Tanner Houck to undergo Tommy John surgery, ending lost year for 2024 Red Sox All-Star
'Tough year for him, tough year for us,' Cora said, 'but he'll kill the rehab, he'll do his job, and when he comes back, he's going to be OK.'
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Houck
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He worked an inning at the All-Star Game in Texas last year, giving up three hits including a homer to Shohei Ohtani.
He's the third Sox starting pitcher to suffer a season-ending injury. Hunter Dobbins
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'It was definitely a ride of emotions, up and down,' said May, sitting in the dugout on Saturday. 'Sad leaving [LA] because I've been there my whole career, but very, very excited to be joining this organization.'
May knew his days as a starter with the Dodgers were likely coming to an end this season with a few starters expected to come off the injured list.
'I was kind of pushed out,' he said. 'We've got quite a few guys there in that organization. I couldn't be more excited and thrilled to be here and be a part of it.'
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USA Today
2 minutes ago
- USA Today
49ers to sign former All-Big Ten offensive tackle
While quarterback is the most important position in football, the offensive line may be the most important position group in the sport because if they're not doing they're job, as a unit, it's hard to have success passing or running. So while the San Francisco 49ers seem to have their starting offensive line figured out for the 2025 season, they're still looking for more depth. On Sunday, they worked out three offensive tackles, including David Sharpe, D'Ante Smith and Isaiah Prince. After a successful workout, the 49ers are set to sign Prince, according to his agency, AMDG Sports. A corresponding move has yet to be announced for this reported transaction. Prince, 28, spent four seasons at Ohio State from 2015-18, earning All-Big Ten honors in his final two seasons with the Buckeyes before the Miami Dolphins took him in the sixth round (No. 202 overall) of the 2019 NFL draft. Miami waived Prince after four games as a rookie, and the Cincinnati Bengals claimed him off waivers. After opting out of the 2020 season during the COVID-19 pandemic, Prince returned to play in 15 games, starting four for the Bengals in 2021 and went on to start all four of their playoff games as well. Prince missed all of 2022 due to an injured elbow and has had stints with the Denver Broncos, Atlanta Falcons and Tennessee Titans over the last two years, playing just 29 offensive snaps and 10 special teams snaps in that time. Spencer Buford and Austen Pleasants have been working as San Francisco's primary backup tackles, and when Andre Dillard returns, he'll be another top option for one of those roles, so unless someone goes down with an injury, it feels like Prince will have to perform like a starter on the practice field and in preseason action to earn a spot on the roster. More 49ers: 49ers sign 30-TD WR, release sixth-year WR to open roster spot
Los Angeles Times
2 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
Dodgers Dugout: Dodgers go all in on the team they have
Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. For you movie buffs, it's nice to see a genuine Superman back on the big screen again. Well, the trade deadline is over and the Dodgers made moderate upgrades to their bullpen and outfield and some nice additions to their farm system. Before we can appraise the overall picture, let's see what happened (all numbers are from the time they were traded). So, as an old friend would say, pull up a chair and spend part of the day with us. —Dodgers acquire right-handed reliever Brock Stewart from Minnesota for outfielder James Outman. If Stewart's name sounds familiar to you, it's because he pitched for the Dodgers from 2016-19, throwing 84 innings for a 5.46 ERA. And in the rare case of a pitcher getting better after leaving the Dodgers, he eventually landed in Minnesota, where he has pitched the last three season, throwing 