ESPN baseball reporter. Covered the Washington Wizards from 2014 to 2016 and the Washington Nationals from 2016 to 2018 for The Washington Post before covering the Los Angeles Dodgers and MLB for the Los Angeles Times from 2018 to 2024.
ESPN baseball reporter. Covered the L.A. Rams for ESPN from 2016 to 2018 and the L.A. Angels for MLB.com from 2012 to 2016.
Jun 7, 2024, 07:00 AM ET
Could this weekend’s showdown in the Bronx be a World Series preview?
The New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers have the star power — and the early success — that puts them squarely among the favorites in their respective leagues.
It’s been (mostly) good news for each team so far, but with that comes a lot of pressure. ESPN MLB experts on each coast — Jorge Castillo in New York and Alden Gonzalez in Los Angeles — tackle the state of their local team and project ahead to October.
On a scale of 1-10, how much pressure is each team under to make a World Series run this season — and why?
Castillo on Yankees: It’s always championship-or-bust for the Yankees, but the expectations this season are particularly lofty. It’s been 15 years since the Yankees last won a World Series. That, in the Bronx, is a drought of catastrophic proportions. Yankees brass, feeling the heat after a disastrous 2023 season, traded for Juan Soto and Alex Verdugo going into their walk years. You don’t make those moves unless you’re going for it. Soto and Verdugo are part of an impending group of likely free agents that also includes Gleyber Torres, Clay Holmes and Anthony Rizzo (club option for 2025). This group will have just one shot together. And yet I still don’t think the Yankees face as much pressure as the Dodgers. So let’s go with a 9.5.
Gonzalez on Dodgers: That’s easy: 10. This Dodgers era has carried World Series expectations with it on an annual basis, but club officials, coaches and players would all have to admit that it’s at an entirely new level this year. It’s what happens when you sign the two best free agents and splurge more than $1 billion in one offseason. It’s what happens when you’ve followed back-to-back 100-plus-win seasons with division series eliminations. It’s what happens when you’re trying to shed the label of a team that dominates in the summer and chokes in the fall. The Dodgers won 1,031 regular-season games from 2013 to 2023, 91 more than the second-best Yankees. But all they have to show for it is one championship, captured in a pandemic-shortened season. They need to do better.
How much pressure is each manager facing?
Castillo on Aaron Boone: Fairly or not, the fanbase was itching for Boone’s dismissal after last season’s injury-riddled debacle. The Yankees chose to run it back with one guaranteed year left on Boone’s contract, and he’s responded so far by leading the Yankees to the best record in the American League. The Yankees look like a juggernaut under Boone in his seventh season at the helm. But the pressure will remain on Boone as long as his job security is in flux. Maybe a deep October run will be enough for the Yankees to give him a new contract or exercise the club option for the 2025 season in his current deal. Maybe he needs to lead the club to the World Series for the first time. Maybe he needs to win championship No. 28 for the franchise. For now, he’s a lame duck and the pressure is on.
Gonzalez on Dave Roberts: Any blame for the failures of prior Octobers seems to fall squarely on Roberts’ lap, most of it centered on late-game bullpen decisions that cost key games. A lot of that is probably unfair. We live in a time when games are carefully scripted and front office involvement is prevalent, and so it’s hard to know where a manager’s feel ends and an executive’s calculation begins. But this is the job of the manager, now more than ever — to be the de facto spokesperson for a team and, when needed, absorb blame. Roberts has done a lot of that while putting together a .629 winning percentage through nine seasons in L.A. His contract runs through 2025. But if the Dodgers fall short of expectations again in October, it wouldn’t surprise anyone if he took the fall.
On David Schoenfield’s offseason report card, the Dodgers got an A++ and the Yankees got a B. How would you grade their winter work now?
Castillo on Yankees: This is an easy A. Let’s start with Brian Cashman’s biggest offseason move: Soto’s impact cannot be overstated. He’s putting together the best season of a career that was already on a Hall of Fame track. But The Soto Effect goes beyond the numbers. His amazingly consistent ability to make pitchers work is a constant challenge. His swagger and intensity have been infectious. He and Aaron Judge are the best one-two punch in baseball. Verdugo has been a consistent producer out of the cleanup spot and is playing an elite left field after seamlessly fitting into the clubhouse. Marcus Stroman — signed to a two-year, $37 million contract — is outperforming his deal, posting a 3.16 ERA through 13 starts. Cashman couldn’t seal the deal with Yoshinobu Yamamoto or Blake Snell, but the Yankees’ rotation has been just fine — even without Gerrit Cole.
