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MLB trade deadline tracker: Contenders bolster rosters for pennant race

Steve Gardner, USA TODAY
·13 min read
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Editor's note: Follow the latest MLB trade deadline news, rumors and analysis from USA TODAY Sports here.

Aug. 1: Recapping deadline day moves

Aug. 1: Braves add veteran depth to bullpen

Veteran reliever Brad Hand is joining his ninth different MLB team, the Atlanta Braves announced on social media.

The Braves acquired Hand, 33, from the Colorado Rockies in exchange for minor-league right-hander Alec Barger. He'll add depth to the Braves bullpen as they look toward the postseason.

Aug. 1: Royals acquire lefty Tucker Davidson

The Los Angeles Angels continue their flurry of deals, but in this particular case they're subtracting rather than adding. The Angels sent left-hander Tucker Davidson to the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday for cash considerations.

Davidson joins the Royals' 40-man roster and will join the Royals as they begin a series on Tuesday against the New York Mets.

July 31: Cubs go from sellers to buyers

In his first season with the Nationals, Jeimer Candelario hit .258 with 16 homers and 58 RBI.
In his first season with the Nationals, Jeimer Candelario hit .258 with 16 homers and 58 RBI.

Once thought to be looking to unload veterans Cody Bellinger and Marcus Stroman, the Chicago Cubs have reversed course as the deadline approaches.

The Cubs added third baseman Jeimer Candelario from the Washington Nationals in exchange for Class AA left-hander DJ Herz and 20-year-old shortstop prospect Kevin Made. Candelario, signed as a free agent by the Nationals this past offseason, is hitting a .258 with 53 RBI and 16 home runs.

The Cubs also landed right-handed reliever José Cuas from the Kansas City Royals for outfielder Nelson Velázquez, who has split time this season between Chicago and Class AAA Iowa.

July 31: Outfielder A.J. Pollock headed to San Francisco

The San Francisco Giants acquired outfielder A.J. Pollock and utilityman Mark Mathias from the Seattle Mariners for cash or a player to be named later. While Pollock has been on the injured list with a strained hamstring, he's expected to be cleared to return on Tuesday.

He slashed .173/.225/.323 with five home runs in 138 plate appearances for the Mariners, but he has a lengthy history of success against left-handed pitchers. That should make him a good fit with the platoon-heavy Giants, who just lost outfielder Mike Yastrzemski to the injured list with a hamstring strain.

July 31: A's, Reds make pitching swap

The Oakland Athletics and Cincinnati Reds have traded pitchers, with the A's adding minor-league right-hander Joe Boyle and the Reds getting southpaw Sam Moll and international pool money.

Moll has appeared in 45 games for the A's this season, going 0-3 with a 4.54 ERA.

Boyle had a 6-5 record and 4.50 ERA in 19 starts at Class AA Chattanooga.

July 31: Brewers add to offense with veteran Mark Canha

The Milwaukee Brewers are strengthening their roster by adding outfielder/first baseman Mark Canha from the New York Mets. The Brewers are sending minor league pitcher Justin Jarvis to the Mets in exchange.

Canha brings nine years of major league experience to the Brewers. He is hitting .245 with six home runs and 29 RBI in 89 games.

July 31: Diamondbacks pick up closer Paul Sewald, infielder Jace Peterson

In contention for one of the NL wild-card spots, the Arizona Diamondbacks addressed their revolving door at the back end of their bullpen by acquiring closer Paul Sewald from the Seattle Mariners.

Sewald will give the D'backs bullpen some stability after posting a 2.93 ERA and 21 saves in 45 games for the Mariners. Arizona has had five different pitchers record saves this season, with none garnering more than nine.

In return, Seattle will get infielder Josh Rojas, infield prospect Ryan Bliss and outfielder Dominic Canzone.

To fill Rojas' utility role, the Diamondbacks made another deal with the Oakland A's, getting veteran Jace Peterson for minor league right-handed pitcher Chad Patrick.

Peterson, a 10-year veteran, is hitting .221 with 28 RBI and six home runs. Patrick was the Diamondbacks' fourth-round pick in the 2021 draft. He is 4-7 with a 4.71 ERA in 19 starts for Class-AA Amarillo.

July 31: Rays bolster rotation with veteran Aaron Civale

Tampa Bay Rays netted some much-needed rotation help by trading for right-hander Aaron Civale from the Cleveland Guardians. Civale has been outstanding over the past month, going 3-0 with a 1.45 ERA in six July starts. He won't be a free agent until after the 2024 season.

The addition didn't come cheaply, however. The Rays had to give up one of their top prospects in first baseman Kyle Manzardo, a left-handed hitter ranked No. 37 overall, according to MLB Pipeline. After zooming up prospect lists with a stellar 2022 season, Manzardo, 22, has struggled a bit at Class-AAA Durham, hitting .238 with a .442 slugging percentage, 11 home runs and 38 RBI.