77.1 innings with a 2.33 ERA. His fastball was 91 mph with the Dodgers, it is 96 mph now. A setup man with the Twins, Stewart has 14 holds and only blown one lead this season and right-handers are hitting only .104 against him. Dave Roberts said he wouldn't hesitate to use Stewart in the ninth inning. However, in a phrase I should have saved so I can cut and paste it whenever the Dodgers acquire a pitcher, Stewart has quite the injury history. He has never pitched more than 34.1 innings in a season, and that was in 2017. He was at 34 innings this season before the Dodgers acquired him. He had Tommy John surgery in 2021, because the Dodgers are apparently legally required to only acquire pitchers who have had that operation. In 2023, he was shut down in June because of an elbow injury. Last season, he appeared in only 16 games because of shoulder surgery. He started this season on the IL because of a strained left hamstring. So, while he's been good when he pitches, he doesn't pitch all that often. Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes to reporters on Stewart: 'We felt like he's in the upper tier of right-handed relievers. He's been absolutely dominant against righties this year and performing really well.' Outman finished third in Rookie of the Year voting in 2023 but has been terrible at the major league level since then, hitting .137/.245/.269. This is his final option year, so the Dodgers would have had to expose him to waivers if they tried to send him down next season. Trading him for Stewart is a pretty good deal for the Dodgers, and for Outman. Hopefully he rediscovers his swing in the majors (he remains a good hitter in triple A). —Dodgers acquire minor league outfielders James Tibbs and Zach Ehrhard from Boston for pitcher Dustin May. Tibbs was the Giants' first-round pick in 2024 and the Giants traded him to Boston in June for Rafael Devers. He's a left-handed hitter who can play left, right and first base. He hit .246/.379/.479 in High-A with the Giants. The Red Sox promoted him to double-A and he hit .207/.319/.267, which isn't great, but he's only 22. Either the Red Sox saw something they didn't like, or they gave up on him way too soon. MLB has him as the No. 7 prospect in the Dodgers' system. Ehrhard was selected by the Red Sox in the fourth round of the 2024 draft. He's a right-hander who can play left or right, and has some speed, stealing 23 bases in 88 minor league games this season while hitting .270/.371/.434 split between High-A and double-A. He is now the 25th-ranked prospect in the Dodger system. Injuries sidetracked what looked like was going to be a great career for May. He has shown flashes of his old form this season, but has a 4.84 ERA in 104 innings (the first time he has pitched over 100 innings). With Tony Gonsolin and Blake Snell back, there was no room in the rotation for May, and apparently he didn't want to pitch in the bullpen. He is going to be a free agent after this season, so getting two good prospects for him is a good deal. He will probably become Boston's fifth starter, joining former teammate Walker Buehler in the Red Sox rotation. Gomes on the trade: 'We had a lot of really respectful conversations with D-May, and he's been a huge part of the organization for a long time. Through those conversations, it was apparent that starting was very important to him. And while we felt like he could have been a contributor out of the bullpen and an impact-type piece, trying to understand the mindset and his desire to continue to start, we took that into consideration.' —Dodgers acquired outfielder Alex Call from Washington for minor league pitchers Eriq Swan and Sean Paul Linan. Call, 30, can play all three outfield positions and has a good defensive reputation. If nothing else, he can sub in for Michael Conforto or Teoscar Hernández at the end of games to get a better glove in the game. He is hitting .274/.371/.386 over 237 plate appearances this season, and could become a platoon partner with Conforto, with Call starting against left-handers, against whom he has much better success (.262/.345/.403 