The New York Mets sent veteran right-handed reliever Luke Weaver to the Pittsburgh Pirates at Monday's trade deadline, and he figures to immediately become the Pirates' preferred option for saves in the ninth inning. It means that Weaver is one of the bigger trade-deadline winners in terms of a boost to his fantasy value for the rest of the 2026 season. The 32-year-old was excellent for the Mets in his 42 relief appearances (44 innings), posting a 1.84 ERA and 0.82 WHIP with 45 strikeouts and 11 walks, but he had just one save in his first year in Queens. The former first-rounder by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2014 from Florida State University has been nearly untouchable since the start of June, allowing just two runs (one earned) while walking only three and striking out 21 in 19 1/3 innings to go with his only save of the season and eight holds. At the very least, Weaver should continue to be a great source of holds in the Steel City, but the expectation is that he'll see a big boost in save opportunities now that he's not setting up for closer Devin Williams with the Mets.

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The New York Mets shipped right-hander Clay Holmes (leg) to the Chicago Cubs at Monday's trade deadline, even though he's still on the 60-day injured list with a fractured fibula that he suffered when he was hit by a comebacker on May 15 against his former team, the New York Yankees. It's a bit unclear what Holmes' role will be with his new club when he's reinstated from the IL, but either way, he could be a meaningful role player in fantasy leagues. The 33-year-old veteran made his third minor-league rehab start on Sunday with High-A Brooklyn, throwing 5 1/3 innings and 73 pitches, so it appears he's on the verge of joining Chicago's major-league roster. Holmes will have more fantasy appeal if he joins the Cubbies' starting rotation, but he does have experience as a high-leverage reliever as well, saving 74 games for the Yankees from 2022 to 2024. Before his fibula injury with the Mets, Holmes went 4-4 with a 2.39 ERA (3.21 FIP) and 1.10 WHIP with 45 strikeouts and 18 walks in 52 2/3 frames across nine starts. Fantasy managers who have room on their roster and need pitching depth should consider picking Holmes up. He's rostered in only 35% of Yahoo leagues, so he's widely available.

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The Minnesota Twins acquired veteran right-handed reliever Jeff Hoffman at Monday's trade deadline to further bolster their bullpen for the stretch run, and the move should make the 33-year-old more attractive off the waiver wire in fantasy baseball leagues. Hoffman opened the 2026 season as the closer for the Toronto Blue Jays, but a rough start to the year led to him being demoted from the role, which caused him to lose most of his fantasy appeal. Overall, he is 6-7 with a 3.94 ERA (2.49 FIP), 1.37 WHIP, only five saves, 75 strikeouts, and 18 walks in his 48 innings out of the bullpen for the Blue Jays. However, since the start of June, Hoffman has turned things around, posting a 1.21 ERA (2.34 FIP) with eight walks, 30 strikeouts, two wins, a blown save, and six holds. Yoendrys Gomez has been the Twins' closer, but if he struggles at all, the Twins probably won't hesitate to turn to Hoffman, who has 50 career saves in his 11 big-league seasons. Right now, Hoffman is rostered in just over half of Yahoo leagues. He's a more intriguing speculative stash for saves now.

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The Miami Marlins traded away catcher/first baseman Liam Hicks to the Tampa Bay Rays at Monday's trade deadline, opening up a clear path for catcher Agustin Ramirez to return to the big leagues. The 24-year-old Dominican backstop hit .231/287/.413 with 21 home runs, 67 RBI, 16 stolen bases, and 72 runs scored in 136 games (585 plate appearances) with the Marlins as a rookie in 2025. Ramirez only appeared in 31 games (129 plate appearances) earlier this year before being sent to Triple-A Jacksonville in May after hitting .230 (26-for-113) with two homers, 14 RBI, three stolen bases, 13 walks, and 28 strikeouts. With both Hicks and Joe Mack on the roster, the Marlins were afforded the luxury of sending Ramirez back to the minors to improve his defensive work behind the plate. In 59 games with the Jumbo Shrimp this year, Ramirez has hit .254/.332/.427 with a .759 OPS, seven home runs, 29 RBI, 17 steals, and 33 runs scored in 241 plate appearances. His combination of power and speed at the catcher position is rare, making him worth a speculative waiver-wire pickup before his eventual return to the majors. Ramirez is currently rostered in just over 30% of Yahoo leagues.

