MLB Rumors

Luis Morales, a 19-year-old from Cuba, is expected to command a record-breaking contract for a pitcher from the international bonus pool after being declared a free agent by Major League Baseball on Thursday, per ESPN's Kiley McDaniel.

Morales will be eligible to sign with an MLB club on Sept. 7, and the Oakland Athletics are considered "heavy favorites" to land him, McDaniel added.

While Morales is eligible to sign next month, McDaniel noted he is expected to wait to sign when the next period begins on Jan. 15 because most of the pool money in the current international signing period has been spent.

Morales' deal is expected to be bigger than the $2.61 million Cuban pitcher Sandy Gaston received from the Tampa Bay Rays in 2018. Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani received $2.315 million in 2017.

MLB teams are allowed between $4.5 million and just over $6 million in international pool money, per McDaniel. Teenage pitchers typically receive less money than position players because they are viewed as bigger risks.

Major league teams traveled to watch Morales pitch in Mexico City earlier this year. He has a fastball that can reach up to 99 mph to go along with a changeup and breaking ball that "projects to be above average," according to McDaniel.

Attempting to sign Morales would be a no-brainer for the A's, who are in a massive rebuild after selling off star players in Matt Chapman, Matt Olson, Frankie Montas, Chris Bassitt and Sean Manaea this year.

Currently, the team's top pitching prospect is left-hander Ken Waldichuk, who is ranked as their No. 3 prospect overall, per MLB.com. He is currently playing for the Las Vegas Aviators in Triple A.

Gunnar Hoglund, J.T. Ginn, Luis Medina and Ryan Cusick are also among the team's top pitching prospects. Eduardo Rivera is the only 19-year-old pitcher currently ranked in the team's top 30 prospects.

Before he was dealt to the Seattle Mariners ahead of the trade deadline earlier this month, the New York Yankees reportedly made a push to acquire starting pitcher Luis Castillo from the Cincinnati Reds.

According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Yanks offered one of their top prospects in outfielder Jasson Dominguez as part of a package for Castillo, but they were unwilling to include shortstop prospect Anthony Volpe and "possibly" declined to include shortstop prospect Oswald Peraza as well.

Instead, the Reds took the Mariners' package of four prospects, which included shortstop Noelvi Marte, who is ranked by MLB.com as the No. 17 overall prospect in baseball, and shortstop Edwin Arroyo, who is ranked 90th.

The trade has paid huge dividends for a Mariners team that is attempting to make the playoffs for the first time since 2001.

Each of Castillo's two starts for Seattle has coincidentally come against the Yankees, and the two-time All-Star is 1-0 with a 1.84 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and 15 strikeouts over 14.2 innings in those starts.

After missing out on Castillo, the Yanks directed their attention toward Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Frankie Montas, who sported a 3.18 ERA and 109 strikeouts in 104.2 innings for the A's this season.

Montas has made only one start for the Yanks thus far, and it was disastrous, as he allowed five hits, three walks and six earned runs in three innings against the St. Louis Cardinals.

New York made several trades before the deadline, acquiring Montas and reliever Lou Trivino from the A's, All-Star outfielder Andrew Benintendi from the Kansas City Royals and reliever Scott Effross from the Chicago Cubs. They also shipped struggling outfielder Joey Gallo to the Los Angeles Dodgers and somewhat surprisingly traded starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery to the Cards for injured outfielder Harrison Bader.

Despite bringing in some solid pieces, the Yankees are just 22-25 over their past 47 games and 1-7 over their last eight.

Fortunately for them, they were on a historic pace earlier in the year, so they are still 71-41, which is good for a 10-game lead in the American League East and are only a half-game behind the Houston Astros for the best record in the AL.

One thing the Yankees clearly attempted to do was make some needed additions without losing their top prospects.

Volpe, Peraza and Dominguez are ranked as the Nos. 7, 35 and 36 prospects in MLB, respectively, and New York managed to keep all of them in the fold.

Parting with two of them may have gotten them Castillo and may have helped curb the losing streak they are currently on, but general manager Brian Cashman is undoubtedly hopeful he was able to toe the line between being a World Series contender this season and ensuring a bright future for the team down the line.

Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani is in the midst of yet another MVP-caliber season, and he reportedly is hoping to be paid as such on his next contract.

According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Ohtani "will surely seek to become the first $50 million (or more) player as a 2024 free agent, and considering his amazing achievements, he deserves to be the game’s best-paid player, as the sport’s true triple threat (hitting, pitching, marketing)."