in his career versus .230/340/349 against righties). In his one season as a regular, he hit .200/.307/.307, so he's not cut out to be an everyday starter. He has two minor league option years remaining and is under team control through 2029. He works the count and draws walks. Swan was the 16th-ranked prospect and Linan 20th. Swan has a high-90s fastball and had a 4.43 ERA in High-A this season, but gave up almost as many walks (46) as hits (49) in 79 innings. Linan's out pitch is a changeup. He had a 2.01 ERA in 67 innings while striking out 89 spread across High-A and Low-A. He is only 20. Gomes to reporters on Call: 'This guy's just a straight grinder, works at-bats. Playing against him, he's always incredibly frustrating to try to game plan for and get out. So I think it was a nice balance to fill some holes and continue to build out with a really, like, functional roster on top of the already really strong talent we had.' —In a three-team deal, Dodgers acquired minor league pitcher Adam Serwinowski from Cincinnati and pitcher Paul Gervase and minor league catcher Ben Rortvedt from the Rays for catcher Hunter Feduccia. Serwinowski is considered the class of this part of the deal, as he was a top 10 prospect for the Reds and is ranked 14th with the Dodgers. He's 6-5 and left-handed, and scouts do love the tall left-handers. He has struck out 242 in 188.1 minor league innings, but has struggled somewhat in High-A this season, with a 5.45 ERA, giving up 68 hits and 39 walks in 74.1 innings. Gervase is a 6-10 right-hander who joins the Dodgers in the majors. He is 25 and pitched only six inning with the Rays, but had a 3.12 ERA in triple-A with 63 strikeouts in 40.1 inning, giving up 27 hits and 12 walks. He's tall, but his fastball reaches 'only' 94, and he also throws a slider and a cutter. Rortvedt, with all due respect, basically provides minor league depth at catcher for the Dodgers. He has hit .186/.276/.265 in 209 games in the majors. Feduccia was squeezed out when the Dodgers decided it was time to let Dalton Rushing play in the majors. He's 28 and will get more of a chance to play elsewhere, as his path to the majors in L.A. was limited to someone getting hurt. So there you have it. Nothing earth-shaking. What does it mean? It means the Dodgers have decided to go all-in on the team they have. The team that made some people get carried way with themselves and predict 120 wins. The team that many consider a disappointment despite them being in first place most of the season. The Dodgers believe that getting Glasnow and Snell back, and possibly Roki Sasaki, will stabilize the rotation. Then getting Blake Treinen back, and hopefully getting Brusdar Graterol, Michael Kopech, Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates back will stabilize the bullpen. That Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani and Teoscar Hernández will start hitting like themselves again (Freeman is already showing signs of it). That Max Muncy will return and hit like he did before he was injured. That's a lot to hope for, but it could happen. When the season began, Andrew Friedman said he signed guys like Scott and Yates and Sasaki so the team wouldn't have to overpay to acquire anyone at the trade deadline. And it appears we should have believed him. They have almost all of their top prospects still, while the Padres traded 10 of their top 30 prospects in a bid to win it all this year. The Dodgers have acquired big names at the deadline before, names that seemed to put them over the top, only to see it not happen. Yu Darvish. Max Scherzer. Trea Turner. Other teams made bigger improvements this year at the deadline. But that has happened before without those teams winning the World Series. Did the Dodgers do the right thing this year? Emotionally, it would have been nice to see a big name or two added, but in reality, it's impossible to say. Some people will say the sky is falling and that the Dodgers guaranteed failure this season by doing relatively little. Some will say they did the right thing. But the truth is, no one knows what will happen. There