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Pittsburgh Pirates left-handed reliever Mason Montgomery allowed one hit and struck out the side in his inning of work on Monday to pick up his third save of the year in the 4-3 win on the road against the division-rival Milwaukee Brewers. The 26-year-old southpaw was used in this contest after both left-hander Gregory Soto and the newly-acquired Camilo Doval, and all three of his saves this season have come since July 11. Montgomery has been strong at the back end of Pittsburgh's bullpen since the start of July, giving up just two earned runs with five walks, 26 strikeouts, two wins, three saves, and a hold. In just his third major-league season and first with the Bucs in 2026, Montgomery has gone 4-3 with a 3.72 ERA (2.75 FIP), 1.19 WHIP, and 72:21 K:BB in 46 innings across 47 appearances (five starts). Montgomery has become more intriguing as a deep-league source of saves, but his opportunities figure to dwindle after the Pirates acquired right-handed reliever Luke Weaver from the New York Mets at Monday's trade deadline. Weaver is expected to become Pittsburgh's primary closer the rest of the way.

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New York Yankees left-hander Carlos Rodon (elbow) threw to live hitters at Yankee Stadium on Monday and could go out on a minor-league rehab assignment next, according to Pete Caldera of The Bergen Record. Rodon threw roughly 40 pitches during his session on Monday, and he could make a rehab start this Saturday. He's been out since June 28 with inflammation in his left elbow, but Rodon is nearing his return to New York's starting rotation and should be scooped up if he's available in any fantasy leagues. Barring a setback after making a couple of rehab starts most likely, Rodon could be back with the Yankees by the end of August. The 33-year-old veteran southpaw and three-time All-Star got a late start in 2026 after having surgery to remove loose bodies from his elbow last October, but he's been solid in his nine starts, going 4-2 with a 3.30 ERA (3.44 FIP) and 1.25 WHIP with 52 strikeouts and 26 walks in 46 1/3 innings. Rodon does have a career-high 13.4% walk rate, but his 26.8% strikeout rate is his highest mark since 2022 with the San Francisco Giants.

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The New York Yankees remain optimistic that outfielder Aaron Judge (rib) will return before the end of the season, according to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. "We currently are still very optimistic that he's going to return, but there's challenges with all that too. There's a very high likelihood that he fits the time frame to come back and join us. That's what I'm hoping and holding onto," general manager Brian Cashman said. The Yankees need more pop and are currently 3.5 games out of first place in the American League East, but they aren't going to rush the 34-year-old All-Star back. Judge has not played for the Yankees since May 31 due to a fracture in his rib, and there is no specific timetable for his return, so fantasy managers must remain patient and hope it comes sooner rather than later. With Cody Bellinger and Giancarlo Stanton also still on the injured list, the Yankees traded for left-handed infielder Luis Garcia Jr. and outfielder Heliot Ramos at the deadline to help boost the offense. Before his injury, Judge was hitting .248/.375/.533 with a .907 OPS, 17 homers, 38 RBI, 43 runs, and five stolen bases in 214 at-bats. The three-time MVP should be stashed in all fantasy formats.

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New York Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger (hamstring) continues to make progress and has performed outdoor running drills while also hitting and throwing, manager Aaron Boone said on Aug. 2. Bellinger was diagnosed with a Grade 2 left-hamstring strain on July 27 and is expected to miss four to six weeks of action. He's currently on the 10-day injured list, with an expected return of late August or early September. With Aaron Judge (rib) and Giancarlo Stanton (calf) also still sidelined, the Yankees went out and acquired outfielder Heliot Ramos from the San Francisco Giants on Monday to help give the team some more outfield depth as they push for a playoff spot down the stretch. Even though the 31-year-old Bellinger has a ways to go before returning to the big-league roster, he should be stashed in an IL spot in all fantasy leagues. The former MVP and three-time All-Star was slashing .259/.350/.420 with a .770 OPS, 11 home runs, 53 RBI, 52 runs, and 10 stolen bases in his 374 at-bats in 2026 before injuring his hamstring.

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The Atlanta Braves informed the Texas Rangers of their desire to land right-hander Jacob deGrom at the trade deadline, people briefed on the discussions told Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Other teams also expressed interest in the 38-year-old, and the Rangers told him that they would make a deal happen if he wanted to waive his no-trade clause for Atlanta. But deGrom said no, explaining that he "wanted to win in Texas." He made it clear that when he signed a five-year, $185 million free-agent contract with the Rangers in December of 2022, he wanted to see it through. Texas led the American League West by two games as recently as last Tuesday, but then they lost five straight to fall to two games under .500 and 2.5 games behind the Houston Astros in the division. deGrom, a five-time All-Star and two-time Cy Young winner, currently has a career-worst 3.96 ERA (3.32 FIP) and 1.14 WHIP with 135 strikeouts and 29 walks in 113 2/3 innings across his 21 starts. He'll be looking to bounce back in a solid matchup against the Baltimore Orioles this weekend after allowing five earned runs with five walks and three strikeouts in only 3 1/3 innings in a loss to the Astros last Saturday.