Gonzalez on Dodgers: I’m going to mark them down to a B, because while Shohei Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow and Yamamoto have been great, and any holes they have in the bottom of their lineup or in the back of their bullpen can be shored up before the trade deadline, the Dodgers seemed woefully — shockingly — unprepared at shortstop. And so when Gavin Lux, coming off an ACL tear, began to show a propensity for errant throws, they were essentially forced to scramble, converting Mookie Betts to shortstop at a time when he was already converting from right field to second base. Betts is handling arguably the most physically demanding position — one he hadn’t really played since high school. He has worked extremely hard to figure it out. Few players would even attempt to do what he’s doing. But it was shocking to see the Dodgers get caught flat-footed at such an important position ahead of such an important season.
What has surprised you most about each team so far this season?
Castillo on Yankees: The starting rotation being this good without Cole. Yankees starters rank second in ERA, first in strikeouts per nine innings, and third in innings pitched across the majors. Stroman has a 3.16 ERA and a top-10 groundball rate. Nestor Cortés (3.73 ERA) and Carlos Rodón (3.08 ERA) are enjoying encouraging bounce-back seasons. Clarke Schmidt was on track for a breakout season, with a 2.52 ERA in 11 starts before going on the injured list with a right lat strain last week. But the club’s ace has been 26-year-old rookie Luis Gil. The right-hander is the first Yankee to ever log at least six innings and allow one run or fewer over seven straight starts. He’s held the opponents to three or fewer hits in 10 of his 12 outings. His 1.82 ERA ranks second in the majors. His strikeout rate is sixth. He’s on track to start the All-Star Game for the American League. Oh, and Cole, the reigning Cy Young Award winner, began his rehab assignment Tuesday by throwing 3⅓ scoreless innings and could make his season debut by the end of the month.
Gonzalez on Dodgers: The top half of the Dodgers’ lineup has been as advertised, with Betts, Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Will Smith combining for a .306/.390/.525 slash line. But the bottom half has been worse than anyone could have imagined. Lux, James Outman and Enrique Hernandez have all struggled. Chris Taylor, slashing an abhorrent .095/.198/.107, has been unplayable. The Nos. 1 to 5 hitters in the Dodgers’ lineup lead the majors in OPS; the Nos. 6 to 9 hitters rank 24th. Lately, with Max Muncy on the injured list and Betts and Ohtani in mini-slumps, the Dodgers have struggled to generate runs because they don’t possess the lineup depth we thought they would.
Make the case for each team’s dynamic duo being best in baseball right now.
Castillo on Judge/Soto: The leaderboard makes the case for them. Pick your stat, almost any stat. WAR? Which version do you prefer? Judge is first in bWAR across the majors, Soto is fifth. They’re tied for first in fWAR. They also occupy the top two spots in wRC+, OPS+, on-base percentage and OPS. They are, at the moment, the two best hitters on the planet. Betts’ transition to shortstop is wildly impressive and unprecedented, but so is a 6-foot-7, 282-pounder playing center field every day. Soto, meanwhile, has been solid in his return to right field, though Yankees fans are holding their breath after he left the game during Thursday night’s rain delay with forearm discomfort. Yes, Ohtani is an elite runner and he can pitch, but he’s not pitching this season. He’s a DH right now. And if this is about right now, the answer is easy.
Gonzalez on Betts/Ohtani: It’s hard to match up with what Judge and Soto are doing offensively right now, but Betts and Ohtani might be the two best all-around players in the game. On top of being elite hitters, they’re both dynamic baserunners. One (Ohtani) also happens to be a Cy Young-caliber pitcher, even if offseason elbow surgery has put a pause on that for a year. The other (Betts) is a six-time Gold Glove outfielder who is somehow handling himself pretty well at shortstop this season. Judge and Soto have combined for 68 FanGraphs wins above replacement since 2018, which is incredible. Betts and Ohtani? 74.
