REPORT: METS ACQUIRE LHP GREGORY SOTO FROM ORIOLES
The New York Mets bolstered their bullpen by acquiring left-handed reliever Gregory Soto from the Baltimore Orioles, SNY reported on Friday.
The Orioles reportedly will receive a pair of minor-league prospects in right-handers Wellington Aracena and Cameron Foster in the deal.
Soto, 30, has made 45 relief appearances this season with the Orioles, going 0-2 with one save and a 3.96 ERA. He has 44 strikeouts in 36 1/3 innings.
An All-Star in 2021 and 2022 as a member of the Detroit Tigers, Soto owns a 14-31 record with 56 saves and a 4.24 ERA in 366 career appearances (seven starts) with the Tigers (2019-22), Philadelphia Phillies (2023-24) and Orioles.
Aracena, 20, is the No. 19 prospect in the Mets’ system, according to MLB Pipeline. He is 1-1 with a 2.38 ERA in 17 appearances (eight starts) with Single-A St. Lucie.
Foster, 26, is 5-2 with a 2.97 ERA in 21 appearances (one start) this season split between Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Syracuse.
YANKEES ACQUIRE THIRD BASEMAN RYAN MCMAHON FROM THE ROCKIES FOR PAIR OF PROSPECTS
DENVER (AP) — Third baseman Ryan McMahon was acquired by the Yankees from the Colorado Rockies on Friday for a pair of minor league pitchers in an effort by New York to stop its slide down the AL East standings.
New York sent Colorado a pair of 22-year-old pitchers in the low minors, right-hander Josh Grosz and left-hander Griffin Herring.
“A really good defender. Has had some ups and downs offensively this year,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “I know there’s real offensive potential in there.”
An All-Star a year ago, the 30-year-old McMahon was hitting .217 with 16 home runs and 35 RBIs for last-place Colorado. His 127 strikeouts entering Friday were second to the 137 of Detroit’s Riley Greene, but McMahon was hitting .300 with three homers and seven RBIs in six games following the All-Star break.
He is owed about $36.2 million from the remainder of a $70 million, six-year contract through 2027.
McMahon moved from a Rockies team that is a major league worst 26-76 to the Yankees, who had a seven-game AL East lead and 35-20 record through May 28 but began Friday 19-26 since then. They started the weekend 4 1/2 games behind Toronto.
“I was acquired at the deadline, so it’s something that I’m very sensitive to and try to be really understanding to,” Boone said. “Everyone’s different and you’re leaving a place maybe where you’ve been your entire career. So hopefully the environment is a great thing for him.”
New York moved All-Star infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. back to second base from third in early July and released two-time batting champion DJ LeMahieu, who was batting .266 with two homers, 12 RBIs and a .674 OPS.
Oswald Peraza, who got most of the starts at third, was 3 for 30 with no RBIs since taking over as the primary third baseman on Aug. 6.
McMahon had spent all nine of his seasons in the majors with the Rockies. He is a career .240 hitter with 140 home runs and 452 RBIs.
“He’s been a big part of what we’ve done for a while, so it’s sad to see him go,” Rockies interim manager Warren Schaeffer said. “He’s going to have a really good opportunity to get to the postseason, and I’m happy for him for that.”
McMahon is due $4,193,548 for the remaining portion of his $12 million salary this year and $16 million in each of the next two seasons. He projects to add $4.6 million to the Yankees’ luxury tax bill on a tax payroll that started the season third in the major leagues at just under $311 million.
Herring was 7-3 with a 1.71 ERA, 102 strikeouts and 36 walks over 89 1/3 innings innings for Hudson Valley and Tampa.
Grosz was 4-8 with a 4.14 ERA and 94 strikeouts and 35 walks in 87 innings at Hudson Valley.
MLB TRADE DEADLINE: EUGENIO SUÁREZ, MITCH KELLER, SETH LUGO AMONG PRIZED PLAYERS WHO COULD MOVE
PHOENIX (AP) — The Arizona Diamondbacks got the trade deadline party started on Thursday night when they dealt 2024 All-Star Josh Naylor to the Seattle Mariners for two pitching prospects.