July 30: Braves pick up infielder Nicky Lopez

The Atlanta Braves added to their infield depth on Sunday by acquiring utilityman Nicky Lopez from the Kansas City Royals for left-hander Taylor Hearn.

Lopez, considered an above-average fielder at second base and shortstop, primarily gives Atlanta some late-inning defensive help. Lopez is hitting .210 in 67 games this season for the Royals, however he did hit .300 with a career-high 22 stolen bases for them in 2021.

Hearn, 28, was just acquired a week ago in a deal with Texas. He made one appearance for the Braves.

July 30: Angels deal with Rockies for C.J. Cron, Randal Grichuk

C.J. Cron is heading back to Anaheim, where he played for four seasons.
C.J. Cron is heading back to Anaheim, where he played for four seasons.

The Los Angeles Angels continue to bolster their roster in what might be Shohei Ohtani's final season with the team. The Angels have reacquired slugger C.J. Cron and outfielder Randal Grichuk in a trade with the Colorado Rockies.

The Angels sent minor league pitchers Mason Albright and Jake Madden to the Rockies in the deal that brought two former Angels first-round draft picks back to the team.

The Angels have a major league-leading 17 players on their injured lists after outfielder Taylor Ward joined the group Sunday before their extra-inning victory in Toronto. Ward was moved to the 60-day injured list later in the day, effectively ending his regular season.

July 30: Cardinals begin their fire sale

It has been more than 20 years since the St. Louis Cardinals have been sellers at the trade deadline, and as much as they may dread it, they sure are taking full advantage being a bullseye in a seller’s market.

The Cardinals traded closer Jordan Hicks to the Toronto Blue Jays and starter Jordan Montgomery and reliever Chris Stratton to the Texas Rangers on Sunday and came away with a slew of prized prospects.

They received the Blue Jays’ No. 7 prospect in Class AA starter Sem Robberse and fellow starter Adam Kloffenstein, their No. 18 prospect. They also picked up the Rangers’ No. 11 prospect (pitcher Tekoah Roby) No. 14 prospect (shortstop Thomas Saggese) and major-league left-handed pitcher John King. – Bob Nightengale

July 29: Mets move one of their three-time Cy Young winners

The New York Mets took the field five months ago believing they were headed to the World Series with the biggest payroll in baseball history.

Who could have imagined they’d turn around and engineer one of the quickest teardowns in baseball history?

On Saturday, the Mets traded three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer to the Texas Rangers for prized prospect Luisangel Acuña, and have opened trade talks with the Astros to send Justin Verlander back to Houston.

The deal, with the Mets covering all but $22.5 million owed to Scherzer, became official when Scherzer waived his no-trade clause and agreed to exercise his $43.3 million player option in 2024. – Bob Nightengale

July 28: Dodgers land starter and an old friend from White Sox

Lance Lynn has struggled in 2023, but maintains an elite strikeout rate.
Lance Lynn has struggled in 2023, but maintains an elite strikeout rate.

The Dodgers continued their moves ahead of the deadline, agreeing to a deal with the White Sox for starting pitcher Lance Lynn and reliever Joe Kelly, who was with the team from 2019-2021 and won the World Series in 2020.

Lynn, 36, has been inconsistent this season, posting a 6.47 ERA in 21 starts and has surrendered an MLB-worst 28 home runs. He had been one of baseball's better starters for the past few years with a 3.42 ERA in 95 starts with the Rangers and White Sox from 2019-2022. He has an $18.5 million team option for 2024 with a $1 million buyout.

Kelly's return is another reunion in Chavez Ravine, days after the Dodgers traded for fellow 2020 champ Kiké Hernández. Los Angeles also traded starter Noah Syndergaard to the Guardians for infielder Amed Rosario on Wednesday.

The White Sox are set to receive prospects Nick Nastrini, Jordan Leasure and outfielder Trayce Thompson from the Dodgers.

July 28: Astros bringing back reliever in White Sox firesale

The Astros bolstered their bullpen by making a trade with the White Sox for right-handed reliever Kendall Graveman, who spent part of 2021 in Houston.

Graveman, 32, joined the Astros ahead of the 2021 trade deadline in a deal with the Mariners, ultimately helping Houston reach the World Series. He had a 3.48 ERA in 45 games for the White Sox this season, including eight saves, and is in the second season of his three-year, $24 million deal.

Rookie catcher Corey Lee, ranked by MLB.com as the Astros' No. 5 prospect, is heading to the White Sox in the deal.

Graveman is the fifth pitcher traded by Chicago in recent days, joining Lance Lynn, Joe Kelly, Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez.

