Chicago Cubs

Few teams were under more of a spotlight than the Chicago Cubs as Tuesday's 6 p.m. ET trade deadline approached.

After all, the rebuilding Cubs are nowhere near contention and featured a number of veterans who could contribute elsewhere in a playoff race and bring back prospects for a rebuilding club. That made them a natural seller with catcher Willson Contreras and outfielder Ian Happ as their primary trade candidates.

So much for that.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported the Cubs elected not to trade Contreras and Happ ahead of the deadline in one of the bigger surprises around the league.

The decision not to trade Contreras, who is 30 years old and scheduled for free agency after this season, is perhaps the most surprising. He could leave for another club this offseason and may no longer even be in his prime when the Cubs contend again if they re-sign him.

Keeping him also goes against the club's recent decisions to trade franchise icons Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant and Javier Baez last year and not re-sign Kyle Schwarber after the 2020 season.

They were all integral pieces in breaking Chicago's extended World Series championship drought in 2016. Contreras was as well, and any sentimental connections didn't figure to play much of a factor because they hadn't in those previous decisions.

Yet the three-time All-Star is still a member of the only Major League Baseball team he has ever known, even though he could have helped a catcher-needy contender and perhaps allowed the Cubs to restock their farm system with multiple additions.

The decision to keep Happ is somewhat less surprising since he is not scheduled for free agency until 2024 and is just 27 years old in the middle of his first All-Star season. He could be a major piece of the team for years to come and may even command a smaller salary to re-sign than Contreras eventually will.

He also made it clear he wasn't going anywhere after the deadline passed:

Happ could have been a backup outfield option for teams that lost out on the Juan Soto sweepstakes, but he too will play out the rest of the season for the third-place team in the National League Central.

Another Chicago Cubs reliever is on his way to the Big Apple.

The New York Mets acquired Mychal Givens from the Cubs for minor league pitcher Saul Gonzalez. MLB.com's Anthony DiComo first reported the deal.

The move comes one day after the New York Yankees landed Scott Effross from the Cubs.

Givens appeared in 40 games for Chicago and notched two saves. He posted a 2.66 ERA and a 3.83 FIP with 51 strikeouts across 40.2 innings.

The right-hander has been especially effective against right-handed hitters, who have had a .213/.296/.298 slash line in 108 plate appearances against Givens.

Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer listed a reliever as one of the Mets' biggest needs with the trade deadline approaching:

The Mets have a hole in their rotation right now, but they're due to fill that in-house once some guy named Jacob deGrom (shoulder) is ready to go. That should be shortly after the trade deadline.

Though the Mets also stand to get Trevor May (stress reaction in arm) back soon, they should be less willing to let it roll with the relievers they already have. Veteran closer Edwin Diaz has been scintillating all season, yet the bridge to him lacks a true shutdown setup man.

Losing Drew Smith to a strained lat muscle only heightened that need. Smith went on the 15-day injured list on July 28, and his absence offsets the impending return of Trevor May to the bullpen.

With Diaz in the middle of a career year (23 saves, 1.51 ERA, 0.96 FIP and 18.1 strikeouts per nine innings), general manager Billy Eppler didn't have to do anything radical with the bullpen.

Givens was the kind of marginal upgrade for Eppler to target. He brings the added benefit of having played under manager Buck Showalter with the Baltimore Orioles as well.

Nonetheless, fans are likely to feel a bit underwhelmed with the Mets' overall deadline haul.

New York is only up 3.5 games on the Atlanta Braves for first place in the National League East. While the team has a high probability of at least making the playoffs, the division certainly isn't in the bag.

As much as Givens helps, Eppler could come to regret not being more aggressive elsewhere on the field.

Amid injury concerns for George Springer, the Toronto Blue Jays are seeking to upgrade their outfield prior to the trade deadline.

Per MLB Network's Jon Morosi, the Blue Jays are interested in Chicago Cubs' All-Star Ian Happ in part because of his ability to play center field.

