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MLB Rumor Roundup: 8/8 — Trade Deadline Week Special

Diving into recent talk, transactions, and trends around the league!

Griffey Geiss
Rumor Roundup 4 Hours Ago

Welcome back to another week of Rumor Roundup, where we dive into all the recent talk, transactions, and trends from around the league, balancing both fantasy baseball implications and real-world baseball analysis through the lens of a front office.

 

Trade Deadline Recap

 

This edition of Rumor Roundup is special — to recap the Trade Deadline, I’ll dive into my top 10 favorite trades of the deadline and then briefly overview the other deals. Let’s dive right in!

 

10) Freddy Peralta to Rays

 

Peralta, 30, has not looked like his former self one bit since leaving Milwaukee. He owns a 5.37 ERA and has allowed more hits (129) through 117.1 innings this year then through 176.2 innings last year (124 hits). Peralta’s 3.95 xERA is intriguing, and he’s far too good of a pitcher to implode and not bounce back. I’m curious to see how the Rays attack his arsenal — his formerly elite four-seamer is the X-factor to getting back on track.

Smith, 21, owns a 79 wRC+ and has major swing-and-miss concerns. Hill, 21, owns a 4.29 ERA/4.54 FIP and 13.7% K-BB rate through 113.1 innings this season. And Pitre, 23, is the gem of the deal, slashing .310/.436/.444 with a 136 wRC+ and 31 stolen bases through 91 games this season.

The return outside of Pitre isn’t all that impressive, but that’s what a costly veteran starter coming off a brutal first half will get you. Lots of upside for the Rays in this deal if they can get his four-seamer back on track.

 

9) Ryan Zeferjahn to Cubs

 

A reliever in the top 10? You bet. Zeferjahn’s recent production has put him in talks with Jacob Misiorowski and Mason Miller in terms of raw production. Zeferjahn is also a 2031 UFA which makes this deal that much more of a win for the Cubs.

Ballestros, 22, is slashing just .229/.300/.371 with a .313 xwOBA and 87 wRC+ through 63 games this season. Patience is key with his bat — this is a slugger that turned in a 143 wRC+ through 20 games last year. McGwire, 22, owns a 20% K-BB rate and a 4.06 FIP through 59.1 innings this season.

 

8) Luke Weaver to Pirates

 

Weaver has been astonishingly good in 2026, thrusting this trade inside the top 10 at the deadline. Here’s a quick look at how effective he’s been:

ERA/FIP WHIP BAA K-BB% GB%
1.80/2.93 0.84 .163 19% 41.6%

Stafura, 21, is a highly talented infielder slashing .275/.366/.585 with a 131 wRC+. The K% is a tad bit high but this is a dynamic athlete that has already racked up 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases this season. If he can start making more consistent contact, watch out.

 

7) Kevin Gausman to Cubs

 

Gausman, 35, has pitched to a 3.54 FIP and 16.6% K-BB rate through 134.1 innings this season and immediately becomes the No. 1 option for Chicago in their rotation. This is a battle-tested veteran right-hander that, given the underlying metrics, may have a little bit left in the tank to fuel a deep postseason run.

Bateman, 24, had phenomenal with the Cubs’ Triple-A squad slashing .311/.429/.416 with nearly as many walks (62) as strikeouts (67). Southisene, 21, is another hit-over-power profile that has racked up 31 stolen bases and a 120 wRC+ at the High-A level.

 

6) Luis García Jr. Jr. to Yankees

 

Garcia Jr. was one of the premier controllable sluggers on the market at the deadline, and he’s headed to a very hitter-friendly park in New York. The 26-year-old is slashing .282/.315/.556 with a 134 wRC+, all while limiting strikeouts at a sub-20% clip.

The Nationals get a few relievers back in this deal, but the headliner here is Cruz — a controllable 26-year-old with disgusting stuff that will immediately play out of their bullpen.

Through 35.2 innings at Triple-A this season:

FIP BAA K-BB%
3.39 .226 24.2%

 

5) Luis Arraez to Phillies

 

Arraez, slashing .323/.359/.446 with a 121 wRC+ and more walks (30) than strikeouts (22), injects a ton of contact into a Phillies lineup that has struggled to do anything offensively outside of Kyle Schwarber this season (21st in BA, 28th in OBP, 23rd in OPS this season).

Kilian, 29, features a bloated ERA over 5 but the expected numbers indicate he’s so much better than what his line looks like. The FIP (3.84) and 27.2% K rate are much-needed additions to a Phillies bullpen that ranks 24th in MLB.

