Columbus
MLB Trade Rumors
Brewers pitcher's breakout year halted by injury
The Brewers announced a trio of moves Saturday, including Jared Koenig’s placement on the 15-day injured list due to left forearm tendinitis. Milwaukee has selected the contract of left-hander Rob Zastryzny from Triple-A to take Koenig’s spot on the active roster, and to create a 40-man roster spot, outfielder Chris Roller was designated for assignment.
Blue Jays closer to receive evaluation after continued elbow discomfort
Blue Jays closer Jordan Romano is set to visit Dr. Keith Meister on July 2, manager John Schneider told reporters (including the Athletic’s Kaitlyn McGrath and Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi). Romano has been on the injured list due to right elbow inflammation for almost a month, and his throwing work has now been halted for a second time due to continued soreness. Some soreness last week led to a pause for a few days, but Romano has been shut down from throwing entirely after a throwing session on Friday.
Outright Assignments: Kuhnel, Emanuel
Rounding up some recent outright assignments…. The Brewers outrighted Joel Kuhnel to Triple-A Nashville, as per the right-hander’s MLB.com profile page. Kuhnel was designated for assignment earlier this week, and for the second time this month, he has been outrighted off a team’s 40-man roster. The Blue Jays previously outrighted Kuhnel, and he opted for free agency and a subsequent minor league deal with Milwaukee. It isn’t yet known if he’ll choose free agency again over accepting this outright assignment, or if Kuhnel perhaps wants some stability after already being part of three different organizations in the last two months. A veteran of five big league seasons, Kuhnel’s 2024 resume consists of two innings in a single appearances with the Astros at the MLB level, and a 2.52 ERA over 25 Triple-A relief innings.
Cubs president discusses trade deadline, team's struggles
The Cubs’ 4-2 loss to the Brewers Friday dropped Chicago to a 38-45 record and a .458 winning percentage that tops only the Marlins and Rockies among all National League teams. With a 17-31 mark in their last 48 games, the Cubs haven’t played good baseball for the better part of two months, leading to much speculation about the team’s plans heading into the July 30 trade deadline.
Phillies moving intriguing prospect to the rotation
The Phillies have seen a pair of starters go down with injuries in the past week, as Taijuan Walker hit the injured list with a hand injury and Spencer Turnbull will be out up to eight weeks due to a lat strain. That’s left a vacancy at the back of Philly’s rotation and it’ll be filled – at least in the short term – by 25-year-old righty Michael Mercado, reports Alex Coffey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
MLB Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda dead at 86
Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda has died at age 86, the Giants announced. Cepeda played nine of his 17 MLB campaigns in San Francisco and won the 1967 National League MVP award as a member of the Cardinals. A native of Ponce, Puerto Rico, Cepeda secured a minor league contract...
Pirates, Jake Lamb Agree To New Minor League Deal
The Pirates brought infielder Jake Lamb back on a new minor league contract after granting him his release when he triggered an opt-out clause last week, reports Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He’s headed back to Triple-A Indianapolis, where he spent the first two-plus months of the season.
Giants place pair of veteran infielders on injured list
The Giants announced this evening that they’ve placed infielders Thairo Estrada and Wilmer Flores on the 10-day injured list. Estrada was sent to the shelf with a left wrist sprain and the latter was shelved with knee tendonitis. In corresponding moves, the club has called up infielder Tyler Fitzgerald and activated first baseman Lamonte Wade Jr. from the 10-day injured list.
Astros Outright Blair Henley
The Astros outrighted right-hander Blair Henley to Triple-A Sugar Land this afternoon, as noted by The Athletic’s Chandler Rome on X. The 27-year-old rookie does not have the requisite service time or previous outright on his resume necessary to reject the assignment, meaning he’ll return to the minor leagues to act as non-roster depth for Houston going forward.
Royals Outright Jake Brentz
The Royals announced that left-hander Jake Brentz has cleared outright waivers and been assigned to Double-A Northwest Arkansas. He has the right to reject that assignment and elect free agency, but doing so would mean forfeiting what is left of his $1.05MM salary, so he’ll likely stick with the club as non-roster depth.
