Major League Baseball's trade deadline is set for Thursday at 6 p.m. Eastern. Here are some things to know about the deadline:
• A player on the 40-man roster after the deadline cannot be traded. • A player can be placed on waivers and claimed after the deadline. • A player must be in the organization by August 31st to be eligible for the postseason. • A player not on the 40-man roster can be traded after the deadline.
Thursday will be an off day for the Pirates, as well as most of the teams in the majors, with only three games scheduled between the Rays and Yankees, Braves and Reds, and Rangers and Mariners.
Here's some player-related contract info to know:
Free agents after the season:
• Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Andrew Heaney, Tommy Pham, Caleb Ferguson, Genesis Cabrera, Tim Mayza, Ryan Borucki and Andrew McCutchen
Eligible for third year of salary arbitration:
• David Bednar and Dennis Santana
Eligible for year two of salary arbitration:
• Johan Oviedo, Bailey Falter, Justin Lawrence and Joey Bart
The long-term contracts:
• Mitch Keller, Bryan Reynolds and Ke'Bryan Hayes
____________________
What to expect:
First, we should acknowledge Ben Cherington is not able to operate like most of his peers, as he'll have to report back to Bob Nutting and Travis Williams on trades of any significance.
This is why I expect a few deals with free agents but not Keller, Reynolds, Hayes, or any top pitching prospect -- e.g. Bubba Chandler -- as the focus will be on 2026 and beyond.
One team that is reportedly interested in Keller is the Cubs, who appear willing to deal Class AAA outfielder Owen Cassie, their top prospect and MLB Pipeline’s 36th-rated prospect, as the lead asset to help them in their pursuit of a playoff run.
Cassie is playing his second full season at Class AAA, as the Cubs' outfield is full with Pete Crow-Armstrong, Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki and Kyle Tucker. This season, he's hit 20 home runs and knocked in 46 runs to go along with a 34% strikeout rate. Last season, he struck out at a 33% rate with 19 home runs and 75 RBIs.
If Kiner-Falefa is traded, it presents an opportunity for recently acquired Cam Devanney to play out the last two months of the season in hopes for the starting shortstop role next season.
A Pham trade is going to hurt the offense and defense, as he's been hitting over .300 since June 1 and has provided solid defense as he ranks first among all National League left fielders with nine defensive runs saved above average, according to FanGraphs. It could be rough going in left since Jack Suwinski might receive a final chance as an everyday player. If that doesn't work, and his current .111 batting average is a good indicator it won't, that leaves Alexander Canario, who had a brief spurt offensively and has since cooled. They could also recall Billy Cook from Class AAA Indianapolis or acquire an outfielder at the deadline.
THE ASYLUM
Trade deadline preview
Major League Baseball's trade deadline is set for Thursday at 6 p.m. Eastern. Here are some things to know about the deadline:
• A player on the 40-man roster after the deadline cannot be traded.
• A player can be placed on waivers and claimed after the deadline.
• A player must be in the organization by August 31st to be eligible for the postseason.
• A player not on the 40-man roster can be traded after the deadline.
Thursday will be an off day for the Pirates, as well as most of the teams in the majors, with only three games scheduled between the Rays and Yankees, Braves and Reds, and Rangers and Mariners.
Here's some player-related contract info to know:
Free agents after the season:
• Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Andrew Heaney, Tommy Pham, Caleb Ferguson, Genesis Cabrera, Tim Mayza, Ryan Borucki and Andrew McCutchen
Eligible for third year of salary arbitration:
• David Bednar and Dennis Santana
Eligible for year two of salary arbitration:
• Johan Oviedo, Bailey Falter, Justin Lawrence and Joey Bart
The long-term contracts:
• Mitch Keller, Bryan Reynolds and Ke'Bryan Hayes
____________________
What to expect:
First, we should acknowledge Ben Cherington is not able to operate like most of his peers, as he'll have to report back to Bob Nutting and Travis Williams on trades of any significance.
This is why I expect a few deals with free agents but not Keller, Reynolds, Hayes, or any top pitching prospect -- e.g. Bubba Chandler -- as the focus will be on 2026 and beyond.
One team that is reportedly interested in Keller is the Cubs, who appear willing to deal Class AAA outfielder Owen Cassie, their top prospect and MLB Pipeline’s 36th-rated prospect, as the lead asset to help them in their pursuit of a playoff run.
Cassie is playing his second full season at Class AAA, as the Cubs' outfield is full with Pete Crow-Armstrong, Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki and Kyle Tucker. This season, he's hit 20 home runs and knocked in 46 runs to go along with a 34% strikeout rate. Last season, he struck out at a 33% rate with 19 home runs and 75 RBIs.
If Kiner-Falefa is traded, it presents an opportunity for recently acquired Cam Devanney to play out the last two months of the season in hopes for the starting shortstop role next season.
A Pham trade is going to hurt the offense and defense, as he's been hitting over .300 since June 1 and has provided solid defense as he ranks first among all National League left fielders with nine defensive runs saved above average, according to FanGraphs. It could be rough going in left since Jack Suwinski might receive a final chance as an everyday player. If that doesn't work, and his current .111 batting average is a good indicator it won't, that leaves Alexander Canario, who had a brief spurt offensively and has since cooled. They could also recall Billy Cook from Class AAA Indianapolis or acquire an outfielder at the deadline.
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