As Tuesday’s 6 pm ET MLB trade approaches with every passing second, teams around the league are continuing their pursuit of improving their teams, whether that is for a postseason run or in prospect capital for future years.
Regardless, there is likely to be a flurry of action throughout the day on Monday and Tuesday, but some teams have already gotten a jump on the competition. Let’s look at some of the biggest trades that have already gone down as well as other news from around the league.
Yankees Add Star Outfielder
The Yankees got an early jump on their trade deadline shopping as they picked up star outfielder Andrew Benintendi from the Kansas City Royals. In return, the Royals picked up a trio of pitching prospects.
For Benintendi, he has quietly been one of the most consistent outfielders in the game this season. In 357 at bats, he is hitting .314/.388/.389 with three home runs, 41 runs batted in, and 41 runs scored.
While Benintendi may not be a huge power source, he is a welcomed upgrade over Joey Gallo, who has tons of power but could not put the ball in play. Gallo, who may also find himself in a different uniform by Tuesday night, is hitting just .159/.282/.621 with 12 home runs and 24 runs batted in.
The Yankees are currently winning their division by 11.5 games and are currently the favorites to win the World Series at +330.
Mariners Bolster Rotation
At 55-48, the Seattle Mariners sit 12 games back of the Houston Astros in the AL West, but if the season ended today, they would be in the postseason as a Wild Card team. Trying to help their chances in the postseason, the Mariners bolstered their rotation as they traded for Cincinnati Reds’ starter Luis Castillo.
In 14 games this season, Castillo is 4-4 with a 2.86 ERA and 1.071 WHIP, and he has 90 strikeouts in just 85 innings of work. The addition of Castillo helps a pitching staff that already ranks seventh in team earned run average at 3.64.
In return, the Reds received a really strong return, highlighted by infielders Noelvi Marte and Edwin Arroyo, both of whom ranked in the top 50 in Baseball America’s Top 100 prospects. They also received pitchers Levi Stoudt and Andrew Moore.
The Mariners currently have the ninth-best odds of winning the World Series at +3000.
In other Mariners’ news, the team did take a small blow on Sunday as star outfielder Julio Rodriguez was placed on the injured list due to a wrist injury. With the best odds of winning the AL Rookie of the Year, Rodriguez is currently hitting .271/.334/.482 with 18 home runs, 57 runs batted in, 55 runs scored, and 21 stolen bases.
deGrom Set To Return
Sometimes the best way to improve your team isn’t through a trade; rather, it is through getting healthy. For the New York Mets, that is exactly what they can expect as Jacob deGrom is set to make his debut on Tuesday after dealing with a stress reaction in his scapula.
Last season, in 15 games, deGrom went 7-2 with a 1.08 ERA, 0.554 WHIP, and had 146 strikeouts in 92 innings. Of course, injuries have always been deGrom’s downfall, as he hasn’t exceeded 15 starts since 2019.
Still, with a healthy deGrom and Max Scherzer heading the rotation, the Mets will be a force to be reckoned with in the National League. As it stands, they lead the AL East by three games with a 64-37 record. They also have the fourth-best odds of winning the World Series at +700.
Rays Bring In Veteran Peralta
With Kevin Kiermaier, Manuel Margot, and Harold Ramirez all dealing with injuries, the Tampa Bay Rays brought in veteran outfielder David Peralta in a trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks. In return, Arizona received minor league catcher Christian Cerda.
The 34-year-old Peralta is hitting .248/.316/.460 this season with 12 home runs, 41 runs batted in, and 29 runs scored.
While the Rays sit in third in the AL East, 14.5 games behind the Yankees, they currently occupy the third Wild Card spot.
At +5000, the Rays are certainly not a favorite to win the World Series, but if they can make the playoffs, history has shown anything can happen.
