As the calendar turns to August and the weather continues to heat up, so too does the MLB season
The MLB trade deadline separates the contenders from the pretenders. Contenders push their chips in by trading for a player that can make an impact down the stretch, swapping prospects for a proven player
With the deadline looming on Monday at 6 p.m., what will the Red Sox do?
A dismal start to the season has been flipped on its head, as the Red Sox enjoyed a scorching-hot 21-4 record in July. Boston won 15 games in a row, tying the organization’s all-time mark. The Sox are currently hold down the second wild-card spot in the AL
Follow along to stay up to date and read exclusive insight and analysis from the Globe’s Tim Healey, Alex Speier, and Peter Abraham
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Braves boost rotation depth with Tyler Mahle — 11:50 p.m
The Braves moved to bolster their rotation only hours after placing righthander Reynaldo López on the 15-day injured list by acquiring righthander Tyler Mahle from the Giants on Sunday night
Mahle, 31, was 3-9 with a 5.14 ERA in 18 games with the Giants this season. The Braves sent righthander Anthony Molina to the Giants. The Giants optioned Molina to Triple-A Sacramento
Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos said he was interested that Mahle was 2-1 with a 2.82 ERA in four starts in July
“We actually talked with him as a free agent when he signed with the Rangers [before the 2024 season],” Anthopoulos said in a conference call following the trade. “He’s had good success in the past.”
For his 10-year career, Mahle is 42-55 with a 4.19 ERA
Molina, 24, had a 5.40 ERA in three games with Atlanta this season but spent most of the season with Triple-A Gwinnett. The Braves selected Molina off waivers from the Rockies in December
Cubs adding Kevin Gausman from Blue Jays — 9:50 p.m
By Keith Pearson, Globe correspondent
Multiple reports say the Cubs are trading for Blue Jays righthander Kevin Gausman in a bid to boost their rotation
Gausman spent the past five seasons in Toronto and was excellent during the Blue Jays’ run to the American League pennant last year. In six postseason appearances, he was 2-3 with a 2.93 ERA and a 0.913 WHIP over 30⅔ innings
Much like the Blue Jays, Gausman has struggled this season, going 5-10 with a 4.38 ERA in an AL-high 23 starts. He is on pace to make at least 30 starts for the ninth time in 11 seasons (2019, shortened 2020)
The Cubs are 6½ games behind the Brewers in the NL Central, and have a four-game lead for the top wild-card spot
Toronto will reportedly receive Triple-A outfielder Brett Bateman and High-A shortstop Ty Southisene
The teams made a swap earlier in the day with the Blue Jays receiving struggling righthander Jameson Taillon and cash considerations in exchange for either a player to be named later or cash considerations
The Cubs designated Taillon for assignment last week. The 34-year-old is 2-6 with a career-worst 5.92 ERA in 15 starts this season and has allowed 25 home runs in just 76 innings
Dodgers clubhouse abuzz after acquiring Tarik Skubal — 4:05 p.m
By Tim Healey, Globe Staff
LOS ANGELES — Before their series finale against the Red Sox, the Dodgers are still abuzz in their clubhouse over the club’s acquisition of Tarik Skubal, the biggest prize of the trade deadline
Miguel Rojas said he was bummed Saturday night after the Dodgers lost a second in a row to the Sox, clinching a series loss. And then the news broke
“We got better,” Edwin Diaz said. “We got a real chance to win another World Series.”
Rojas said: “I really appreciate the front office and ownership that we have, because they committed the way we committed.”
The teams will play again at 7:20 p.m. ET, featuring a pitching matchup of Jake Bennett versus Boston College alumnus Emmet Sheehan
Mets reportedly deal Freddy Peralta to the Rays — 2:00 p.m
By Cam Kerry, Globe Staff
After a disappointing first season with the Mets, Freddy Peralta is headed to the American League East
First reported by Will Sammon of the Athletic and later confirmed by ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the 30-year-old righthander will join the Rays
Peralta, a two-time All-Star with the Brewers, sports a 5-9 record with a 4.99 ERA, well over his career mark of 3.74
Peralta will team up with Drew Rasmussen, Shane McLanahan, and more on the Rays, who enter the day first place in the AL East
The Red Sox, hot on the tail of their divisional rivals, will have to deal with the Rays’ improved rotation. In two career starts against Boston, Peralta is 0-2 with a 5.40 ERA in 15 innings, striking out 16 and issuing 10 free passes
He faced the Sox on July 11, surrendering two earned runs in 4 1/3 innings, walking five and fanning six
Peralta is in the final year of a five-year contract. He went 17-6 with a 2.70 ERA with the Brewers last season
Marlins not inclined to deal Otto Lopez, but would listen on Liam Hicks — 1:25 p.m
By Alex Speier, Globe Staff
With Monday’s 6 p.m. trade deadline looming, there’s greater clarity about available targets for the Red Sox as they look to bolster their offense. According to multiple major league sources, the Marlins — who entered Sunday trailing the Phillies for the final wild card spot by just 1 1/2 games —are showing no inclination to move shortstop Otto Lopez, their All-Star who has hit .322/.355/.481 with nine homers, 44 extra-base hits, and 22 steals. Lopez remains under team control through 2029. The Sox have been engaged at various points — including in the past week — with the Marlins about Lopez, but Miami isn’t inclined to make everyone available.
