Phillies takeaways as the trade deadline looms: Fortifying the bullpen, assessing Johan Rojas, and more  —  In the offseason, after excising Craig Kimbrel but before leaving the rest of the 2023 bullpen untouched, the Phillies tried to sign two free-agent relievers.But Jordan Hicks took …

White Sox's Garrett Crochet wants to start, get extension if traded  —  Major League Baseball's trade deadline just got more complicated for teams interested in dealing for Chicago White Sox starter Garrett Crochet.  —  Crochet, 25, wants a contract extension if he's traded in order to pitch …

Mets ace Kodai Senga's season debut cut short by calf strain  —  NEW YORK — Kodai Senga's season debut was going about as well as the New York Mets could have hoped Friday night: The right-hander had nine strikeouts through five innings against the Atlanta Braves, and the Mets held a six-run lead …

What I'm hearing about the MLB trade deadline: The latest on the Rangers, Angels, Pirates and more  —  It's official: The Texas Rangers are going for it.  —  In less than a month, the defending World Series champions have improved their postseason odds from 5.5 percent to better than 25 percent.

Dodgers deal James Paxton back to Red Sox for minor leaguer  —  The Boston Red Sox acquired left-hander James Paxton from the Los Angeles Dodgers for minor league infielder Moises Bolivar on Friday, attempting to fortify their rotation as they chase a playoff spot in a wide-open American League landscape.

Even if Giants aggressively sell, go-for-broke season's luxury tax implications are inescapable  —  LOS ANGELES — It stands to reason that the San Francisco Giants will become active sellers before Tuesday's trade deadline.  It also stands to reason that one of their prime organizational goals …

Astros among teams expressing interest in Cubs pitcher Jameson Taillon: Sources  —  With an undermanned rotation in a winnable division, the Houston Astros are among the teams that have expressed interest in Chicago Cubs pitcher Jameson Taillon ahead of Tuesday's trade deadline, according to league sources.

Orioles, Phillies Swap Austin Hays For Seranthony Dominguez  —  The Orioles announced Friday that they've traded outfielder Austin Hays to the Phillies in exchange for right-hander Seranthony Dominguez and outfielder Cristian Pache.  Baltimore is designating righty Levi Stoudt for assignment …

Pre-Trade Deadline Top 100 Prospects Update  —  With the most recent list cycle completed and the draft concluded, I've updated the Top 100 Prospects list, which you can now find over on The Board.  I'll have a couple of posts detailing the player movement up shortly, starting with the pitchers.

Orioles bolster staff, trade for starter Zach Eflin from Rays  —  The Baltimore Orioles acquired right-hander Zach Eflin from the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday, addressing their clearest need with an in-division trade that bolsters their starting rotation.  —  Eflin was regarded …

Bryce Harper, Shohei Ohtani Making the Case for MLB Players to Be at 2028 Olympics  —  With the Summer Games coming to Los Angeles in 2028, some of baseball's biggest stars are selling the idea of MLB making its players eligible to compete for gold on sports' biggest stage.

Mets Acquire Ryne Stanek  —  The Mariners announced they've traded reliever Ryne Stanek to the Mets for minor league outfielder Rhylan Thomas.  New York has yet to announce the move and will need to clear a spot on the 40-man roster.  —  Stanek, who turns 33 today, has worked in generally high-leverage spots.