Rumors, latest updates, news and analysis for every major deal

8:55 AM ET

The 2022 MLB trade deadline is coming fast, with teams weighing their biggest needs before 6 p.m. ET on Tuesday arrives.

Will the Washington Nationals make a blockbuster Juan Soto trade? Could Shohei Ohtani be on the move from the Los Angeles Angels? Could Willson Contreras be dealt to a contender? And which of the New York Yankees, New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers and Houston Astros will go all-in to boost their 2022 World Series hopes?

Whether your favorite club is looking to add or deal away — or stands somewhere in between — here’s the freshest intel we’re hearing, reaction to completed deals and what to know for every team as trade season unfolds.

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Completed deal tracker | Updates | Analysis | Soto blockbuster?

Grades for every MLB trade deadline deal

Completed trade tracker

Brewers get some bullpen help after Josh Hader‘s departure

Reliever Matt Bush heads to Milwaukee, while infielder Mark Mathias and pitcher Antoine Kelly are on their way to Texas, sources tell ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

Cards add to rotation with Jose Quintana acquisition

The St. Louis Cardinals are finalizing a deal to acquire left-hander Jose Quintana from the Pittsburgh Pirates, sources tell ESPN. Story »

Red Sox finalizing deal with Reds for Tommy Pham

The Boston Red Sox are finalizing a deal to acquire outfielder Tommy Pham from the Cincinnati Reds, sources tell ESPN. Story » | Grades »

Astros nab catcher from Red Sox

Houston has acquired catcher Christian Vazquez from the Boston Red Sox, sources tell ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Story » | Grades »

Yankees get Frankie Montas in deal with Oakland

The Yankees are adding right-handed starter Frankie Montas and closer Lou Trivino in a trade with the A’s. Story » | Grades »

Padres land Josh Hader in blockbuster with Brewers

San Diego is dealing closer Taylor Rogers, left-handed pitching prospect Robert Gasser, outfielder Esteury Ruiz and right-hander Dinelson Lamet to Milwaukee for the star closer, sources tell ESPN. Story » | Grades »

Astros add Trey Mancini in trade with O’s

The Houston Astros have acquired first baseman/outfielder Trey Mancini from the Baltimore Orioles, sources confirmed to ESPN. Story » | Grades »

Yankees add to bullpen in deal with Cubs

The Yankees acquired right-handed reliever Scott Effross from the Cubs in exchange for minor league right-hander Hayden Wesneski. Story » | Grades »

Braves add an infielder

The Braves announced they have acquired infielder Ehire Adrianza from the Nationals in exchange for OF Trey Harris. Atlanta also designated INF Robinson Cano for assignment. Story »

Giants pick up a shortstop

San Francisco has traded for Cubs shortstop Dixon Machado and sent right-hander Raynel Espinal to Chicago. Story »

Rays add outfield bat in deal with Diamondbacks

Tampa Bay acquired veteran outfielder David Peralta in a trade with Arizona. Story » | Grades »

Cards get pitching depth from Phillies

The Cardinals announced that they have acquired left-handed pitcher JoJo Romero in exchange for infielder Edmundo Sosa.

Dodgers get relief help in trade with Cubs

The Los Angeles Dodgers have added to their bullpen by trading for Chicago Cubs right-handed reliever Chris Martin, sources told ESPN’s Buster Olney. Story »

Mariners acquire ace Luis Castillo in trade with Reds

The Mariners landed star pitcher Luis Castillo from the Reds in exchange for minor leaguers Noelvi Marte, Levi Stoudt, Edwin Arroyo and Dylan Moore. Story » | Grades »

Mets acquire Tyler Naquin, Phillip Diehl in trade with Reds

The first-place Mets added another outfield bat and a reliever in a deadline deal with Cincinnati. Story »

Yankees acquire All-Star Andrew Benintendi from Royals

The Yankees made the first big splash of this deadline by adding an All-Star to their outfield. Story » | Grades »

Mets get Daniel Vogelbach from Pirates

The NL East-leading Mets added much-needed DH help in a deal with the Pirates. Story »

Mariners acquire Carlos Santana from Royals

Seattle added a veteran bat by dealing two pitching prospects for Santana. Story » | Grades »

MLB trade deadline buzz

Aug. 1 updates

Miami might be holding on to its trade candidates: Teams have checked in on the vast majority of the Marlins’ players, but major moves seemed unlikely as of Monday afternoon, a source with knowledge of the situation said. Most of the Marlins’ most important players are locked in through at least next season, at which point they’ll once again try to contend for a playoff spot, and the offers haven’t been good enough to justify moving core players.

