MLB rumors: Yankees plans for the trade deadline not set in stone

The New York Yankees are in a confusing situation. They are playing some horrendous baseball as of late, especially when they went 1-5 through their first two series after the All-Star break. Sure, they swept the Kansas City Royals, but that's the Kansas City Royals. Even with the Yankees' play and the fact they are sitting in last place in the AL East, they are still above .500 and in contention for a postseason berth.

Some Yankees fans want the team to buy at the trade deadline and go for it. Other fans want the team to sell to build towards the future, which they do need to do. So, what's the plan? Even the Yankees don't know.

New York Post columnist and MLB insider Jon Heyman wrote that while the Yankees want to buy at the deadline, they have decided against going for trades just yet. Specifically, Heyman writes that the Yankee's higher-ups met recently and "understandably decided to remain in trade limbo for a few more days to see where they stand before making any big buys" before the deadline.

Note: this was written before the Yankees lost 9-3 to the New York Mets on Tuesday night.

Not exactly an ideal thing to hear if you are a Yankees fan wondering what the team plans to do with just a few days remaining until the deadline.

Heyman does note that if the team doesn't fall too far back in the Wild Card standings, they would target an outfielder and a bullpen piece.

The Yankees desperately need a left fielder, as they have had nine different players man the position. Not having a consistent option at the corner outfield spot has hurt the Yankees, as they decided to punt on addressing the position this past offseason to the trade deadline.

As for options, Heyman lists Randal Grichuk of the Colorado Rockies, and Tyler O'Neill and Dylan Carlson of the St. Louis Cardinals as options to target for left field.

Heyman also notes that the Yankees don't consider themselves sellers.

With the trade deadline set for Aug. 1, the Yankees only have a few days to come up with a plan on what to do. The Yankees do have a brutal stretch coming, as their next two series' before the deadline are against the rival Baltimore Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays.

MLB rumors: What it would take for Cardinals to trade for Logan Gilbert

One of the confirmed selling teams at the Aug. 1 MLB trade deadline is the St. Louis Cardinals. Their promising second half of the 2022 season resulted in an early postseason exit at the hands of the Philadelphia Phillies. Even so, the Cardinals were expected to contend in 2023. Instead, they are 45-57 as of the morning of July 26 and are well out of a Wild Card berth. With that, team president John Mozeliak confirmed that the team plans to sell at the deadline and build toward the future.

But what about adding at the deadline?

The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal notes in a recent column (subscription required) that the Cardinals match up with the Seattle Mariners about a potential trade for a young pitcher. Rosenthal brings up starting pitcher as an example. But Rosenthal says that the Mariners would want "a massive haul," and that a player like outfielder Lars Nootbaar would be "only the starting point" for a trade package.

Seattle asking a lot for Gilbert isn't necessarily surprising. While he's a good pitcher, he is also under team control through the 2027 season. That is something that the Cardinals need, considering their struggling starting rotation (4.70 ERA, eighth-worst in MLB, per FanGraphs).

This season, Gilbert recorded a 3.88 ERA, a 1.04 WHIP, an 8-5 win-loss record, 116 strikeouts, and 21 walks in 118.1 innings in 20 starts.

As for Nootbaar, he has recorded a .261 batting average, .369 on-base percentage, a .391 slugging percentage, 7 home runs, 29 RBI, 48 runs scored, 68 hits, 68 strikeouts, and 46 walks in 261 at-bats.

It would certainly be quite the addition if it were to come to fruition.

MLB rumors: Cubs more likely to keep Cody Bellinger than Marcus Stroman

The Chicago Cubs are in an interesting position with the trade deadline just days away. While they have had two big-name players listed as potential trade targets this year starting pitcher Marcus Stroman and outfielder Cody Bellinger. Stroman would be among the best-starting pitchers if he were made available, as is Bellinger for those in need of an outfielder.

But the issue right now is that the Cubs aren't that far out of a postseason spot. Specifically, they are five games back of the final Wild Card spot, and just six games back of first in the NL Central.

So, what are the Cubs to do? Trade Bellinger and Stroman? Keep both of them for a postseason berth?

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic wrote in a recent column (subscription required) that one plan the Cubs could consider ahead of the trade deadline is keeping Bellinger and trading away Stroman. Rosenthal reasons that the Cubs can place the qualifying offer on Bellinger and get a draft pick (between No. 68-70) if he were to sign elsewhere. They don't have the luxury to do so with Stroman, as he already received a qualifying offer from the New York Mets in 2020.

Bellinger is probably the best outfielder that teams could add at the deadline. This year, Bellinger has recorded a .314 batting average, a .363 on-base percentage, a .540 slugging percentage, 14 home runs, 45 RBI, 53 runs scored, 82 hits, 50 strikeouts, and 22 walks in 261 at-bats in 69 games played.

As for Stroman, he is having a great year with the Cubs, as he is set to become a free agent. Through 21 starts, Stroman recorded a 3.09 ERA, a 1.144 WHIP, a 10-7 record, a complete game shutout, 105 strikeouts, and 46 walks in 122.1 innings.

Stroman has expressed his desire to remain with the Cubs and even said that he would want to return via free agency if the Cubs were to trade him at the deadline.

We will see what the Cubs decide to do just days before the deadline on Aug. 1.