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The New York Mets are promoting left-handed pitching prospect Jefry Yan to the big leagues, sources told Francys Romero. Yan will make his way to the big leagues after stepping away from baseball for five years after signing with the Los Angeles Angels before returning to the minors in 2021. The 29-year-old Dominican hurler has gone 2-2 with a 3.24 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, and 77:28 K:BB in 41 2/3 innings over 35 relief appearances this year for Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Syracuse. Yan's 16.6 K/9 makes him a potential high-leverage arm at the back end of New York's bullpen, especially after the team shipped right-handed reliever Luke Weaver to the Pittsburgh Pirates at Monday's trade deadline. But to be effective and trusted in the big leagues, Yan will need to show better control as well. In seven minor-league seasons, he has a 4.50 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, 20 saves, a 13.2 K/9, and a 6.6 BB/9. Yan can probably be ignored in most fantasy leagues for now, but we'll keep an eye on his role as he makes his way to the majors for the first time.

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New York Mets pitching prospect Jonah Tong is starting to heat up at Triple-A Syracuse, turning in a very solid month of July with a 2-0 record in five starts with a 3.65 ERA and 1.34 WHIP to go with 29 strikeouts in 24 2/3 innings pitched. Tong has major league experience with the Mets at age 23 and is looking to find his way back with the big league club. This season, Tong pitched three games with New York and came away with a 1-1 record and 3.60 ERA 1.50 WHIP. He had seven strikeouts in 10 innings pitched. That stint of three games came in relief, so Tong has shown the ability to work as both a starter and reliever. In the minors this season, though, Tong has been used solely as a starter and that would no doubt be best case scenario for fantasy. He is still ranked as their No. 2 overall prospect and offers a 70-grade fastball with a 60-grade changeup. He is definitely worth stashing in the midst of his hot streak at Triple-A hoping for a big league encore as a starter this time around.

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Seattle Mariners prospect Lazaro Montes is having a great minor league season between Double-A Arkansas and Triple-A Tacoma, hitting for massive power with 28 homers combined between the two levels to go with 74 RBI and 78 runs scored. He is hitting .238 between both clubs but has been better at Tacoma with a .253 average. He was called up to Tacoma on July 7 and has three homers and eight RBI in 83 at bats since. Montes is the No. 4 prospect in the Mariners' system and has 65-grade power which is a massive power upside for a prospect. At age 21, Montes might still need a bit of time to develop in the minors and we are seeing that right now with him at Triple-A. A dynasty league asset, Montes could be left on the waiver wire in redraft leagues unless a fantasy manager wants to take a big gamble on a stash.

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New York Mets prospect Ryan Clifford has had a pretty good age 23 season at Triple-A Syracuse with 16 homers and 50 RBI in 356 at bats. He has added 50 runs scored and eight stolen bases but has only hit .185. Clifford has a good power profile with 60-grade power but his hit tool is graded out at 40. He struggled during the month of July hitting just .157, but did hit two homers with 10 RBI. At age 23, he could be a late-season call up to the Mets as he is their No. 8 ranked prospect and has the ability to play first base or outfield. He could just be a player that is relied on to hit for power with little attention paid to the batting average and overall hit tool. He could bring a boost of power to the Mets late in the season. Fantasy managers who are in desperate need of power could look Clifford's way but will need to be ready to take a potential hit in batting average.

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The Miami Marlins acquired first base prospect Jonathon Long from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for pitcher Braxton Garrett. Long slots in as the No. 14 prospect in the Miami system and could see time in the majors for the Marlins this season. Right now, Kyle Stowers leads the depth chart at first base for the Marlins at the major league level, but Long could provide some depth this season and also could slot in at one of the outfield spots if needed. Long has a 55-grade hit tool with 50-grade power and hit .283 for the Triple-A Iowa Cubs with 12 homers and 62 RBI in 396 at bats. The 24-year-old added 67 runs scored for Iowa. He is a name to stash in fantasy following his change of scenery and he could see time in the majors in his age 24 season in he second half of this year.

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New York Yankees prospect Elmer Rodriguez had an excellent month of July at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre with a 4-0 record and 2.73 ERA and 1.37 WHIP with 26 strikeouts in 26 1/3 innings pitched. Rodriguez has seen time with the big league club this year, making four starts for the Yankees and compiling an 0-2 record with a 4.76 ERA and 1.76 WHIP with 10 strikeouts in 17 innings pitched. Rodriguez has had a very productive minor league season but has yet to see the results in the major leagues. After his productive July, however, fantasy managers may want to take a chance and roster him in case he is called back up for another opportunity. He's the Yankees' No. 3 prospect and has a 60-grade fastball with three 55-grade secondary pitches in his curveball, slider, and splitter. At age 22, Rodriguez has the pedigree to be successful. He might just need another chance in the big leagues this season.