were plenty of people who thought the Dodgers weren't going to win the World Series last year because they didn't have enough starting pitching. But they did. Guys they needed to stepped up. Yoshinobu Yamamoto stepped up, as did others. Guys they didn't count on stepped up. Walker Buehler stepped up, as did unexpected others. That's what has to happen this year, any year, to win the World Series. Will the Dodgers have the expected guys, and the unexpected ones, step up? The Dodgers could win the World Series. They could lose in the first round. They could fall apart and not even make the postseason. Don't worry about the destination right now. Enjoy the ride. How do the Dodgers feel about what they did? Again, Gomes: 'We feel really good about this group. Coming into the year, we felt like this was as talented of a roster as we've ever had. We're in a position where we're in first place, and I don't even think we've played our best baseball yet. So as we continue to get some of our starters back, and then adding these pieces, and our guys just kind of playing up to their potential, we feel like it's still a really, really strong team, and we don't feel any differently about our aspirations than we did at the beginning of the year.' To read how Jack Harris recapped everything, click here. To read what Bill Plaschke's opinion on all this is, click here. The Padres have won seven of eight and are surging, only three games behind the Dodgers. What did they do at the deadline? Let's look: —Acquired pitcher Nestor Cortes, minor league infielder Jorge Quintana from Milwaukee for outfielder Brandon Lockridge Cortes gave up the grand slam to Freddie Freeman in Game 1 of the World Series. He made two starts for Milwaukee then went on the IL. He is scheduled to come off soon. —Acquired first baseman-outfielder Ryan O'Hearn and outfielder Ramon Laureano from Baltimore for six minor leaguers: Boston Bateman, Brandon Butterworth, Cobb Hightower, Victor Figueroa, Tyson Neighbors, and Tanner Smith O'Hearn and Laureano could platoon in left, which has been a weak spot all year for the Padres. O'Hearn is hitting .277/.342/.454 over the last three years with Baltimore. Or they could just start Laureano, who is hitting .290/.355/.529 this season and put O'Hearn at first. Or have O'Hearn switch between first and DH. —Acquired infielder Will Wagner from Toronto for minor league catcher Brandon Valenzuela Wagner can play any infield position, so he gives the Padres versatility, but he was sent to the minors after they acquired him. He is hitting .237/.336/.298 this season. —Acquired catcher Freddy Fermin from Kansas City for pitchers Ryan Bergert and Stephen Kolek Catching has been a real weak spot for San Diego this season, and Fermin gives them a bit of an upgrade on offense and defense. In four seasons with the Royals, he is hitting .268/.314/.383, but he is having his worst season this year. Bergert has a 2.78 ERA in seven starts this season, while Kolek has a 4.18 ERA in 14 starts. Seems like the Padres overpaid a bit. —Acquired pitchers Mason Miller and JP Sears from Athletics for minor league shortstop Leo De Vries and minor league pitchers Henry Baez, Braden Nett and Eduarniel Nunez The Padres upgraded an already stellar bullpen. Don't let Miller's 3.76 ERA fool you. He had a rough couple of weeks, but since then has been his usual great self, giving up one run in his last 15 innings with 19 strikeouts. His fastball averages 101 mph. Sears is a starter with a career 4.48 ERA. De Vries is considered the Padres' top prospect and the No. 5 prospect in all of baseball, so the Padres paid a price for the two pitchers. Will it pay off? Will trading 10 of their top 30 prospects get them that long-awaited World Series title this year? Reading the reaction of Padres fans on social media, they are just as split as Dodger fans. Some think the Padres overpaid. Some think this will lead to the promised land. For all the trades by every team, click here. A look at some previous trade deadline deals by the Dodgers. 