It’s crunch time for all involved with the Trade Deadline, and among that group is the intrepid Mark Feinsand, who is tracking all of the rumors, speculation and deals as the 6 p.m. ET Deadline on Thursday inches closer.
In between grabbing extra-caffeinated, extra-large refills on his coffee, Feinsand answered questions from fans during a Reddit AMA session Friday. Here’s a sampling:
Q: If you had to guess, who do you think the highest-profile player will be traded that will be a “surprise?” Not someone on a typical seller or just someone who is not being reported on as a likely candidate.
Feinsand: I get this question every year, and every year I have the same answer: If we knew, it wouldn’t be a surprise! We’ve heard about some controllable players that could be available such as Emmanuel Clase, Joe Ryan and Steven Kwan, but if any of them get traded, I think that would qualify as a surprise.
Q: What is the relief pitcher market looking like?
Feinsand: Like most years, the relief market offers the widest variety of players available. The biggest difference this year is that most of the top relievers are controllable through at least 2026: David Bednar, Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax, Emmanuel Clase and Pete Fairbanks, just to name a handful. There are also some rentals (Ryan Helsley, Kyle Finnegan) to be had, but the controllable guys are the most coveted. Then there are the “no-name” guys who won’t move any needles within a fan base, but could be impactful regardless. The Rockies have three you should watch: Victor Vodnik, Seth Halvorsen and Jake Bird, all of whom are generating plenty of interest from other teams.
Q: Do you think the Twins will trade Joe Ryan?
Feinsand: I do not. I’m not saying it’s impossible, but it is going to take a huge offer for Minnesota to even consider it. He’s under control for two more years and has emerged as one of the best starters in the league. If the Twins get a “Godfather offer” — i.e. one they can’t refuse — then anything can happen, but I don’t think they’re out there shopping Ryan around with the intent of dealing him. Much more likely they wind up moving either Jhoan Duran or Griffin Jax — who are also under control through 2027 — though it’s going to take a haul to land either of them, too.
Q: Who are the Jays in the market for?
Feinsand: I think Toronto is going to be one of the more aggressive buyers. As my colleague Keegan Matheson said, “If not now, when?” The Blue Jays are good and they know it, but they would like to add a starter and possibly two relievers to bolster the pitching staff for the stretch run. If that starter can have some years of control, even better. Chris Bassitt and Max Scherzer will be free agents at the end of the season, while Kevin Gausman has one more year on his deal. If they can add a starter with years of control — who they might even be able to extend like they did with José Berríos — that would help in both the short- and long-term.
Q: What do the odds currently look like regarding the Red Sox trading Jarren Duran?
Feinsand: Duran seems to be available, but Boston is not in a position where they have to trade him by any means. If the Sox can get a controllable starter to pair with Garrett Crochet atop the rotation, I think they would move Duran. Maybe a Mitch Keller type? With three years of control remaining, however, Duran can easily be shopped in the offseason if the Red Sox plan to stick with Roman Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu as their outfield. I’d say it’s more likely that Duran is with the Red Sox come Aug. 1 than wearing another uniform.
Q: Who do you predict will be the first trading domino to fall to get all the trading going?
Feinsand: The Yankees traded for Ryan McMahon on Friday, so that impacts the third base market — most notably the market for Eugenio Suárez, who no longer appears to be an option for the Yankees. That said, there are plenty of other contenders — the Cubs, Tigers, Mariners, Brewers, Reds and Phillies, just to name a half-dozen — that are still in on Suárez to some extent.
Q: What team is Taylor Ward on on Aug. 2? And, do you expect Kenley Jansen to be moved as a high-leverage reliever?
Feinsand: My history of predicting Ward’s future is not great (those who follow me on Twitter know what I’m talking about), but I think this may finally be the time for the Angels to trade him. The Wild Card is slipping away from the Angels, and with one more year of control, Ward’s value will never be higher. Who knows if Perry Minasian will deal him — or if owner Arte Moreno will even allow him to become a real seller — but Ward would be a highly coveted player given the lack of impact outfielders on the market. Jansen seems more likely to move given that he’s going to be a free agent at the end of the season.
Feinsand: Every team looking for a starter would love to add one with years of control, but those guys cost a lot more than the ones on expiring contracts. I expect the Cubs to add at least one starter and one reliever, and a third baseman seems like a likely add, too. Who knows if Kyle Tucker will be in Chicago next year, so there’s every reason for the Cubs to go all-in this season.
Q: What do you foresee the Marlins doing at the Deadline? What targets/prospects do you think they want in a trade of Cabrera or Sandy?
Feinsand: Given that both Edward Cabrera and Sandy Alcantara are controlled for multiple years after 2025, I wouldn’t expect the price tag on either to be cheap. Alcantara picked a good time to throw seven scoreless against the Padres this week, and Cabrera has been solid all season. I would think Cabrera is the more likely to be traded this week, because Alcantara may need to pitch well down the stretch to build up his trade value again, setting up an offseason deal. But if a team thinks it can get Alcantara in its pitching lab and fix whatever has been wrong in his first season back from Tommy John surgery, he may get moved despite his uninspiring season to this point. Anthony Bender should also get moved, as could Jesús Sánchez.
Q: After hearing the recent “leaks” and what has been said around the league about the Mets — what do you think they actually do at the Deadline? Do you think that the Mets are sleepers for any bigger names than have been reported? I expect them to be involved in the reliever market (they just acquired Soto from O’s), as reported, but are there any names or spots on the roster that you think they may make a move on?
Feinsand: Even after trading for Soto, I can see the Mets continuing to add to the bullpen. Center field is another spot to watch. They don’t have the deepest farm system, but don’t be shocked to see them trade from their infield depth; with Brett Baty, Mark Vientos, Ronny Mauricio and Luisangel Acuña all vying for playing time, the Mets can move one of them to fill other holes while leaving themselves in good shape infield-wise.
Q: Now that the Yanks have a new third baseman, what is their next top priority? Hearing anything on the starting pitching market?
Feinsand: Pitching, pitching, pitching. The Yankees will still look to add a starter and at least one reliever if not more. Getting Luis Gil back should help, too. Brian Cashman has never been shy about making moves at the Deadline, so I expect this year will be no different. Jumping the gun on McMahon was a smart move in my opinion, especially if he thought the asking price for Suárez was way too high. Had Suárez moved before McMahon, the Rockies’ price tag on McMahon would have likely gone up. Now the Yankees have third base settled for the next couple years, and I think McMahon is a better player than people give him credit for. (Separately, the Yankees further bolstered their infield depth when they acquired Amed Rosario from the Nationals on Saturday.)
Q: What have been your personal favorite moments covering the MLB Trade Deadline during your career as a writer/reporter?
Feinsand: My favorite part of covering the Trade Deadline is the five minutes after it ends and I can take my first deep breath in about four days. I’m kidding (sort of). This week can be very intense for reporters, and going to sleep any time before 2 a.m. ET can be a bit scary. But when you’re able to break a trade, it makes all of that hard work and head-spinning pressure pay off. As for a particular trade, I think the Yankees trading for Ichiro when I was on the beat stands out for me, because I then had a chance to cover one of the greatest players of all-time. The fact that it happened when we were in Seattle made it all the more surreal.
Q: How likely would you say it is that the Braves sell, buy, or do a little of both?
Feinsand: It’s hard for me to imagine the Braves doing much buying, and frankly, they don’t have a ton to sell, either. I can see Marcell Ozuna and Raisel Iglesias — both on expiring contracts — getting traded, and perhaps a team talks to Atlanta about Ozzie Albies. I expect this to be a pretty quiet Deadline for Atlanta.