Marquez is the headline acquisition headed to the Giants, a 20-year-old that owns a 1.68 ERA/2.30 FIP and diabolical 42% strikeout rate through 59 innings. Gair, 22, is another flamethrowing righty that possesses superb strikeout stuff (45.4% K rate in 2026).

 

4) Liam Hicks to Rays

 

Hicks is a contact hitting machine that owns an elite 97.1% zone contact rate through 104 games, fueling a .282/.365/.438 slash line with a 121 wRC+. He’s the perfect catching addition the Rays have been seeking for years, not to mention his contact-oriented profile fits the pesky Tampa Bay approach you see in a lot of their hitters.

Taylor, 24, is slashing .280/.384/.505 with 17 homers, 21 stolen bases, a .330 xwOBA and 134 wRC+ this season. He’s a great defender up the middle and should be able to stick at shortstop or second base long term. A really solid addition for a Miami team looking to add more controllable thump to their lineup.

Santana is a switch-hitting 20-year-old that owns a 102 wRC+ through 57 games this season. Kisting, 23, owns a 23.1% K-BB rate and .180 BAA through 86 innings at High-A this year.

 

3) José Soriano to Blue Jays

 

Soriano, a 2029 UFA, landed in Toronto after the Jays executed a shocking deal that sent top prospect Arjun Nimmala to Los Angeles. The 27-year-old righty owns a 3.24 ERA/3.78 FIP and .216 BAA through 127.2 innings. There’s a lot to like here but the bottom line is the Jays need to close the K-BB% margin. Less walks allows the WHIP to drop down into a solid range, and generating more swings-and-misses could dramatically raise his ceiling.

Nimmala, 20, is the Angels shortstop of the future. He’s a plus defender up the middle and is slashing .268/.371/.461 with a 121 wRC+ this season. He loves to pull the ball in the air and limits chase% well.

Micheletti and Rivero are throw-in pieces to me. Rivero owns a 16% K-BB rate in the Complex League this season, while Micheletti is 24 years old in Double-A, posting a 111 wRC+.

If the Jays are able to tune up Soriano, they may have found their top-of-the-rotation replacement for Gausman under control for a few more years. At worst, this is a quality mid rotation arm.

 

2) Adley Rutschman to Red Sox

 

I reviewed this trade in-depth immediately after it occurred, so to not repeat myself over and over again, here are all the posts from my live trade deadline reaction:

 

1) Tarik Skubal to Dodgers

 

Skubal, being the No. 1 player moved at the deadline, is why this trade is ranked first. The future Hall of Famer has posted a 2.81 ERA/2.69 FIP and 26.6% K-BB rate through 102.2 innings, even despite missing a chunk of time after undergoing surgery to remove a loose body from his left elbow.

Skubal is currently rocking the lowest walk rate of his career (4%) and his arsenal remains effective as ever. His changeup, one of the best secondaries in baseball, boasts a diabolical 50.7% whiff rate on 25% usage this season.

Hope, 21, is slashing .284/.363/.518 with a 124 wRC+ and 24 home runs through 94 games this season. It’s 20/20 potential for Hope with plus fielding ability in center field.

Ryan, 27, posted a 1.33 ERA through 20.1 career major league innings prior to missing the entire 2025 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery and later dealing with a lingering hamstring issue during rehab this season. He’s a mid ceiling starter that boasts a deep pitch mix with some moldable clay and strikeout stuff that will play at the next level.

Smith is the final piece to the puzzle. At 21 years old, he features a massive 35.3% strikeout rate, but he walks far too many batters (9%) fueling a poor FIP and bloated WHIP. Again, this is a righty that throws hard, misses bats, and boasts a ton of moldable clay in the arsenal.

 

Additional notable moves at the deadline:

 

Injury Updates

 

The following players have started or participated in rehab assignments this week:

 

The following players have been placed on the IL this week:

 

Finally, the following players have seen their IL status change this week:

 

Recent Transactions

 

The following players have been DFA’d:

 

The following players have been claimed or signed via free agency:

 

Promotions/demotions:

 

Feature image by Michael Packard (@CollectingPack on Twitter) | Photo by Maddie Malhotra

Griffey Geiss

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Geiss, known by many as “G.G.”, is a staff writer and data analyst at PitcherList. He has extensive experience in professional baseball as a Player Development & Data consultant, plus has spent several years independently creating content and covering the Boston Red Sox on a number of platforms. After arm injuries derailed his pitching career, Geiss founded @ggeiss_MLB Media and has since gained over 9k followers on Twitter.

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