Trading right-hander Mitch Keller is probably the best way for the Pittsburgh Pirates to acquire badly needed offense and clear payroll to sign free-agent hitters in the offseason.
But, according to sources inside and outside the organization, the Pirates do not yet have clarity on whether they want to move Keller.
The decision belongs to general manager Ben Cherington, perhaps with influence from owner Bob Nutting. And as The Athletic’s Stephen Nesbitt wrote this week, “If the sixth-year GM is on the hot seat, as many in the industry believe, (the deadline) could be his last chance to chart a course toward contention in 2026 that persuades Nutting to give him another year.”
The right offer for Keller would tempt the Pirates, but some with the team believe the best way to win with ace right-hander Paul Skenes is to keep some of their core pieces, from Keller to closer David Bednar to setup man Dennis Santana to right fielder Bryan Reynolds to center fielder Oneil Cruz.
Such a strategy would make sense if the Pirates intended to spend additionally on offense. Their history under Nutting suggests they will do nothing of the sort. Moving Keller would clear his salaries of $16.5 million, $18 million and $20 million over the next three seasons.
Those are not outrageous sums for a pitcher of Keller’s quality. Keller, 29, has an actual ERA of 3.53 this season and an expected ERA of 3.82. His strikeout rate is in the bottom 25 percent of the league. But Fox analyst Adam Wainwright, a former major-league pitcher, raved about Keller on the network’s national broadcast last Saturday, saying that he is fully capable of developing into a top-of-the-rotation starter, if he isn’t one already.
If the Pirates could land multiple hitters for Keller — starting with someone like the Chicago Cubs’ top prospect, outfielder Owen Caissie — they still would have a wealth of young pitching talent to reinforce their rotation.
None of the Pirates on expiring contracts — outfielder Tommy Pham, infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa, left-hander Andrew Heaney, left-handed reliever Caleb Ferguson — will bring back impact offense. Bednar, under club control for an additional season, carries greater value, but perhaps not enough to land a difference-maker.
Keller is the principal bait. Yet, the Pirates seem torn.
The Los Angeles Dodgers do not want to overpay for reliever volatility when they’re already living through reliever volatility. So, it seems doubtful they will pay sticker price for a late-inning type such as the Cleveland Guardians’ Emmanuel Clase or the Minnesota Twins’ Jhoan Duran, assuming those pitchers are even traded.
Under president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, the Dodgers have succeeded in acquiring relievers such as Adam Kolarek, Chris Martin and Ryan Brasier during the season, then getting the most out of them. They also were burned in some of those deals — Yordan Alvarez for Josh Fields, Oneil Cruz for Tony Watson and, arguably, Zack McKinstry for Martin.
If the Dodgers move right-handed starter Dustin May, it likely would be for an outfielder and not a reliever, according to a source briefed on the club’s plans. The team’s preference is to trade from its farm system as opposed to its major-league roster. Moving May for a reliever would seem pointless when the Dodgers could use him to fill that role himself.
May, a potential free agent, might not like getting shifted to the bullpen. But with a 4.73 ERA and 18.2 percent strikeout rate, he would not have much of a case to stay in the rotation, particularly with left-hander Blake Snell expected to return next week and righty Roki Sasaki by the end of August.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, asked Friday night if May and right-hander Emmett Sheehan were pitching for their starting jobs, did not dismiss the question.
“I think that’s fair and that’s honest, so we’ll see,” Roberts told Dodgers reporters, including The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya. “It’s up to them to go out there and pitch well and force our hands as far as decisions. Ultimately, players make the decisions for themselves, right? And that’s performance.”
Eugenio Suárez has produced minus-6 outs above average. (Winslow Townson / Getty Images)
The Arizona Diamondbacks’ Eugenio Suárez rates as one of the worst defensive third basemen in the majors, according to DRS (defensive runs saved) and OAA (outs above average). From that perspective, the New York Yankees probably were wise to opt for the Colorado Rockies’ Ryan McMahon, whose defensive metrics are quite strong.
One National League hitting coach, however, disputed talk that Suárez is likely to regress from his 36 homers and .918 OPS entering Friday night’s play. The coach, granted anonymity because he did not want to publicly comment on another team’s player, said Suárez is a different hitter than he was prior to the All-Star break in 2024, when his OPS was only .668.
