Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The San Francisco Giants traded Patrick Bailey to the Cleveland Guardians but remain committed to their core stars Rafael Devers, Matt Chapman and Willy Adames
- Giants starters Robbie Ray and Tyler Mahle are potential trade targets before the August 3 deadline as San Francisco sits six games out of a wild-card spot
- Jordan Walker has emerged as a prime extension candidate for the Cardinals after a breakout .947 OPS start to his 2026 season
Despite trading Patrick Bailey to the Cleveland Guardians, the San Francisco Giants are not looking to further subtract from the Major League roster.
The Giants trading Bailey was an attempt to upgrade the offense. San Francisco has had zero internal conversations about trading stars Rafael Devers, Matt Chapman and/or Willy Adames. They are optimistic about getting the star players back on track and turning their season around, Devers has hit .351/.419/.703 with three home runs and seven RBI so far in May.
If the Giants do sell before the Aug. 3 deadline, among the names to monitor will be starters Robbie Ray and Tyler Mahle. Both are on expiring contracts, and Ray, 34, has posted a 2.76 ERA in eight starts and stands as one of the better left-handed arms in baseball. Mahle, meanwhile, was signed for one year and $10 million over the winter and has a 5.18 ERA in eight starts while coming off a right shoulder injury that limited him to 16 outings last season with the Texas Rangers.
At 18-24, the Giants are still only six games out of a Wild Card spot. There is plenty of time between now and the deadline for them to climb out of this hole, which means that further subtractions, especially involving stars on big contracts, are not under consideration. Plus, an underrated aspect of the Bailey trade: The 29th overall pick that the team acquired from Cleveland helps replenish draft assets after they gave up picks to sign Blake Snell, Chapman and Adames in previous offseasons.
Jordan Walker ... extension candidate?
While JJ Wetherholt has been mentioned as an extension candidate for the St. Louis Cardinals, the case for locking up Jordan Walker is also strong.
Walker, 23, has broken out this season and is hitting .298/.378/.570 with 11 home runs and 30 RBI. He ranks tied for 13th in baseball in fWAR (1.8), and his jump in OPS — .584 in 2025 to .947 in 2026 — has caught the attention of scouts across the game. His background as a former first-round pick and top-10 prospect give reason to believe that this stretch is a sign of things to come.
There’s a couple different ways that Walker and the Cardinals can go about this. He could sign a six-year extension similar to Pete Crow-Armstrong's, one that would allow him to test free agency in his age-29 season and have another chance at a long-term contract. He could also follow the Austin Riley route and do a 10-year extension that would lock him up for the majority of his career.
Walker represents the face of the new brand of Cardinals baseball. And the longer they wait on an extension, the higher the price may go.
Foster Griffin looks like offseason steal
The Washington Nationals signing left-hander Foster Griffin to a one-year, $5.5 million contract has turned out to be one of the best moves of the offseason.
Griffin, 31 in July, has posted a 2.12 ERA in eight starts, and there are multiple ways the Nationals (20-22) can go about this. He could be a potential trade candidate ahead of the deadline or he could be an extension candidate, though sources say there have been no conversations about a long-term pact as of yet.
Among the top left-handed arms to cash in recently include Jesus Luzardo, Christopher Sanchez, Max Fried, Eugenio Suarez, Framber Valdez and Carlos Rodon. And Griffin, in his first year since coming back to the Majors from Japan, could join that list this winter if he maintains this pace.
Braves getting contributions from underrated offseason additions
The Braves (29-13) have the best record in baseball and have had players such as Matt Olson, Drake Baldwin, Ozzie Albies and Michael Harris II step up. But two offseason additions, Mauricio Dubon and Dom Smith, have been revelations early on for Atlanta.
In 40 games, Dubon has hit .264/.323/.399 with a .722 OPS while playing shortstop, left field, center field and third base so far this season. Houston traded Dubon to create payroll flexibility in their pursuit of starting pitching, and Atlanta valued the 31-year-old’s versatility and identified him as a strong clubhouse fit.
Smith, 30, was signed to a Minor League contract in the winter and made the Braves’ Opening Day roster. Atlanta identified Smith’s left-handed bat as a strong complement to their lineup and in 32 games, he’s hit .363/.391/.550 with a .941 OPS, four home runs and 18 RBI while primarily contributing as a designated hitter.
Mets clear they aren't ready to sell
Despite plenty of speculation, the New York Mets are not currently thinking about selling. David Stearns confirmed as much when speaking to reporters on Tuesday.
“I do believe that,” Stearns said when asked if the team can salvage this season. “But we have not shown that yet. We have the talent on the roster, and the character on the roster, to make a run. There’s a lot of season left. I’m not going to say it’s early. It’s not. We’re a quarter of the way into the season. It’s not early anymore. But we do have enough season left to make a run and I think we have the talent to do that.”
If the Mets were to sell, Freddy Peralta is among the most intriguing trade options. Clay Holmes, who can opt out of his contract after this season, has been terrific and would surely garner significant interest. But New York intends to let this thing play out, and if they are in the postseason hunt in August, Stearns and the front office feel like strong candidates to add rather than subtract.
Add us as a preferred source on Google