MLB Rumour Roundup: Mariners still pursuing upgrades after landing Josh Naylor

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MLB Rumour Roundup: Mariners still pursuing upgrades after landing Josh Naylor

Trade season officially arrived Thursday night, as the Seattle Mariners got the ball rolling by adding Canadian first baseman Josh Naylor in a deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

With Naylor set to hit free agency this off-season and Arizona fading in the National League playoff race, Seattle appeared to be a logical landing spot for the eldest Naylor brother as the July 31 deadline approached.

The Mariners rank 11th in the American League in first base fWAR, 13th in OPS at the position and had already cut ties with an underperforming Rowdy Tellez in late June.

Naylor, sporting an .807 OPS with 11 homers from the left side, should slide seamlessly into the heart of Seattle’s order and offer legitimate protection for the likes of Cal Raleigh and Randy Arozarena.

Even after adding one big bat from the Diamondbacks, the Mariners are prepared to go right back to the well in hopes of landing star third baseman Eugenio Suárez.

Following the news that Naylor was headed to the Pacific Northwest, MLB.com’s Daniel Kramer reported that Suárez remains “Seattle’s top priority” and that the club is “aggressively” pursuing a reunion with the two-time all-star.

With 36 home runs to his name already this season, Suárez may be the crown jewel of this deadline if the Diamondbacks decide to move him. But with July 31 officially less than a week away, the hot stove is working overtime with a number of other names who could boost a contender’s roster for the stretch run.

So, here are some of the latest rumours across baseball as we head into the weekend.

Pirates receiving ‘many calls’ on Oneil Cruz

Ever since entering MLB in 2021, Oneil Cruz has been one of the sport’s most tantalizing talents.

With the ability to launch 122 m.p.h. homers into the Allegheny River at any time with the Pittsburgh Pirates, it’s been a bit of a waiting game for the 26-year-old to put it all together as a big-leaguer.

This season, Cruz has hit 16 long balls and stolen 33 bases while adjusting to life as a full-time centre-fielder, but is batting just .219 with a .739 OPS and 31.9 per cent strikeout rate.

It’s the standout tools, however, that likely have teams inquiring about Cruz’s services ahead of this year’s deadline.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette‘s Noah Hiles wrote Wednesday that “the Pirates have received many calls on Cruz.”

“It’s worth noting the Pirates are not actively shopping Cruz but are listening to what other teams are willing to offer,” he added, later reporting on X that the New York Yankees are one of the teams to put in a call on the six-foot-seven outfielder.

It’s safe to say that if Pittsburgh were to part with Cruz, who still has three years of remaining club control after 2025, the price would surely be a hefty one for any potential suitors to pay.

Twins asking for two top-100 prospects for Duran, Jax

Speaking of hefty prices to pay, the Minnesota Twins won’t be parting with back-end relievers Jhoan Duran or Griffin Jax easily.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan wrote Wednesday that the Twins are asking for “at least two top-100-calibre prospects” in exchange for just one of the controllable bullpen arms.

Since both Duran and Jax are under team control through 2027, Minnesota won’t be in any rush to move either of them or starter Joe Ryan, who has also drawn a ton of interest at this deadline.

Passan added that the sticker price on the two relievers could drop between now and the deadline, but said, “Minnesota is historically a team that sets a high bar on returns and doesn’t deviate.”

For any contender seeking bullpen help — so realistically, every contender — Duran and Jax would be a significant addition.

Duran has operated as the Twins’ closer for most of the past four seasons and has continued to blow hitters away in 2025. The 27-year-old owns a 1.94 ERA and 51 strikeouts over 46.1 innings this season while allowing just one home run. His fastball averages 100.4 m.p.h. and, as he displayed in a scoreless showing during the 2023 post-season, his stuff plays in October.

Jax, meanwhile, has perhaps hit some bad luck in ’25. Also a hard-throwing right-hander, he currently has a 4.09 ERA, but his K-BB percentage (29.9 per cent) ranks fifth among all qualified relievers in baseball, suggesting that there are better results on the horizon for the 30-year-old.

Dodgers could make Dustin May available

After big off-season addition Tanner Scott hit the injured list with elbow inflammation earlier this week, the Los Angeles Dodgers now have 12 pitchers on the MLB IL.

With their starting rotation set to receive a boost in the looming return of Blake Snell, it’s no secret the Dodgers are going to be pursuing help for their bullpen ahead of the deadline. Los Angeles’ relievers rank 24th in MLB with a 4.43 ERA, which has led to the Dodgers being frequently connected to the top of the bullpen market.

One way L.A. may choose to pursue that relief help could be by trading pending free agent Dustin May, The Athletic‘s Ken Rosenthal reported Thursday.

Rosenthal said Snell’s return could bump May from the rotation, making the 27-year-old a prime target for a team needing starting depth. He also noted that May “would have only so much value as a rental” and that the Dodgers might not want to move a healthy pitcher, given their injury struggles at the moment.

May does have a 4.73 ERA on the season, but has been one of Los Angeles’ most durable pitchers, having thrown 99 innings over 18 appearances — most recently working as a bulk reliever behind Shohei Ohtani.

Quick hits

• Houston general manager Dana Brown told reporters Thursday that the Astros are “prioritizing the bats” in light of their injury troubles ahead of the deadline.

• Athletics slugger Brent Rooker told the Foul Territory podcast Thursday that he will not be traded at the deadline. “I’m not going anywhere. We’re good. I’m staying,” he said.

• While the Padres are reportedly listening on starter Dylan Cease in order to bolster other parts of their roster, The Athletic‘s Dennis Lin wrote Wednesday that San Diego has also inquired about Miami Marlins right-hander Sandy Alcantara.

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