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Cardinals' RF Alec Burleson had six RBIs going 3-for-5 with three home runs in a 13-7 win over the Yankees on Monday, Aug. 3.

The New York Mets acquired shortstop prospect Jefferson Rojas from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for right-hander Clay Holmes (leg) and outfielder Tyrone Taylor on Monday, a person familiar with the deal told Chelsea Janes of SNY. Rojas, 21, comes to the National League East after slashing .270/.339/.461 with a .799 OPS, 15 home runs, 57 RBI, 17 stolen bases, and 58 runs scored in 91 games across 390 plate appearances with Double-A Knoxville this year. Per MLB Pipeline, Rojas has become New York's top prospect, and he also sits at No. 63 overall in the sport. The 5-foot-11, 150-pound Dominican infielder Rojas probably won't be an elite fantasy option at the shortstop position in the long-term, but he should offer 20-homer potential and average speed on the basepaths, which makes him a solid pickup for the disappointing Mets in exchange for a starting pitcher who could just be a rental. He probably won't be a realistic candidate for his MLB debut until next year, and he could be what the Mets have in mind as Francisco Lindor's eventual successor.

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The New York Yankees are promoting infield prospect George Lombard Jr. to the major leagues from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, according to Jack Curry of YES Network. Meanwhile, in a corresponding move, the Yankees are demoting current shortstop Anthony Volpe to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, according to the team. In addition to Volpe, former outfield prospect Jasson Dominguez is being sent to Triple-A. The time is now for Lombard, who is ranked at MLB Pipeline as the Yankees' No. 1 prospect and the No. 20 overall prospect in all of baseball, and he should immediately jump into the starting role at the 6 in New York. In 78 minor-league games with the rookie-level Florida Complex League, Double-A Somerset, and Triple-A, Lombard has hit .284/.411/.498 with a .909 OPS, 12 home runs, 33 RBI, 14 stolen bases, and 65 runs scored in 358 plate appearances. The 21-year-old has high expectations, but the Yankees will look to the young infielder for a spark as they search for more offense. Lombard's power/speed upside alone makes him worth a look for infield help in mixed fantasy leagues. The former first-rounder in 2023 is already rostered in 8% of Yahoo leagues, and he's eligible at second base and third base, in addition to shortstop.

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St. Louis Cardinals first baseman/outfielder Alec Burleson was nearly all the offense the Cardinals needed in Monday's 13-7 win over the hosting New York Yankees in the Bronx. Burleson had a day at the plate, going 3-for-5 with three home runs, six RBI, and a strikeout to boost his season average to .288 and his OPS to .830. As a controllable young slugger, Burleson was getting calls from other teams on the trade deadline on Monday, but the Cardinals elected not to move him, and they're probably pretty happy with that decision. The 27-year-old left-handed slugger is now up to a .288/.350/.480 slash line this year with 18 home runs and 77 RBI for the Red Birds. Burleson was money in July, going 31-for-106 (.293) with two home runs, seven doubles, 14 RBI, 15 runs scored, and a stolen base in 28 games played, but the knock against him is that he's hitting just .194 (26-for-134) with three of his 18 homers against lefties and his poor defensive metrics. His advanced hitting metrics support his overall production, though, as he comes in with a .296 expected batting average and .379 xwOBA.

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Seattle Mariners general manager Justin Hollander said on Seattle Sports that left-handed pitching prospect Kade Anderson is "definitely in the mix" for a starting-rotation spot at the big-league level, according to Shannan Drayer. Anderson was seventh on the starting depth chart, but after the M's traded veteran right-hander Luis Castillo over the weekend, he's now sixth. Seattle will sit down this week to map out a plan "that makes the most sense for him to impact the big-league team if there is a spot for him to do so." The 22-year-old former third overall pick in 2025 from LSU is the Mariners' top prospect and the No. 5 overall prospect in baseball, per MLB Pipeline, and the odds of him making his major-league debut in August seem increasingly likely. Anderson has looked amazing in 16 starts (82 1/3 innings) at Double-A Arkansas, going 9-1 with a 1.20 ERA, 0.66 WHIP, and 119:12 K:BB. He's already rostered in 22% of Yahoo leagues and could help fantasy managers in mixed leagues to close out the year if he earns a rotation spot in Seattle.

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