That probably won’t be the last time the D-backs make news before the July 31 deadline.
Arizona has had a disappointing season with a 50-53 record and now appears to be one of the most active sellers on the MLB market, dangling third baseman Eugenio Suárez and starting pitchers Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly.
The potential buyers include teams like the New York Yankees, New York Mets, Detroit Tigers, Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers, who are all trying to beef up their rosters in hopes of a deep playoff run.
The market is heating up quickly: The Yankees acquired third baseman Ryan McMahon from the Rockies on Friday while the Mets added left-handed reliever Gregory Soto from the Orioles.
The D-backs have been one of the most intriguing teams in baseball over the past few weeks because management has had to make a tough decision whether to buy or sell. Arizona had a 50-50 record after sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals following the All-Star break but were then swept by the Houston Astros.
Those three losses appeared to seal their fate as sellers — though Arizona general manager Mike Hazen said he’s still open to changing course.
“I want to see this team to continue to go out there and play,” Hazen said. “I haven’t decided what it’s going to look like, honestly. I’m open-minded to a number of different things. … Quite frankly, we’re listening to what people have to say and what people have to offer and we’re going to do what’s best for the long term for this organization.”
Naylor’s already gone and he’ll help a Seattle lineup that could use a little more punch. Suárez is having one of the best seasons of his career, slugging 36 homers over 101 games, and is arguably the best bat on the market.
Here’s a look at some of the top players who could be available as teams try to upgrade for the stretch run:
Eugenio Suárez, 3B, Arizona Diamondbacks
Suarez is just an average defensive third baseman these days, but that’s not why teams want to acquire him. He’s got the kind of bat that can carry a team for weeks at a time, major pop from the right side of the plate. He has 312 career homers, is well-liked in the locker room and has been productive in limited postseason at-bats with a .300 average.
Mitch Keller, SP, Pittsburgh Pirates
The 29-year-old Keller has been overshadowed in the Pirates’ rotation thanks to the emergence of young star Paul Skenes, but the right-hander has been a reliable starter for the past four seasons and was an All-Star in 2023. The one catch is it’ll take a sizable haul for the Pirates to make a deal: He’s under contract through 2028 as part of a relatively reasonable $77 million, five-year deal.
Seth Lugo, SP, Kansas City Royals
Lugo has thrived in Kanas City over the past three seasons, moving to the starting rotation from the bullpen and providing consistent results. The 2024 All-Star has a 7-5 record with a 2.95 ERA over 19 starts this year.
Zac Gallen, SP, Arizona Diamondbacks
Gallen is having the worst full season of his career with a 7-11 record and 5.58 ERA but could still be an attractive add for a team that needs a starter. The 29-year-old right-hander has been one of the top pitchers in the National League over the past five years, finishing in the top 10 of the Cy Young voting in 2020, 2022 and 2023. His stuff is still good and he’s had a handful of dominant starts this season.
Merrill Kelly, SP, Arizona Diamondbacks
The 36-year-old righty has quietly been one of the most consistent pitchers in baseball with a 9-5 record and 3.32 ERA. He was also excellent during the D-backs’ postseason run in 2023 with a 3-1 record, 2.25 ERA and 28 strikeouts over 24 innings. Kelly doesn’t have an overpowering fastball but has a five-pitch mix that has consistently delivered results.
Sandy Alcantara, SP, Miami Marlins
The 29-year-old Alcantara isn’t the same pitcher he was when he won the 2022 NL Cy Young Award, but the right-hander still has quite a bit of upside. He gave up just one unearned run over seven innings in a win against the Padres on Wednesday, which might help his value. His rotation partner Edward Cabrera — another right-hander — could also garner attention with a 3.48 ERA over 17 starts.
Ryan O’Hearn, 1B/DH, Baltimore Orioles
The 31-year-old is having a career year with a .281 average, .375 on-base percentage and 14 homers, helping him earn All-Star honors for the first time in his career. His left-handed bat would be useful in a contender’s lineup.
BRAVES REINSTATE 3B AUSTIN RILEY FROM INJURED LIST
The Atlanta Braves reinstated third baseman Austin Riley from the 10-day injured list on Friday.
