The trade deadline is four days away and late Friday night the biggest pitching chip fell as the Reds sent righty Luis Castillo to the Mariners for four prospects. The trade likely takes Seattle out of the running for Nationals wunderkind Juan Soto, whose market is said to be down to four teams. With that in mind, here are Saturday's trade deadline rumors.
Montas now Yankees' No. 1 target
With Castillo off the board, Athletics righty Frankie Montas is now the No. 1 target for the Yankees, reports USA Today. Everything must go in Oakland and Montas is the team's top remaining trade chip. The right-hander missed two starts with a minor shoulder issue earlier this month, but he's looked strong in his two starts back, and he's pitched at a high level for several years now.
New York is seeking a rotation upgrade and will presumably have to win a bidding war to acquire Montas. Several other contenders need rotation help and Montas is appealing because he will remain under team control next season as an arbitration-eligible player. He is not a rental, and as the Castillo trade showed, the price for two postseason runs of an impact starter is high.
Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe.
Thanks for signing up!
Keep an eye on your inbox.
Sorry!
There was an error processing your subscription.
A's, Brewers have talked Laureano
The Athletics and Brewers have discussed outfielder Ramón Laureano, according to the New York Post. Laureano is one of the A's top remaining trade chips and he will remain under team control through 2025, so he's a long-term addition. Center field has been a weakness for the Brewers all season and Laureano represents an upgrade over the Jonathan Davis/Tyrone Taylor platoon.
Currently in first place in the NL Central, Milwaukee could use another bat to lengthen the lineup and Laureano brings a speed element as well. His defense tends to be overrated -- Laureano's arm is top of the line, though his range and routes are just OK -- but Brewers center fielders have hit .213/.272/.313 this year, and that's not going to fly when you're battling for a division title.