Heyman noted that Ohtani's financial aspirations give the Angels a "poor" chance at retaining him on a long-term deal. There had been reports that teams around the league were inquiring about Ohtani's availability prior to the trade deadline, but negotiations didn't get far after Angels owner Arte Moreno "emphatically halted them with a day-plus to go."

By holding onto Ohtani after the trade deadline, Los Angeles likely missed its best chance to land a substantial haul of prospects to restock their farm system. Heyman added that Ohtani's nonchalant approach to the trade rumors also influenced the team to keep him.

"Folks around the Angels believe there was one real hope to do the right thing—which is trade Ohtani now—and that was only if he definitively said he wanted out," Heyman wrote. "But that hope dissipated when he was noncommittal in public comments the day after The Post reported the Angels were going to investigate trading him."

Entering Thursday, Ohtani is batting .256 with 25 home runs and 66 RBI. He also has a 10-7 record on the mound with a 2.68 ERA and 157 strikeouts.

Ohtani is making $5.5 million this season and is eligible for arbitration in 2023 before free agency the following year. The Angels have failed to find success during his tenure on the team, and it's likely that he doesn't want to spend his prime playing for a non-contender. Heyman noted that there's a chance Los Angeles explores trading Ohtani after the 2022 season comes to an end.

The Los Angeles Angels "never seriously considered" trade offers for superstar Shohei Ohtani, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post:

"The Shohei Ohtani trade never had a chance. Word is Angels owner Arte Moreno didn’t even want to hear offers, so talks barely got off the ground.

"The Padres (of course) are among a dozen or so teams that checked in, offering different scenarios they’d consider. The Yankees did, too. But the Angels never seriously considered any of it.

"Moreno told folks in his front office he simply could not trade Ohtani while Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon were out with injuries. The Angels probably need a reset, however, and the belief is Trout, with a full no-trade clause, would be hard to deal. And Rendon, with injury after injury, would be near impossible to trade."

Ohtani, the 2021 American League MVP, is hitting .258 (.859 OPS) with 24 home runs and 64 RBI.

On the mound, the 28-year-old has posted a 9-7 record with a 2.83 ERA and 152 strikeouts in 105 innings.

Ohtani's name was thrown into some trade rumors and speculation in the days leading up to the trade deadline, but it never seemed that the Angels were seriously considering moving him despite other teams' interest, per reports.

Jon Morosi of MLB Network and NBC Sports tweeted on July 23 that the Angels had "no plans" to deal Ohtani. Heyman reported on July 28 that the Angels were listening to offers but a deal was "seen as very unlikely."

He followed up with an Aug. 1 report stating the Angels were standing pat despite numerous teams (including the New York Yankees) making "serious offers" for the generational talent.

Ohtani remains an Angel for now, but his long-term future with the franchise appears to be in some doubt.

For starters, he's eligible for free agency after the 2023 season. The Angels could certainly look to trade Ohtani this offseason if it appears a long-term future between the two sides isn't going to work out. He should obviously demand a massive haul from a contending team.

Second, the Angels are a struggling, top-heavy team that sits 17 games under .500 despite having the 10th-highest payroll in baseball and Ohtani and Mike Trout, who is currently out with a back injury.

Ohtani could deservedly demand a fortune in free agency, and re-signing him may not be the best move for a team that might be best served tearing it all down.

For now, Ohtani is lighting it up at the plate and on the mound for a team that's playing out the string. The question after this season will be whether he ends up taking his talents elsewhere.

Shohei Ohtani's long-term future with the Los Angeles Angels is uncertain, but people around Major League Baseball are skeptical he will be traded before hitting free agency after next season.

Per The Athletic's Jayson Stark, one anonymous executive predicted Ohtani won't be dealt by the Angels because owner Arte Moreno is "afraid to ever trade him."

There were rumblings leading up to the Aug. 2 trade deadline that Ohtani could be on the block.

Per Jon Heyman of the New York Post and MLB Network, the New York Yankees, San Diego Padres and Chicago White Sox were among the teams that called the Angels to make an offer for the reigning American League MVP.

The Angels rejected those overtures in order to keep Ohtani for the rest of 2022.