2017 —Acquired pitcher Yu Darvish from Texas for A.J. Alexy, Willie Calhoun and Brendon Davis. —Acquired pitcher Tony Cingrani from Cincinnati for Scott Van Slyke and Hendrik Clementina. —Acquired pitcher Tony Watson from Pittsburgh for Angel German and Oneil Cruz. —Acquired outfielder Curtis Granderson from the New York Mets for Jacob Rhame. Dodgers record before Aug. 1: 74-31, .705 Record after Aug. 1: 30-27, .526 2018 —Acquired shortstop Manny Machado from Baltimore for Rylan Bannon, Yusniel Diaz, Dean Kremer, Zach Pop and Breyvic Valera. —Acquired pitcher John Axford from Toronto for Corey Copping. —Acquired second baseman Brian Dozier from Minnesota for Logan Forsythe, Luke Raley and Devin Smeltzer. —Acquired infielder David Freese from Pittsburgh for Jesus Valdez. Dodgers record before Aug. 1: 59-49, .506 Record after Aug. 1: 33-22, .600 2019 —Acquired pitcher Adam Kolarek from Tampa Bay for Niko Hulsizer. —Acquired infielder Jedd Gyorko from St. Louis for Jeffry Abreu and Tony Cingrani. Dodgers record before Aug. 1: 71-39, .645 Record after Aug. 1: 35-17, .673 2020 Nothing significant. This was the 60-game COVID season. 2021 —Acquired pitcher Max Scherzer and shortstop Trea Turner from Washington for Gerardo Carrillo, Donovan Casey, Josiah Gray and Keibert Ruiz. —Acquired outfielder Billy McKinney from the New York Mets for Carlos Rincón. —Acquired pitcher Danny Duffy from Kansas City for Zach Willeman. Dodgers record before Aug. 1: 63-43, .594 Record after Aug. 1: 43-13, .768 2022 —Acquired pitcher Chris Martin from the Chicago Cubs for infielder-outfielder Zach McKinstry. —Acquired left fielder Joey Gallo from the New York Yankees for Clayton Beeter. Dodgers record before Aug. 1: 68-33, .673 Record after Aug. 1: 43-18, .705 2023 —Acquired Kiké Hernández from Boston for Justin Hagenman and Nick Robertson. —Acquired pitchers Joe Kelly and Lance Lynn from the Chicago White Sox for Jordan Leasure, Nick Nastrini and Trayce Thompson. —Acquired infielder Amed Rosario from Cleveland for Noah Syndergaard. —Acquired pitcher Ryan Yarbrough from Kansas City for Derlin Figueroa and Devin Mann. Dodgers record before Aug. 1: 59-45, .567 Record after Aug. 1: 41-17, .707 2024 —Acquired pitcher Jack Flaherty from Detroit for Thayron Liranzo and Trey Sweeney. —As part of a three-team deal, acquired infielder/outfielder Tommy Edman from St. Louis, pitcher Michael Kopech from the Chicago White Sox for Alexander Albertus, Jeral Perez and Miguel Vargas. Dodgers record before Aug. 1: 63-46, .578 Record after Aug. 1: 35-18, .660 2025 Dodgers record before Aug. 1: 63-46, .578 Record after Aug. 1: ? A look at how some prominent Dodgers from the last few seasons are doing with their new team (through Friday). Click on the player name to be taken to the baseball-reference page with all their stats. Batters Cody Bellinger, Yankees: .279/.330/.505, 436 plate appearances, 20 doubles, 5 triples, 20 homers, 65 RBIs, 129 OPS+ Michael Busch, Cubs: .269/.356/.510, 396 PA's, 15 doubles, 3 triples, 21homers, 61 RBIs, 149 OPS+ Hunter Feduccia, Rays: 0 for 3 Gavin Lux, Reds: .272/.358/.374, 355 PA's, 18 doubles, 1 triple, 4 homers, 42 RBIs, 100 OPS+ Zach McKinstry, Tigers: .265/.347/.445, 376 PA's, 16 doubles, 8 triples, 9 homers, 37 RBIs, 119 OPS+ James Outman, Twins: in the minors Joc Pederson, Rangers, .129/.262/.223, 165 PA's, 5 doubles, 1 triple, 2 homers, 6 RBIs, 43 OPS+ Keibert Ruiz, Nationals, .280/.327/.363, 168 PA's, 7 doubles, 2 homers, 17 RBIs, 97 OPS+ Corey Seager, Rangers: .265/.372/.469, 347 PA's, 15 doubles, 15 homers, 38 RBIs, 143 OPS+ Chris Taylor, Angels: .189/.302/.396, 42 PA's, 4 doubles, 1 homer, 4 RBIs, 83 OPS+ (numbers with Angels only) Justin Turner, Cubs: .211/.286/.297, 147 PA's, 5 doubles, 2 homers, 13 RBIs, 70 OPS+ Trea Turner, Phillies: .286/.339/.424, 487 PA's, 23 doubles, 3 triples, 11 homers, 45 RBIs, 108 OPS+ Miguel Vargas, White Sox: .229/.305/.402, 439 PA's, 25 doubles, 2 triples, 13 homers, 44 RBIs, 96 OPS+ Alex Verdugo, Braves: .239/.296/.289, 213 PA's, 10 doubles, 12 RBIs, 66 OPS+, released by Braves Pitching Walker Buehler, Red Sox: 6-6, 5.74 ERA, 94 IP, 106 hits, 44 walks, 71 K's, 71 ERA+ Jack Flaherty, Tigers: 