Phillies place pair of offensive stars on injured list
The Phillies are taking two big hits Friday, announcing that both Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber are going on the 10-day injured list. Harper has a left hamstring strain while Schwarber has a left groin strain. They have reinstated infielder Kody Clemens from the injured list and recalled outfielder Johan Rojas in corresponding moves.
Mets reliever likely to require Tommy John surgery
Mets right-hander Drew Smith says that his ulnar collateral ligament has significant damage and will likely require Tommy John surgery, per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com on X. The righty is getting a second opinion but seems slated for a lengthy absence. If surgery is ultimately required, it’s terrible timing for...
Rockies designate utilityman for assignment
The Rockies have designated utilityman Alan Trejo for assignment, per a team announcement. His spot on the roster will go to fellow infielder Aaron Schunk, whose contract has been selected from Triple-A Albuquerque. Colorado also recalled right-hander Riley Pint from Triple-A. The team had a vacant spot on the active roster after placing reliever Jake Bird on the injured list Thursday.
Padres Sign Nabil Crismatt To Minor League Deal
Right-hander Nabil Crismatt is headed back to the Padres organization, the pitcher himself announced via Instagram. Crismatt, who was released from a minor league deal with the Rangers earlier this week, signed a minor league contract with San Diego, reports Annie Helibrunn of the San Diego Union-Tribune. The 29-year-old Crismatt...
Nationals to promote elite outfield prospect on Monday
Nationals fan can circle Monday, July 1, as one of the most anticipated days in recent franchise history. They’re planning to promote top outfield prospect James Wood for his MLB debut when they return home for a series against the Mets that day, reports Grant Paulsen of 106.7 FM The Fan.
Rays could make multiple starters available on trade market
The 40-41 Rays are among the key teams to watch as the trade deadline draws near. While they’re buried in the American League East and unlikely to close their current 10.5-game deficit, they’re only four games out of the final American League wild-card spot. At the same time, Tampa Bay could soon find itself with a growing number of big-league starters — more than it has room to plug into its rotation.
Cardinals to promote key pitching prospect
The Cardinals are planning to promote pitching prospect Gordon Graceffo before tomorrow night’s matchup with the Reds, reports Katie Woo of the Athletic (X link). The 24-year-old will be available out of the bullpen behind scheduled starter Andre Pallante. Garceffo signed for an overslot $500K bonus as a fifth-round...
Tigers, Drew Maggi Agree To Minor League Deal
The Tigers are signing infielder Drew Maggi to a minor league contract, as announced by the Staten Island FerryHawks of the Atlantic League (X link). The 35-year-old has appeared in 29 games with Staten Island this year. Maggi garnered some attention in baseball circles last spring. A veteran of 13...
Guardians place outfielder on injured list
The Guardians placed outfielder Will Brennan on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to June 25, with rib cage inflammation. Infielder Jose Tena is up from Triple-A Columbus to take his spot on the active roster. Cleveland also optioned Xzavion Curry and recalled Darren McCaughan. Brennan has been Cleveland’s primary right...
Marlins Outright Christian Bethancourt
Marlins catcher Christian Bethancourt went unclaimed on waivers following his recent DFA and has been assigned outright to Triple-A Jacksonville, per the team’s transaction log at MLB.com. As a player with more than three years of big league service, he has the right to reject the assignment in favor of free agency. However, Bethancourt is at 4.129 years of service, placing him 43 days shy of the five full years he’d need to elect free agency and retain the remainder of this season’s $2.05MM salary. Since he’d have to forfeit the remainder of that salary in order to elect free agency, he’ll surely accept it and report to Jacksonville.
MLB Trade Rumors
14K+
Posts
77M+
Views
MLBTR is a clearinghouse for relevant, legitimate baseball rumors. The site focuses on the hot stove – trades and free agent signings.
It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency:
Our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. As a platform hosting over 100,000 pieces of content published daily, we cannot pre-vet content, but we strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation.