With the Aug. 3 trade deadline creeping closer, the rumor mill is starting to sharpen around a handful of clubs that could shape the market. Sunday’s latest batch points to the Rays acting like a contender, the Mariners considering a move from their rotation, and Clay Holmes making clear he’d rather stay put in Queens.
The biggest surprise may be Tampa Bay. After back-to-back losing seasons, the Rays weren’t supposed to be in this position, but they’ve spent more than half the season leading the AL East and owning the American League’s best record.
That has them positioned to be aggressive buyers, and USA Today reports they could be in on some heavy hitters: Tigers ace Tarik Skubal, Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte, and Giants second baseman Luis Arraez. Marte, though, has the right to approve any trade as a 10-and-5 player, and he’s not expected to sign off on a move out of Arizona, even if his name keeps surfacing in rumors.
Seattle, meanwhile, may be heading in the opposite direction. The Mariners have struggled to find traction in a flat AL West, and USA Today reports they’re shopping veteran right-hander Luis Castillo.
Castillo, 33, has posted a 4.93 ERA and 4.16 FIP across 15 starts and three relief appearances this season. His deal still carries a bit more than $24 million owed for 2027, along with a $25 million vesting option for 2028, which makes it hard to see a huge return coming back in a trade.
Holmes is another name to watch, though his preference is pretty clear. The right-hander has made a successful jump from reliever to starter since signing with the Mets, but his trade status could depend on how his rehab from a fractured fibula goes.
Even with that uncertainty, Holmes said he wants to remain in New York and is open to an extension. “Definitely open,” Holmes told reporters, including The Athletic, about the prospect of re-upping with the Mets.
“I know things are not the easiest right now and hard, but it's not like I'm sitting here hoping to run away from it. If I can be part of the solution to make things better here, I would like that.”
Holmes’ contract also includes a $12 million player option for 2027.
Baltimore could also become part of the deadline picture. The Orioles entered 2026 hoping for a bounce-back year, but that hasn’t happened so far.
Even with the low bar for contention in the American League, the Baltimore Banner reports the club may still lean toward a partial sell-off rather than pushing chips in. Names that could be available include outfielder Taylor Ward, lefty starter Trevor Rogers, and relievers Andrew Kittredge, Yennier Cano, and Rico Garcia.
In Other News...
Mariners Fans May Need To Revisit One Prospect After This Stage
Kade Anderson got a much cleaner showcase in the MLB Futures Game, working one inning on just ten pitches and giving Seattle fans a fresh reminder of why he remains one of the more interesting arms in the system. The performance came in a setting built for prospects to flash their best stuff, and Anderson did exactly that while the draft buzz swirled around him and the rest of the young talent on display.
For Mariners followers, the outing also fits a bigger picture that has been developing at Double-A, where Anderson has been missing bats and trimming the walks that once clouded the evaluation. After some outside chatter had pushed other names into the ace conversation, his latest look offered a useful counterpoint, even if the Futures Game is only one stage and not the final word on where he stands. [Read more 🡒]
Tacoma Just Made The Mariners Next Wave Feel Very Real
The Mariners upper-minors pipeline kept flashing over the past week, and Tacoma was right in the middle of it. The Rainiers split their games, but the bigger takeaway was how much talent is starting to stack up around that roster, with Ryan Bliss putting together a loud week built on extra-base hits and stolen bases while the organizations other affiliates kept feeding the system with more encouraging signs.
Everett added to the optimism with strong offensive stretches from Luke Stevenson and Jonny Farmelo, even as the pitching results came and went, and Arkansas managed a split despite being without Kade Anderson and Ryan Sloan while they were away at the Futures Game. The broader picture is what matters for Seattle: the next wave does not just look deep, it is beginning to look close, and Tacomas latest run only sharpened the question of how soon some of those names will force the issue. [Read more 🡒]
Mariners Just Added An Outfield Athlete With Intriguing Upside
The Mariners added a little more speed to the organization with the signing of Kyle Boylston, a former Florida Atlantic outfielder who landed in Seattle as an undrafted free agent after the 2026 MLB Draft. Boylston spent the 2025-26 academic year focused solely on baseball, and the move gives the Mariners another athletic outfield option to evaluate after a season in which he hit .289 with three home runs and kept pressure on defenses every time he reached base.
What makes Boylston interesting is the way his game has been shaped by his athletic background and his running ability. He stole 14 bases without being caught for FAU, and that kind of efficiency tends to stand out for an organization that values speed and versatility in the outfield. The next question is how Seattle plans to develop that upside, because the raw tools are obvious enough to merit a closer look. [Read more 🡒]