Both teams are missing aces. What’s the latest on Clayton Kershaw‘s and Cole’s road back to the mound? And could we — gasp — see Ohtani pitch this year?
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Gerrit Cole’s rehab start for Yankees affiliate is a ‘great first step’
Jorge Castillo reports on Gerrit Cole’s first rehab start for the Double-A affiliate of the New York Yankees, the Somerset Patriots.
Castillo on Cole: Cole looked very sharp in his first rehab start Tuesday with Double-A Somerset. He gave up two singles, didn’t issue a walk, and struck out five. He said his fastball was clocked between 94 and 97 mph. Most importantly, he felt healthy and said he had more in the tank after throwing his 45 pitches. Boone this week said Cole will make at least “a couple more” rehab starts before making his season debut. The good thing for the Yankees is there’s no rush. Schmidt recently went on the injured list, denting their depth a bit, but owning the best record in the AL affords the Yankees the luxury to be as patient as they need to be with their prized ace.
Gonzalez on Kershaw/Ohtani: Let’s get this out of the way: No, Ohtani will not be pitching this season. Roberts has been asked a handful of times, as Ohtani has navigated his throwing progression, and Roberts has consistently said he can’t picture that happening. Frankly, there shouldn’t be any need for it. It’s already hard enough to be a two-way player, let alone one coming off a second UCL repair. The Dodgers have way too much invested in Ohtani to rush him through that.
As for Kershaw — he should be back at some point after the All-Star break. And though a timetable hasn’t been provided, we can now start to map one out. He threw a one-inning simulated game from Dodger Stadium over the weekend and the plan is for him to basically tack on an inning every week, treating this basically like spring training. If no setbacks occur, that puts Kershaw at the six-inning mark right around the first week of July. So, perhaps shortly after the All-Star break? We’ll see. The Dodgers certainly won’t rush this, either.
What does each team need to do from here to make an L.A. vs. N.Y. World Series happen?
Castillo on Yankees: Stay healthy, ensure Cole is ready for October, and maybe acquire a hard-throwing reliever or two for the back end of the bullpen. The Yankees don’t have much starting pitching depth beyond Cole and the six pitchers who have started games for them this season. And as good as the rotation has been, Cole is one of the best pitchers in the world, the kind of starter you need to advance deep into October. If you want to nitpick further, the Yankees’ bullpen is tied for 21st in strikeout rate. Strikeouts are the best outs, especially late in games. Adding a strikeout artist or two would help. Otherwise, just stay healthy. This is a veteran team with a checkered recent injury history. If the Yankees stay healthy, they have the talent to win it all.
Gonzalez on Dodgers: The Dodgers went into last year’s playoffs with an unstable rotation, a precursor to a stunning sweep at the hands of the division rival Arizona Diamondbacks. With Glasnow and Yamamoto, that won’t be the case this season. But someone else — whether it’s Kershaw, Walker Buehler, Bobby Miller, James Paxton or Gavin Stone, who has been outstanding in his first full season — will have to step up in October. The Dodgers’ front office will also have to make moves to shore up the back end of the bullpen and the bottom of the lineup next month. If they can find a full-time shortstop to ease some of the burden off Betts, even better. But what they really need to do is come through when it matters. The Dodgers went 9-for-51 with runners in scoring position the last two postseasons. That can’t happen again.
Jesse joined ESPN Chicago in September 2009 and covers MLB for ESPN.com.
Just over a month ago, the Boston Red Sox traded Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants in a blockbuster deal that sent shockwaves through the industry. At the time of the trade, the Red Sox were just a game over .500. They went 3-7 in their first 10 games without Devers and looked to be fading out of contention.
As the team fell in the standings, rumors began to circulate that the slugging designated hitter wouldn’t be the only star traded out of Boston. But a 10-game win streak before the All-Star break has vaulted the Red Sox into the thick of the playoff race and provided some clarity about their trade deadline plans.
“Throughout the whole year, we thought we had a really good team,” assistant GM Paul Toboni told ESPN over the weekend. “We were kind of waiting for it to click. That streak reconfirmed the thought that we had a good team.”