Springer sat out Toronto's win over the Detroit Tigers on Sunday with an elbow injury. The four-time All-Star told reporters on July 22 he's "going to have to fight through stuff all year."

The expectation has been Happ and Willson Contreras will be traded by the Cubs prior to Tuesday's 6 p.m. ET deadline. Both players basically said goodbye to fans at Wrigley Field during Chicago's July 26 game against the Pittsburgh Pirates before the team went on a road trip that ends on Friday.

The Cubs have no reason to keep either player since they are in the early stages of rebuilding their farm system. Contreras is eligible for free agency after this season.

Happ could net the team a significant return in a trade by virtue of having one more year of team control in 2023 before he can become a free agent.

Springer has not been placed on the injured list, but the Blue Jays could make him their primary designated hitter to ease some of the burden on his body. He had imaging done on his ailing elbow on July 22.

After sitting out Toronto's first three games following the All-Star break, Springer returned to the lineup on July 26. He sat out two of the team's three games against the Detroit Tigers over the weekend.

Happ has been an incredibly versatile player for the Cubs over the past six seasons. The 27-year-old has started games in left field, center field and DH in 2022. He also has experience playing right field, first base, second base and third base.

In addition to his positional versatility, Happ is having a strong season with the bat. He is hitting .279/.360/.436 with 36 extra-base hits and 46 RBI in 99 games with the Cubs.

The Blue Jays (57-45) are a distant second place in the American League East, 12 games behind the New York Yankees. They do have a three-game advantage over the Tampa Bay Rays for the top wild-card spot.

While the San Diego Padres continue to be in talks for Juan Soto, they are also looking at potential alternatives ahead of the Aug. 2 trade deadline.

Per ESPN's Buster Olney, the Padres are having discussions with the Chicago Cubs about All-Star catcher Willson Contreras.

Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune noted the Padres currently have "a lot of things going on" leading up to the trade deadline.

Soto is the biggest domino that could fall before Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET. Hector Gomez of Z101 Digital noted the Washington Nationals plan to make one more attempt at signing their 23-year-old superstar to an extension, and if no deal is reached, "he will be traded before the deadline."

The Athletic's Jim Bowden reported Friday that there are "strong indications" San Diego and the St. Louis Cardinals are the leading candidates to acquire Soto.

Contreras seems like he will be easier to get in a deal at this point. The 30-year-old essentially said goodbye to the Chicago fans in his final at-bat during Tuesday's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. (The Cubs began a seven-game road trip Thursday that will finish two days after the trade deadline.)

The Cubs appear to have put a high price on Contreras in a trade despite seemingly having little leverage at this point. Jon Heyman of the New York Post noted that the New York Mets are also in on the veteran catcher, but the price is "still higher than they'd like."

Contreras, who can become a free agent at the end of this season, could be one of the most impactful hitters dealt prior to the deadline if he gets moved. The Venezuela native has a .252/.369/.460 slash line with 14 homers in 309 at-bats.

The Padres (56-45) are currently in the second wild-card spot in the National League. They lead the Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies by 2.5 games for the final playoff berth.

The New York Mets are ready to make a splash on the trade market in hopes of making a deep playoff run.

The Mets are interested in trading for Red Sox slugger J.D. Martinez and catcher Christian Vazquez, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, who noted Friday the team could "pivot" to the Boston duo if it finds the price for Willson Contreras and David Robertson of the Chicago Cubs to be too high.

The Red Sox are shopping Martinez, ESPN's Buster Olney (h/t Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors) reported earlier this week. It's unclear if the club is open to moving Vazquez, but he's set to become a free agent in the offseason.

Boston entered Friday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers fifth in the AL East with a 50-50 record. Pitchers Chris Sale, Michael Wacha, Rich Hill, James Paxton, Matt Strahm, Matt Barnes, Josh Taylor and Tyler Danish are on the injured list, as are position players Rafael Devers, Trevor Story, Christian Arroyo and Enrique Hernandez.

