MLB trade deadline tracker
Every trade before the July 31 non-waiver deadline
The non-waiver trade deadline in Major League Baseball is 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, July 31. Here is a look at all the deals as they happen, including details and analysis.
July 29
Bullpen help down south
Braves get: Brad Brach
Orioles get: $250,000 in international slot bonus money
Atlanta ranks 10th in the National League with a 4.25 bullpen ERA, so they add a veteran right-hander in Brach, who is struggling this season (4.85 ERA, opposing batters hitting .303/.375/.455) after five straight years with an ERA of 3.19 or lower. What is surprising is the Orioles adding bonus slot space to sign international players, a market they have mostly eschewed in recent years. Baltimore is rumored to be interested in highly-touted Cuban outfielder Victor Victor Mesa, per Emily Waldon of The Athletic.
July 28
Chasen the pennant
Cardinals get: LHP Chasen Shreve, RHP Giovanny Gallegos
Yankees get: 1B Luke Voit
Shreve has a 4.26 ERA with 46 strikeouts in 38 innings and was fourth on the team in appearances. But with the addition of Zach Britton Shreve was an extra piece and dealt for Volt, a 27-year-old who hit .299/.391/.500 in 67 games in Triple-A Memphis. Volt is 2-for-11 (.182) with a home run and two walks in his eight major league games in 2018.
Moose to Milwaukee
Brewers get: Mike Moustakas
Royals get: OF Brett Phillips, RHP Jorge Lopez
Moustakas is hitting .249/.309/.468 with 20 home runs this season after smashing a career-high 38 bombs in 2017. He joins a Milwaukee team two games back of Chicago in the NL Central and in the top wild card position.
The Brewers needed infield help with Jonathan Villar out, and the recent combination of Brad Miller and Hernan Perez not providing much offense at second base. With Moustakas earmarked for the hot corner, many have speculated that third baseman Travis Shaw could move to second.
What makes this deal a little more interesting is that Moustakas has a $15 million mutual option for 2019, with a $1 million buyout. After a rough free agent experience last winter, and with a loaded class potentially flooding the market, there is a reasonable chance this move could be more than a rental.
July 27
Houston, we have a reliever
Astros get: Ryan Pressly
Twins get: RHP Jorge Alcala, CF Gilberto Celestino
Pressly is a right-hander with a 3.40 ERA and a career-best 33.2% strikeout rate (69 strikeouts in 47⅔ innings), and he’s not a free agent until after 2019. The Twins get a pair of minor leaguers in return. Both Astros trades this week have been depth moves, adding a reliever in Pressly and catcher Martin Maldonado.
Philling an infield need
Phillies get: Asdrubal Cabrera
Mets get: RHP Franklyn Kilome
Philadelphia leads the NL East, but could use some infield help, especially with rookie Scott Kingery struggling mightily, hitting just .236/.278/.341. Cabrera isn’t going to wow anyone defensively but he can play second base, third base or shortstop if needed, and is hitting .277/.329/.488 with 18 home runs.
Hot corner help in the desert
Diamondbacks get: Eduardo Escobar
Twins get: RHP Jhoan Duran, OF Gabriel Maciel, OF Ernie De La Trinidad
Arizona is in the thick of two races, entering Friday just 1½ games back in the National League West and 2½ back of the top NL wild card spot. They add the switch-hitting Escobar, who leads the majors with 37 doubles while hitting .274/.338/.514 and playing both third base and shortstop. The Diamondbacks have struggled all season at third base, hitting just .219/.307/.359 as a group at the position, 29th in the majors in batting average, 28th in slugging, and 27th in OPS.
Escobar had an epic goodbye tweet to Twins fans:
THANK YOU Minnesota! I want to say thank you to my family, Twins front office, teammates, coaches, trainers and friends who day after day supported me and challenged me to be a better baseball player, a better person. Know that the Twins will always mean a lot to me. Wearing > pic.twitter.com/PGCdgbRj4Q
— eduardo jose escobar (@escobarmaracay) July 27, 2018
Seattle adds an arm, St. Louis cleans house
Mariners get: Sam Tuivailala
Cardinals get: RHP Seth Elledge
Seattle is clinging to that second wild card spot in the American League, now just one game back of the surging A’s. The Mariners added to their bullpen, with Tuivailala a 25-year-old right-hander with a 3.69 ERA in 31 innings this season. For St. Louis this was clean-up day in the bullpen, with the Cardinals not only trading Tuivailala but also designating relievers Greg Holland and Tyler Lyons for assignment.
July 26
Venters comes home
Braves get: Jonny Venters
Rays get: $500,000 international bonus slot space
Atlanta is just 2½ games back in the NL East, and their choice for a bullpen boost is a neat story as well. Venters has a 3.86 ERA in 22 games with Tampa Bay, mostly as a lefty specialist with just 14 innings. But what is remarkable about Venters is that he overcame a stunning three Tommy John surgeries and is pitching in the majors for the first time since 2012. Way back when was with the Braves, who drafted him in 2003. Now, Venters is back where it all began.