The two-time All-Star landed on the IL on July 12 with a right abdominal strain.
Riley, 28, is batting .274 with 14 home runs and 48 RBIs in 93 games this season. He leads the team in hits (104) and is second in runs (51).
Riley is a career .272 hitter with 167 homers and 477 RBIs in 812 games since making his debut with the Braves in 2019. The 2015 first-round draft pick was an All-Star in 2022 and 2023.
The Braves optioned infielder Nacho Alvarez Jr. to Triple-A Gwinnett in a corresponding move.
Alvarez, 22, batted .200 (6-for-30) in eight games with one double and two runs.
RECORD CROWD EXPECTED AT BRISTOL FOR THE MLB SPEEDWAY CLASSIC BETWEEN THE BRAVES AND REDS
Workers still have some finishing touches to put on the field inside the racetrack at Bristol Motor Speedway, and officials are expecting a record crowd in a week to watch the Cincinnati Reds play the Atlanta Braves in the MLB Speedway Classic on Aug. 2.
“We can’t wait for next Saturday night … when that first pitch is thrown out and the stands are full,” Jerry Caldwell, Bristol’s president and general manager, said Friday. “We’ll be setting records, we’ll be having attendance records. We’ll announcing all those details later on, but we’ll be there, I know we will.”
The largest crowd ever to see a baseball game was 115,300 for a March 2008 exhibition between the Red Sox and Dodgers at Los Angeles Coliseum. Bristol packed in 156,990 for the Battle of Bristol college football game in 2016.
Officials showed off the work Friday with a baseball field now sitting on top of the infield inside the half-mile bullring where cars and a building once sat for NASCAR races.
Murray Cook, an MLB field and stadium consultant with BrightView, said he’s excited to be at this point in the process of building a ballpark. Final touches still remain for the clay along with all the padding and branding, which should be in place by Wednesday at the latest.
Crews also held a light check Thursday night to make sure the Musco lights meet MLB standards.
“We’ve had a blast building this,” Cook said.
Even though the Braves play the Reds in Cincinnati on Aug. 1, the day before the Bristol game, fans are being encouraged to settle in for the big party planned both outside and then inside the racetrack for game day.
Caldwell said fans should show up by noon on game day to enjoy the attractions outside the track, including music, a 110-foot Ferris wheel, a food truck row, pitching tunnels and batting cages and team mascots. Once fans head inside, Tim McGraw and Pitbull are scheduled to perform.
Demolition started in early June with heavy construction now in high gear to transform Bristol Motor Speedway into a ballpark for the first MLB game in Tennessee.
This game features grandstand seating for fans along both baselines. Both teams will be wearing NASCAR-inspired uniforms with details like flames on the brim of the Braves’ caps and a finish-line checkerboard for the Reds’ caps.
The MLB Speedway Classic also will be included in the “MLB The Show 25” video game after an update scheduled for Tuesday.
Caldwell said the project has been long in the works.
“We’re … thrilled to be able to welcome everyone to Bristol and partner with Major League Baseball, the state of Tennessee and so many others to be able to pull this off,” he said.
MLB ROUNDUP: A’S ROOKIE NICK KURTZ BELTS RECORD-TYING 4 HOMERS
Rookie Nick Kurtz tied major league records with four home runs and 19 total bases to pace the visiting Athletics to a 15-3 victory over the Houston Astros on Friday.
Kurtz, who was 6-for-6 in the game after going 3-for-5 with two doubles in the Athletics’ series-opening win on Thursday, extended his lead among all rookies in homers by clubbing his 20th, 21st, 22nd and 23rd dingers en route to producing eight RBIs and six runs.
Kurtz also leads all rookies in RBIs (59) and extra-base hits (43), and recorded the 20th four-homer game in history, the first by a rookie. His last long ball, in the ninth, came with outfielder Cooper Hummel on the mound for Houston.
Shea Langeliers and Tyler Soderstrom also went deep for the A’s. Jeffrey Springs (9-7) allowed two runs on four hits over six innings. Astros rookie Ryan Gusto (6-4) was tagged for eight runs on eight hits in 3 1/3 innings.