July 28: Mets trade veteran reliever to NL East rival

The disappointing Mets shipped veteran reliever David Robertson to the Miami Marlins for prospects Marco Vargas (infield) and Ronald Hernandez (catcher).

Robertson, 38, has 14 saves on the season and is sporting a 2.05 ERA. He figures to boost the Marlins' bullpen as Miami battles for a wild card berth.

July 27: Brewers land veteran first baseman from Pirates

In an attempt to bolster its lineup for the stretch run, NL Central division-leading Milwaukee picked up veteran first baseman Carlos Santana from the Pirates.

In return, Pittsburgh will be getting infielder Jhonny Severino, an 18-year-old infielder who signed with the Brewers last year as an international prospect from the Dominican Republic.

Santana, who will be a free agent at the end of the season, is hitting .235 with a .321 on-base percentage and .412 slugging. He ranked first on the Pirates in RBI (53) and second on the team in home runs (12).

The Brewers lead the division by just 1.5 games over the Reds, whom they've beaten seven out of nine times since July 7.

July 26: Angels acquire two pitchers in trade with White Sox

In a move that strongly suggests Shohei Ohtani isn't going anywhere, the Angels acquired pitchers Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez from the White Sox for two of their top three prospects (catcher Edgar Quero and pitcher Ky Bush).

Giolito, a free agent after this season, has a 3.79 ERA in 20 starts this season and has been one of baseball's most consistent starters in recent years with a 3.85 ERA since 2019.

A free agent after the 2023 season, Lucas Giolito was traded to the Angels on Wednesday.
A free agent after the 2023 season, Lucas Giolito was traded to the Angels on Wednesday.

July 26: Dodgers acquire shortstop in trade with Guardians

The Dodgers made a move to bolster their infield, acquiring shortstop Amed Rosario from Cleveland for pitcher Noah Syndergaard and cash considerations.

Rosario entered Wednesday slashing .265/.306/.369 on the season. Syndergaard, a one-time All-Star back in 2016, has struggled this season; he's gone 1-4 in 12 starts and is sporting a 7.16 ERA. He hasn't appeared in a game since June 7.

July 26: Contending Twins, Marlins swap relief pitchers

The Minnesota Twins acquired Dylan Floro from the Miami Marlins in exchange for Jorge López on Wednesday in a swap of struggling right-handed relievers on contending teams.

Floro is an eight-year big league veteran with a career 3.32 ERA, but the 32-year-old is 3-5 with a 4.54 ERA and seven saves this season.

López was an All-Star in 2022 with Baltimore before being traded to Minnesota at the August trade deadline and has went 3-2 with a 5.09 ERA in 37 relief appearances for the Twins this season. He returned from the 15-day injured list earlier this month after stepping away to address his mental health.

– Associated Press

July 25: Dodgers bring back Kiké Hernández in trade with Red Sox

The Los Angeles Dodgers are reuniting with an old playoff hero in hopes of shoring up several spots on their roster.

Kiké Hernández, whose six years with the Dodgers included a pennant-clinching three-homer performance in the 2017 National League Championship Series and one of the biggest hits in their run to the 2020 World Series title, has been traded by the Boston Red Sox to the Dodgers in exchange for two minor-league pitchers.

The Red Sox needed to move a body or two with the imminent return of shortstop Trevor Story from elbow surgery. So the Dodgers decided to take a chance that they can rehab the performance of yet another veteran - this one they're all too familiar with. − Gabe Lacques

July 24: Braves acquire RPs Pierce Johnson, Taylor Hearn

Pierce Johnson had a 6.00 ERA and 1.85 WHIP with Colorado this season, but he converted 13 of 15 save opportunities and struck out 58 batters in 39 innings.
Pierce Johnson had a 6.00 ERA and 1.85 WHIP with Colorado this season, but he converted 13 of 15 save opportunities and struck out 58 batters in 39 innings.

The Atlanta Braves picked up a pair of bullpen arms for the stretch drive by getting a part-time closer in Johnson from the Colorado Rockies and veteran left-hander Hearn from the Texas Rangers.

Both will give the Braves additional pitching depth, but perhaps even more important, both have minor-league options remaining, which will give Atlanta additional roster flexibility.

The Braves sent a pair of minor league pitchers to Colorado for the 32-year-old Johnson, who has a 1-5 record and 6.00 ERA with 13 saves for the Rockies this season.

Hearn, 28, arrives for cash considerations from Texas after posting a 10.29 ERA in seven innings with the Rangers, but a 3.66 ERA and 54 strikeouts in 39 1/3 innings at Class AAA Round Rock (Texas).

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB trade deadline tracker 2023: Latest news, deals, analysis