Boston doesn’t have a lot of expiring contracts, so even without the win streak, a complete teardown was unlikely. Still, trading some of its outfield depth was a possibility. The Red Sox rank in the top 10 in OPS in right field, center field and left field thanks to Jarren Duran, Roman Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu.
With that group helping the Red Sox hold an American League wild-card spot, the front office is likely to add pitching, according to sources familiar with their situation, while retaining the abundance of outfielders unless the club is blown away with an offer in the next 10 days.
“Having a surplus of good players isn’t a bad thing,” Toboni said. “The high-end depth is a really good thing. It’s not like we’re anxious to move away from that.”
With their outfield situation likely to be addressed in the offseason, the Red Sox have winning on their minds. A young core, highlighted by the arrival of Anthony and infielder Marcelo Mayer, has had some time to adjust to the majors, leaving the team’s veterans excited about the coming months.
“These guys have been here for a few months now,” Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman said. “We’re starting to learn who we are as a group. The adjustments are being made quicker at this time of the year. It didn’t start out that way, but guys are wanting to learn and get better. You can see that in our growth this year.”
Bregman watched closely while he was out of the lineup because of a quad injury he sustained at the end of May. He has seen what winning baseball looks like during his time in Houston. It has taken the young Red Sox some time to get there.
“We’re a very dangerous team now, especially when we’re prepared and executing,” Bregman said. “We’ve played good for a while now.
“People will say this is a hot streak, but I believe this is who we are.”
As the calendar inches toward August, that’s the sentiment throughout the clubhouse, where the veterans who have been through the uncertainty of trade season are relieved to spend the next two weeks without trade chatter.
“The run we went on before the All-Star break, it was good. We needed something like that to get us back in the mix, restore some confidence,” starting pitcher Lucas Giolito said. “Right now, staying in the present is important, but I don’t think we have guys in this room too worried they’re going to get dealt or anything anymore.”
Two players who were brought in over the offseason might be the most relieved.
All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman, who has a 1.18 ERA and 17 saves, could have been one of Boston’s most sought-after deadline trade candidates had the front office elected to deal him.
When asked about possibly being moved, the 37-year-old, who is playing for his seventh major league club, smiled as he responded through his interpreter: “The team is in good shape.”
Fellow Boston pitcher Walker Buehler added: “It’s probably good timing to hopefully push the front office to go out and buy and help us make a run. We did our part at the end of the first half there. I want to stay here and be part of it. Don’t want to be on the wrong side of a trade.”
Though they might have done enough to convince the front office to stick with the current veterans, the Red Sox have some of their toughest work ahead of them. According to ESPN Research, they have the hardest remaining schedule for the rest of the month and sixth hardest for the rest of the season, but manager Alex Cora isn’t interested in looking at the stretch run — or what Boston’s first postseason berth since 2021 would mean.
Instead, he believes that if the players can keep attacking each day, the rest will take care of itself.
“I promised myself I’m going to stay in the moment,” Cora said. “It doesn’t do the group any good to start talking about that. We have to win games. It’s not to put pressure on the front office or ownership. It’s what we need to do for us to play in October.”
Opposing teams are asking for “outrageous returns” for pitching, according to league sources, but if the asking prices become more reasonable closer to the deadline, expect the Red Sox to be involved. Until then, they are focused on riding their July momentum while navigating a tough schedule.
“Time to keep it locked in,” Giolito said. “We’ll be welcoming whatever help comes.”
Jesse joined ESPN Chicago in September 2009 and covers MLB for ESPN.com.
Just over a month ago, the Boston Red Sox traded Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants in a blockbuster deal that sent shockwaves through the industry. At the time of the trade, the Red Sox were just a game over .500. They went 3-7 in their first 10 games without Devers and looked to be fading out of contention.
As the team fell in the standings, rumors began to circulate that the slugging designated hitter wouldn’t be the only star traded out of Boston. But a 10-game win streak before the All-Star break has vaulted the Red Sox into the thick of the playoff race and provided some clarity about their trade deadline plans.
“Throughout the whole year, we thought we had a really good team,” assistant GM Paul Toboni told ESPN over the weekend. “We were kind of waiting for it to click. That streak reconfirmed the thought that we had a good team.”