While Miami is trying to avoid dealing long-term centerpieces, they would consider dealing catcher Liam Hicks, who has posted a .283/.364/.434 line with 14 homers this year. Because the Marlins have rookie Joe Mack as their everyday catcher, Hicks is primarily a DH for Miami, who catches roughly one game per week. He could be more valuable to another team that would give him more frequent work behind the dish. Hicks, 27, has four years of additional service time beyond this year, so any deal involving him would require a significant return. The Sox, whose catchers have combined to post a .221/.305/.312 line with four homers (fewest by any team in the majors), have shown interest in Hicks and other catchers in recent days while trying to find ways to improve their offense.
Franklin Arias out of the WooSox lineup Sunday — 11:30 a.m
By Alex Speier, Globe Staff
Franklin Arias is not in the WooSox lineup today – but per a source, it was a scheduled day off after he’d played the first five games of the series (Arias has been on a 4-5 games a week schedule throughout this year). That said, the Red Sox have certainly been open to considering deals involving him in advance of the deadline. That doesn’t mean he will get dealt, but as was the case both last year at the deadline (Joe Ryan) and this offseason (Ketel Marte), he’s not untouchable as the Sox seek upgrades prior to Monday’s deadline.
‘No surprise, right?’ The rich get richer as LA adds Skubal — 8:00 a.m
By Peter Abraham
LOS ANGELES — As the Red Sox were filing into the visiting clubhouse at Dodger Stadium on Saturday night, the news lit up their phones:
The Dodgers had traded for Tarik Skubal
“No surprise, right?” said Ceddanne Rafaela, whose two solo home runs lifted the Sox to a 3-2 victory against the Dodgers. “I knew they would do something.”
That’s how all of baseball felt. Once the Tigers made their ace available, the Dodgers became the favorites to acquire him. They sent Detroit righthanders River Ryan and Brady Smith along with outfielder Zyhir Hope
All three are prized prospects, but the Dodgers are the ultimate win-now team as they seek a third consecutive World Series championship. No team has done that since the Derek Jeter Yankees from 1998-2000
Skubal has won back-to-back Cy Young Awards and is 38-15 with a 2.40 ERA over the last three seasons. He also has a 2.04 ERA in six postseason starts and struck out 56 over 39⅔ innings
Skubal is a combination of power and precision, brushing triple digits with his fastball and having command of a killer changeup
Now the Dodgers can line up Skubal, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Shohei Ohtani as a postseason rotation with Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Emmett Sheehan, and Justin Wrobleski among their many other options
Skubal also will allow them to use Ohtani carefully in the regular season as he deals with knee and biceps injuries. He has not pitched since July 3, but all that matters for the Dodgers is that he’s ready for October
The backdrop to all this is how adeptly the Dodgers swing their financial hammer. Skubal will make roughly $11 million the rest of the season, pushing their luxury tax payroll over $440 million
READ MORE
Dodgers win Tarik Skubal sweepstakes — 12:50 a.m
By Staff and wire reports
The Dodgers are reportedly acquiring two-time American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal from the Tigers for three prospects
ESPN is reporting the Tigers will receive outfielder Zyhir Hope, righthander River Ryan, and righthander Brady Smith
Hope, 21, is hitting .293/.369/.899 at Double-A Tulsa with 23 home runs and 87 RBIs in 94 games
Ryan, 27, has made eight starts this season at Triple-A Oklahoma City. He missed all of last season while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery
Smith, 21, was recently promoted from Single-A Ontario to High-A Great Lakes. In 21 starts between the two stops, he is 0-7 with a 4.36 ERA and 113 strikeouts over 74⅓ innings
Skubal, however, is the big piece, and he gives the Dodgers a healthy arm to stick at the top of the rotation. In 16 starts with the Tigers this season, he is 7-5 with a 2.79 ERA with 116 strikeouts over 96⅔ innings
He missed more than a month earlier in the season following left elbow surgery
Last season, Skubal was 13-6 with an AL-best 2.21 ERA and 0.891 WHIP to beat out Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet for the Cy Young Award