Phillies 12, Yankees 5
Kyle Schwarber homered twice and J.T. Realmuto hit a tiebreaking three-run blast in the seventh inning as visiting Philadelphia pulled away to win in New York.
Schwarber hit his 35th and 36 home runs, belting a tying two-run shot off New York starter Will Warren in the fifth and a two-run drive off Ian Hamilton in the eighth for an 8-5 lead. His first hit was the 1,000th of his career. He has six home runs in seven games since the All-Star break.
Cody Bellinger and Austin Wells hit solo homers off Philadelphia starter Taijuan Walker in the first two innings. Walker allowed three runs on six hits in 5 2/3 innings.
Dodgers 5, Red Sox 2
Teoscar Hernandez hit a two-run home run to help Los Angeles beat host Boston in the opener of a three-game series.
After Freddie Freeman singled to open the eighth inning, Hernandez homered against Boston reliever Jorge Alcala to extend the Dodgers’ lead to 5-2. Hernandez drove in three of Los Angeles’ five runs.
Emmet Sheehan (2-1) pitched the first five innings for Los Angeles, surrendering two runs on three hits. The Dodgers’ bullpen provided four scoreless innings, including a scoreless ninth from Ben Casparius for his first save.
Marlins 5, Brewers 1
Otto Lopez had three hits and two RBIs to help visiting Miami defeat Milwaukee. Kyle Stowers homered and scored twice for the Marlins, who have won five of seven coming out of the All-Star break.
Marlins starter Cal Quantrill allowed one run and three hits in five innings. Josh Simpson (2-0) pitched a scoreless sixth.
Brewers starter Freddy Peralta allowed one run and five hits in five-plus innings. He struck out nine and walked two. Reliever Aaron Ashby (1-1) allowed the first of four Miami runs in the seventh. Jackson Chourio extended his hitting streak to 18 games by homering for the Brewers, who had won 12 of 13.
Diamondbacks 1, Pirates 0 (11 innings)
Eugenio Suarez hit a sacrifice fly in the 11th inning and three Arizona pitchers combined on a one-hitter to lead the Diamondbacks past host Pittsburgh.
Diamondbacks starter Ryne Nelson threw six innings, permitting just Tommy Pham’s triple in the second inning. Anthony DeSclafani (1-1) followed with four sharp innings, and Kevin Ginkel pitched a perfect bottom of the 11th for his third save.
Pittsburgh reliever Braxton Ashcraft (2-1) pitched a 1-2-3 10th inning but ran into trouble in the 11th. With runners on first and third and one out, automatic runner Corbin Carroll came home on Suarez’s sac fly to right.
Rangers 8, Braves 3
Jonah Heim homered and Sam Haggerty had an RBI double and scored a run to back a solid start by Nathan Eovaldi as Texas stayed hot with a win over sputtering Atlanta in Arlington, Texas.
The Rangers won their fourth straight game and ninth in their past 11 outings while the Braves dropped their third consecutive contest. Eovaldi (8-2), returning after missing his last scheduled start because of a stiff back, gave up three hits in five scoreless innings.
Atlanta’s Joey Wentz (2-2), making his second start since 2023, allowed four runs (three earned) on four hits over 4 1/3 innings.
Cardinals 3, Padres 0
Miles Mikolas and four St. Louis relievers combined to shut out visiting San Diego, giving the Cardinals wins in each of the first two games of a four-game series.
Mikolas (6-7) scattered seven hits over five-plus innings. Steven Matz, Phil Maton, JoJo Romero and Ryan Helsley followed with one inning apiece. Helsley pitched around a single in the ninth to earn his 21st save.
Padres starter Nick Pivetta (10-3) allowed three runs (two earned) on three hits in 6 1/3 innings as San Diego lost its fourth straight game.
White Sox 12, Cubs 5
Chase Meidroth, Colson Montgomery, Austin Slater and Mike Tauchman homered and Adrian Houser pitched effectively into the seventh inning as the host White Sox routed the Cubs to open a three-game series between the Chicago neighbors.
