July 31, 2025
Chicago White Sox starting pitcher
Adrian Houser was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday. In exchange, the South Siders will receive corner infielder
Curtis Mead from the Rays. Houser had an outstanding run for the White Sox during his short stint with the team. He posted a 2.10 ERA and 1.22 WHIP across 11 starts. The Rays bulk up their starting rotation with
Shane McClanahan (triceps) nearing his return. Mead is a former top prospect that should get a real chance to play on the rebuilding White Sox. This looks like a smart move by both sides, but probably means
Taj Bradley remains in the minors.
--Andy WebbSource: Jeff Passan
July 31, 2025
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher
Dustin May was traded to the Boston Red Sox on Thursday. In exchange, the Dodgers will receive 2024 first-round pick
James Tibbs III who was acquired in the
Rafael Devers deal. May posted a 4.85 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, and a 97/43 K/BB ratio across 19 appearances with the Dodgers this season. The team planned to shift him to the bullpen before trading him. It's uncertain if the Red Sox will use him as a starter or reliever. If he heads to the bullpen, May will see his fantasy value take a significant hit. Fantasy managers should stay tuned to see what the Red Sox plans are for him.
--Andy WebbSource: Jeff Passan
July 31, 2025
The Milwaukee Brewers have acquired right-hander
Shelby Miller from the Arizona Diamondbacks. Miller is currently on the 15-day injured list with a forearm injury. However, the right-hander recently began participating in bullpen sessions, suggesting he is nearing a return. Before his injury, Miller was enjoying a productive campaign in the desert. Through 36 1/3 innings of work, Miller has posted an impressive 1.98 ERA with a strong 0.96 WHIP. Miller has also seen occasional save opportunities as well, with both
A.J. Puk and
Justin Martinez on the injured list. Under the hood, he has generated a 77th percentile xERA with a strong 30.9% K rate. In Milwaukee, fantasy managers should expect Miller to operate as a top setup man alongside
Abner Uribe.
Trevor Megill should continue to see the bulk of the save opportunities.
--Andy SmithSource: Robert Murray
July 31, 2025
The New York Yankees are acquiring infielder
Jose Caballero from the Tampa Bay Rays. The 28-year-old infielder has seen time at numerous positions while in Tampa Bay and will likely operate in a multi-positional depth role with the Yankees. This season, Caballero has appeared in 86 games and posted a .226/.328/.312 slash line with 12 doubles, one triple, two home runs, and an impressive 34 stolen bases. His stolen base total is the most in the American League. While the 28-year-old carries a low .294 xwOBA, .223 xBA, and a .320 xSLG, he sits in the 84th percentile in Range, which could earn him playing time. For now, fantasy managers should consider him as a one-category option for stolen bases in deeper standard leagues.
Anthony Volpe should continue to see most of the starts at shortstop for the time being.
--Andy SmithSource: Jeff Passan
July 31, 2025
Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher
Bailey Falter was traded to the Kansas City Royals on Thursday. This isn't a blockbuster move, but Falter does add solid depth to the Royals rotation. The southpaw currently holds a 3.73 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and a 70/39 K/BB ratio across 22 starts this season. Falter has been hot recently, allowing one earned run in each of his last two starts. He figures to be a back-end starter and a low-end streaming option with his shift to the American League. In exchange, the Pirates received reliever
Evan Sisk from Kansas City.
--Andy WebbSource: Jeff Passan
July 31, 2025
The Detroit Tigers are acquiring right-handed pitcher
Charlie Morton from the Baltimore Orioles. After a rough start to the season, the 41-year-old has been a reliable starting pitcher over the past few months. In his first 31 2/3 innings this season, Morton posted a 9.38 ERA and a 2.08 WHIP and was even demoted to a long relief role. However, over his next 69 2/3 innings of work, Morton would post a solid 3.62 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP. During this stretch, Morton struck out 73 hitters and allowed only 26 walks. However, the 41-year-old sits below the average marks in xERA and xBA, which suggests he could face some regression during the final weeks of the campaign. Fantasy managers should expect Morton to slot in as the No. 5 option in the Detroit rotation, which will likely push
Troy Melton to the bullpen or back to Triple-A.
--Andy SmithSource: Jeff Passan
July 31, 2025
The New York Yankees are acquiring relief pitcher
Camilo Doval from the San Francisco Giants. The 28-year-old has enjoyed an impressive bounce-back season through the first half of 2025. After struggling through most of 2024, holding a hefty 4.88 ERA and a 1.58 WHIP, the right-hander turned in a strong 3.09 ERA with a 1.20 WHIP through 46 2/3 innings this season. The 28-year-old has tallied 15 saves and struck out 50 batters. While he has struggled with his command (12.6% walk rate), Doval has generated a strong 3.49 xERA, .226 xBA, 6.1% barrel rate, and a 52.2% ground-ball rate, all of which are above the average marks. However, with the Yankees already having
Devin Williams on their roster and recently acquiring Pittsburgh right-hander
David Bednar, Doval will likely only see time as a setup man, which will significantly decrease his upside in standard leagues. However, Doval should remain a solid option in holds leagues, pitching on a competing Yankees team.