That has been especially true with Pablo Lopez, who is having an exceptional year and is controllable through the 2024 season. Lopez remains the most logical Marlins impact player to be moved, rival executives believe, and the offers might get significantly better with Luis Castillo and Frankie Montas off the board. But the Marlins can easily hold onto Lopez and shop him in the offseason while in search of young, proven offensive players.

What Cleveland is likely to do at the deadline: Rivals don’t believe Cleveland is going for massive upgrades this deadline — though the Guardians have the farm system to get it done. One agent of a minor league player there suggested they have enough to land Juan Soto if they really wanted him, but controllable pitchers and help on the edges is likely what the Guardians shoot for instead. They’re very young but still competing in a weak division, so some utility-type upgrades might be in order. — Jesse Rogers

Will the White Sox upgrade their lineup? The White Sox have been looking for a left-handed hitter who can play right field. They were in on Tyler Naquin before he got moved to New York, but they were not involved in David Peralta, who was traded to Tampa Bay. Peralta is strictly a left fielder. They have plenty of those. One executive not affiliated with either team suggested a big league-for-big league trade: AJ Pollock and a prospect for Joc Pederson. It would allow the Giants to keep competing while the White Sox change the balance in their lineup and get a jolt in their locker room. Otherwise, the White Sox might have to look for a minor addition from the left side of the plate such as Rafael Ortega from the Cubs or Kole Calhoun of the Rangers. — Jesse Rogers

The Angels’ current Ohtani strategy: The Angels have been “dangling” Shohei Ohtani leading up to Tuesday’s deadline, an industry source said. But two executives on teams that have previously been identified as potential landing spots still viewed the possibility of an Ohtani trade as a highly unlikely outcome over the weekend, with one under the impression that the Angels aren’t seriously looking to move him now.

At the very least, another rival executive noted, the Angels can get a sense for what the Ohtani market looks like in order to better identify an offseason strategy. Angels owner Arte Moreno has always been categorically against the concept of a rebuild, but an Ohtani trade might portend one. — Alden Gonzalez

July 31 updates

San Francisco has some decisions to make: The Giants are in an interesting position with Carlos Rodon and Joc Pederson. On one hand, they are within reach of wild-card spot. On the other, Rodon, in particular, will generate heightened interest because of a dearth of starting pitchers in the market. San Francisco is looking for major-league-ready help in return, if it makes a deal. — Buster Olney

When Chicago will start making moves, and the latest on Contreras: The Cubs have a wave of deals coming on the horizon, but they will likely happen in rapid-fire fashion as we move into the last hours before the deadline — Willson Contreras, David Robertson and Mychal Givens are very likely to go. There is also a ton of interest in Ian Happ, who would be under team control through 2023. The teams that are involved in Contreras seem to be more interested in him as a very part-time catcher but a regular in the lineup (as a DH, etc.). The Padres, Rays and Astros are among those teams. — Buster Olney

Who’s New York targeting? The Yankees seem focused in their pursuit of a starting pitcher. Frankie Montas and Carlos Rodon are among those available. — Buster Olney

San Diego talking to many: The Padres are heavily involved in a range of conversations, according to rival executives — including the Juan Soto talks. — Buster Olney

A Soto trade on the horizon? The perception of many rival officials continues to be that Juan Soto will be dealt before the deadline. One high-ranking executive is couching it a bit, putting the odds at 60-40 that Soto will be moved. — Buster Olney

July 30 updates

When things could really heat up before the deadline: Two executives who are looking to add indicated the market is slower than normal and it could be because of the extra wild-card teams. Some organizations are obviously in the playoff hunt now while others feel they will be as soon as next season and aren’t looking to unload like previous years. That could change if Boston and San Francisco get into the fray and decide to subtract. Meanwhile, Jed Hoyer of the Cubs is keeping things close to the vest with an expectation he’ll be a mover on Monday and/or Tuesday. A lot could depend on Juan Soto. Whichever team gets him likely isn’t making any other deals. — Jesse Rogers