Boston doesn’t have a lot of expiring contracts, so even without the win streak, a complete teardown was unlikely. Still, trading some of its outfield depth was a possibility. The Red Sox rank in the top 10 in OPS in right field, center field and left field thanks to Jarren Duran, Roman Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu.
With that group helping the Red Sox hold an American League wild-card spot, the front office is likely to add pitching, according to sources familiar with their situation, while retaining the abundance of outfielders unless the club is blown away with an offer in the next 10 days.
“Having a surplus of good players isn’t a bad thing,” Toboni said. “The high-end depth is a really good thing. It’s not like we’re anxious to move away from that.”
With their outfield situation likely to be addressed in the offseason, the Red Sox have winning on their minds. A young core, highlighted by the arrival of Anthony and infielder Marcelo Mayer, has had some time to adjust to the majors, leaving the team’s veterans excited about the coming months.
“These guys have been here for a few months now,” Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman said. “We’re starting to learn who we are as a group. The adjustments are being made quicker at this time of the year. It didn’t start out that way, but guys are wanting to learn and get better. You can see that in our growth this year.”
Bregman watched closely while he was out of the lineup because of a quad injury he sustained at the end of May. He has seen what winning baseball looks like during his time in Houston. It has taken the young Red Sox some time to get there.
“We’re a very dangerous team now, especially when we’re prepared and executing,” Bregman said. “We’ve played good for a while now.
“People will say this is a hot streak, but I believe this is who we are.”
As the calendar inches toward August, that’s the sentiment throughout the clubhouse, where the veterans who have been through the uncertainty of trade season are relieved to spend the next two weeks without trade chatter.
“The run we went on before the All-Star break, it was good. We needed something like that to get us back in the mix, restore some confidence,” starting pitcher Lucas Giolito said. “Right now, staying in the present is important, but I don’t think we have guys in this room too worried they’re going to get dealt or anything anymore.”
Two players who were brought in over the offseason might be the most relieved.
All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman, who has a 1.18 ERA and 17 saves, could have been one of Boston’s most sought-after deadline trade candidates had the front office elected to deal him.
When asked about possibly being moved, the 37-year-old, who is playing for his seventh major league club, smiled as he responded through his interpreter: “The team is in good shape.”
Fellow Boston pitcher Walker Buehler added: “It’s probably good timing to hopefully push the front office to go out and buy and help us make a run. We did our part at the end of the first half there. I want to stay here and be part of it. Don’t want to be on the wrong side of a trade.”
Though they might have done enough to convince the front office to stick with the current veterans, the Red Sox have some of their toughest work ahead of them. According to ESPN Research, they have the hardest remaining schedule for the rest of the month and sixth hardest for the rest of the season, but manager Alex Cora isn’t interested in looking at the stretch run — or what Boston’s first postseason berth since 2021 would mean.
Instead, he believes that if the players can keep attacking each day, the rest will take care of itself.
“I promised myself I’m going to stay in the moment,” Cora said. “It doesn’t do the group any good to start talking about that. We have to win games. It’s not to put pressure on the front office or ownership. It’s what we need to do for us to play in October.”
Opposing teams are asking for “outrageous returns” for pitching, according to league sources, but if the asking prices become more reasonable closer to the deadline, expect the Red Sox to be involved. Until then, they are focused on riding their July momentum while navigating a tough schedule.
“Time to keep it locked in,” Giolito said. “We’ll be welcoming whatever help comes.”
Whether your favorite club is looking to add or deal away — or stands somewhere in between — here’s the freshest intel we’re hearing, reaction to completed deals and what to know for every team as trade season unfolds.
1. Eugenio Suarez: The Arizona Diamondbacks star is No. 1 in our updated MLB trade deadline candidate rankings and could be the most impactful player to move this month. On pace to hit more than 50 home runs, the 2025 All-Star is on the wish list of every contender in need of third-base help.
2. Sandy Alcantara: The 2022 Cy Young winner is an intriguing option in a deadline with a dearth of impact starting pitching available. His ERA is over 7.00 for the Miami Marlins this season, but some contenders believe he could regain form in a new home.
3. Jhoan Duran: This deadline is suddenly teeming with high-end relievers who will at the very least be in the rumor mill during the coming days. If the Minnesota Twins opt to move their closer — and his devastating splinker — Duran might be the best of the bunch.