6-10, 4.36 ERA, 115.2 IP, 98 hits, 47 walks, 144 K's, 94 ERA+ Kenley Jansen, Angels: 3-2, 2.93 ERA, 20 saves, 40 IP, 31 hits, 11 walks, 39 K's, 145 ERA+ Dustin May, Red Sox: has not pitched for Boston yet. Ryan Pepiot, Rays: 6-9, 3.80 ERA, 130.1 IP, 109 hits, 45 walks, 128 K's, 107 ERA+ Max Scherzer, Blue Jays: 2-1, 4.39 ERA, 41 IP, 35 hits, 8 walks, 44 K's, 95 ERA+ Ryan Yarbrough, Yankees: 3-1, 3.90 ERA, 55.1 IP, 48 hits, 17 walks, 49 K's, 104 ERA+ Monday: St. Louis (Sonny Gray, 10-5, 4.38 ERA) at Dodgers (Tyler Glasnow, 1-1, 3.38 ERA), 7:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020 Tuesday: St. Louis (Miles Mikolas, 6-8, 4.83 ERA) at Dodgers (Emmet Sheehan, 2-2, 3.60 ERA), 7:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020 Wednesday: St. Louis (*Matthew Liberatore, 6-9, 3.96 ERA) at Dodgers (Shohei Ohtani, 0-0, 2.40 ERA) 1:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020 *-left-handed Dodgers welcome deadline additions, hopeful arrival 'raises the floor for our ballclub' Hernández: Dodgers look vulnerable, and Padres and rest of their competitors know it Plaschke: Andrew Friedman struck out on the Dodgers' urgent need for a closer Dodgers pass MLB trade deadline quietly, add Brock Stewart and Alex Call Game 2 of the 1978 World Series, Bob Welch vs. Reggie Jackson. Watch and listen here. Have a comment or something you'd like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at and follow me on Twitter at @latimeshouston. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
Yahoo
14 minutes ago
- Yahoo
MLB Trade Deadline: Ranking the 7 Most improved Teams
The 2025 MLB trade deadline could go down as one of the most memorable ever, and it was certainly one of the busiest in years. While some playoff contenders (Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Chicago Cubs) were quiet, others seized the opportunity presented by an active market to make some big additions for the stretch run. Let's dive into our list of the teams that improved the most at the MLB trade deadline. Of note, we're ranking MLB teams based on how much they improved. Stay tuned for our MLB power rankings at the start of next week for the latest rankings of the best MLB teams moving forward. 1. San Diego Padres The most aggressive general managers in baseball made it an entertaining MLB trade deadline. You can certainly make the case that president of baseball operations A.J. Preller was overaggressive, especially since the Mason Miller and JP Sears trade cost elite prospect Leodalis De Vries. What we see is a Padres bullpen that already had the lowest ERA (2.97) in baseball, adding an All-Star closer that allows San Diego to throw out Jeremiah Estrada, Jason Adam, Adrian Morejon, Robert Suarez and Miller to shine in October. Sears (4.95 ERA) is a gamble, but just look at what San Diego did with Nick Pivetta (2.81 ERA and 0.99 WHIP). Related: On top of that, the Padres' lineup also improved significantly. All-Star Ryan O'Hearn (.837 OPS) takes over as the designated hitter, where San Diego previously ranked 28th in OPS (.648). Ramon Laureano slides into left field, a spot that also ranked 28th in OPS (.626) entering the MLB trade deadline. On top of that, Freddy Fermin gives San Diego a quality defensive catcher. 2. Seattle Mariners Entering play on July 24, the Seattle Mariners ranked 10th in runs scored (470) and eighth in OPS (.735). That's despite the fact that the team's first basemen ranked 22nd in OPS (.670) and its third basemen ranked 25th (.619). Josh Naylor (.795 OPS) and Eugenio Suarez (.895 OPS) are game-changing additions for Seattle. Yes, acquiring both came at the cost of some of the Mariners' top prospects, but Jerry DiPoto saw glaring needs and addressed them with the best hitters available at each position. Seattle even added to its bullpen, acquiring Caleb Ferguson (.583 OPS allowed to opponents). Just an A-grade summer for the Mariners' front office. Related: 3. Houston Astros Following the season-ending injury to Isaac Paredes, we highlighted Ramón Urías as a possible target for the Houston Astros to fill the void at