July 28 updates

What the reigning champs are eyeing at the deadline: Rival execs report that the Braves are looking for a right-handed hitter to effectively replace Adam Duvall on their roster. Some of the possible options: Ian Happ (a switch-hitter who is hitting .346 vs. lefties), Ramon Laureano, hitting .262 vs. lefties and Rob Refsnyder, who is mashing .422 against lefties in 50 plate appearances this year. — Buster Olney

A leader in the race to land Soto? As of Thursday morning, rival executives perceive the Padres to be the front-runner for Juan Soto. — Buster Olney

A leader in the race to land … everyone? The Padres are seemingly in on everyone. They’re looking for bats and arms, both big and small. They’ve inquired on both Ian Happ and Willson Contreras of the Cubs, along with the biggest fish of them all, Juan Soto. Like most teams, they’re looking for bullpen arms as well. Rival teams expect A.J. Preller to make a splash, but it’s not clear which area of the team they’ll improve on — mostly because they’re trying on all of them. — Jesse Rogers

How Giants’ struggles could change the deadline: As of Wednesday night, the Giants continue to convey to other teams that they aren’t looking to deal away veterans yet, and at the moment, they intend to hang on to possible free agents Carlos Rodon and Joc Pederson. Given the Giants’ recent swoon, other teams are monitoring closely to see if they’ll flip and start dealing. — Buster Olney

July 27 updates

The Brewers could be busy at the deadline: Sources indicate the Brewers are looking for a bat and/or an arm. Meanwhile, the return of Freddy Peralta could have Milwaukee looking at bullpen help rather than a starting pitcher. — Jesse Rogers

Multiple teams eyeing Cubs reliever: There is strong interest in Cubs setup man Mychal Givens. The White Sox could be a fit after they kicked the tires on him last offseason. As did the Phillies, and both teams need middle relievers. The Cubs and White Sox did pull off two deals for bullpen arms last year, with Ryan Tepera and Craig Kimbrel going to the South Side from their crosstown rivals. — Jesse Rogers

How Marlins’ big decision could shape the deadline: Six days remain until the trade deadline, and the Miami Marlins sit five games below .500 and 4½ games back of a playoff spot — with their star, Jazz Chisholm Jr., out for a prolonged stretch and their two big offseason signings, Avisail Garcia and Jorge Soler, putting up subpar numbers. The New York Post reported Tuesday that Marlins general manager Kim Ng would be open to trading practically anyone outside of ace Sandy Alcantara, a major development given the organization’s plethora of pitching talent. Her intentions, outsiders believe, wouldn’t be to send the franchise into another rebuild but to acquire players who can fortify the 40-man roster next season and beyond.

Miguel Rojas is pleading for patience.

Rojas, the unquestioned leader of the team, is in his eighth year with the Marlins and has navigated a lot of change during that stretch, most notably the aggressive rebuild that helped form the present core. He sees an opportunity with the current team; that its struggles are a byproduct of injury and underperformance from players who should be better, and that it should be given a chance down the stretch. The Marlins acted aggressively — by their standards — over the offseason, signing Garcia and Soler and trading for Jacob Stallings and Joey Wendle. Rojas thinks they need more time to come together.

“As a player, all I want is an opportunity,” Rojas said. “I’m not asking for five, six years. That’s not realistic. But for me, you can’t just give up on a team when we know that we have the potential of doing something.” — Alden Gonzalez

July 26 updates

Why you should keep an eye on Tampa Bay at the deadline: The Rays have made the playoffs in each of the past three seasons, and while they have suffered devastating injuries in recent days — losing center fielder Kevin Kiermaier and catcher Mike Zunino for the season — sources say they are poking around looking for upgrades, veterans who could help push the core of young players across the finish line to a wild-card berth. The Rays expect to get Wander Franco and Manuel Margot back in the weeks ahead, but they’ll be seeking other position player help, and they have the ability to take on payroll before the trade deadline.

