
Welcome to recruiting’s busiest month: What’s ahead for big visits and potential flips
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Eli LedermanJun 2, 2025, 07:20 AM ET
Close- Eli Lederman covers college football and recruiting for ESPN.com. He joined ESPN in 2024 after covering the University of Oklahoma for Sellout Crowd and the Tulsa World.
College football coaching staffs are off the trail. Top recruits are flocking to campuses across the country. At long last, official visit season is here.
The busiest stretch of the annual recruiting calendar has commenced with elite prospects traversing the country for official visits from now to the start of the quiet period June 22. As things stand, 146 of the prospects ranked inside the 2026 ESPN 300 are already committed. That number will skyrocket over the summer months as top programs race to fill out their recruiting classes and rising high school seniors settle on their college homes.
USC, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State and Clemson entered June with the top five classes in ESPN’s latest team recruiting rankings for the class of 2026. Here’s a primer on the state of play across the class as the latest recruiting cycle begins in earnest this month:
Jump to a tier:
Spring recap | Five-star outlook | QB dominoes
ESPN 300 news | Flip watch | Big visit weekends
What has gone down this spring?
The four months since national signing day closed the door on the 2025 class have delivered plenty of fireworks in the 2026 cycle.
Miami offensive tackle commit Jackson Cantwell (No. 3 overall) and Georgia quarterback pledge Jared Curtis (No. 5) stand among the five five-star prospects who have committed since March 1, leaving only 10 five-star recruits on the board. The 2026 quarterback market has similarly narrowed this spring following the pledges of Curtis, Brady Smigiel (No. 44 — Michigan), Peyton Falzone (No. 235 — Penn State), Kayd Coffman (No. 237 — Michigan State) and Derek Zammit (No. 243 — Washington).
No program holds more ESPN 300 commits than USC with 13, headlined by five-star pledges Elbert Hill (No. 15 overall) and Keenyi Pepe (No. 17). Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, Clemson, Texas A&M, Arizona State, LSU and Georgia have charted some of the strongest starts in the latest cycle. Beyond the blue bloods, Kansas, Syracuse, Illinois and Louisville are recruiting at an impressive clip six months out from the early signing period in December.
Five-star outlook
As of Monday, 11 of ESPN’s 21 five-star prospects in the 2026 cycle are committed. What’s next for the remaining 10? Things are about to heat up for the nation’s most coveted recruits.
DT Lamar Brown, No. 1 in the 2026 ESPN 300: The two-way lineman from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, told ESPN he’s now being recruited exclusively as a defensive lineman. Brown took an official visit with Miami over the weekend, and he’ll head to finalists Texas (Friday), Texas A&M (June 13) and LSU (June 20) ahead of his July 10 commitment date after swapping a trip to Florida State for this weekend’s visit with the Longhorns.
ESPN’s top overall prospect attends high school on the LSU campus, and the Tigers are clear leaders in Brown’s process, but plenty can change this month.
“It’d be hard for me to leave Louisiana,” he said. “But it may not be the best option for me. That’s why I’m looking at other teams and relationships with other coaches.”
RB Derrek Cooper, No. 7 in the 2026 ESPN 300: The nation’s No. 1 running back prospect opened his slate of official visits at Miami and will get to Alabama (Friday), Georgia (June 13), Florida State (June 15), Penn State (June 17) and Ohio State (June 20) over the next month.
Cooper, who held a short-lived commitment to Georgia last summer, remains high on the Bulldogs as well as Ohio State. Another prominent contender for the versatile rusher from Hollywood, Florida, is Miami, which is pushing hard to add Cooper alongside offensive tackle pledge Jackson Cantwell as the program’s second five-star cornerstone for 2026.
DE JaReylan McCoy, No. 9 in the 2026 ESPN 300: McCoy’s recruitment appeared wrapped up when he committed to LSU on Jan. 2. But the pass rusher from Tupelo, Mississippi, decommitted from the Tigers a month later.
Though Auburn, Ole Miss and Texas A&M have lingered in McCoy’s process this spring, sources told ESPN that the nation’s No. 2 defensive end is down to three schools: Florida, LSU and Texas. McCoy is taking official visits with all three programs — starting with Florida this past weekend ahead of trips to Texas (June 13) and LSU (June 20) — before announcing his commitment July 1.