MLB trade deadline buzz
July 22 updates
Why the 2022 Cy Young winner isn’t the most in-demand Marlins starter: Edward Cabrera has become more coveted than Sandy Alcantara, who teams believe might take an offseason to fix. Alcantara’s strikeout-to-walk ratio is scary low — just 1.9 — and his ERA is 7.14. Cabrera, on the other hand, is striking out more than a batter per inning and his ERA sits at 3.61. The 27-year-old right-hander will come at a heavy cost for opposing teams. — Jesse Rogers
How Kansas City is approaching the trade deadline: The Royals have signaled a willingness to trade, but with an eye toward competing again next year — meaning they aren’t willing to part with the core of their pitching staff. Other teams say Kansas City is (unsurprisingly) looking to upgrade its future offense in whatever it does.
Right-handed starter Seth Lugo will be the most-watched Royal before the deadline, since he holds a $15 million player option for 2026 “that you’d assume he’s going to turn down,” said one rival staffer. That’ll make it more difficult for other teams to place a trade value on him: The Royals could want to market him as more than a mere rental, while other teams figure he’ll go into free agency in the fall when he turns down his option. — Buster Olney
But the Dodgers’ focus ahead of the deadline is still clearly the bullpen, specifically a high-leverage, right-handed reliever. Dodgers relievers lead the major leagues in innings pitched by a wide margin. Blake Treinen will be back soon, and Michael Kopech and Brusdar Graterol are expected to join him later in the season. But the Dodgers need at least one other trusted arm late in games.
It’s a stunning development, considering they returned the core of a bullpen that played a big role in last year’s championship run, then added Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates in free agency. But Scott and Yates have had their struggles, and there are enough injury concerns with several others that it’s a need. — Alden Gonzalez
Which D-backs starter is most coveted? The Diamondbacks are getting as many calls — if not more — about Zac Gallen as they are for Merrill Kelly even though the latter starting pitcher is having the better season. Teams interested in adding to their rotations still have more faith in the 29-year-old Gallen than the 36-year-old Kelly. — Rogers
Who are the White Sox looking to deal? Chicago’s Adrian Houser seems likely to move, as a second-tier starter who has performed well this season. The 32-year-old right-hander was released by the Rangers in May but has been very effective since joining the White Sox rotation, giving up only two homers in 57⅔ innings and generating an ERA+ of 226. Nobody is taking those numbers at face value, but evaluators do view him as a market option. The White Sox also have some relievers worth considering.
But it seems unlikely that Luis Robert Jr. — once projected as a centerpiece of this deadline — will be dealt, unless a team makes a big bet on a player who has either underperformed or been hurt this year. The White Sox could continue to wait on Robert’s talent to manifest and his trade value to be restored by picking up his $20 million option for next year, which is hardly out of the question for a team with little future payroll obligation. — Olney
Why Rockies infielder could be popular deadline option: Colorado’s Ryan McMahon is the consolation prize for teams that miss out on Eugenio Suarez — if he’s traded at all. The Cubs could have interest and would pair him with Matt Shaw as a lefty/righty combo at third base. — Rogers
Does San Diego have enough to offer to make a big deal? The Padres have multiple needs ahead of the trade deadline — a left fielder, a catcher, a back-end starter. How adequately they can address them remains to be seen. The upper levels of their farm system have thinned out in recent years, and their budget might be tight.
The Padres dipped under MLB’s luxury-tax threshold this year, resetting the penalties. But FanGraphs projects their competitive balance tax payroll to finish at $263 million this year, easily clearing the 2025 threshold and just barely putting them into the second tier, triggering a 12% surcharge.
Padres general manager A.J. Preller might have to get creative in order to address his needs. One way he can do that is by buying and selling simultaneously. The Padres have several high-profile players who can hit the market this offseason — Dylan Cease, Michael King, Robert Suarez, Luis Arraez — and a few others who can hit the open market after 2026. Don’t be surprised to see Preller leverage at least one of those players, and their salaries, to help fill multiple needs. — Gonzalez
Which Orioles could be on the move? Not surprisingly, Baltimore is perceived as a dealer and is expected by other teams to move center fielder Cedric Mullins, first baseman/designate hitter Ryan O’Hearn and some relievers. — Olney