The Rays are among the teams to have inquired about Juan Soto, and the fact that the financial obligations are limited — he’s arbitration-eligible and not tied to a long-term deal — means they could take a shot at him, in the way they bid $150 million on Freddie Freeman in free agency. But for the Rays, a team of limited resources, surrendering a massive haul of prospects for a player even as great as Soto represents enormous risk, and for that reason, they are likely to be outbid for the slugger. — Buster Olney

What is Cleveland’s deadline strategy? The Cleveland Guardians have two players who could be headed to free agency in the fall — catcher Austin Hedges and reliever Bryan Shaw — and with some contenders looking for catching depth, the Guardians could theoretically listen to offers. But with the promotion of 23-year-old catching prospect Bo Naylor from Triple-A to the big leagues seemingly inevitable, the Guardians will need Hedges to help instruct Naylor. Cleveland is currently in the scrum of four teams trying to push into the group of wild-card leaders, and at the moment, the Guardians are 3½ games behind the Twins — so they’ll look for possible upgrades before the deadline, but probably nothing too expensive. — Buster Olney

July 25 updates

Are the Padres a Soto trade fit? One team keeps coming up among rival scouts and executives when pondering potential fits for Juan Soto: the Padres. They have an immediate hole in their outfield, a desperate need for more offense, a clearly stated desire to contend immediately and, just as important, the type of audacious GM who can pull this type of move off. The starting point in a Soto deal would probably involve C.J. Abrams and MacKenzie Gore.

But two potential issues linger for AJ Preller: 1. Does he have the organizational depth to add additional players and beat a deep pool of interested teams, especially after parting with so much of it in an effort to bolster the rotation? 2. What about the money component, both with the Padres’ reported desire to shed payroll to stay below the luxury-tax threshold and with the Nats’ potential desire to attach a bloated contract like that of Patrick Corbin‘s? — Alden Gonzalez

Will Cardinals prioritize an ace over a trade for Soto? While the Cardinals might be mentioned as a suitor for Juan Soto, they’re focused on pitching heading into the deadline. For the second consecutive year, St. Louis looks to add a starter or two. Would the Reds trade Luis Castillo within the division? If so, St. Louis could be a strong fit. — Jesse Rogers

Do the Dodgers have a big splash in them — Soto or otherwise? In 2017, it was Yu Darvish. In 2018, it was Manny Machado. In 2021, it was Max Scherzer and Trea Turner. Does Andrew Friedman have another big move in him? The Dodgers have been identified as an early suitor for Juan Soto, for obvious reasons — they have the prospect capital and the financial might to not only acquire Soto but perhaps even lock him in with a record-setting extension. That can’t be ruled out, but in all likelihood, Friedman, uncomfortable with the amount of young talent he has parted with in recent years, makes an assortment of lower-tier moves for his pitching staff. The Dodgers have a lot of questions in both their rotation and their bullpen, but also a lot of impact players making their way back (most notably Dustin May, Walker Buehler and Blake Treinen). Look for them to prioritize depth. They’ve shown, for a while now, that they’re elite at preventing runs even without top-shelf pitching. — Alden Gonzalez

Possible suitors for Cubs All-Star catcher: The Cubs’ Willson Contreras remains on track to be moved by the Aug. 2 deadline. To this point, the Cubs have not approached him with an offer for a contract extension. Possible suitors for the All-Star starter include the Rays, Guardians and Mets. — Jesse Rogers

Will the Angels actually trade Ohtani or make moves to build around him? The big question surrounding the Angels over the next week or so: Will they truly entertain trade offers for Shohei Ohtani, a free agent after the 2023 season, or merely make moves on the margins in an effort (perhaps a final one) to contend next season? If it’s the latter approach, look for Angels GM Perry Minasian to be aggressive in pursuit of major league players who are controllable at least through next year; the Angels have a lot of holes on their 40-man roster, and patching them all in one offseason is not realistic. Barring a midseason extension, Noah Syndergaard — solid, albeit not dominant, on a one-year deal coming off a long hiatus `– will probably be their most likely trade candidate, regardless of their approach. — Alden Gonzalez

Why the White Sox are focused on bullpen help: Setup man Kendall Graveman is on pace to blow by his career high in appearances, while Joe Kelly has been inconsistent for the White Sox this season and Aaron Bummer has been injured. Given the overall lack of bullpen options as it tries to climb in the AL Central standings, Chicago is looking for deadline help from either side of the mound. — Jesse Rogers