The Aug. 1 trade deadline in Major League Baseball is less than a week away now and there was big news Wednesday night. The Angels ended up trading for All-Star starting pitcher Lucas Giolito, a crystal clear indicator that they are not selling this deadline. That means Shohei Ohtani isn't going anywhere and Angels general manager Perry Minasian spoke on the matter Thursday, seeming to say they were never interested in trading their superstar. There's also a report that the team was underwhelmed with the trade offers they were getting.
The bottom line: Ohtani is staying put, but the trade rumor mill churns on. Let's round them up for Thursday, July 27.
Hader, Snell, and Soto still on the table
The Padres are not committing to selling, but they are listening to offers for closer Josh Hader, starter Blake Snell, and outfielder Juan Soto, according to the New York Post. At 49-54, the Padres are 6 1/2 games out of a postseason berth. With the singular Ohtani off the market, Soto instantly becomes the best available player at the deadline, assuming San Diego is truly open to moving him.
Hader and Snell are pure rentals, as both will become free agents after the season. Soto is under control through next season, however, a season in which the Padres will presumably try to contend. It would take a significant package to pry him loose. Hader and Snell should be much more attainable. That said, a good weekend could convince the Padres to keep both and try to make a run in the second half.
Dodgers, Cardinals have discussed Arenado
If you're looking for a blockbuster deal with Ohtani off the market, perhaps it'll be the Cardinals trading superstar third baseman Nolan Arenado. The Dodgers "covet" Arenado and "have engaged" the Cardinals in trade discussions on Arenado, according to the Los Angeles Times. The report also indicates Arenado is willing to waive his no-trade clause only for a trade to the Dodgers, which is an interesting nugget. Further, it's possible a deal would include a starting pitcher such as Jordan Montgomery or Jack Flaherty (more on him below).
Arenado, 32, enters Thursday hitting .287/.335/.521 (130 OPS+) with 19 doubles, two triples, 22 homers, 77 RBI, 48 runs and 2.1 WAR this season. He's still owed $109 million from 2024-27, though the Rockies are paying $15 million of that from when they traded him to the Cardinals.
The Dodgers have been playing Max Muncy at third base, but he could move back to second base -- which moves Mookie Betts back to the outfield -- in order to accommodate Arenado.
Yankees are buyers, but ...
The Yankees are right now looking to buy in front of the deadline, but "important caveats" are present, reports The Athletic. The Yankees have won four of their last five games and are hopeful Aaron Judge returns soon (possibly as soon as Friday), but they are 2 1/2 games out of the final AL Wild Card spot and have to deal with the first-place Orioles this weekend. If they get swept and fall down to around five games out, it sounds like they won't be willing to add much.
If the Yankees do buy, the report mentions Rockies outfielder Randal Grichuk as a possibility along with Dylan Carlson of the Cardinals and Cody Bellinger of the Cubs.
Also, the Yankees are looking at Nationals third baseman Jeimer Candelario, according to Jesse Rogers (via ESPN).
White Sox don't want to deal Cease
The White Sox just traded Giolito, so would they also deal fellow All-Star starter Dylan Cease? Teams who have inquired about Cease have all heard "no," according to Bob Nightengale.
Cease, 27, finished second in AL Cy Young voting last season and is under team control through 2025, so it's easy to see why other teams would be interested in his services. If the White Sox wish to avoid a rebuild and contend again next season, however, it makes the most sense to just hold onto him. Plus, they'd be selling quite a bit lower, given that he's sitting with a 4.04 ERA and 1.31 WHIP through 21 starts this season.
Marlins look at All-Star shortstop
Speaking of the White Sox, All-Star shortstop Tim Anderson has a club option for 2024, otherwise he'd be hitting free agency after this season. He's having a terribly timed brutal season, hitting .245/.285/.285 (59 OPS+) through 78 games. Still, there's plenty of track record there and he's been swinging the bat much better of late; he's 15 for 37 (.405) in his last nine games with six multi-hit efforts in there.
On that front, he could be an attractive trade candidate for the many buyers on the market. The Marlins can use some offense and ESPN reports that they have interest in Anderson.
Flaherty, Cardinals haven't talked extension for a while
The Cardinals look to be sellers this deadline for the first time in decades, so it's hard to know what to expect. A name that could be on the move is Jack Flaherty. The 27-year-old righty is set to hit free agency after the season and currently sports a 4.43 ERA with 106 strikeouts in 109 2/3 innings.
The Cardinals and Flaherty haven't had extension talks in months, per Derrick Goold. Goold further reports that even when there were extension talks in the past they didn't go anywhere, which makes sense since they would've led to more talks or an extension if there was anything positive. On the other hand, St. Louis is reportedly actively working on an extension with reliever Jordan Hicks.
Flaherty finished fourth in NL Cy Young voting in 2019, but he's battled injuries and inconsistency ever since. He'd be a lottery ticket for a contending team.
