NL Central

As the MLB trade deadline approaches, teams around the league are reportedly checking in on the availability of one of the best relievers in the majors.

According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Milwaukee Brewers are receiving calls from teams interested in trading for closer Josh Hader. Heyman added that there's "no indication" Hader is actually available, but the Brewers "seem willing to listen" to offers.

Hader leads MLB with 29 saves entering Sunday. He got off to an incredible start to the 2022 season in which he didn't allow an earned run in the first two months, putting together a run of 40 straight scoreless appearances dating back to last year. However, he hasn't been his usual dominant self in his most recent outings.

In the month of July, Hader has an ERA of 12.54. He gave up three homers and six runs in a blown save against the San Francisco Giants on July 15. His season ERA has ballooned to 4.24 to go with a 1-4 record and 59 strikeouts in 34 innings.

A three-time NL Reliever of the Year, Hader has been a star out of the bullpen since his major league debut in 2017. The 28-year-old has a career ERA of 2.48 with 541 strikeouts in 316.1 innings.

Milwaukee is in first place in the NL Central with a 57-44 record, four games ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals. The Brewers are seeking their fifth consecutive win in Sunday's series finale against the Boston Red Sox. It would be a massive surprise to see the team part with its four-time All-Star closer in the midst of a pennant race.

The Juan Soto sweepstakes is down to just four teams, according to Jim Bowden of CBS Sports, who noted the process is "moving along at a rapid pace."

The San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals are believed to be the front-runners for the Washington Nationals star, Bowden added. However, he noted that is "subject to change as any of the four teams still in the mix could improve their offers at any moment."

The news comes after ESPN's Jeff Passan said Friday on the Dan Patrick Show that he believes there's an 80 percent chance Soto will be moved ahead of Tuesday's trade deadline.

However, Passan noted that Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo, who is asking for "125 percent of Juan Soto's value," needs to lower his asking price, otherwise he's unsure if Soto will get moved "for now."

In addition, Passan mentioned the Padres and the Los Angeles Dodgers as the "likeliest landing spots" if Rizzo drops the asking price. He also listed the Cardinals and Seattle Mariners as potential destinations.

The Nationals began taking trade calls on Soto after he rejected a 15-year, $440 million contract extension, per The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal. However, he is under team control through 2024 with two more years of arbitration eligibility, so Washington can wait for the best deal to move him, whether that be now or two years from now.

Soto is one of the best young talents in baseball and is expected to become one of the highest-paid players in the sport on his next contract.

The 23-year-old is having a solid 2022 campaign, hitting .243/.400/.480 with 20 home runs, 45 RBI and five stolen bases in 97 games. He was also named an All-Star for the second straight season and won this year's Home Run Derby.

Beyond that, he is a World Series champion, two-time Silver Slugger and won the batting title in 2020.

Any team that's interested in Soto must also be willing to take on starting pitcher Patrick Corbin in a trade package, per Bowden. The Nationals want "multiple major leaguers and top prospects" and to "offload" the remainder of Corbin's six-year, $140 million deal.

The Padres have been linked as a possible destination for Soto since it was reported that the Nationals were fielding offers for the star outfielder. According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Friars are interested in pairing him with star shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr.

"An early favorite for Soto just might be the San Diego Padres, the former 'small' market team that’s been full of surprises and thrills the past few years under GM A.J. Preller, a young man who knows the game and loves a gamble," Heyman wrote.

San Diego hasn't been shy about acquiring star talent to help it pursue a World Series title—Eric Hosmer, Manny Machado and Mike Clevinger, to name a few—so it would be no surprise to see it land Soto.

As for the Cardinals, bringing in Soto would undoubtedly give the team an upper hand on the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central race and help it make a deep playoff run. Adding him to a lineup that includes sluggers Paul Goldschmidt (.335/.417/.619) and Nolan Arenado (.296/.359/.528) could be dangerous.