third base ahead of the MLB trade deadline. They acquired the versatile infielder, but now he is expected to serve as a utility player for a team that desperately needs one. Urías is very good defensively (74th percentile Fielding Run Value) and could rebound offensively to his pre-2025 levels (.732 OPS from 2021 to 2024). Just as important, Houston added the left-handed bat it sorely needed with Yordan Alvarez sidelined. Jesús Sánchez (.740 OPS) isn't an All-Star, but he is arbitration-eligible through 2027 and has a 93rd percentile bat speed and 87th percentile average exit velocity, which indicate upside. Related: Of course, there is also the reunion with Carlos Correa. Third base is absolutely a better fit for the 30-year-old at this stage of his career. Although he remains a massive injury risk, returning to Houston could help him approach the form we saw last season (.905 OPS) better than his production for Minnesota this year (.704 OPS). 4. New York Yankees The New York Yankees wanted to acquire starting pitching, but the market for starters with multiple years of contract control evidently chased every club away. So, Brian Cashman pivoted to turning the Yankees bullpen into a juggernaut. All-Star closer David Bednar is the standout addition, especially since he recorded a 0.39 ERA in his final 23.1 innings with Pittsburgh. Supporting Bednar will be Camilo Doval (3.09 ERA) and ake Bird (26.3% strikeout rate). That creates an exceptional Yankees bullpen. Now for New York's other additions. Ryan McMahon filled the void at third base and Cashman brought in quality infield depth with Jose Caballero and Amed Rosario. 5. New York Mets The New York Mets certainly liked Luis Robert Jr., but not at the asking price set by the Chicago White Sox. So, the club rightfully pivoted to veteran Cedric Mullins. A free agent to be, Mullins adds more left-handed power (15 home runs and a .738 OPS) to the Mets lineup. He's a good complement to partner in a platoon with Tyrone Taylor, especially since Taylor will likely come in late in games as a defensive replacement. Related: New York also made sure to strengthen its bullpen. Ryan Helsley has had his ups and downs this year but is coming off a strong July with a 1.29 ERA. He now functions as a setup man for Edwin Díaz. To pair with Helsley, the Mets added Tyler Rogers (1.80 ERA and 0.86 WHIP). Both acquisitions have pushed Gregory Soto (.523 OPS allowed to left-handed hitters) into a role he's more suited for. 6. Philadelphia Phillies It's not often that teams beat the Los Angeles Dodgers in a bidding war, but that's precisely what the Philadelphia Phillies accomplished with the acquisition of Jhoan Duran. Not only is he one of the best closers in baseball, but he's also under team control through the 2027 campaign. Philadelphia finally has its lights-out arm in the 9th inning for years to come. Related: We also really like the acquisition of Harrison Bader. The 31-year-old is having his best year at the plate (.778 OPS) since 2021 and that's just added value to his outstanding defense in center field. Acquiring Bader could mean that Brandon Marsh moves to left field, finally pushing Max Kepler (.655 OPS) out of the Phillies lineup. 7. Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays vowed to be aggressive at the MLB trade deadline, and gambling on Shane Bieber is precisely that. Bieber, now 30, won the AL Cy Young Award in 2020 but has been hampered by arm issues in recent seasons, including Tommy John surgery in April 2024. Although nearing the end of his rehab assignment, pitching in minor league rehab outings with promising strikeout numbers, there is still uncertainty about how effective he will be once he takes the mound for Toronto. Even if Bieber is not great, the Blue Jays have improved their bullpen moving forward. They added right-hander Seranthony Domínguez, who boasts a 1.05 ERA in his last 25.2 innings, and southpaw Louis Varland, who sports a 2.02 ERA and is not arbitration-eligible until 2028, providing much-needed left-handed relief depth. 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