The coach’s comments were in line with a thread posted Friday by MLB.com’s Mike Petriello, who noted that Suárez has been a top-six hitter in the sport since the 2024 break. Petriello, using Statcast data, wrote that Suárez has moved “way up in the box, about nine inches from start of 2024 to end. He opened up his stance a ton, too.”
The coach noted the same changes, saying Suárez in his previous stance was “blocked off” and “twisted.” He conceded the risk-reward with Suárez’s 26.4 percent strikeout rate, which entering Friday was the 29th-highest in the sport (McMahon was the fourth-highest at 31.7 percent). Suárez also isn’t great against velocity, with a .219 average and four homers in 73 at-bats against pitches 95 mph or above. But the coach’s overall assessment was the same as Petriello’s: Suárez is a changed hitter, far better than he was before.
The Seattle Mariners have made infielder/outfielder Dylan Moore available, according to sources briefed on the team’s discussions. Rival clubs, though, probably aren’t as excited by that news as they might have been a year ago.
Moore, the American League Utility Gold Glove Award winner last season, offers the kind of defensive versatility teams covet. There’s just one problem: Moore, who turns 33 on Aug. 2, is in a 2-for-54 slump since May 27, with 29 strikeouts and four walks.
The Mariners, after adding first baseman Josh Naylor on Thursday, remain in the mix for Suárez, and according to a club source, have “lots of moving parts.” Moore, earning $3.825 million in the final year of his contract, might become even more expendable if the team adds Suárez.
Chicago White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr. was not in the lineup for the second time in three games on Friday night due to a tight groin, but the expectation that he will be traded (Philadelphia? San Diego?) is rising.
Boston Red Sox infielder Romy Gonzalez, who played for the White Sox from 2021 to 2023, believes a change will do his former teammate good.
“I feel like when he gets traded, he’s going to just take off,” Gonzalez said.
Perhaps the more intriguing development with the White Sox is that teams are “all over” them about rookie right-hander Grant Taylor, according to a club source.
Taylor, the team’s second-round pick out of LSU in 2023, has struck out 23 and walked six in 18 1/3 innings. His fastball averages 99 mph, putting him in the top 2 percent of the league.
The White Sox, the source said, are uncomfortable even talking about Taylor. He has stabilized their bullpen, allowing other relievers to settle into suitable roles. And he could be a starter in the future.
The Tampa Bay Rays, 3-4 since the All-Star break and 6-15 since June 28, appear to be trending toward becoming sellers. After their series in Cincinnati this weekend, the Rays visit the New York Yankees for their final four games leading to the deadline.
Two of the Rays’ more intriguing players, second baseman Brandon Lowe (left foot) and shortstop Ha-Seong Kim (lower back strain), are on the injured list. Lowe, though, could miss minimal time, making a trade possible. As previously reported, the Rays would be reluctant to move first baseman Yandy Díaz, who signed two club-friendly extensions.
The list of attractive Rays pitchers would start with closer Pete Fairbanks, who is earning $3.67 million this season and can be retained for 2026 on a $7 million club option. Righty starter Zack Littell, whose ERA rose to 3.72 after he allowed five runs in six innings Friday night, has been available for some time now.
As creative as the Rays are, little would be out of the question.
Left-hander Nestor Cortes Jr. pitched only twice for the Milwaukee Brewers before going on the injured list with a left elbow flexor strain.
Whether he pitches for the Brewers again is an open question.
Cortes, 30, made what was expected to be his final rehabilitation start on Thursday. The Brewers could go to a six-man rotation to accommodate his return. But, as first mentioned by Joel Sherman of the New York Post, a trade might be a more likely outcome.
Going to a six-man rotation would force the Brewers to drop a reliever, and their bullpen already is taxed. Abner Uribe entered Friday one short of the major-league lead with 49 appearances. Jared Koenig was next at 48. Grant Anderson and Nick Mears on Friday night increased to 45. Closer Trevor Megill is at 38.
Cortes is still owed nearly $2 million. The Brewers have a surplus of starters that extends to Triple A. Something seemingly has to give.
(Top photo of Mitch Keller: Joe Sargent / Getty Images)