Major League Baseball’s trade deadline, scheduled for July 31, is now just a week away. In other words, it’s that blessed (or cursed, depending on your perspective) time of the year when rumors and transactions dominate our coverage. As such, below CBS Sports has gathered all the latest murmurs and moves below in one convenient place.
Yankees have talked Cruz with Pirates
The New York Yankees and Pittsburgh Pirates have had at least cursory discussions about outfielder/infielder Oneil Cruz, the New York Post’s Jon Heyman reports. However, the ask for Cruz is of course high, according to Heyman.
This season, Cruz has a .739 OPS with 16 home runs and an MLB-leading 33 stolen bases in 91 games. This is his first season as a primary center fielder, and he’s been a mixed bag defensively at his new position. Cruz, 26, isn’t eligible for free agency until after the 2028 season, so there’s no real urgency on the part of Pittsburgh to move him.
Latest on Suárez market as D-backs admit they’re sellers
Count the Cincinnati Reds among the teams to talk with the Arizona Diamondbacks about third baseman Eugenio Suárez, arguably the most sought-after bat on the trade market. Suárez, of course, spent seven seasons with the Reds, meaning that this would be a reunion.
Alas, don’t put up the “welcome back” banner just yet: MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, however, spoke with sources who categorized the chances of the two sides agreeing to a deal involving Suárez as “a long shot.”
Elsewhere, the D-backs are said to be scouting both the New York Yankees and New York Mets farm systems, according to SNY.
Suárez, a 34-year-old impending free agent, enters Thursday hitting .252/.325/.593 with 36 home runs and 18 additional extra-base hits. His contributions had been worth an estimated 3.4 Wins Above Replacement as of Wednesday, according to the calculations housed at Baseball Reference.
The Diamondbacks, for their part, seem willing to enter the deadline as a seller despite being 5 ½ games out of a wild-card spot. Arizona has a slew of impending free agents who could be on the move over the coming week, including right-handers Merrill Kelly and Zac Gallen and first baseman Josh Naylor, among others.
Speaking of Suárez, the M’s are in
The Seattle Mariners remain interested in reuniting with the slugging third baseman Eugenio Suárez, and that’s the case even after they acquired Suárez’s erstwhile teammate, Josh Naylor, via trade on Thursday. MLB.com’s Daniel Kramer reports that Suárez is Seattle’s “top priority” leading up to the deadline as the club attempts to hold on to wild-card position and chip away at the Astros’ lead in the AL West. Seattle has struggled badly to get adequate production from third base this season.
Yankees getting hits on Rice
The Yankees have received inquiries on Ben Rice, with some teams intrigued by the possibility of using him behind the plate, according to the New York Post.
Rice, 26, has appeared in 12 games this season as a catcher, starting five of them. At the dish, he’s hit .232/.323/.468 (118 OPS+) with 15 home runs and 19 additional extra-base hits over 320 plate appearances.
The Yankees currently have more hitters than slots, with manager Aaron Boone mixing and matching a group that includes Rice, Paul Goldschmidt, Trent Grisham, Giancarlo Stanton, and Cody Bellinger between first base, left and center field, and the designated hitter role.
It’s to be seen if the Cleveland Guardians sell this deadline — they entered Thursday 2 ½ games back of a wild-card spot — but if they do, the Philadelphia Phillies and San Diego Padres are among the teams with interest in acquiring outfielder Steven Kwan, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Heyman does caution, however, that Cleveland would require a “compelling offer” to move him.
Kwan, 28 come September, has several years of team control remaining. This season, he’s hit .285/.349/.392 with more walks than strikeouts and 11 stolen bases (on 13 attempts). Kwan is a two-time All-Star and a three-time Gold Glove Award winner.
Both the Phillies and Padres are known to be seeking offensive help.
Padres interested in Alcantara
In addition to San Diego’s interest in Kwan, the Padres have also checked in on Marlins right-hander Sandy Alcantara, according to The Athletic.
It’s unclear if the Padres would need to move Dylan Cease (or other money) before adding Alcantara, who has struggled in his first season back from elbow surgery.
For whatever it’s worth, Alcantara did pitch well against the Padres on Wednesday, holding San Diego to one unearned run over seven innings of work.
Astros looking for a third baseman
The Houston Astros lost third baseman Isaac Paredes to a severe hamstring strain earlier this week, an injury that could cost him much, if not the entire rest of the season. Predictably, the first-place Astros have responded to that news by scouring the market for some help at the hot corner.
Among the names the Astros have been connected to? Colorado Rockies mainstay Ryan McMahon, according to ESPN.
McMahon, 30, enters Thursday hitting .217/.314/.403 with 16 home runs and 16 additional extra-base hits. He’s also a skilled defensive third baseman. McMahon is under contract through the 2027 season, making him a potential long-term addition.
Rays prefer to keep reliever
The Tampa Bay Rays entered Thursday 1 ½ games back of a wild-card spot, so it should perhaps come as little surprise that they “strongly prefer” to keep reliever Pete Fairbanks, according to The Athletic.
Fairbanks, 31, has been a constant fixture on the rumor mill dating back to last winter because of his increasing cost. Nevertheless, he remains an important part of Tampa Bay’s bullpen, having notched 17 saves to date with a 2.84 ERA (142 ERA+) and a 2.13 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
The Rays have already added to their bullpen this deadline, obtaining right-hander Bryan Baker in a trade with the Baltimore Orioles.
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