Hamels is back in the NL
Cubs get: Cole Hamels, and cash
Rangers get: RHP Eddie Butler, RHP Rollie Lacy, a player to be named later
Chicago has the best record in the National League, but with Yu Darvish still on the disabled list and Tyler Chatwood with nearly as many walks as innings pitched the Cubs needed an extra starting pitcher. They get that in Hamels, who pitched for the Phillies from 2006-15. The veteran left-hander this year has a 4.72 ERA with the Rangers, which can be split into two sections — a 3.41 ERA through his first 15 starts, and 10.23 in his last five outings.
Hamels has just under $8 million remaining in salary for 2018, then a $20 million club option for next year with a $6 million buyout. Texas sent cash in the deal.
Yanks add another pitcher, this time a starter
Yankees get: J.A. Happ
Blue Jays get: IF Brandon Drury, OF Billy McKinney
As daunting as it sounds to face their dominant bullpen for the bulk of innings, the Yankees did also need starting pitching. They got in in Happ, the 35-year-old veteran with a 4.18 ERA in 20 starts and a career-best 27.4% strikeout rate.
Soria to bother you
Brewers get: Joakim Soria
White Sox get: LHP Kodi Medeiros, RHP Wilber Perez
Milwaukee was 2½ games back in the NL Central, and needed some reinforcements for a bullpen that had a 4.46 ERA since the start of June. Enter Soria, the free agent to be who had a 2.56 ERA and 16 saves in Chicago, with 49 strikeouts and 10 walks in 38⅔ innings.
Backstop help in Houston
Astros get: Martin Maldonado
Angels get: LHP Patrick Sandoval, future considerations
The defending champion Astros don’t have many weaknesses, but with Brian McCann on the disabled list Houston could use some catching depth. Maldonado gives them that, especially defensively.
Rox relief
Rockies get: Seungwhan Oh
Blue Jays get: 1B Chad Spanberger, 2B Forrest Wall
Colorado was busy in the offseason in the bullpen aisle of the market, committing a total of $106 million in free agent contracts for relievers. What that got them was a 5.26 bullpen ERA that’s worst in the National League. Oh, the former Cardinal, has a 2.68 ERA this season with 55 strikeouts and only 10 walks in 47 innings.
July 25
Boston keeps up in AL East arms race
Red Sox get: Nathan Eovaldi
Rays get: LHP Jalen Beeks
The Red Sox own the best record in baseball, but were looking to bolster their rotation. Unless the Mets make one of Jacob deGrom or Noah Syndergaard available, Eovaldi is one of the top starters on the market. Back after missing nearly two full years, Eovaldi has a 4.26 ERA in 10 starts, but also 53 strikeouts against only eight walks in 57 innings.
D-backs add pitching
Diamondbacks get: Matt Andriese
Rays get: C Michael Perez, RHP Brian Shaffer
It was a busy dealing day for Tampa Bay, who sent right-handed pitcher Andriese to Arizona. He has a 4.07 ERA and 59 strikeouts in 59⅔ innings mostly in relief for the Rays.
July 24
Bronx bullpen gets even stronger
Yankees get: Zach Britton
Orioles get: RHP Cody Caroll, RHP Dillon Tate, LHP Josh Rogers
Baltimore traded their second high-priced star in a week, with Britton looking more like his former self in recent weeks after Achilles surgery cost him the first two months of the season. The sinker specialist joins a Yankees bullpen that already boasted the best ERA (2.76) and strikeout rate (31.6%) in baseball, and second-best FIP (3.03).
July 21
Oakland finds relief
Athletics get: Jeurys Familia
Mets get: RHP Bobby Wahl, 3B Will Toffey, $1 million in international bonus pool slot money
New York is headed nowhere and Familia is a free agent, so dealing him was a no-brainer. The only question was whether the Mets got enough in return for their closer.
July 19
Cleveland bolsters bullpen
Indians get: Brad Hand, Adam Cimber
Padres get: C Francisco Mejia
Hand has been on the rumor mill for years, especially with a team-friendly contract (making $3.5 million this season, with $14.5 million guaranteed remaining over two years, plus an option). Cleveland relievers had a 5.28 ERA before the All-Star break, second-worst in the American League. But with Hand and Cimber added to Cody Allen and a potentially healthy Andrew Miller, Terry Francona will have more weapons at his disposal come October.
Chicago adds pitching depth
Cubs get: Jesse Sanchez
Rangers get: LHP Tyler Thomas
From Bleed Cubbie Blue:
The Cubs added reliever Jesse Chavez on the back-end of a relatively inexpensive contract in exchange for Tyler Thomas. Even if all the incentives are met, the Cubs will only be out about $1.5 million on his contract. If he pitches well, he should be worth it, if only limiting the number of times the Des Moines Variations relievers pitch in key spots.
July 18
LA gets another Manny
Dodgers get: Manny Machado
Orioles get: Yusniel Diaz, Breyvic Valera, Dean Kremer, Rylan Bannon, Zach Pop
The worst-kept secret of the All-Star Game, the Machado rumors gained steam on Monday before the game, waiting until after Machado took a selfie during the midsummer classic with future teammate Matt Kemp at second base. Machado was the biggest midseason trade, a deal that is unlikely to be topped.