Skubal was even better in 2024, going 18-4 with a 2.39 ERA and 228 strikeouts in 192 innings for his first Cy Young
Since the start of the 2023 season, the lefthander has a 2.46 ERA and averaging just under 11 strikeouts per nine innings
Braves add Lane Thomas to outfield mix — 11:30 p.m
By Associated Press
The Braves acquired outfielder Lane Thomas and minor league lefthander Bailey Falter from the Royals in exchange for two minor league pitchers on Saturday
Thomas, 30, is slashing .230/.325/.392 in 96 games this year. He has played mostly center field in Kansas City, but will move over to left field in Atlanta and likely platoon with Mike Yastrzemski. Thomas is a career .288 hitter against lefthanded pitching
Thomas will join the Braves on Tuesday for the first of a three-game series against the Marlins
Falter will report to Triple-A Gwinnett, according to Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos
Mariners shake things up, send Luis Castillo to White Sox — 11:05 p.m
By Associated Press
The Mariners have traded righthander Luis Castillo to the White Sox in exchange for righthander Seranthony Domínguez, outfielder Nolan Jones, catching prospect Boston Smith and cash considerations, the Mariners announced Saturday night
The struggling Mariners, who are four games below .500 and trail the Astros by three games in the AL West, elected to part ways with one of their longest tenured players ahead of Monday’s trade deadline
The White Sox, meanwhile, lead the AL Central by 2½ games with a 58-52 record
Castillo, 33, is under contract through the 2027 season with a vesting option for 2028. He is 3-9 with 86 strikeouts and a 5.06 ERA across 99⅔ innings
Trade talks simmer until the last minute — 11:05 p.m
By Tim Healey, Globe Staff
Happy 43-hour countdown, all
I enjoyed this chart, from Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman, showing the pace of trades in recent years
Almost all of the good stuff happens in the last two days, so do not fret that the Red Sox have been quiet so far (their ill-fated early strike with the Nationals for Curtis Mead last weekend notwithstanding)
Last year, the Sox got Steven Matz (from the Cardinals) late at night on the day before the trade deadline. They got Dustin May (from the Dodgers) in the minutes before the deadline
Giants’ Luis Arraez late scratch from lineup with cramps — 9:35 p.m
By Associated Press
Giants second baseman Luis Arraez, who’s among the top trade candidates as Monday’s deadline approaches, was scratched from the lineup Saturday night due to cramps minutes before the game against the Padres
The Giants said it was a precaution after the leadoff batter came out of Friday night’s game in the seventh inning with cramps. Arraez led the majors with a .328 batting average coming into Saturday night
Will the Red Sox go all-in, or make smaller moves to upgrade the roster? — 4:52 p.m
By Peter Abraham, Globe Staff
Through Friday, the Red Sox have won three straight, five of six, 21 of 24, and 26 of 31. It’s a remarkable run. They had the second-worst record in the majors on June 24, and now they’re tied for the seventh-best
I can’t help but wonder if Craig Breslow will work around the edges of the roster instead of making a major trade. There is something to be said for letting this group cook. Add to the bullpen, get a depth starter, and improve the infield depth and see what happens
That said, it would be fun to see George Springer and Luis Arraez at Fenway on Tuesday
Angels’ José Soriano scratched from Saturday start — 4:35 p.m
By Cam Kerry, Globe Staff
Hours before the team’s game against the Brewers, the Angels made the decision to scratch righthanded starter José Soriano
A prime trade candidate, Soriano owns a 9-6 record with a 3.29 ERA on a sputtering Angels team, who sit last in the American League with a 42-68 mark
Righthander Brent Suter will open a bullpen game for Los Angeles
The Angels dealt catcher Logan O’Hoppe and righthanded reliever Chase Silseth to the Rangers on Wednesday
Jojo Ingrassia traded from Red Sox to Tigers to finalize Jahmai Jones deal — 3:25 p.m
By Alex Speier, Globe Staff
The Red Sox are sending lefthanded pitcher Jojo Ingrassia to the Tigers as the player to be named in the Jahmai Jones trade. Ingrassia, 24, had a 3.27 ERA and 33 percent strikeout rate in High-A Greenville this year
