Trade season is in full swing, as there are just three days before the deadline strikes on July 31. Some major moves were made over the past few days, as Josh Naylor, along with former All-Stars Gregory Soto & Ryan McMahon, found new homes. There were also some smaller moves made between the 26th and 28th. Atlanta found bodies for their rotation, the Royals took a big name off the board, and Cleveland lost their star closer (but not for trade-related reasons).
Braves acquire pair of starters
Atlanta acquired two starting pitchers within 24 hours on July 28. The Braves traded for Erick Fedde, recently DFA’d by the Cardinals, on July 27 for a player to be named later or cash. The same agreement was made with the Yankees on the 28th in exchange for Carlos Carrasco, who was in the Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate.
The 32-year-old Fedde had a rough stretch of outings over the last six weeks. It caused his ERA to rise from 3.54 in mid-June to 5.22 as of this writing. Additionally, his BB% (10.5% ) and Barrel/PA (7.0) have risen considerably from 2024.
Fedde found success last season with the White Sox, thanks to a refined arsenal that worked for him in Korea. This season, he’s thrown his sinker and sweeper more and used his cutter and changeup fewer times.
| Year | Pitch | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Sinker | 30% |
| 2025 | Sinker | 36% |
| 2024 | Cutter | 32% |
| 2025 | Cutter | 27% |
| 2024 | Sweeper | 20% |
| 2025 | Sweeper | 26% |
| 2024 | Changeup | 16% |
| 2025 | Changeup | 11% |
Carrasco, meanwhile, got hit hard with the Yankees this season. He conceded seven home runs over 32 innings at the MLB level.
The problem for the Braves, however, is that the team is down several arms. Grant Holmes, who led the team in innings pitched as of the 28th, is done for 2025.
Tigers sign Jackson
The Tigers signed Luke Jackson, recently released by the Rangers, to add to their bullpen for the stretch run.
Jackson was the Rangers’ closer for a healthy chunk of 2025 but has been hit-or-miss in that role, dating back to his days as an Atlanta Brave.
However, the perks of Jackson are that when his command is in check, he gets swings-and-misses with his slider with action, along with a mid-90s fastball with carry.
Unfortunately for the Tigers, Jackson’s first outing with the team did not go well, as he walked three and gave up four runs on July 27 against the Blue Jays.
Lugo extends
The Royals took one name off the trade block, as Kansas City re-signed Seth Lugo to a two-year deal with a vesting option for 2028.
Lugo had a player option for 2026 but given how well he’s pitched over the last two seasons, he was likely headed to the market. Instead of a trade, however, the Royals retain a key piece for at least 2026 and 2027.
The 35-year-old’s advanced metrics, including the well-hit contact (7.1 Barrel/PA) ones, are not sexy. However, what Lugo does well is pitch and feel out situations. Not to mention, spin the baseball and limit walks.
Amed goes to Yankees
One day after the Yankees acquired third baseman Ryan McMahon via trade, New York swung a deal with the Nationals to get Amed Rosario. In return, the Nationals received Clayton Beeter and Browm Martinez.
Rosario is a utilityman who’s projected well thanks to his bat speed and footspeed. However, his spotty defense in the field and chase-happy habits have limited his ceiling. He hit well against lefties this season, as he slashed .299/.333/.483 (.816 OPS) against them as of July 28.
The Nationals, meanwhile, get two bodies in Beeter and Martinez.
Beeter was at one point a highly-regarded prospect in the Yankees’ system. He made the Majors for the first time in 2024 and at one point was a four-pitch pitcher as a starter, before focusing on two pitches in the bullpen.
Command has always been a problem for Beeter, including over the past two seasons in Triple-A. Across 56.1 IP in Triple-A Scranton over the last two seasons, Beeter walked 37.
Martinez, meanwhile, hit .404/.507/.632 (1.139 OPS) in the DSL as an 18-year-old repeating the level.
Clase suspended
However, arguably the most notable news came on July 28, as former AL Reliever of the Year Emmanuel Clase was put on paid leave through August 31. This is relevant to a gambling investigation.
Clase is the second Guardians player to be placed on leave this season, joining Luis Ortiz. Cleveland put out a statement, indicating that the team believes no other player will be disciplined.
Aside from the obvious impact on what that investigation could have for the rest of Clase’s career, it takes the Guardians reliever off the board for good in 2025, as far as the trade market is concerned.
Check out more of our MLB coverage, including a primer on Giants pitching prospect Carson Whisenhunt.