July
4,
2025
The
San
Diego
Padres
would
like
to
upgrade
offensively
over
catchers
Elias
Diaz
and
Martin
Maldonado,
but
The
Athletic's
Ken
Rosenthal
writes
that
most
teams
with
depth
at
catcher
are
reluctant
to
compromise
read more...
July 4, 2025
According to sources briefed on their thinking, the Kansas City Royals are interested in acquiring Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder
Bryan Reynolds. However, talks between the two teams haven't commenced in earnest. The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal points out that the Royals are last in the league in runs per game. If the 30-year-old Reynolds is still the above-average offensive player he was from 2021-24, then he's underpaid relative to the free-agent market. But if he continues to struggle like he has in the first half of this year, the $74 million he's owed from 2026-30 could become a problem. Reynolds' OPS has slowly improved with the weather heating up, but his defensive metrics are poor, and it's unclear exactly how much the Pirates would ask for him. His advanced metrics paint an optimistic picture, as his xBA (.283) is well above his actual average (.237), and he's in the 82nd percentile in hard-hit rate.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Ken Rosenthal
July 4, 2025
New York Mets pitching prospect
Nolan McLean allowed two runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out 10 over five innings against Triple-A Worcester. McLean picked up the win on Thursday as he set a season high for strikeouts in a game this season. He generated 11 whiffs on 37 swings as he distributed his arsenal quite evenly in this outing, throwing five pitches at least 12 times but none thrown more than 19 times. The 23-year-old has performed well at the highest level of the minors for the season with a 2.80 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, and a 55:23 K:BB in 54.2 innings. The injuries are piling up in the Mets' rotation, and given McLean's quality of stuff, the right-hander could join the big league rotation soon. He'd be a solid speculative add and worth rostering in 15-team formats.
--Kyle McCarthySource: MiLB.com
July 3, 2025
Toronto Blue Jays outfielder
George Springer's red-hot run continued in an 8-5 win over the New York Yankees on Thursday. Springer belted a pair of two-run homers, his 14th and 15th of the season, in a 3-for-4 night. He also drew a walk and scored an additional run as Toronto finished off a four-game sweep of New York. Springer had a dream series against the Yankees, going 8-for-14 with four HRs, 11 RBI, seven runs, and four walks. After a down 2024, the 35-year-old has returned to his past star-caliber form during the first half of this season. He's hitting an outstanding .281/.378/.513 with 51 RBI, 49 runs, 10 steals, and a career-high 13.1% walk rate in 321 trips to the plate.
--Connor ByrneSource: ESPN
July 3, 2025
Washington Nationals outfielder
James Wood delivered a spectacular performance Thursday to help lead the Nats to an 11-7 victory over the Detroit Tigers. The budding superstar went 5-for-5 with a solo homer, two RBI, and three runs scored in one of the best games of his young career. Wood, named as a Home Run Derby participant on Thursday, has clubbed 23 HRs and slashed .294/.395/.563 with 67 RBI, 58 runs, and 12 steals in 387 plate appearances. Along with those superb numbers, Wood ranks in the top 4% of hitters in xwOBA, xSLG, and average exit velocity, among other batted-ball metrics. He already looks like an elite offensive player at the age of 22.
--Connor ByrneSource: ESPN
July 3, 2025
Houston Astros outfielder
Cam Smith posted another productive performance in a 7-6 loss to the Colorado Rockies on Thursday. The 22-year-old rookie finished a home run short of the cycle in a 3-for-5, three-RBI game. He now has three straight multi-hit games and six in his past seven contests. Smith understandably got off to a slow start over the first few weeks of the season as he adjusted to the bigs. Now, just one year removed from going in the first round of the 2024 MLB Draft, Smith has established himself as a quality regular. He's slashing .291/.359/.445 with seven homers, 38 RBI, 34 runs scored, and four steals in 281 trips to the plate. Smith ranks in the top 25 percent of hitters in xwOBA and xBA, making his output all the more impressive.
--Connor ByrneSource: ESPN
July 3, 2025
Colorado Rockies reliever
Seth Halvorsen got four outs to log his seventh save in the team's 7-6 win over the Houston Astros on Thursday. Halvorsen inherited runners on the corners in a 7-5 game in the top of the eighth, but he retired
Isaac Paredes to escape the trouble. The ninth was trickier for Halvorsen, who gave up three hits (including a leadoff triple to
Jake Meyers) and a run before getting
Cooper Hummel to fly out to end the game. Halvorsen threw 26 pitches and struck out one in the outing. The 25-year-old right-hander has recorded a 4.15 ERA with 32 strikeouts, 15 walks, and a 1.44 WHIP in 34 2/3 innings. Between those unspectacular numbers and the lack of save opportunities that come with pitching for the last-place Rockies, Halvorsen is not much of a fantasy asset.