The Red Sox have a 26.6 percent chance to make the playoffs, per FanGraphs, so it would not be surprising if they were sellers before the deadline.

Martinez is in the final year of his contract, earning $19.4 million, which makes him a prime trade candidate. He has been a staple in the lineup since his arrival in 2018 and is hitting .293/.361/.466 in 84 games with nine home runs and 38 RBI.

While he can play the outfield, the 34-year-old is primarily a designated hitter. The Mets already acquired DH Daniel Vogelbach, but he is more of a platoon option against right-handed pitchers.

As for Vazquez, he's been one of the better offensive catchers in baseball. New York's top option right now is the defense-first Tomas Nido, who is hitting .218/.262/.251 with zero home runs and 16 RBI in 63 games.

James McCann, New York's starting catcher, is on the 10-day injured list with a strained oblique. Acquiring Vazquez from Boston would add some stability to the position down the stretch.

Vazquez has spent his eight-year career with Boston and is hitting .277/.321/.426 with eight home runs and 40 RBI in 81 games.

The Mets stand first in the National League East with a 61-37 record and are trying to hold off the defending World Series champion Atlanta Braves (59-41).

Seeking to solidify their bullpen for the stretch run, the New York Mets could be a landing spot for Chicago Cubs closer David Robertson.

Per Robert Murray of FanSided.com, the Mets "love" Robertson as they look at trade options prior to the Aug. 2 deadline.

The main focus for the Mets leading up to the trade deadline could be on Washington Nationals superstar Juan Soto.

Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman of the New York Post listed the Mets as one of seven potential landing spots for Soto if the Nationals move him:

"The Mets’ top prospect is catcher Francisco Alvarez, which is one position the Nats don’t really need after obtaining (Keibert) Ruiz last year. The bigger issue is that they reside in the NL East, and it’s hard to imagine Washington wants to face Soto so often the next 2 ½ years —or likely way more than that since the Mets can obviously afford to extend him considering Steve Cohen’s largesse."

Any deal for Robertson almost certainly wouldn't preclude the Mets from making a play for Soto.

In fact, Robertson could be one of the best bargains available before the trade deadline because it doesn't figure to cost much to get him.

The Cubs are almost certainly open for business, with Willson Contreras and Ian Happ getting emotional during Tuesday's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in what was likely their final game for the team at Wrigley Field. (Chicago begins a seven-game road trip on Thursday that ends after the Aug. 2 trade deadline.)

Robertson is only making $3.5 million this season after signing a one-year deal with the Cubs in March. The 37-year-old has been fantastic with a 1.83 ERA and 50 strikeouts in 39.1 innings.

The Mets have Edwin Diaz (1.55 ERA, 81 strikeouts in 40.2 innings) as their closer. Robertson would give manager Buck Showalter another high-leverage reliever to use in the regular season and playoffs if the Mets can work out a deal with the Cubs for the veteran right-hander.

The New York Mets and Chicago Cubs have engaged in trade discussions that would send catcher Willson Contreras and reliever David Robertson to Flushing in exchange for multiple prospects, per Sports Illustrated's Pat Ragazzo.

However, the Mets are unwilling to include top prospects Francisco Alvarez and Brett Baty in a deal. Alvarez is the team's No. 1 prospect, while Baty is ranked as the team's No. 2 prospect.

An agreement between the Mets and Cubs was "not yet close" as of last weekend, per Ragazzo. New York is "committed" to acquiring Contreras, who "appears to be their current focus" ahead of the Aug. 2 trade deadline.

The Mets aren't necessarily in need of a catcher with Jared McCann and Tomas Nido behind the plate. However, Contreras could be an interesting option as the club's designated hitter alongside the newly acquired Daniel Vogelbach, who has been particularly bad against lefties this year, hitting .141/.267/.156 with seven RBI.

