 xFIP with a terrific 87:24 K:BB. He's a candidate for positive regression in the run prevention department. It's also likely that Soroka's 3-8 record will improve now that he's joining a much better team. Soroka is expected to slot into Chicago's rotation, but he also has experience as a reliever.
--Connor ByrneSource: Jesse Rogers - ESPN
July
30,
2025
The
Athletics
reportedly
told
teams
earlier
this
month
that
closer
Mason
Miller
wouldn't
be
going
anywhere
by
Thursday's
trade
deadline.
However,
that
hasn't
stopped
the
Athletics
from
engaging
in
discussions
about
the
flamethrowing
right-hander
with
inquiring
clubs.
read more...
July 30, 2025
Chicago White Sox infielder
Chase Meidroth (thumb) left early in a 9-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday after taking a pitch off the right thumb. The White Sox announced that X-rays came back negative on Meidroth, who's day-to-day. The 24-year-old rookie went 1-for-2 before the White Sox replaced him with
Lenyn Sosa in the top of the sixth inning. Sosa finished 2-for-2 with an RBI and a run scored. Meidroth, who joined Chicago in an offseason trade with Boston centering on ace
Garrett Crochet, has hit .252/.330/.319 with three homers, 15 RBI, 36 runs scored, and 11 stolen bases in 349 plate appearances.
--Connor ByrneSource: Chicago White Sox
July 30, 2025
Houston Astros right-hander
Cristian Javier (elbow) built up to 64 pitches in his second rehab start with Triple-A Sugar Land on Wednesday. Javier went 3 1/3 innings, threw 33 strikes, and allowed three earned runs on two hits with four walks against three strikeouts. The 28-year-old has struggled with command in both of his Triple-A starts, but that's not a surprise for someone working back from Tommy John surgery. It's at least encouraging that Javier showed off normal velocity on Wednesday (93 mph average fastball) and threw 15 more pitches his second time out. Javier still figures to need a couple more rehab starts before rejoining the Astros' pitching staff sometime in August. He hasn't toed the rubber in the majors since May 2024.
--Connor ByrneSource: Chandler Rome - The Athletic
July 30, 2025
Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar
Shohei Ohtani (cramps) left his start against the Cincinnati Reds early on Wednesday with cramps, the team announced. Ohtani walked off the mound in the middle of an at-bat with an athletic trainer after throwing six straight balls, two of which were wild pitches. There was initial concern that Ohtani suffered a serious injury, but the three-time MVP was able to stay in at designated hitter. After undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2023, Ohtani missed all of 2024 as a pitcher. The right-hander made his return to the mound June 16 and has since been effective over seven outings, though he hasn't gotten more than nine outs in any of his appearances. Wednesday's start was the first time he pitched into the fourth inning this year. Ohtani totaled three innings on a season-high 51 pitches (32 strikes) and allowed two runs on five hits with 4:2 K:BB. It's unclear when he'll make his next start.
--Connor ByrneSource: Sonja Chen - MLB.com
July 30, 2025
Toronto Blue Jays right-handed reliever
Yimi Garcia (ankle, elbow) should resume throwing in about a week, manager John Schneider said. Garcia went on the 15-day injured list with a sprained left ankle on July 5. Since then, a more serious issue - nerve symptoms in his elbow - cropped up and forced the Blue Jays to shut Garcia down from throwing. Garcia recently underwent a cortisone injection, and Toronto is hopeful that he'll return to its bullpen in late August. This has been an injury-riddled season for Garcia, who spent about six weeks on the shelf earlier in the year with a shoulder impingement. The 34-year-old has still made 22 appearances and put up a 3.86 ERA with a 1.19 WHIP, 25:12 K:BB, six holds, and three saves in 21 innings. If he comes back healthy, Garcia could be an important late-season reinforcement for a Toronto team vying for an AL East title.
--Connor ByrneSource: Ben Nicholson-Smith - Sportsnet
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