OT Immanuel Iheanacho, No. 12 in the 2026 ESPN 300: The nation’s top uncommitted offensive tackle is down to Auburn, LSU, Oregon and Penn State and plans to announce his pledge in early August. Iheanacho opened his series of spring official visits with LSU then will be at Auburn (Friday), Penn State (June 13) and Oregon (June 20).
After Oregon missed out on Cantwell and five-star quarterback Jared Curtis last month, sources told ESPN that the Ducks entered June as the leader in Iheanacho’s process. His three other finalists will all get their chance to sway the 6-foot-7, 350-pound lineman this month, with LSU seen as the most serious contender to challenge Oregon for Iheanacho’s commitment.
OLB Tyler Atkinson, No. 13 in the 2026 ESPN 300: ESPN’s top linebacker opened his official visit slate with a trip to Clemson over the weekend. Atkinson does not yet have any other official trips on the calendar, but Auburn, Georgia, Ohio State and Oregon stand among the prominent powers expected to land visits in the coming weeks and months.
Georgia might enter the summer with a slight edge for the productive in-state linebacker from Loganville. However, Atkinson’s recruitment remains wide open as of now.
ATH Brandon Arrington, No. 14 in the 2026 ESPN 300: Projected to play cornerback at the next level, Arrington will have taken official visits with Penn State, Washington, Texas A&M, Alabama and USC by the time he wraps his trip to Oregon on June 20.
Oregon, Texas A&M and USC have been the consistent leaders in Arrington’s recruitment over the past year. Washington has entered the mix as a late-arriving contender. All six schools will continue to be involved in the chase for Arrington’s pledge up to his July 5 commitment date.
DE Richard Wesley, No. 18 in the 2026 ESPN 300: Wesley’s May 10 commitment to Oregon lasted all of 17 days. Upon pulling his pledge from the Ducks last week, Wesley’s recruitment remains open as the coveted 2027 reclass works through an accelerated process.
The circumstances of Wesley’s surprise pledge and subsequent decommitment from Oregon hasn’t soured his relationship with the program. He’ll return for an official visit with the Ducks on Friday before trips to Texas (June 20) and Ohio State (Aug. 30). Tennessee and Texas A&M are among others working to land an official visit date with Wesley.
TE Kaiden Prothro, No. 19 in the 2026 ESPN 300: The lanky 6-7, 210-pound receiving tight end from Bowdon, Georgia, opened an all-SEC run of official visits at Georgia over the weekend. Alabama (Friday), Auburn (June 10), Florida (June 13) and Texas (June 20) are next in line as the recruitment of the highly rated tight end prospect gains steam.
Georgia, with family ties and a history of developing tight ends, appears the most likely destination for Prothro while Auburn and Florida are two other programs pushing especially hard in his recruitment this spring.
OT Felix Ojo, No. 20 in the 2026 ESPN 300: A promising offensive line recruit, Ojo will end up taking a whopping eight official visits between April 18 and June 20. He already has made stops at Ole Miss, Texas Tech, Colorado, Florida and Ohio State this spring and will travel to Michigan (June 7), Texas (June 13) and Oklahoma (June 20) over the next month.
Ojo tells ESPN that Ohio State, Texas and Texas Tech have been the most aggressive programs in his recruitment this spring. He’s aiming to commit before the start of his senior season, so the relationships Ojo builds over the next month of visits will be central to his process.
DE Jake Kreul, No. 21 in the 2026 ESPN 300: A disruptive pass rusher from Florida’s IMG Academy, Kreul will visit Florida (June 7), Texas (June 13) and Oklahoma (June 20) this month following previous officials to Colorado and Ohio State this spring.
No program has worked harder to assert itself in Kreul’s recruitment than Oklahoma. Per ESPN sources, the Sooners view the 6-foot-3, 235-pound defender as a priority target in 2026. Among the top challengers for Kreul’s pledge, expect Texas and Ohio State to be heavily involved this summer.
Landing spots for the top uncommitted quarterbacks
The month began with only four of the 18 passers ranked inside the 2026 ESPN 300 uncommitted with nearly a dozen top programs still searching for a 2026 QB pledge. How might things unfold for the quarterback market’s top recruits over the next three months?