Contreras has actually hit lefties better than righties this year, and over his career, slashing .284/.398/.676 with seven home runs and 12 RBI. So, it's no surprise the Mets might be interested in pairing him with Vogelbach.

Overall, Contreras is batting .258/.374/.473 with 14 home runs and 37 RBI this season.

As for Robertson, he would be a welcomed addition in the bullpen as the Mets are currently down Trevor May, who was placed on the 60-day injured list in May with a stress reaction in his right humerus.

Robertson has had a solid 2022 season, posting a 1.83 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 50 strikeouts in 39.1 innings across 35 games. Acquiring him would help stabilize New York's bullpen and help the franchise gear up for a potential battle for the NL East title.

The Mets currently sit atop the division with a 59-37 record, but the defending World Series champion Atlanta Braves are just two games behind with a 58-40 record.

In addition to Contreras and Robertson, the Mets have also been linked to Baltimore Orioles veteran Trey Mancini and Washington Nationals first baseman Josh Bell in recent weeks.

The likelihood of Chicago Cubs catcher Willson Contreras being moved before the Aug. 2 deadline remains high, but the three-time All-Star may have to play a different position for a new club.

Per ESPN's Jeff Passan, "multiple teams" are concerned about Contreras' ability to mesh with a new pitching staff down the stretch this season if he gets traded.

Since making his big league debut in 2016, Contreras has been one of the best offensive catchers in baseball. He ranks fourth at the position in FanGraphs WAR during that span (minimum 2,000 plate appearances).

Contreras ranks third in on-base percentage (.352) and slugging percentage (.460) among catchers over the past seven seasons. He is one of five catchers with at least 100 homers since the start of 2016.

Defense behind the plate has been another story for Contreras. Passan noted the 30-year-old is "not known for his game-calling acumen" as a catcher. He ranks 41st out of 60 qualified catchers in called-strike rate (45.8 percent), per Baseball Savant.

The Cubs have acknowledged Contreras' defensive limitations based on the near equal split of starts he has made at catcher (22) and designated hitter (18) in 40 games since June 1.

According to Passan, the New York Mets and Houston Astros are among the playoff contenders to call the Cubs about Contreras.

The Mets are tied for fifth among all teams in FanGraphs defensive value from the catching position this season (12.7). The Astros rank 22nd in that category (3.5).

The primary appeal of Contreras as a trade option for postseason contenders is his bat. Offense is down across MLB this season, with catchers particularly struggling to make an impact. Only 10 teams have a collective on-base percentage over .300 from their backstops in 2022.

Contreras won't cost much in terms of salary for interested teams. He is only making $9.625 million this season and will be eligible for free agency at the end of the year.

The Cubs (39-57) have every reason to move Contreras prior to the Aug. 2 trade deadline and get back whatever package of prospects they can get to build for the future.

Chicago Cubs left fielder Ian Happ is a prized commodity as the Aug. 2 MLB trade deadline quickly approaches.

ESPN's Jeff Passan reported Tuesday that "almost everyone wants Happ," and the 27-year-old is expected to be moved within the next week.

At 39-57, the Cubs are 11.5 games off the pace for the final wild-card spot in the National League. Happ has one more year of arbitration before he can become a free agent in 2024.

"None of those conversations have happened," he told reporters about negotiations over a new deal. "Just not at this point."

It's not hard to see why many around the league believe he'll be in a different uniform in a short time.

Happ has already set a career high for WAR (2.3), per FanGraphs. He's batting .282 with a .445 slugging percentage and a .353 wOBA and 127 wRC+.

The switch-hitter has raked when batting from the right side. He's slugging .513 and has a .920 OPS against left-handed pitching, according to Baseball Reference. That's more than 100 points higher than his OPS against right-handers (.780).

Happ's ability to play all three outfield positions or even move into the infield—he has logged 101 appearances at second and third base—only adds to his value.

Assuming he's moved, the 2022 All-Star should have a big impact on a contender over the stretch run.