Major League Baseball’s trade deadline is scheduled for next Thursday, which means teams have less than a week to get their midsummer shopping done. The moves have already started, as the Mariners recently acquired Josh Naylor from the Diamondbacks while the Yankees acquired Ryan McMahon in a trade with the Rockies.
Josh Naylor traded to Mariners: Diamondbacks send first baseman to Seattle for two pitchers
Dayn Perry
What might come next? Keep it here throughout the day as CBS Sports gathers all the latest murmurs and moves from across the league in one convenient place.
Cardinals listening on Arenado and Gray, getting calls on Donovan
The St. Louis Cardinals are known to be shopping closer Ryan Helsley and setup relievers Steven Matz and Phil Maton. Even as the team remains in wild-card contention, however, it’s possible a deeper sell will take place in St. Louis. As Katie Woo of The Athletic reports the Cardinals “will entertain offers” on veteran third baseman Nolan Arenado and ace Sonny Gray, who both have full no-trade clauses.
The Cardinals over the winter had a trade with the Astros in place for Arenado, but in a decision that caught St. Louis lead decision-maker John Mozeliak off guard, Arenado used his no-trade protections to block the deal. As for Gray, he has in the past wanted to remain near his Nashville-area home, and if that’s still the case it would sharply limit potential trade destinations.
Arenado, 34, remains in an apparent state of decline at the plate, but he also remains among the best defensive third baseman in baseball. He’s under contract through the 2027 season. The 35-year-old Gray hasn’t been himself at the run-prevention level, but he leads the NL in K/BB ratio and has 128 strikeouts in 116 ⅓ innings. Gray is under contract through 2026 with a club option for 2027.
Woo also reports that super-utility All-Star Brendan Donovan is of interest to the Dodgers and Yankees, among other teams.
Donovan this season boasts an OPS+ of 121, and he’s capable of playing pretty much all over the diamond, although second base is his best position. The 28-year-old Donovan isn’t eligible for free agency until after the 2027 season, which is why the Cardinals are likely in no hurry to trade him.
Rays leaning sell
Going into Saturday’s slate, the Tampa Bay Rays are 53-51 and nine games behind the AL East-leading Blue Jays. On the other hand, they’re just 1 ½ games out of the third and final AL wild-card spot and behind just two teams in that chase. That adds up to a workable 31.7% chance of making the playoffs, according to SportsLine. Even so, Ken Rosenthal reports that the Rays “appear to be trending toward becoming sellers” leading up to the deadline. As always, owner Stuart Sternberg’s unceasing desire to trim payroll is probably the driver, and the Rays have also stumbled to a 6-13 record in July. Should they decide to sell, then names like Pete Fairbanks, Zack Littell and perhaps Brandon Lowe — once he returns from the IL — could be shopped.
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