--Connor ByrneSource: ESPN
July 3, 2025
Miami Marlins reliever
Ronny Henriquez earned his fifth save of the year in a 4-1 win over the Minnesota Twins on Thursday. Henriquez threw a 1-2-3 ninth inning on 15 pitches and struck out one. The 23-year-old right-hander has emerged as the favorite for saves in Miami, which had mostly used
Calvin Faucher in the closer role until the past couple of weeks. Faucher threw a scoreless eighth inning on Thursday for his fifth hold. Henriquez, meanwhile, has converted all four of his save opportunities since June 22. He now owns a 2.79 ERA with 58 strikeouts, 16 walks, and a 1.19 WHIP in 42 innings.
--Connor ByrneSource: ESPN
July 3, 2025
New York Mets closer
Edwin Diaz threw a scoreless ninth inning to finish off a 3-2 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday. Diaz allowed a one-out single to
Christian Yelich, who was then thrown out trying to steal second. The 31-year-old right-hander struck out the other two hitters he faced en route to his 18th save in 19 tries. Diaz has earned saves in back-to-back nights on a total of 37 pitches. The two-time All-Star boasts a 1.85 ERA with a 0.91 WHIP, 51 strikeouts, and 12 walks in 34 innings.
--Connor ByrneSource: ESPN
July 3, 2025
Toronto Blue Jays closer
Jeff Hoffman recorded his 21st save of the year in an 8-5 victory against the New York Yankees on Thursday. Hoffman allowed a one-out double to
Jasson Dominguez, but he retired the other three hitters (one via strikeout) in a 16-pitch ninth inning. Like many of his teammates, Hoffman had a great series in a four-game sweep of the Yankees. He saved three of those victories and has now gone eight appearances without allowing an earned run. The 32-year-old has converted 84% of save chances this season while registering a 4.58 ERA with 50:10 K:BB and a 1.07 WHIP in 36 1/3 frames. Hoffman has pitched four times in the past five days, meaning the Jays will likely rest him against the Los Angeles Angels on Friday.
--Connor ByrneSource: ESPN
July 3, 2025
Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander
Tyler Glasnow (shoulder) made his third rehab start with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Thursday. Glasnow tossed 78 pitches over 4 1/3 innings and yielded three earned runs on six hits. The 31-year-old struck out eight, walked one, and threw 51 pitches for strikes. That may go down as the final rehab start for Glasnow, who has been out for two-plus months with shoulder inflammation. He last pitched April 27 and hit the shelf with a 4.50 ERA, 23:11 K:BB, and a 1.28 WHIP over 18 innings. When he does come back, Glasnow has the potential to serve as an electrifying addition for the Dodgers and fantasy managers down the stretch. However, injuries have been a consistent problem throughout his career.
--Connor ByrneSource: Alex Freedman
July 3, 2025
New York Yankees starter
Clarke Schmidt (forearm) will undergo an MRI on his right forearm on Friday, manager Aaron Boone told reporters. The injury forced Schmidt to leave the team's 8-5 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday after throwing three innings of three-run ball. Boone acknowledged that a trip to the 15-day injured list is a possibility for Schmidt. The Yankees would have trouble replacing Schmidt from within if he lands on the shelf for an extended period. The 29-year-old has made 14 starts and gone 4-4 with a 3.32 ERA, a 1.07 WHIP, and 75:30 K:BB over 78 2/3 innings.
--Connor ByrneSource: Pete Caldera - Bergen Record
July 3, 2025
The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal writes that Texas Rangers outfielder
Adolis Garcia could be an interesting trade candidate with the Rangers' odds of making the playoffs at under 25%. Garcia is under club control through next season, is a two-time All-Star and has been better since being benched so he could make mechanical adjustments in late May, but if he continues to falter in the second half of the season, he could be a non-tender candidate. Rosenthal adds that Garcia is strong on defense, so if he continues to produce with the bat, he'll have higher trade value this summer than in the offseason or at next year's trade deadline. The 32-year-old Cuban slugger hit 39 homers and drove in 107 in 2023, but he's now produced two straight seasons with a sub-.700 OPS. The good news is there's time for a rebound, and Garcia is in the 85th percentile in hard-hit rate and has a higher xBA (.248) than actual average (.232).
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Ken Rosenthal
July
3,
2025
The
Athletic's
Ken
Rosenthal
writes
that
the
Arizona
Diamondbacks
haven't
had
any
contract
talks
with
third
baseman
Eugenio
Suarez,
even
though
his
26
home
runs
on
the
year
are
tied
with
Phillies
outfielder
read more...
July 3, 2025
San Francisco Giants right-hander
Justin Verlander is winless in his first 13 starts this year, which is the longest streak by a Giants pitcher since at least 1901. It increases the odds that Verlander won't reach the 300-win milestone for his career since he's 42 years old and needs 38 wins to get there. The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal points out that Verlander hasn't been terrible, though, as his park- and league-adjusted ERA is only 9% below league average, and he also missed time with a strained right pectoral muscle. "I feel like I kind of found something mechanically," Verlander said. It remains to be seen if he's right, as his average fastball velocity of 93.9 mph is below league average, and his strikeout rate is in the 26th percentile. His xERA of 5.09 is higher than his actual 4.26 ERA. Fantasy managers are probably less convinced than Verlander is that he can turn things around in 2025.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Ken Rosenthal
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