Pirates, Yankees reportedly strike a deal for Camilo Doval — 3:15 p.m
By Cam Kerry, Globe Staff
The Pirates reportedly acquired righthanded reliever Camilo Doval from the Yankees
Per ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the Yankees get back a pair of prospects for Doval
The flame-throwing Doval has recorded a 4.54 ERA this season. He’s fallen out of favor in high-leverage situations, posting just one save and four holds this season
The 29-year-old joined New York at the trade deadline a season ago. Doval has experience as a closer with the Giants, where he led the league with 39 saves as an All-Star in 2023
Will the Skubal Sweepstakes affect the Red Sox? — 2:30 p.m
By Tim Healey, Globe Staff
Look at the teams most often bandied about as potential destinations for the Tigers’ ace and/or reportedly looking to upgrade their rotation (in no particular order): Brewers, Dodgers, Rays, Braves, Phillies, Cubs
Only one of those is in the American League. So unless Skubal lands with the Rays, who have led the AL East for a month, it probably won’t be the Sox’ problem — on the field down the stretch, in the standings as they fight for wild-card (and division?) positioning, and on the field again in October for the first three rounds
But if Skubal does go to Tampa Bay … it raises the degree of difficulty for the Sox. Their division odds would get that much longer, not to mention the issue of facing him in a potential short postseason series
At the moment, none of the clubs around the Red Sox in the wild-card race seem to be competing for Skubal: Yankees, Guardians, Twins, Rangers, Orioles
Brewers acquire Bo Naylor from the Guardians — 12:35 p.m
By Cam Kerry, Globe Staff
The Brewers and Guardians agreed to a deal that sends catcher Bo Naylor and righthander Codi Heuer to Milwaukee in exhange for outfielder Blake Perkins and righthander Craig Yoho
Naylor and Heuer were both assigned to Triple-A Nashville following the move
Naylor has spent his entire professional career with the Guardians, yet has struggled offensively. He was sent down after the Guardians brought in Patrick Bailey from the Giants
Heuer, 30, was 0-1 with a 4.66 ERA in eight relief appearances
Yoho was 2-0 with a 3.15 ERA in 15 appearances across three stints with the Brewers this season. The righthander throws from a 19 degree arm angle, generating plenty of run towards righthanded hitters
Perkins, a 29-year-old outfielder, was a Gold Glove finalist two years ago. Lacking offensive punch, the switchhitter had a .157 batting average in 55 games with the Brewers this season
Could Tarik Skubal be on the move? — 12:00 p.m
By Peter Abraham
It’s not often a back-to-back Cy Young Award winner gets put on the market, but Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris will not make the same mistake the Angels did with Shohei Ohtani and get only a draft pick when he leaves as a free agent
Tarik Skubal is the biggest name on the midseason trade market in several years. Jahmai Jones played parts of two seasons in Detroit before he was traded to the Red Sox on July 14. He said the situation was roiling the Tigers
“Unbelievable talent and a better person,” Jones said of Skubal. “For a guy like him, drafted by Detroit, home-grown, has only known Detroit, that decision is looming over everybody, including the front office … I think everyone [there] is walking on eggshells
“Whether they decide to keep him or trade him, I don’t think everybody is going to be happy.”
It’s a situation similar to when the Red Sox couldn’t make a deal with Jon Lester during the 2014 season and sent him to the Athletics with Jonny Gomes at the deadline for Yoenis Cespedes and a draft pick
For a win-now team like the Dodgers, Skubal makes sense. But the Brewers and Rays could see the lefty as worth the cost in prospects to finally win a World Series
The Tigers scratched Casey Mize from his start on Friday and are set to trade him, too. The righthander has a 2.70 ERA in 16 starts since returning from an adductor issue. Credit to Harris for picking a direction
Alex Speier can be reached at alex.speier@globe.com. Follow him @alexspeier. Tim Healey can be reached at timothy.healey@globe.com. Follow him @timbhealey. Peter Abraham can be reached at peter.abraham@globe.com. Follow him on Bluesky at peteabeglobe.bsky.social. Cam Kerry can be reached at cam.kerry@globe.com. Keith Pearson can be reached at keith.pearson@globe.com