"Regardless of where I'm playing, I'm going to give it my all and try to win that ballgame in front of me," Ohtani told reporters about the trade rumors on July 29. "I'm with the Angels right now, and I'm very thankful for what they've done. I love my team and my teammates. Right now I'm an Angel, and that's all I can focus on."

There will be mounting pressure on the Angels to make a decision on Ohtani, one way or another, during the offseason and leading up to the trade deadline in 2023.

Ohtani has one more year of team control remaining. The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported in June that Angels officials met with Ohtani's representatives in spring training about an extension and "expressed an understanding" any deal would need to surpass Max Scherzer's $43.3 million per season as the highest average annual salary in MLB.

Even if the Angels retain Ohtani going into next season, their roster will likely need a significant overhaul in order to compete for a playoff spot.

Mike Trout is still great when healthy, but the three-time AL MVP only played in 36 games last season due to a strained calf. He is currently on the injured list with a back injury that he will likely have to manage for the rest of his career.

As great as Trout and Ohtani have been throughout their careers, the Angels are on the verge of posting their seventh consecutive losing season. They haven't had a winning record since 2015 (85-77) and last made the postseason in 2014.

Trading Ohtani could potentially bring back a massive prospect haul that would allow the Angels to kickstart a roster rebuild. But it would also require them to trade arguably the best player in MLB.

Ohtani has posted a .258/.352/.508 slash line with 24 homers, 64 RBI and 11 stolen bases in 380 at-bats as a hitter. The 28-year-old also has a 2.83 ERA with 152 strikeouts in 105 innings over 18 starts as a pitcher.

Major League Baseball's trade deadline is often about non-contending teams trading their notable players to contenders so they can rebuild for the future, but two playoff contenders made a deal just before Tuesday's 6 p.m. ET deadline.

The New York Yankees announced they sent left-handed pitcher Jordan Montgomery to the St. Louis Cardinals for outfielder Harrison Bader and a player to be named later or cash considerations.

Ken Rosenthal and Lindsey Adler of The Athletic and Jack Curry of YES Network initially reported on the deal.

From New York's perspective, the starting pitching rotation was getting somewhat crowded after it landed Frankie Montas in a trade with the Oakland Athletics.

Montas was one of the headliners potentially available at the deadline, and the Bronx Bombers improved their already excellent outlook by adding him to a rotation that also included Gerrit Cole, Jameson Taillon, Nestor Cortes, Montgomery and Domingo German.

Luis Severino also figures to return from the injured list, which meant multiple starters may have been shifted to the bullpen ahead of the playoffs.

By trading Montgomery, it acquired an asset in Bader and may have cleared some of the logjam in the rotation.

Bader has been with the Cardinals his entire career which dates back to 2017. The first thing that jumps out about him is his fielding ability, and he was a Gold Glover in center field last year with 15 defensive runs saved above average, per FanGraphs.

Offensively, he is slashing .256/.303/.370 with five home runs, 21 RBI and 15 stolen bases in 72 games. While he will be overshadowed in a powerful Yankees lineup, he is someone they can deploy as a pinch runner or defensive substitution in key moments come playoff time with his speed on the basepaths and fielding ability.

As for the Cardinals, Montgomery is another starting pitching addition after ESPN's Jeff Passan reported they acquired Jose Quintana from the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday.

Jack Flaherty and Steven Matz are both sidelined by injuries, so St. Louis needed to add more depth if it was going to catch the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central. Milwaukee is three games ahead.

Montgomery has made 21 starts this season with a 3.69 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 97 strikeouts in 114.2 innings.

There are three finalists in the running to complete a trade for Washington Nationals star Juan Soto, but one team is reportedly separating itself from the pack.

MLB insider Hector Gomez reported Monday that the St. Louis Cardinals are "intensifying" their pursuit of Soto, becoming "much more aggressive of late in their trade proposals."

However, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported the Cardinals have not yet been willing to include Dylan Carlson and top prospects in a package together:

The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres are also still in the race to land the 23-year-old slugger.

Washington understandably has a high asking price for Soto, who is already a two-time All-Star, two-time Silver Slugger Award winner and one-time National League batting champion. Teams have until the trade deadline at 6 p.m. ET Tuesday to get a deal done.

The Cardinals, Padres and Dodgers all have strong farm systems full of talented players to include in trade packages. It was reported last week by ESPN's Buster Olney that San Diego was perceived by rival teams to be the front-runner to land Soto, but now that distinction appears to belong to St. Louis.