QB Ryder Lyons, No. 49 in the 2026 ESPN 300: ESPN’s fifth-ranked pocket passer has courted interest from BYU, Michigan, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Oregon and USC this spring. Three of those programs — BYU, Oregon and USC — will get Lyons on campus over the next month.
BYU has made some surprise splashes on the recruiting trail this spring, and USC is working to get the in-state quarterback to join his brother, Walker, with the Trojans. But ahead of official visits on each of the next three weekends, it’s Oregon that looks most likely to land Lyons, who will enroll in 2027 following an LDS mission after his high school graduation.
QB Landon Duckworth, No. 104 in the 2025 ESPN 300: Auburn, Florida State, Ole Miss and South Carolina are all-in on the nation’s top dual-threat quarterback. While all four programs will host Duckworth for officials this spring, sources tell ESPN that Ole Miss and South Carolina have established themselves as clear leaders in his process this spring.
Coach Lane Kiffin and the Rebels have worked harder than any other school in Duckworth’s recruitment, selling the mobile passer on his fit in the Ole Miss offense and the program’s record of development at the position. South Carolina, which previously held Duckworth’s pledge from August 2023 to June 2024, continues to maintain a strong presence in his process, as well. Visits with both programs in the coming weeks will be pivotal for Duckworth.
QB Oscar Rios, No, 192 in the 2026 ESPN 300: The former Purdue pledge holds a list of seven finalists — Arizona, Colorado, Kentucky, Oklahoma State, UCLA, Utah and Virginia Tech — ahead of visits to Utah, UCLA, Arizona and Colorado this month following earlier trips to Kentucky, Oklahoma State and Virginia Tech.
Kentucky remains a leader among the schools Rios has already visited. Plenty can change across the string of visits in front of him in the coming weeks ahead of a June 25 commitment date, days after Rios closes his run of officials with a visit to Colorado.
QB Bowe Bentley, No. 261 in the 2025 ESPN 300: The dual-threat quarterback from Celina, Texas, is down to LSU and Oklahoma. Bentley spent this past weekend with the Tigers and will make his latest trip to the Sooners this coming weekend, part of a swing of back-to-back officials that could help decide one of the most intriguing quarterback recruitments in the cycle.
Sources within both programs feel confident about their chances with Bentley, who is likely to make a decision not long after wrapping up his pair of official visits early this month.
Elite skill position recruits and top defenders
Past the five-star firepower, there’s plenty more available talent in the upper crust of the 2026 class.
Four of the nation’s top five running backs remain uncommitted this month, led by No. 1 Derrek Cooper. No. 2 rusher Savion Hiter (No. 27 overall) will take officials with Ohio State, Georgia, Michigan and Tennessee prior to the quiet period. Ezavier Crowell, a reclass from the 2027 cycle, is set to commit on June 26 after ESPN’s No. 30 prospect visits Georgia, Texas, Auburn, Florida State and Alabama. Baylor, Florida and Houston are all on the list for four-star rusher Davian Groce (No. 35), whose recruitment remains “wide open,” per ESPN sources.
LSU and Texas A&M stand as the top contenders for four-star wide receiver Ethan Feaster (No. 23 overall) ahead of his July 4 commitment date. Elsewhere in the wide receiver class, sources tell ESPN that Florida, Florida State and LSU are setting the pace for Calvin Russell (No. 26), while Alabama continues to lead the chase for in-state pass catcher Cederian Morgan (No. 47).
On defense, Alabama and Oregon hold a slight edge with four-star safety Jett Washington (No. 22 overall) as the nation’s top safety preps for officials with both schools along with Ohio State and USC. The Crimson Tide are also leading the charge for outside linebacker Xavier Griffin (No. 28), the former USC commit who will visit Florida State, Georgia, Texas after a trip to Ohio State over the weekend.
Four-star safety Jireh Edwards (No. 29) has set his commitment date for July 5 and already visited Auburn and Maryland in recent weeks. Edwards told ESPN that he’s heading into upcoming trips to Alabama, Georgia, Texas A&M and Oregon with “an open mind.” Sources tell ESPN that defensive end Anthony Jones (No. 25) and outside linebacker D.Q. Forkpa (No. 40) are two of the top defenders on the board this spring for Miami and coach Mario Cristobal.