The New York Yankees are reportedly targeting two of the top starting pitchers on the market, the Oakland Athletics' Frankie Montas and Cincinnati Reds' Luis Castillo, ahead of Tuesday's 2022 MLB trade deadline.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported Wednesday the Yanks have made upgrading their rotation a "priority," but so far they aren't close to any blockbuster deals.

New York's starting staff has been mostly strong throughout 2022. Its starters rank third in ERA (3.31) behind only the Los Angeles Dodgers (2.77) and Houston Astros (3.21), per FanGraphs.

Gerrit Cole, Nestor Cortes, Jordan Montgomery and Jameson Taillon are all putting together strong seasons, so the only real question mark is the No. 5 spot with Domingo German and Luis Severino both being limited by injuries this season.

The Yankees aiming for a high-end arm like Montas or Castillo is more a product of them owning realistic World Series aspirations than trying to fill a desperate need.

Montas has compiled a 3.18 ERA and 1.13 WHIP with 109 strikeouts in 104.2 innings across 19 starts for the A's this season. He's struck out 578 batters in 552.2 career innings.

The 29-year-old Dominican Republic native is one of several players Oakland could move before the deadline with the front office focused firmly on the future. The team owns MLB's second-worst record at 37-63 in large part because of a noncompetitive offense.

After Tuesday's start against the Astros, the right-hander admitted a potential move has been on his mind amid a flurry of trade rumors.

"I'm not gonna lie, of course I've been thinking about it," Montas told reporters. "Especially with the deadline coming up pretty soon. There was a time today that I thought, 'Hey, this might be my last start here.'"

Meanwhile, it's much the same story for Castillo and the Reds, who sit at 37-59 amid a rebuilding project.

Castillo, 29, earned his second All-Star selection this season while on pace to post career-best numbers despite playing home games in the bandbox known as Great American Ball Park. He's recorded a 2.77 ERA and 1.08 WHIP in 13 outings.

Like Montas, he also provides intriguing strikeout numbers, having racked up 852 in 785.1 MLB innings.

Either high-profile starter would provide a major boost to the Yankees staff, but that level of marquee trade is not necessary to keep the team in contention. Even a move for a less costly mid-rotation starter would help provide some insurance.

But, at least for now, New York's front office is shooting for the stars ahead of the deadline.

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Jose Quintana is reportedly "drawing interest" from the Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees ahead of Tuesday's 2022 MLB trade deadline.

Fansided's Robert Murray reported the update Wednesday and noted the Toronto Blue Jays are also a potential suitor for Quintana, who's posted a 3.70 ERA in 19 starts this season.

The 33-year-old left-hander isn't the most exciting name on the trade market, but he'd provide solid back-of-rotation depth for a contender down the stretch.

Quintana has compiled a career 3.83 ERA and 1.28 WHIP across 302 appearances in 11 seasons with the White Sox, Pirates, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Angels and San Francisco Giants. He made four outings (three starts) for the Cubs in the 2017 playoffs.

Along with his experience, he'd also arrive with a limited financial impact as he's playing under a one-year, $2 million contract.

He'd provide a safety-net option for the Yankees (66-32), who've enjoyed a lot of rotation success thanks to Gerrit Cole, Nestor Cortes, Jordan Montgomery and Jameson Taillon but face some uncertainty with the fifth spot.

Domingo German recently returned for New York after an extended stint on the IL with a shoulder injury and Luis Severino is currently sidelined with a lat strain.

It's a similar story for the White Sox, with whom Quintana previously pitched from 2012 through 2017. They could use a depth starter in case Lance Lynn, who's posted a 6.43 ERA in eight starts since returning from a knee injury in mid-June, can't find his form.

In both cases, as well as Toronto, it's possible Quintana could end up in the bullpen by season's end. The Jays are close to getting Yusei Kikuchi back from the IL to fill the No. 5 spot in their rotation.

Getting an asset or two for Quintana would be smart business by the Pirates, who've faded out of playoff contention with a 40-58 record and will likely use the stretch run to evaluate fringe roster players with an eye toward 2023.

All told, it would be a surprise if the 2016 All-Star isn't moved before the deadline.

