We've officially reached the unofficial midway point of the MLB season: the All-Star break. Monday, we watch as eight of the league's best hitters face off in the Home Run Derby. Tuesday, the All-Star Game will put the best of the best against one another. It's a great time of the year for baseball fans.
That said, there's a lot percolating behind the scenes. MLB GMs the league over will convene in Atlanta or on the telephone to discouss potential trades. The deadline is less than three weeks away on July 31 and several big names are expected to change teams. Every contender is looking to upgrade. Every basement-dweller is looking to turn veterans into prospects.
Here is the MLB scuttlebutt worthy of your attention on this fine Monday morning.
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Phillies eyeing Jhoan Durán and Griffin Jax from Twins
The Minnesota Twins are expected to sell off key pieces at the trade deadline. The most sought-after is closer Jhoan Durán, who boasts two more years of team control on his contract and a dominant 1.66 ERA through 44 games and 43.1 innings pitched this season. Another potential candidate to be dealt is Griffin Jax, who has a 3.92 ERA through 44 games and 41.1 innings pitched.
Both are on the Philadelphia Phillies' radar, per USA Today's Bob Nightengale.
"The Phillies have been extensively scouting Twins relievers Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax," he writes, "hoping to acquire at least one of them."
He also adds the Dodgers, Cubs, Tigers and Reds as suitors for Durán.
Philadelphia's need for a bullpen upgrade is well documented. Orion Kerkering has settled into a closing role nicely, but Matt Strahm has regressed from his All-Star heights a year ago and the Phillies' splashy offseason signing, Jordan Romano, has proven catastrophically misguided.
There isn't a better starting rotation in MLB than Philadelphia's right now, but the bullpen too frequently struggles to hold a lead and the offense is prone to late-game malaise. Something has to change. Durán would elevate the Phillies' competitive profile significantly; Jax, who put together a much stronger campaign in 2024, would be a worthy Plan B.
Luis Robert Jr. has several suitors, but White Sox can't expect a huge haul
The Chicago White Sox are expected to finally trade Luis Robert Jr. ahead of this month's deadline. This has been a long time coming. Robert was a hot commodity after his All-Star campaign in 2023, but Chicago held fast, hoping he would build his value even higher in 2024. Unfortunately, Robert dealt with a spate of injuries and saw his production plummet. It has not been any prettier in 2025.
As of now, Robert is slashing .190/.275/.325 with nine home runs and 35 RBI in 268 at-bats. He's one of the worst qualified hitters in the game, especially when it comes to facing right-handed pitchers. And yet, "eight teams have checked in" on Robert, per NY Post's Jon Heyman. The 27-year-old still has plenty of front offices thinking along the lines of "we can fix him."
While such a robust market is surely a good sign for Chicago, the White Sox cannot expect a massive haul. Certainly nothing approaching what would have been on the table in December of 2023.
"Even with the amount of interest that Robert is still generating, obviously the White Sox aren’t going to get nearly the haul they once anticipated getting for the outfielder, which is a big setback for a rebuilding team that still needs a lot more talent," writes Mark Polishuk of MLB Trade Rumors.
The White Sox are apparently willing to give up some money to help move Robert's expiring contract, which does include $20 million club options for 2026 and 2027. Once upon a time, those extra years of club control were viewed as a huge selling point. Now it's unclear if Robert can generate anything close to the necessary impact to earn that 2026 paycheck, even in a new situation.
Brewers want to extend Jacob Misiorowski, but there's work to be done
Jacob Misiorowski became an MLB All-Star after five starts and 25.2 innings pitched. He has been utterly dominant, posting a 4-1 record with a 2.81 ERA and 33 strikeouts. Still 23 years old, Misiorowski is "just out of the egg, all arms and legs," to use to poetic verbiage of Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy. "He’s still got gooey stuff coming off him."
Naturally, the Brewers — a team that does not traditionally win bidding wars in free agency — would like to lock up Misiorowski for as long as possible and for as cheap as possible. It behooves them to hammer out a contract extension now, while Misiorowski is not entirely proven, and thus risk can be leveraged against him. And indeed Milwaukee would like to get a deal done, per MLB insider Francys Romero.
The Milwaukee Brewers are interested in working on a contract extension for star rookie Jacob Misiorowski, according to industry sources.
— Francys Romero (@francysromeroFR) July 14, 2025
They made an offer earlier in the 2025 season, but they’re still far apart from what Misiorowski and his agency are looking for.
The Brewers are still "far apart" from what the rookie ace and his reps are looking for, however. Misiorowski has expressed relentless gratitude and appreciation for the special circumstances he finds himself in, but he also understands the value of a 23-year-old ace leading a rotation, and he is rightfully driving a hard bargain. Only time will tell if Milwaukee can rush something across the table before Misiorowski becomes unaffordable.