--Andy SmithSource: Jeff Passan
July 31, 2025
The Tampa Bay Rays are acquiring Minnesota Twins relief pitcher
Griffin Jax. Jax has spent his entire professional career with the Twins. Jax has typically been deployed in a high-leverage role but has primarily been a setup man for hard-throwing right-hander
Jhoan Duran. This season, Jax has posted a 4.50 ERA with a 1.28 WIHP. However, he has flashed immense strike upside, posting an elite 36.4% K rate with a 38.8% whiff rate. Under the hood, Jax carries an impressive 3.11 xERA, which suggests he has gotten a bit unlucky throughout the first half. Last season, Jax was one of the most dominant relievers in the sport, holding a 2.03 ERA with a stellar 0.87 WHIP. In Tampa Bay, fantasy managers should expect Jax to likely operate as the setup man for
Pete Fairbanks. However, Jax could occasionally earn save opportunities down the stretch.
--Andy SmithSource: Jeff Passan
July 31, 2025
The Cincinnati Reds are acquiring third baseman/outfielder
Miguel Andujar from the Athletics, per Ari Alexander of KPRC2. Full details aren't available yet. Andujar has slashed .298/.329/.436 with six homers, 27 RBI, and 22 runs scored in 231 plate appearances this season. The right-handed Andujar has done the majority of his damage against lefties, whom he has victimized for a .422/.458/.578 line over a small sample of 48 trips to the plate. Andujar will improve the Reds' depth, but this isn't a high-impact move for fantasy managers.
--Connor ByrneSource: Ari Alexander
July 31, 2025
The Chicago Cubs are acquiring utility player
Willi Castro from the Minnesota Twins for prospects, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports. The switch-hitting Castro is capable of lining up all over the diamond, including third base, where
Matt Shaw has provided below-average production. Castro, on the other hand, is enjoying his third straight respectable offensive season. The 28-year-old has hit .245/.335/.407 with 10 homers, 27 RBI, 48 runs scored, and nine stolen bases in 344 trips to the plate in 2025. The soon-to-be free agent could now benefit by joining one of the best offenses in baseball.
--Connor ByrneSource: Jon Heyman
July 31, 2025
The Texas Rangers are swinging a trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks for right-hander
Merrill Kelly, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN. Left-hander Kohl Drake and righty David Hagaman are among the players going to Arizona, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The Rangers are getting one of the best starters on the market in Kelly, who is putting together yet another strong season in his age-36 campaign. Kelly has made 22 starts and gone 9-6 with a stingy 3.22 ERA, a 1.06 WHIP, and 121 strikeouts against 38 walks in 128 2/3 innings. Kelly will improve the top of the Rangers' rotation behind
Jacob deGrom and
Nathan Eovaldi, but it's not known who will fall out of the starting five as a result of his acquisition. The team could bump
Kumar Rocker out, which would leave
Jack Leiter and
Patrick Corbin behind the deGrom-Eovaldi-Kelly trio.
--Connor ByrneSource: Jeff Passan
July 31, 2025
The Texas Rangers have acquired left-handed reliever
Danny Coulombe from the Minnesota Twins for lefty Garrett Horn. Coulombe has pitched to an effective 3.28 ERA over 304 2/3 career innings, but he has taken it to another level this year. Across 31 innings in 2025, the 35-year-old has put up a microscopic 1.16 ERA with a 0.97 WHIP, 31:9 K:BB, eight holds, and two saves. Coulombe could occasionally pick up some saves in Texas, which has used multiple relievers to close out games this year.
Robert Garcia leads the team with just nine saves.
--Connor ByrneSource: Minnesota Twins
July 31, 2025
The Minnesota Twins announced that they have acquired outfielder
James Outman from the Los Angeles Dodgers for right-hander
Brock Stewart. Outman seemingly had a breakout season in 2023 with a .248/.353/.437 line and 23 homers, 70 RBI, 86 runs scored, and 16 stolen bases over 567 plate appearances. However, Outman's stock has fallen dramatically since then. He has appeared in 75 games over the past season and a half, including 22 this year, and hit a disastrous .137/.245/.269 with six homers and 15 RBI in 200 trips to the plate. While the 28-year-old has spent most of the season at the Triple-A level, he could get an opportunity in Minnesota with
Harrison Bader going to Philadelphia and
Byron Buxton (rib) on the 10-day injured list.
--Connor ByrneSource: Minnesota Twins
July 31, 2025
The Miami Marlins have acquired right-hander
Ryan Gusto from the Houston Astros for outfielder
Jesus Sanchez, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports. Gusto, an 11th-round pick in 2019, reached the majors for the first time this year and ate up a significant number of innings for the Astros before the trade. The 26-year-old has racked up 86 frames over 24 appearances (14 starts) and gone 7-4 with a 4.92 ERA, a 1.43 WHIP, and 87:28 K:BB. He's a candidate to join the Marlins' rotation, but that could depend on whether they trade any of their current starters before the deadline.
--Connor ByrneSource: Mark Feinsand
July
31,
2025
The
San
Diego
Padres
are
acquiring
outfielder
Ramon
Laureano
and
first
baseman
Ryan
O'Hearn
from
the
Baltimore
Orioles,
Jeff
Passan
of
ESPN
reports.
The
Orioles
are
expected
to
receive
multiple
prospects
in
return.
read more...
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