Flip watch
DE Zion Elee, No. 2 in the 2026 ESPN 300, Maryland commit
Elee was slated for a series of summer officials across the Big Ten and SEC before he closed his recruitment and cancelled those trips in February. That’s why his official visit to Auburn last month raised eyebrows, even while Elee asserts he’s still locked in with the Terps.
“I have a bunch of former teammates there so I just wanted to check it out,” he told ESPN. “I wasn’t thinking anything of it. I’m still firm with Maryland. I just wanted to take pictures.”
The historic local class Maryland dreamed of building around Elee — think Iheanacho, Edwards et al — doesn’t appear likely. And with blue bloods still pursuing Elee this spring, his recruitment will remain one to watch from now to signing day. As things stand, Elee is committed to the Terps with plans to return to Maryland for his only scheduled official visit of the month on June 20.
WR Tristen Keys, No. 10 in the 2026 ESPN 300, LSU commit
Keys has been the top-ranked member of the Tigers’ 2026 class since March 19, but the LSU pledge hasn’t kept ESPN’s No. 2 wide receiver from taking other visits. After spring trips to Auburn, Miami, Ole Miss and Texas A&M, Keys was back at Miami for an official over the weekend.
Following his Hurricanes visit, sources tell ESPN that Keys will get to Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee and Texas A&M for officials this month before his June 20 trip to LSU. As Keys keeps his recruitment, coach Brian Kelly’s ability to hang onto five-star talent will be tested again this cycle.
QB Keisean Henderson, No. 16 in the 2026 ESPN 300, Houston commit
Programs across the Big Ten and ACC spent the spring chipping away at Henderson’s Houston commitment. Florida State finally broke through this month, landing a June 9 official visit from the mobile, 6-foot-3 passer.
Henderson has held firm on his pledge to the Cougars while maintaining dialogue with multiple programs this spring. While sources tell ESPN that there has been no change in his commitment status or plans with Houston, Henderson’s visit to Florida State marks new territory in his recruitment.
QB Jaden O’Neal, No. 122 in the 2026 ESPN 300, Oklahoma commit
Despite 11 months spent in the Sooners’ 2026 class and an offseason transfer from California to Oklahoma’s Mustang High School, O’Neal could soon be on the move.
The departure of Sooners offensive coordinator Seth Littrell last fall unsettled O’Neal’s camp, and sources tell ESPN that the program’s full-throttle pursuit of Bowe Bentley under new offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle has damaged the trust between O’Neal and Oklahoma. O’Neal visited Arizona over the weekend, and his upcoming official trip to Florida State looms especially large with Bentley nearing a decision and quarterback dominoes getting ready to fall this month.
Biggest visits
Alabama (June 6-8): The Crimson Tide’s first recruiting class under coach Kalen DeBoer got rolling in June last year. Alabama could go a long way toward turbocharging its 2026 class this weekend with four top-30 recruits on campus between five-star skill talents Derrek Cooper (No. 7 overall) and Kaiden Prothro (No. 19) and four-star defenders Xavier Griffin (No. 28) and Jireh Edwards (No. 29).
Auburn (June 13-15): The Tigers will have a big name on campus this weekend when five-star offensive tackle Immanuel Iheanacho (No. 12 overall) takes his official trip to Auburn. But the weekend of June 13 will give coach Hugh Freeze and his staff a shot at multiple elite targets, including running back Ezavier Crowell (No. 30), safety Bralan Womack (No. 31) and wide receiver Cederian Morgan (No. 47).
Florida (June 13-15): While the Gators will have elite prospects on campus all month, Florida has a chance to build momentum with several top targets two weekends from now. Prothro and No. 4 running back Davian Groce (No. 35 overall) headline a talented group of visitors that could also include top-40 linebacker Izayia Williams — who flipped from Florida to Ole Miss last month — and defensive tackle Kendall Guervil (No. 253), a priority in-state recruit.
Florida State (June 9-15): It’s not exactly a weekend, but the Seminoles will embark on a defining stretch of quarterback visits in the middle of the month. It’ll start with a visit from five-star passer Keisean Henderson (No. 16 overall) before top dual-threat passer Landon Duckworth (No. 104) on June 13 and Oklahoma pledge Jaden O’Neal (No. 112) on June 15 also make visits.