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.

Rival MLB teams reportedly expect the Cincinnati Reds to deal starting pitcher Tyler Mahle ahead of Tuesday's 2022 MLB trade deadline, but there may be a catch.

ESPN's Jeff Passan reported Wednesday opposing front offices are uncertain about whether the Reds will "insist" the acquiring team also take on infielder Mike Moustakas and at least a portion of what's left on his four-year, $64 million contract in a potential Mahle trade.

Moustakas, who's making $16 million this season, is scheduled to earn $18 million in 2023 with a $20 million club option or $4 million buyout for 2024.

Mahle may not look like a marquee trade candidate because of his lackluster 4.48 ERA through 18 starts this season, but the underlying numbers paint a different story.

Most of his struggles have come on his home field, hitter-friendly Great American Ball Park, where he's recorded a 4.94 ERA in 11 outings. On the road, however, he owns a far more promising 3.83 ERA and 0.98 WHIP in seven appearances.

The 27-year-old right-hander has also struck out 107 hitters in 98.1 innings in 2022. His strikeout rate across a six-year MLB career stands at a strong 9.6 per nine innings.

It suggests Mahle could provide a major boost to a contender's rotation, particularly if he lands in a more pitcher-friendly stadium.

The question for interested teams is whether that upgrade is worth possibly having to take on Moustakas, who's struggled mightily over the past two seasons.

Moustakas signed the lucrative contract with Cincinnati after a 2019 season with the Milwaukee Brewers in which he posted a career-high .845 OPS.

He remained productive in his first campaign with the Reds, compiling a .799 OPS in 44 games during the coronavirus-shortened season, but his numbers have since dropped off a cliff.

The three-time All-Star has posted a .210 batting average and .651 OPS with just 12 home runs across 128 games since the start of 2021.

Getting his salary off the books would be a major victory for the rebuilding Reds, who also count starter Luis Castillo among their trade candidates leading up to the deadline.

Yet, one rival executive told Passan it's possible the Reds will just eat the remainder of Moustakas' contract if it's going to significantly hurt the offers for Mahle and Castillo.

Since Cincinnati, which owns a 37-59 record this season, is in the prospect accumulation portion of its rebuild, the club's payroll over the next few years will likely be quite manageable. So it's not the end of the world to retain Moustakas' salary.

Either way, the Reds figure to rank among MLB's most active teams leading up to next week's deadline as they look toward the future.

Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Bryan Reynolds is reportedly generating interest from multiple teams ahead of the Aug. 2 trade deadline.

Jim Bowden of The Athletic reported the New York Yankees and Miami Marlins "have not stopped calling" the Pirates regarding a potential Reynolds trade. However, neither team has offered an intriguing enough package for Pittsburgh to part with the 27-year-old.

Pittsburgh is in fourth place in the National League Central at 40-58, making it a natural team to trade with a contender like the Yankees.

Yet Reynolds is under team control through the 2025 season, so there is no immediate pressure for the Pirates to trade him. He could still be an important contributor down the line when the team may be more competitive with a farm system MLB.com ranked as the seventh-best in the league at the start of the year.

The Marlins are not a contender this season either but checked in at No. 6 on those rankings, so they may be thinking along the same lines that Reynolds could be a contributor when the farm system is ready to hit the majors given his contract status.

Reynolds is slashing .257/.339/.459 with 15 home runs and 32 RBI in 84 games this season.

They are solid numbers but also represent a dropoff from last year when he was an All-Star and slashed .302/.390/.522 with 24 home runs, 90 RBI and a league-best eight triples. It was the second time in three years he finished with a batting average over .300 and proved he can be a power hitter who launches 20-plus homers in the middle of a lineup.

He would have plenty of protection to do just that in the Yankees' order considering Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Anthony Rizzo and more are threats to go deep every time they step to the plate.

Reynolds would likely receive far better pitches to hit than he does in a weak Pittsburgh lineup, which could help the Bronx Bombers parlay their excellent regular season into their first World Series crown since 2009.

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.