Winners of six of seven since the All-Star break, the White Sox collected 18 hits, including seven for extra bases. Each starter had at least one hit while all but one had an RBI in the opener of a three-game series.
Cubs starter Shota Imanaga (7-4) matched the shortest outing of his major league career, surrendering seven runs and 12 hits in three-plus innings. Houser (6-2) allowed three runs on five hits in 6 2/3 innings.
Twins 1, Nationals 0
Zebby Matthews pitched six scoreless innings, Byron Buxton drove in the game’s lone run, and Minnesota held on to edge Washington in Minneapolis.
Royce Lewis ripped a double for the only extra-base hit for the Twins, who won the series opener despite tallying only three hits. Buxton hit a fifth-inning sacrifice fly to produce the only run. Daylen Lile went 2-for-3 with a double and a stolen base to lead Washington.
Matthews (2-2) limited the Nationals to two hits, walked none and struck out seven. Nationals left-hander MacKenzie Gore (4-10) gave up one run on one hit in five innings, but he struggled with command as he issued six walks and struck out four.
Rockies 6, Orioles 5
Ezequiel Tovar hit a tiebreaking eighth-inning home run as Colorado rallied from an early four-run deficit to defeat host Baltimore.
Mickey Moniak and Thairo Estrada also homered, while Hunter Goodman and Jordan Beck each had two hits for the Rockies, who have a rare three-game winning streak.
Jordan Westburg, Tyler O’Neill, Coby Mayo and Alex Jackson all hit solo home runs for the Orioles, who dropped to 2-6 since the All-Star break. Baltimore reliever Andrew Kittredge (1-2) took the loss while Colorado’s Jake Bird (4-1) got the win after surrendering the tying run in the seventh.
Blue Jays 6, Tigers 2
Bo Bichette had a two-run double during a four-run fifth as Toronto downed slumping Detroit.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. supplied two doubles, two runs and an RBI for the Blue Jays, who have won seven of eight games since the All-Star break. Blue Jays starter Jose Berrios (7-4) gave up two runs and five hits in six innings.
Spencer Torkelson homered for the second time in as many days for the Tigers, who have lost five straight and 11 of their last 12. Detroit starter Keider Montero (4-3) was charged with six runs (five earned) and nine hits in four-plus innings.
Mets 8, Giants 1
Brandon Nimmo and Juan Soto drove in two runs apiece, Francisco Lindor homered among three hits and scored three times, and New York opened a three-game series at San Francisco with a win.
Clay Holmes (9-5) gave up one run on six hits in five innings as the Mets won their fifth game in a row. Huascar Brazoban, Rico Garcia and Jose Castillo combined for four scoreless innings of relief.
Heliot Ramos and Jung Hoo Lee had a pair of hits each for the Giants, who have lost seven of nine. Logan Webb (9-8) yielded six runs on eight hits in four innings.
Angels 3, Mariners 2 (10 innings)
Zach Neto singled to drive in LaMonte Wade Jr. from second base with two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning, giving Los Angeles a walk-off victory over Seattle in Anaheim, Calif.
Neto produced the first walk-off hit of his career on his bobblehead giveaway night. He bounced a grounder on 1-0 sweeper by Mariners reliever Casey Legumina (4-5) just past the outstretched glove of diving Seattle second baseman Cole Young into shallow right field to drive in the game-winner.
Julio Rodriguez hit two home runs for Seattle. He became the third player in Mariners’ history to have five or more multi-homer games before turning 25, joining Ken Griffey Jr. (14) and Alex Rodriguez (14).
Reds 7, Rays 2
Tyler Stephenson went 2-for-5 with three RBIs and Cincinnati collected 14 hits en route to a win over visiting Tampa Bay.
Nick Martinez (9-9) permitted two runs on four over five innings for the Reds, who have won two in a row after a three-game losing streak. Elly De La Cruz went 4-for-5, and Austin Hays finished 3-for-5.
Zack Littell (8-8) gave up five runs on 10 hits in six innings as the Rays lost for the fourth time in five games.