Georgia (June 6-8): The Bulldogs will host a series of heavy hitters this weekend with running back Savion Hiter (No. 27 overall), cornerback Chauncey Kennon (No. 48) and offensive tackle Ekene Ogboko (No. 50) set to visit. Georgia gets Cooper, another top running back target, on campus starting June 13.
Michigan (June 13-15): Coach Sherrone Moore and the Wolverines will welcome eight top-150 prospects on June 13. Hiter, No. 3 athlete Salesi Moa (No. 34 overall) and outside linebacker D.Q. Forkpa (No. 40) lead the group of blue-chip visitors. Top-75 offensive tackles John Turntine III (No. 43) and Leo Delaney (No. 75) mark another pair of key visitors.
Notre Dame (June 20-22): The Fighting Irish will host roughly a dozen commits from June 13 to 15 but could continue to bolster the nation’s second-ranked class a week later. Notre Dame will look to leave a lasting impression on Ogboko, ESPN’s No. 8 offensive tackle, four-star defensive tackle Elijah Golden (No. 84 overall) and athlete Joey O’Brien (No. 102) on the final weekend before the summer quiet period.
Oregon (June 20-22): Coach Dan Lanning will get his top 2026 commit — five-star tight end Kendre’ Harrison — on campus on the final official visit weekend of June with a chance to make a mark with a number of other key Oregon targets. Iheanacho and Edwards are set to visit on June 20 alongside five-star athlete Brandon Arrington (No. 14 overall), outside linebacker Talanoa Ili (No. 53), cornerback Khary Adams (No. 68) and athlete Jalen Lott (No. 108).
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Will the Cubs go all-in at the deadline? Breaking down Chicago’s potential trade options
Published
4 hours agoon
July 30, 2025By
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Jesse RogersJul 30, 2025, 07:00 AM ET
Close- Jesse joined ESPN Chicago in September 2009 and covers MLB for ESPN.com.
MILWAUKEE — In the midst of a heavyweight battle for first place in the National League Central, the Chicago Cubs are still scouring the landscape for help before Thursday’s MLB trade deadline. On their wish list: two starters, a reliever, a potential upgrade at third base and perhaps a backup center fielder.
The man to get it done? President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer, who received a multiyear contract extension Monday as ownership believes he’s the right person to lead the organization during this trade deadline and beyond.
With such a lengthy to-do list, why hasn’t Hoyer made a move yet with just days left to deal? What teams want for those players has been sky high at the top and middle of the market, according to sources familiar with the Cubs’ situation.
Sometimes, a deadline is all it takes to make things happen.
“No one’s untouchable,” Hoyer said recently. “But at the same time, we have a lot of really good prospects and you have to feel like you’re getting commensurate value.”
While the Cubs attempt to find the right fits for their deadline needs, here is where things stand at each area they hope to address.
Starting pitching
Of all their needs, the Cubs view finding help on the mound to be their biggest priority, according to sources familiar with their thinking.
They rank 14th in the majors in starting pitching ERA, and their need for help is amplified by their lack of depth after Matthew Boyd and Shota Imanaga at the top of the rotation.
“They’ve known that was a need since Justin Steele went down,” a rival executive said.
The Cubs have “kicked the tires in a lot of places” in their search for pitching, one American League source said.
That includes starting pitchers at the top of this year’s deadline like Washington Nationals star MacKenzie Gore, those in the middle like Chicago White Sox righty Adrian Houser and even a player returning from injury in Cleveland Guardians starter Shane Bieber. Bieber could be this year’s deadline version of Boyd, who helped Cleveland down the stretch last year before signing with the Cubs in the offseason.
The Cubs have talked at various times to the Miami Marlins and Tampa Bay Rays about their potentially available starters and to the Pittsburgh Pirates about Mitch Keller, as well as a handful of other teams, according to sources. The Cubs are also candidates to land one of Arizona’s available pitchers — though, after another so-so performance by Zac Gallen over the weekend, righty Merrill Kelly, 37, is the more reliable of the two Diamondbacks pitchers. And they also have shown interest in Baltimore’s Zach Eflin.
“The Cubs are ready to pounce if the prices come down,” another source said.