If the Cardinals manage to acquire Soto, it would be a significant addition to a team in the thick of the playoff race. At 54-48, St. Louis is one game out of a NL wild-card spot and three games behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central. Soto would boost an already-potent lineup that averages 4.6 runs per game.

However, the Soto negotiations reportedly have impacted other teams as they try to make moves prior to the trade deadline. There have only been a couple of significant deals done, with the New York Yankees acquiring outfielder Andrew Benintendi and the Seattle Mariners landing starting pitcher Luis Castillo.

Per ESPN's Jeff Passan, "it was Soto's insertion into the trade deadline machine—two weeks ago, after he turned down a 15-year, $440 million contract extension offer—that helped grind the process to a halt."

As negotiations continue, it's unclear which team is willing to meet Washington's asking price. With just over 24 hours remaining before the deadline, there's an increased chance that the Nationals wait until the offseason to deal the outfielder.

The New York Yankees have acquired relief pitcher Scott Effross from the Chicago Cubs for minor league starting pitcher Hayden Wesneski.

Jack Curry of YES Network first reported the deal, with The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reporting the return. MLB.com ranks Wesneski as the Yankees' No. 7 prospect.

Effross' sidearm delivery has caused problems for hitters all year.

In 47 appearances, he has a 2.66 ERA and a 2.19 FIP while averaging 10.23 strikeouts per nine innings, according to FanGraphs. Opposing hitters also have a 35.0 percent chase rate and a paltry 3.4 barrel percentage, per Baseball Savant.

The 28-year-old doesn't have overwhelming stuff—his fastball averages 90.3 mph—but he can consistently get batters to chase stuff out of the zone and avoid danger when they do get their bat on the ball.

With Tuesday's 6 p.m. ET deadline rapidly approaching, the Yankees figured to address their bullpen in some form.

Zack Britton is still recovering from his Tommy John surgery last November. Chad Green was lost for the remainder of the year in May when it became clear he'd need the same procedure. A fractured right elbow sidelined Michael King for the rest of the season, too.

The Bronx Bombers needed to add reliever depth in preparation for the stretch run and the playoffs.

In the case of Effross, New York landed somebody who can help for years to come. He's under team control through the 2027 season, so this isn't a case of a team looking for a short-term stopgap.

His contract status allowed the Cubs to get a prospect who might become a regular contributor in the bigs.

Wesneski made his way up to Triple-A this year. In 19 starts for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, he's 6-7 with a 3.51 ERA and 83 strikeouts.

In June, Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter listed the 24-year-old as one Yankees prospect who would potentially join the team this season.

"He doesn't miss many bats, with only 49 strikeouts for 7.7 K/9 rate, but he throws a ton of strikes and gets good natural sink on his fastball, which helps him keep it in the ballpark," Reuter wrote.

"At this point, Wesneski doesn't have much left to prove in the minors."

The San Diego Padres' aggressive strategy ahead of Tuesday's trade deadline reportedly included making offers for Shohei Ohtani.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported the Padres "made a run" at the Los Angeles Angels star but no deal is expected. The Angels are fully expected to retain Ohtani past the deadline despite the two-way superstar's looming free agency after the 2023 season.

It's likely as much a business decision as a baseball one for why the Angels have refused to entertain offers for Ohtani. He's not only arguably the best player in baseball, but he's also wildly popular on the international stage, particularly in his native Japan. While the brilliance of Ohtani and Mike Trout has not led to wins for the Angels, there's money to be made in having the two biggest names in the sport spearheading your organization.

That said, there is reason for concern in the organization. Ohtani was noncommittal when asked about his future with the franchise when discussing the situation last week.

"Regardless of where I'm playing, I want to give it my all, try to win the ballgame that's right in front of me," Ohtani told reporters last week. "I'm with the Angels right now. And I'm very thankful for what they've done. I really love the team. I love my teammates. Right now I'm an Angel, and that's all I can really focus on at this point."

Ohtani originally chose the Angels over a swath of other teams when he made his decision to come stateside ahead of the 2018 season. He's found incredible individual success, winning the 2021 AL MVP and making the AL All-Star team as a hitter and pitcher each of the last two seasons, but team success has not followed.

The Angels are a near-lock to miss the playoffs for the eighth straight season, entering Monday at 43-59. Trading Ohtani would bring back the type of transformational haul that might turn around the team's lagging farm system, but there is no one-for-one replacement for Ohtani's generational talent.