The Phillies and Padres took big swings Monday ahead of baseball’s trade deadline, with the Phillies picking up three-time batting champion Luis Arraez and the Padres adding two starters to their rotation in lefthander Robbie Ray and righthander Casey Mize.
The moves were a part of a hectic day of swaps, featuring dozens of deals in the hours leading up to Monday’s 6 p.m. deadline. Also on Monday, the Astros added veteran outfielder Daulton Varsho from the Blue Jays in exchange for righthander Spencer Arrighetti, and the Cubs got pitcher Clay Holmes from the Mets.
The Dodgers woke up already looking like the deadline’s biggest winners after adding two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal to a loaded roster over the weekend. The Dodgers are chasing a third straight World Series title.
Arraez gives Philly an elite contact hitter
Arraez comes from the Giants, and he’ll be expected to create RBI opportunities for Phillies sluggers Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber.
Arraez is hitting an NL-best .324 in a resurgent season after signing a $12 million, one-year deal with San Francisco early in spring training. The 29-year-old has his highest batting average since 2023, and he’s played better defense at second base after questions about his glove hindered his market in free agency.
Schwarber is second in the majors with 33 home runs entering Monday yet ranks 31st with 63 RBIs, while Harper has driven in 66. The team’s .304 on-base percentage is the second lowest in the majors.
The Phillies also got reliever Caleb Kilian back from the Giants in the trade for two minor leaguers, and it swung a separate deal for lefthanded reliever Brooks Raley with the Mets.
Padres stock up on starting pitching
The Padres have won eight of nine to move one game back of the final wild-card playoff position, and this latest surge in their up-and-down season apparently prompted general manager A.J. Preller to trade yet another chunk of his severely depleted farm system for a chance to win now.
Ray, who won the AL Cy Young Award with the Blue Jays in 2021, is 10-6 with a 3.08 ERA and 107 strikeouts in 122⅔ innings this season, his third with San Francisco.
San Diego gave up righthander Miguel Mendez and 17-year-old shortstop Joniel Hernandez for the 34-year-old Ray, who will be an unrestricted free agent this winter. The Padres also got cash in the deal.
The 26-year-old Mize has a 4-6 record and 2.70 ERA this season over 16 starts. The Tigers received lefthanded pitching prospects Kash Mayfield and Jackson Wolf. San Diego also received infielder Gage Workman in the deal.
Dodgers kept dealing
The Dodgers added 2025 All-Star lefthander Kris Bubic from the Royals for minor league righthander Carlos Duran.
Bubic is on the 60-day injured list with shoulder and elbow issues, but the Royals had expected him to return in late-August, which would put him in line to pitch out of the bullpen for Los Angeles during the playoffs. He was an All-Star last season and is 3-2 with a 4.11 ERA in nine starts this season. Duran is 3-2 with a 3.38 ERA for Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Los Angeles also traded for backup catcher Ben Rortvedt for the second year in a row. This time, the Dodgers got Rortvedt from the Mets for righthander Chayce McDermott. Rortvedt, 28, hasn’t played in the big leagues this season and wasn’t on the Mets’ 40-man roster.
Varsho helps Astros
The 30-year-old Varsho has had a disappointing offensive season with a .682 OPS over 99 games with the Blue Jays, but he earned a Gold Glove award in 2024 and remains an excellent defender.
Houston came into Monday’s games with a 58-55 record, which is good for first place in the AL West. The Astros took over the division lead for the first time since April after a three-game sweep of the Rangers over the weekend.
Varsho batted fourth and played center field Monday night as the Astros hosted his former club.
The Blue Jays received Arrighetti, who is 7-5 with a 4.60 ERA over 17 starts this season.
Other trades of note
⋅ The Pirates added veteran righthander Luke Weaver from the Mets. Weaver is in the first season of a two-year, $22-million deal. He had been one of the few bright spots this season for the last-place Mets, going 2-1 with a 1.84 ERA with one save in 42 appearances. The Mets received minor league infielder Sammy Stafura.
⋅ The Cubs got lefthander Braxton Garrett from Miami for two minor leaguers. Garrett — the former No. 7 draft pick who turns 29 on Wednesday and will be under club control for two more seasons after this — suffered a torn UCL midway through the 2024 season. His only two big league starts since then came in mid-May, when he struck out five while allowing seven runs over 4⅓ innings. He has since been at Triple-A. In 67 games for the Marlins since his MLB debut in 2020, he was 16-20 with a 4.16 ERA. The Cubs also added righty Ryan Zeferjahn from the Angels for minor league catcher Moisés Ballesteros and minor league righthanded pitcher Mason McGwire, the son of former MLB slugger Mark McGwire.
⋅ The Mariners acquired outfielder Taylor Ward from the Orioles in exchange for minor league righthanders Alex Hoppe, Brock Moore, and Harrison Kreiling. Ward, 32, is hitting .246 with seven home runs and 30 RBIs in 111 games. He adds to Seattle’s outfield depth and could make impending free agent and All-Star outfielder Randy Arozarena expendable.
⋅ The Blue Jays bolstered their rotation with an eye on 2027 by acquiring righthander José Soriano from the Angels for three prospects. The 27-year-old is 9-6 with a 3.29 ERA and has a 3.72 ERA over four big league seasons. He’s under team control through 2028. Infielder Arjun Nimmala, a 2023 first-round pick, headlined the minor leaguers going to Los Angeles, along with outfielder Eddie Micheletti Jr. and righthander Angel Rivero.
⋅ The Guardians picked up a power bat and some outfield versatility by adding Jo Adell from the Angels, who received minor league catcher Jacob Cozart. The 27-year-old Adell has 16 homers and 62 RBIs this season, one year after hitting a career-best 37 homers with 98 RBIs. Adell has spent his entire career with the Angels after being the 10th pick in the 2017 amateur draft.
⋅ The Rays added catcher Liam Hicks in a trade with the Marlins while Miami received prospects righthander Jacob Kisting, shortstop Adrian Santana, and infielder Brayden Taylor. Hicks, 27, is in his second big league season and batting .282 with 14 homers and 62 RBIs. He’s under team control for the next four seasons.
⋅ The White Sox acquired outfielder Brenton Doyle from the Rockies for a pair of prospects. Doyle, who recently came off the injured list due to a bruised oblique, is hitting .214 with a homer and nine stolen bases. He’s won two Gold Glove awards for his work in center field. The Rockies received righthander Mason Adams and infielder Carlos Vielma.
The White Sox also added righty reliever Huascar Brazobán from the Mets for minor league righthanders Gabe Davis and Zach Franklin. The 36-year-old Brazobán is 5-2 with a 2.56 ERA over 46 games this season.
⋅ The Blue Jays got utility player Josh Smith and minor league righthander Josh Stephan from the Rangers for rookie lefthander Adam Macko. Smith, who in 2024 won a Silver Slugger as a utility player, was at Triple-A Round Rock. He went into this season with the chance to be the Rangers’ everyday second baseman, but he hit .213 in 45 games and missed 37 games because of injuries and a bout with viral meningitis.
⋅ The Braves acquired veteran lefthanded reliever Brent Suter from the Angels for minor league infielder Nacho Alvarez Jr. The 36-year-old Suter provides some bullpen depth for the NL East leaders. He was 1-2 with a 4.12 ERA over 63⅓ innings in 41 appearances for Los Angeles. The Braves also traded backup catcher Joey Bart to the White Sox for righthander Duncan Davitt.