Trade rumors: Phillies, Mariners, Skubal, high demand for catchers

The countdown is officially on! There are 10 days to go until the Trade Deadline arrives.

Here's a rundown of some of the latest trade rumors, including the Phillies' desire to upgrade their starting rotation in a big way, the Mariners' willingness to trade a pitcher who is having a breakout season, the growing list of teams looking for a catcher and more.

Phillies looking for postseason-worthy starter

The Phils know that they need a No. 5 starter. Someone who can slot in behind Cristopher Sánchez, Zack Wheeler, Jesús Luzardo and Aaron Nola is on their Deadline to-do list.

But a No. 5 starter moves the needle only so much, and if the Phillies want to slay the Dodgers -- the team that knocked them out of the playoffs last year -- they might have to dream bigger. According to The Athletic's Matt Gelb (subscription required), the team has been "more willing to discuss higher-caliber arms" in recent days. Fortunately for Philadelphia, there are a bunch of starters who could be worthwhile fits. That includes the Blue Jays' Kevin Gausman, the Nationals' Foster Griffin and the Giants' Robbie Ray -- all of whom are slated to reach free agency after this season.

The Angels' Reid Detmers and José Soriano, the Twins' Joe Ryan and the Marlins' Sandy Alcantara are other names to watch, but all of those pitchers are under club control beyond 2026 and would ostensibly carry a higher asking price than the arms in the aforementioned group. There is also, of course, Tarik Skubal, who is a very different kind of rental. The Phils' farm system isn't loaded with top prospects -- they have three in MLB Pipeline's Top 100 and only one in the top 50 -- so they may not be able to outbid other pitching-needy clubs for the two-time Cy Young Award winner or those more controllable starters.

Regardless, landing a hurler who can start a game in October and/or step up in case an injury befalls one of the team's top four starters would boost the Phillies' chances of finally getting to baseball's mountaintop for the first time since 2008.

• Each team's strategy heading into the Trade Deadline

Mariners open to dealing RHP Hancock

Maybe the Phillies will go after Emerson Hancock. The Mariners' 27-year-old right-hander has enjoyed a breakout season to this point, logging a 3.16 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP over 105 1/3 innings (19 starts). His mid-90s four-seam fastball has been one of the most valuable heaters in the big leagues, according to Baseball Savant's pitching run value metric.

He won't reach arbitration until 2028 and is under club control through 2030. However, with the Mariners desperate for offense, they are telling other teams that they are "open to moving" Hancock, per The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon. The Cubs could be a natural fit for Hancock as they look to bolster their rotation.

Seattle has plenty of starting pitching. You know about Logan Gilbert, Bryan Woo, Bryce Miller and Luis Castillo. But they also have two of the game's top three pitching prospects in left-hander Kade Anderson and right-hander Ryan Sloan.

Castillo is another trade candidate. The 10-year veteran is owed about $30 million from now until his contract expires after next season. But considering that he is in the midst of arguably the worst season of his career, highlighted by a 4.85 ERA through 94 2/3 frames, buyers may balk at taking on the 33-year-old at that price. Hancock would net a bigger return for Seattle, which ranks 29th in MLB in runs scored (415) and tied for 27th in OPS (.687).

The list of available catchers -- and the number of teams that need one -- is growing

The AL Central-leading White Sox received bad news on Tuesday when catcher Kyle Teel was diagnosed with a high left ankle sprain that could keep him out of action for up to three months, although he believes he can beat that timetable.

But for now, you can add the White Sox to the list of teams looking for a catcher ahead of the Deadline. Rosenthal and Sammon reported that the White Sox are "working hard" to add a catcher. They will have competition from at least the Yankees and Rays, who have both been linked to Twins backstop Ryan Jeffers. The Dodgers could also be shopping in that aisle given that Will Smith is not particularly close to returning from his neck injury.

• These 20 players will likely be wearing new unis after Trade Deadline

The A's Shea Langeliers and the Rockies' Hunter Goodman would provide a bigger offensive impact and come with more club control than Jeffers, who is slated to reach free agency this winter. But it appears unlikely that either of those slugging catchers will change teams before the Deadline. However, another rental possibility is the Reds' Tyler Stephenson.

Cincinnati has the look of a seller as it is six games out of a playoff spot in the daunting National League, and Stephenson is a pending free agent. He is batting .244 with a .713 OPS through 77 games this year, but over his previous 27 games, he has a .341 average and a .928 OPS. Plus, when it comes to blocking behind the plate, there's been no one better this season.

All eyes on Skubal

Is tonight the last time we will see Skubal pitch in a Tigers uniform? Probably not. That's a question better posed next week, when the prized left-hander will get one more turn -- either on Wednesday against the Orioles or next Friday against the A's -- before the Aug. 3 Deadline.

Still, many club executives of contending teams will assuredly be watching when Skubal toes the rubber in Comerica Park against the Royals at 6:40 p.m. ET. The Tigers enter today four games out of a playoff spot with just nine games to play before that important date. Many clubs (the Brewers, for one) would love to get their hands on Skubal, although Detroit's desire to trade him remains unclear.

And although his value was already high, the sensational southpaw may have raised it with how he's performed of late and how he has proven that his midseason elbow surgery didn't diminish his dynamic stuff. MORE >>

Could this Padres pitcher be the best reliever who gets traded?

No, we're not talking about Mason Miller, who seems likely to remain with the Padres, according to The Athletic's Dennis Lin (subscription required).

Other marquee relievers may be staying put, too. The Red Sox's recent 15-game winning streak has probably shifted their Deadline approach and squashed the chances of an Aroldis Chapman trade. The Astros' Josh Hader has a full no-trade clause. Luke Weaver may be the Mets' best trade asset, but MLB Network insider Jon Heyman reported in the New York Post (subscription required) that the Mets "seem somewhat reluctant" to part with Weaver given their belief that they will be contenders in 2027 and the fact that he is under contract through that year.

With all of those arms potentially off the board, Padres left-hander Adrian Morejon could be a popular name in trade discussions. The 27-year-old has a 3.33 ERA over 54 innings this year, but he has some of the best metrics of any pitcher in the sport. He gets a ton of ground balls and induces a lot of weak contact. And the free agent to-be isn't a one-year wonder; he ranks tied for third in FanGraphs WAR (4.0) and eighth in FIP (2.33) among qualified relievers since the beginning of 2025.

Like so many clubs, the Padres' Deadline direction remains nebulous. They have lost five of their first seven games out of the All-Star break and although they are just four games out of a Wild Card spot, they have five teams in front of them in the standings. Lin reports that team and league sources believe Padres general manager A.J. Preller "ultimately will be compelled to trade Morejon" for either immediate help at other positions or for prospects who can then be flipped for Major League players.

But other sources told Lin that they believe Preller will "exhaust other paths before seriously considering a deal" involving Morejon, who is set to reach free agency after the World Series.