The trade deadline in Major League Baseball is now just one week away, as it is set for Monday, Aug. 3. Some jockeying still needs to be done by then, of course, as the overwhelming majority of teams are still technically in the playoff race. On that front, we'll see some action this week, but much of the maneuvering will happen next Monday.
In the meantime, let's get to the rumors from today.
Astros are buyers
Astros general manager Dana Brown continues to make it clear that the Astros are planning to buy in the hopes of making the playoffs in the final year of his contract.
"The division is wide open," he said (via The Athletic). "The wild card is wide open. There's some parity there. There's a lot of teams bunched up," Brown said on the Astros pregame radio show Sunday. "I think the team that gets hot is going to be the team that takes the run. We would anticipate that we're going to be buyers."
The Astros are two games out in the AL West and from the third American League wild-card race.
As for what the Astros would like to add, a big bat in the outfield appears to be the priority.
"We're looking for some type of offensive bat that can play the outfield," Brown said. "If it's a left-handed bat, great, but any type of offensive upgrade that can help lengthen the lineup would be our focus."
Phillies, Rays watching All-Star pitcher
The Nationals are only one game away from the last National League wild-card spot right now, but the organization is in the midst of a retooling and has shown a willingness to deal from the big-league club. Lefty All-Star Foster Griffin (12-2, 2.76) is on a one-year deal and, accordingly, is drawing a ton of interest.
The Phillies and Rays both had a scout watching Griffin in his start on Saturday, per The Athletic. The big takeaway here isn't necessarily that those teams are hotter on Griffin than others, but instead that he's a major trade chip here during his breakout season.
The expectation should be that every contender looking for starting pitching will be involved.
Mets have a high bar for players under control past this season
The Mets will be one of the biggest sellers at the deadline this season, and their lineup boasts a number of players set to hit free agency after this season. As for players under control past 2026, president of baseball operations David Stearns will set a high bar on any return in order to make a deal, according to the New York Post. He's open to moving such players, as long as the price is met.
Mets players hitting free agency after this season: Luis Robert Jr. (team option for next season), Clay Holmes (player option), Tyrone Taylor, A.J. Minter, Freddy Peralta, Brooks Raley
Mets players controlled through 2027: Luke Weaver, Jorge Polanco, Huascar Brazobán
Needless to say, we'll be talking about the Mets a lot this coming week, regarding the trade market.
White Sox add Urquidy
The White Sox have acquired right-handed pitcher José Urquidy, the team announced late Sunday.
Once a productive starter, Urquidy posted an 8.53 ERA in 6 ⅓ innings for the Pirates earlier this season and a 7.71 ERA in 2 ⅓ innings last season for the Tigers. He's clearly a flier for the White Sox here, as they could use the organizational depth with starting pitching.
