The 2023 MLB trade deadline is just around the corner, with contending teams deciding what they need to add before 6 p.m. ET on Aug. 1.
Could Shohei Ohtani be on the move from the Los Angeles Angels? Could Marcus Stroman, Cody Bellinger and Lucas Giolito be dealt to contenders? And which of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, Texas Rangers and San Francisco Giants will go all-in to boost their 2023 World Series hopes?
Whether your favorite club is looking to add or deal away — or stands somewhere in between — here’s the freshest intel we’re hearing, reaction to completed deals and what to know for every team as trade season unfolds.
Trade grades: Report card for every major deal | Passan’s deadline preview
July 26 updates
Too many starters available? This deadline favors teams with players to deal, general. But one executive noted the volume of teams searching for starting pitchers who are under team control beyond 2023 — and wonders if all of the teams looking to move rental starting pitchers (impending free agents) will find trade partners. Among the available starting pitchers who could be free agents this fall: Lucas Giolito, Lance Lynn, Rich Hill, Marcus Stroman, Eduardo Rodriguez, Carlos Carrasco, Jose Quintana, Jack Flaherty, Jordan Montgomery, Michael Lorenzen, Brad Keller. — Buster Olney
Don’t expect a McCutchen trade: Andrew McCutchen is a free agent at season’s end and might normally be considered a possible trade target. But in this case, there seems to be an understanding between the player and team that he’ll remain with the Pirates through the 2023 season, in a continuation of what has been a strong reunion.
July 25 updates
Dodgers bring back Hernandez in deal with Red Sox. The Los Angeles Dodgers, in search of depth throughout their infield, reached a deal to reacquire Enrique Hernandez from the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday, sources told ESPN. Grades
The Dodgers have more work to do: The Dodgers’ acquisition of super-utilityman Enrique Hernandez “doesn’t preclude us from exploring other right-handed bats,” general manager Brandon Gomes said Tuesday.
A right-handed hitter is still a main target for the Dodgers, along with help for both their rotation and their bullpen. The versatility throughout their roster — Hernandez, Chris Taylor and Mookie Betts can all play the infield and the outfield — allows them to not be beholden to specific positions while pursuing offensive help.
Adding Hernandez could free the Dodgers up to use current major leaguers in a trade — but they might have to wait on that. Trade talks, Gomes said, have been slow-moving with so many teams undecided on being adders or subtractors. Most of the action might wait until the final day or two. — Alden Gonzalez
Will Yankees go after Bellinger … or another outfielder? Scouts who have watched the Yankees over the past couple of weeks believe this team is more than a piece or two away — even if one of those pieces is Aaron Judge. But if there is one need the front office would like to address before the trade deadline, it’s in the outfield, a notably thin area even with Judge on the verge of returning from his foot injury.
Cody Bellinger, the left-handed-hitting past MVP whose father wore pinstripes, has long been seen as an ideal fit. But what if the Cubs, with by far the highest run differential in their division, decide to hold onto him? Or, more likely, what if another suitor is ultimately more aggressive?
The Yankees would prefer a left-handed, middle-of-the-order-type hitter to include in an outfield mix highlighted by the right-handed-hitting Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Harrison Bader. But they’d be open to a right-handed-hitting option if he stands as a clear upgrade, a source familiar with the team’s thinking said. The next tier of available outfielders seems to be made up mostly of right-handed-hitters, including Mark Canha, Tommy Pham, Randal Grichuk, Tyler O’Neill, Lane Thomas and Dylan Carlson (Carlson is a switch-hitter, but he has been far better from the right side this season).
First, though, the Yankees have to decide how they feel about their current team, specifically whether they want to augment it or shed some pieces in hopes of freeing up payroll. They’re among the many who still seem to be undecided. — Gonzalez
Chicago is buzzing ahead of the deadline: There were half a dozen scouts in the stands at Guaranteed Rate Field for the beginning of the Cubs/White Sox crosstown series on Tuesday. Both Chicago teams could subtract at the deadline and there’s no shortage of talent between them. Most interesting: The top scouts from the Yankees, in attendance to watch Cubs center fielder Cody Bellinger, were the same personnel who scouted Anthony Rizzo before the Yankees traded for him in 2021.
Tuesday’s Cubs starter, Kyle Hendricks, is not expected to be moved at the deadline, according to sources. He has a team option for next year and will likely be a Cub in 2024.
Lance Lynn, scheduled to pitch for Sox on Wednesday, wants another shot at the playoffs. His splits suggest he pitches against the righty dominant Blue Jays or Yankees rather than for them, one scout opined. Lefties have a 1.055 OPS off him while righties have compiled just a .644 mark. A reunion in Texas is not out of the question. Los Angeles or San Francisco are possible as well. — Jesse Rogers