Baltimore waved the white flag on the current generation of guys and traded C Adley Rutschman to their division rival in Boston. The Orioles got a package that looks good on paper but might wind up a little thin given the defensive value of Rutschman and the volatility of pitching prospects. I like RHP Anthony Eyanson as much as the next guy, but if I’m trading the best defensive catcher in baseball who can also hit, I want young hitters in return. More specifically, I want young hitters with speed who can play defense. OF Enndy Azocar fits that bill, and RHP Kyson Witherspoon was the 15th overall pick just last year, but I still think I’d have held Rutschman if I were the POBO. Or gotten two hitters and an arm. Or three hitters and a reliever.
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One thing I’ve always liked about deadline day is the peak into how major league organizations actually value players. I know there’s money and budget and job security issues that illustrate the evaluations, but it’s still a money-where-your-mouth-is moment on the calendar. Some guys (AJ Preller) thrive in this environment. Some don’t.
Atlanta asked about Jacob deGrom and seemed to give up when he chose to remain in Texas. Some of their fans were big mad on the internet, calling for the head of Alex Anthopoulos. They did get Lane Thomas and Bailey Falter from Kansas City and Tyler Mahle from San Francisco. Also Brent Suter for the bullpen. Their fans seemed angry online and are right to suspect AA is looking forward to the post-deadline scrap heap. Jorge Soler is out there now, for what it’s Werth.
Please, blog, may I have some more?Graduated from Prospect News: Stash List #7: Can Clark Be Our Superman? Quinn Mathews, Max Clark
1. Mariners LHP Kade Anderson (21, AA)
Seattle has no shortage of options in reshaping their rotation this week. I suspect they’re hoping to send two starters at once to maximize return, offloading Luis Castillo and opening a path for Anderson. Trade winds seem to be blowing toward Chicago. I never like predicting what a team might like in another organization, but the Cubs have pieces of just about every variety and would probably love to move Kevin Alcantara, Matt Shaw and maybe even Moises Ballesteros. If Kade Anderson isn’t promoted within the few weeks, there ought to be an investigation.
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Prospect News: In This House, We Brake For Mead
July 29, 2026 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects, Featured | 15 Commentsby: The Itch
The trade-deadline dance is underway, first with a few depth relievers and then with a bit of a surprise swap between surging squads when Washington sent IF Curtis Mead to Boston for LHP Connelly Early. Grey gave you his thoughts on the trade the other day in I Am Serious And Stop Trading Mead/Early:
Please, blog, may I have some more?Mets LHP Zac Thornton (24) has authored a bright chapter during a dreary season for New York. A fifth-round pick in 2023, he’s got a 1.91 ERA and 0.86 WHIP through four outings covering 23.1 innings. He also recorded a 1.98 ERA and 0.81 WHIP in 72.2 innings across High-A and Double-A last season, so this kind of dominance isn’t entirely new to Thornton, who may not have many innings left in the chamber considering he’s at 86 already and that 72.2 is the highest single-season number he’s hit as a professional. The Mets will likely spend some money to fill out their rotation heading into 2027, but Thornton is already sneaking into that picture.
Please, blog, may I have some more?Athletics 3B Tommy White hit four singles during this third night in Sacramento, which could be the start of a 1980’s movie but actually describes the efficacy of his contact-heavy approach during his first week in the majors. He’s 7-for-17 with zero strikeouts through four games. Third base is not deep. Through 76 Triple-A games, White slashed .303/.353/.465 with 10 home runs and two stolen bases. It looks nice but was actually three percent worse than league average according to wRC+. He’s not the kind of guy I’d trade for in a dynasty league, but I’d try to make room if he’s floating around in free agency.
Please, blog, may I have some more?Graduated from Stash List #6: Cauley Circles The Field: Luis Lara, Cameron Cauley
1. Yankees SS George Lombard Jr. (21, AAA)
Jose Caballero has been cromulent as a short-term option at the six replacing Anthony Volpe, but Fangraphs lists him as a WAR negative on both offense and defense. His best position on a first-division roster is as a utility player. You could say the same about Ryan McMahon and his .278 on base percentage, although I might argue you could find a more versatile bench player with that roster spot. Lombard Jr. has adapted to Triple-A after a slow start at the level, slashing .308/.429/.617 with seven home runs, five stolen bases and a 23.3 percent strikeout rate over his last 30 games.
Please, blog, may I have some more? Prospect News: Top 50 Dynasty Rankings Midseason Update
July 15, 2026 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects, Featured | 57 Commentsby: The Itch
Team Position Player | Age on 4/1/2026 | Level | ETA
1. Brewers SS Jesus Made | 18 | AA | 2027
2. Mariners LHP Kade Anderson | 21 | AA | 2026
3. Athletics SS Leo De Vries | 19 | AA | 2027
4. Dodgers OF Josue De Paula | 20 | AA | 2027
5. Red Sox SS Franklin Arias | 20 | AA | 2027
De Paula is the big riser here. Holy goodness what a season he’s having, slashing .322/.417/.547 with 15 home runs, 25 stolen bases and a 13.8-to-13.3 percent walk-to-strikeout ratio. He’s got a solid case for the top spot.
Please, blog, may I have some more?The MLB Draft is mere minutes away from starting as I begin this weekend’s missive, and I find myself pondering the unknowable magic of the thing itself. No other sport can boast the breadth and depth of this draft, even as they’ve shrunk it down to 20 rounds. Some years are fairly bereft of big league impact players, leaving precious few right answers atop the first round. The early returns on the 2025 class look less than inspiring, for instance. Washington’s number one overall pick SS Eli Willits looks good, and Pirates RHP Seth Hernandez looks like a potential star, but it’s hard to imagine anyone but Mariners LHP Kade Anderson making next year’s midsummer classic. And that’s fine. Totally normal.
Please, blog, may I have some more?This time of year, I tend to comb the org charts for teams who are likely to sell, seeking anyone with a pulse who might inherit some playing time. I’m not sure I can do that this season because it’s a unique landscape. I mean, how many sellers exist today? There’s only five teams with fewer than 40 wins: Los Angeles of Anaheim (36), Colorado (38), Kansas City (38), New York (38) and San Francisco (38).
That’s a good thing for the health of the game, of course, and it’s interesting given the league office’s increasingly public push for a salary cap.
Please, blog, may I have some more?I’ve been happy to see Giants 1B OF Victor Bericoto (24) make the most of his scant opportunities while Harrison Bader rests a sore heel, especially over the past week or so as Bericoto has three home runs over his last seven games playing as a lineup regular for the first time. San Francisco should be looking to sell at the deadline, leaving Victor’s path to playing time wide open for the foreseeable future. Granted, they’ll probably shuffle the deck this off-season, but he’s got a potent enough bat to secure a long-term roster spot at the least.
Please, blog, may I have some more?Rangers SS OF Cameron Cauley (23) had a nice debut Monday night, starting at second base and drawing a walk before tripling in the seventh inning to help tilt the game for Texas. He didn’t draw a start on Tuesday, but Corey Seager was removed from the game before his first at bat with a back injury, so it stands to reason that Cauley will be in the lineup quite a bit moving forward. Get him where you can fit him. 20 stolen bases in half a season is a definite maybe.
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