By DAVID BRANDT AP Baseball Writer
The Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies took big swings Monday ahead of baseball’s trade deadline, with the Red Sox adding three-time All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman a few hours after the Phillies picked up three-time batting champion Luis Arraez.
The pair of aggressive moves was part of more than a dozen swaps that have happened before Monday’s 6 p.m. EDT deadline. Most of the biggest names are off the board, but some enticing options still remain, including Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Daulton Varsho.
The Los Angeles Dodgers woke up already looking like the deadline’s biggest winners after adding two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal to a loaded roster Sunday. The Dodgers are chasing a third straight World Series title.
Over in the American League, Tampa Bay was busy, beefing up its rotation Sunday by adding right-hander Freddy Peralta while the New York Yankees acquired young slugger Luis García Jr. to give their Aaron Judge-less lineup a little more pop. Also on Sunday, the Chicago Cubs added Kevin Gausman to their rotation in a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays.
Rutschman gives Red Sox young catching star
Rutschman was the No. 1 overall pick in 2019 out of Oregon State and has largely lived up to the high expectations with five quality seasons with the Baltimore Orioles.
Now he moves to the Red Sox, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the trade hadn’t been announced.
Boston started slow this season but revitalized its playoff hopes with a franchise record-tying 15-game winning streak in July. The 28-year-old Rutschman — who is under team control for one more season in 2027 — has had a bounce-back season at the plate with a .762 OPS, which helped him earn his third All-Star nod.
Rutschman is currently on the injured list with left wrist inflammation. He’s also dealt with an ankle injury and a concussion this year.
Arraez an elite contact hitter
Arraez comes from the San Francisco Giants, and he’ll be expected to create RBI opportunities for Phillies sluggers Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber.
Arraez is hitting an NL-best .324 in a resurgent season after signing a $12 million, one-year deal with San Francisco early in spring training. The 29-year-old has his highest batting average since 2023, and he’s played better defense at second base after questions about his glove hindered his market in free agency.
Schwarber is second in the majors with 33 home runs entering Monday yet ranks 31st with 63 RBIs, while Harper has driven in 66. The team’s .304 on-base percentage is the second lowest in the majors.
Philly also got reliever Caleb Kilian back from the Giants in the trade for two minor leaguers, and it swung a separate deal for left-handed reliever Brooks Raley with the New York Mets.
Former Cy Young winner Robbie Ray goes to Padres
The San Diego Padres acquired veteran left-hander Robbie Ray from the San Francisco Giants on Monday in a trade for two prospects.
The Padres have won eight of nine to move one game back of the final wild-card playoff position, and this latest surge in their up-and-down season apparently prompted general manager A.J. Preller to trade yet another chunk of his severely depleted farm system for another chance to win now.
San Diego gave up right-hander Miguel Mendez and 17-year-old shortstop Joniel Hernandez for the 34-year-old Ray, a former Cy Young Award winner who will be an unrestricted free agent this winter. The Padres also got cash in the deal.
Ray is 10-6 with a 3.08 ERA and 107 strikeouts in 122 2/3 innings this season, his third with San Francisco.
Dodgers keep adding
The Dodgers added 2025 All-Star left-hander Kris Bubic from the Royals for minor league right-hander Carlos Duran, a person familiar with the deal told the AP. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the trade hadn’t been announced.
Bubic is on the 60-day injured list with shoulder and elbow issues, but the Royals had expected him to return in late-August, which would put him in line to pitch out of the bullpen for Los Angeles during the playoffs. He was an All-Star last season and is 3-2 with a 4.11 ERA in nine starts this season. Duran is 3-2 with a 3.38 ERA for the Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City.
Los Angeles also traded for backup catcher Ben Rortvedt for the second year in a row. This time, the Dodgers got Rortvedt from the New York Mets for right-hander Chayce McDermott. The 28-year-old Rortvedt hasn’t played in the big leagues this season and wasn’t on the Mets’ 40-man roster.
Other trades of note
— The Pittsburgh Pirates added veteran right-hander Luke Weaver from the New York Mets, according to a person with direct knowledge of the deal who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because it hadn’t been announced. Weaver is in the first season of a two-year, $22-million deal. He had been one of the few bright spots this season for the last-place Mets, going 2-1 with a 1.84 ERA with one save in 42 appearances.
— The Seattle Mariners acquired outfielder Taylor Ward from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for minor league right-handers Alex Hoppe, Brock Moore and Harrison Kreiling. Ward, 32, is hitting .246 with seven home runs and 30 RBIs in 111 games. He adds to Seattle’s outfield depth and could make impending free agent and All-Star outfielder Randy Arozarena expendable.
— The Blue Jays bolstered their rotation with an eye on 2027 by acquiring right-hander José Soriano from the Los Angeles Angels for three prospects. The 27-year-old is 9-6 with a 3.29 ERA and has a 3.72 ERA over four big league seasons. He’s under team control through 2028. Infielder Arjun Nimmala, a 2023 first-round pick, headlined the minor leaguers going to Los Angeles, along with outfielder Eddie Micheletti Jr. and right-hander Angel Rivero.
— The Cleveland Guardians picked up a power bat and some outfield versatility by adding Jo Adell from the Los Angeles Angels, who received minor league catcher Jacob Cozart. The 27-year-old Adell has 16 homers and 62 RBIs this season, one year after hitting a career-best 37 homers with 98 RBIs. Adell has spent his entire career with the Angels after being the 10th overall pick in the 2017 amateur draft.
— The Tampa Bay Rays added catcher Liam Hicks in a trade with the Miami Marlins, a person familiar with the deal told the AP. The Marlins received prospects RHP Jacob Kisting, SS Adrian Santana and INF Brayden Taylor. Hicks, 27, is in his second big league season and batting .282 with 14 homers and 62 RBIs. He’s under team control for the next four seasons.
— The Chicago White Sox acquired outfielder Brenton Doyle from the Colorado Rockies for a pair of prospects. Doyle, who recently came off the injured list due to a bruised oblique, is hitting .214 with a homer and nine stolen bases. He’s won two Gold Glove awards for his work in center field. The Rockies received right-hander Mason Adams and infielder Carlos Vielma.
— Toronto got utility player Josh Smith and minor league right-hander Josh Stephan from Texas for rookie left-hander Adam Macko. Smith, who in 2024 won a Silver Slugger as a utility player, was at Triple-A Round Rock. He went into this season with the chance to be the Rangers’ everyday second baseman, but he hit .213 in 45 games and missed 37 games because of injuries and a bout with viral meningitis.
— The Atlanta Braves acquired veteran left-handed reliever Brent Suter from the Angels for minor league infielder Nacho Alvarez Jr. The 36-year-old Suter provides some bullpen depth for the NL East leaders. He was 1-2 with a 4.12 ERA over 63 1/3 innings in 41 appearances for Los Angeles, and threw at least two innings in 18 of those games.
— The Chicago White Sox added righty reliever Huascar Brazobán from the Mets for minor league right-handers Gabe Davis and Zach Franklin. The 36-year-old Brazobán is 5-2 with a 2.56 ERA over 46 games this season.
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AP Baseball Writer Noah Trister and AP Sports Writers Alanis Thames and Dave Skretta contributed to this story.
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