ICHIRO SUZUKI LEADS INTRIGUING HALL OF FAME CLASS INTO COOPERSTOWN
Every Baseball Hall of Fame class is comprised of inductees whose path to baseball immortality was fascinating and challenging.
But the 2025 quintet of Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia, Billy Wagner, Dick Allen and Dave Parker may be among the most unique classes in the 89-year history of the Hall of Fame.
The five men will join the most exclusive club in sports Sunday afternoon when they are officially inducted into the Hall of Fame during ceremonies at the Clark Sports Center in bucolic Cooperstown, N.Y.
Suzuki and Sabathia were each elected in their first year of eligibility in voting conducted last December by the Baseball Writers Association of America, while Wagner made it on his 10th and final year on the ballot.
While the presence of Suzuki, the first Japan-born inductee, will lend an international flavor to the festivities, the posthumous enshrinement of Classic Baseball Era candidates Allen and Parker will add layers of poignancy to a day that’s already an emotional one for those on the stage and in the crowd.
Allen, who hit .292 with 351 homers and won the 1972 American League Most Valuable Player award with the Chicago White Sox, received 13 of 16 votes cast by the Classic Baseball Era committee on Dec. 8, 2024 — four years and one day after he died aged 78. Allen’s plaque will picture him wearing a Philadelphia Phillies hat.
Parker, who hit .290 with 339 homers and won two batting titles as well as the 1978 NL MVP with the Pittsburgh Pirates, garnered 14 votes on the same ballot. He died of Parkinson’s disease at 74 years old on June 28.
Parker, whose plaque will picture him wearing a Pirates hat, is the third Hall of Famer to die after being elected but before his induction.
“Spent a lot of time with ‘Sarge’ (former outfielder Gary Matthews) over the All-Star Break and he was talking about Dick Allen,” Sabathia said. “Dave Parker was one of my favorite players.
“Humbled and really sad that he’s not going to be there.”
Suzuki came within one vote of unanimous election after collecting 3,089 hits, 509 stolen bases, 10 Gold Gloves and two batting titles despite not debuting with the Seattle Mariners until he was 27 years old in 2001, when Suzuki won both the American League Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player awards. He also played for the New York Yankees and Miami Marlins but will enter the Hall in a Mariners hat.
Suzuki, who works out with the Mariners prior to home games and has a locker at T-Mobile Park, regularly visited the Hall of Fame as a player and plans to donate his personal collection of baseball artifacts to the museum.
“What an honor it is for me to be here as a Hall of Famer,” Suzuki said during his press conference in Cooperstown in January. “This is just a very special, special moment.”
Sabathia, who finished second behind Suzuki in the 2001 Rookie of the Year voting before winning the Cy Young Award in 2007, received 86.8 percent of the vote. He went 251-161 with 3,093 strikeouts over 3577 1/3 innings and 560 starts with Cleveland, Milwaukee and the Yankees. He will wear a Yankees hat on his plaque.
Only one active pitcher, Justin Verlander, has at least 250 wins, 3,000 strikeouts and 3,500 innings. But Sabathia said he still wasn’t sure about his first-ballot status even as his numbers grew more impressive with the continued diminishment of the starting pitcher during his five-year waiting period.
“Anybody that’s up for the Hall of Fame that tells you that they don’t check the Tracker is lying,” Sabathia said, referring to the real-time accounting of public ballots overseen by Ryan Thibodaux. “I was checking it, you know, every three minutes when it came down to the last week. You just don’t know.
“We knew (Suzuki) was going to be in and should have been unanimous. I was excited to be able to get in first ballot.”
Wagner recorded 422 saves with a 2.31 ERA and averaged 11.9 strikeouts per nine innings before becoming the eighth Hall of Famer to be elected in his final year of eligibility. He received 82.5 percent of the vote.
The hard-throwing left-hander will go in wearing the hat of the Houston Astros, with whom he spent the first nine seasons of his career before pitching for the Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets, Boston Red Sox and Atlanta Braves.
“When you look back at who’s in there — I mean, when I walked through the Hall (the) first time, it was mind-boggling to just sit there and think (of) my name, being there with the greats of the great,” said Wagner, who is also the eighth pure closer in the Hall.