The return needed to land Gore would be astronomical and is prohibitive to a deal for the strikeout artist. ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel has said that the key player the Nationals are rumored to want for Gore is third baseman Matt Shaw, who isn’t on the table.
The White Sox are looking for a prospect ranked in the teens for Houser and even Gore’s teammate, Michael Soroka, would take a higher-than-expected return despite a 4.87 ERA.
The Cubs are determined to enter August with a deeper rotation, so a move is likely. But which team lowers its demands is still the big question.
Relief pitching
Similar to the starters, the Cubs’ bullpen also ranks in the middle of the pack in ERA this season, with clear opportunities for improvement if Chicago can find the right deadline match and multiple relievers needed for the high stakes of the months ahead. The Cubs’ core group of Daniel Palencia, Caleb Thielbar, Ryan Brasier, Drew Pomeranz and Brad Keller has been solid, but those latter few have shown some cracks recently. This is also Palencia’s first chance at being a closer, so the Cubs wouldn’t mind pairing someone with some experience, considering Ryan Pressly has been shaky at best.
The Cubs are among the teams that would love to acquire either Griffin Jax or Danny Coulombe or closer Jhoan Duran from the Minnesota Twins. But just as they do for the available starting pitchers, the Cubs have their ‘irons in the fire’ for the relievers as well, according to the AL source.
There is one closer who could be on the move but can be ruled out for the Cubs — Ryan Helsley, who plays for the rival Cardinals. But Nationals reliever Kyle Finnegan, Pirates closer David Bednar, Braves righty Raisel Iglesias and Rays ninth-inning man Pete Fairbanks are all possibilities if Duran isn’t attainable.
Third base
The first trade deadline domino at third base fell last week when the New York Yankees acquired Ryan McMahon from the Colorado Rockies. But the Cubs weren’t really in on McMahon, according to league sources, which provides a window into how they are approaching the hot corner this month.
Shaw has been much better recently, including posting a ..387/.406/.839 slash line since the All-Star break while playing stellar defense.
“Matt is getting a great opportunity,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “He’s doing the best to take advantage of it. … You should have to earn your spots on teams like this. That’s completely fair. It doesn’t get easier. You have to earn that. Matt is doing a great job of that.”
Shaw’s improvement has given Chicago confidence that he can handle the position the rest of this season. It also allows the Cubs to see if a big deal develops instead of forcing one to fill a lineup spot.
Chicago is in constant contact with the Arizona Diamondbacks about possibly acquiring third baseman Eugenio Suarez and Kelly in what likely would be the biggest blockbuster of this deadline. It’s probably a long shot because Chicago’s biggest need is on the mound, but it’s not impossible.
What the Cubs have to offer
Though expectations on trade return are bound to come down somewhat in the coming days, the reality of this deadline is that there are more teams looking to add than subtract, so it will take big offers to land the best players available.
The Cubs are willing to part with their top prospect, OF Owen Caissie, but not for a player they’ll have for one season. The slugging outfielder is one of the three players drawing the most interest from opposing teams, along with Shaw and Double-A pitcher Jaxon Wiggins. Chicago has made 22-year-old outfielder Kevin Alcantara available, but so far, he hasn’t drawn the interest the other players have.
“I mean that’s one of the fun parts of this job is you kind of have to alter your playbook,” Hoyer said about being nimble and switching directions.
One thing the Cubs won’t do this year is blow up their farm system to increase their playoff odds — which sit at 94.7%, according to FanGraphs.
The Cubs are in a different place this July than they were in 2016, when they moved their No.1 prospect — Gleyber Torres — for closer Aroldis Chapman despite having about a 99% chance of making the postseason. But the move helped them win the World Series.
If that deadline is what all-in looks like on the North Side, the vibe heading into Thursday could be best described as “mostly-in.”
The Cubs are highly motivated to return to the postseason after a prolonged absence, and an aggressive approach is still expected as Chicago prepares for a division race that could be a battle to the end. But the Cubs’ level of aggressiveness remains to be seen.

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Jorge CastilloJul 30, 2025, 11:30 AM ET
Close- 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.
The Yankees traded for outfielder Austin Slater from the White Sox on Wednesday, as New York continues to bolster a roster currently without superstar outfielder Aaron Judge ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline.
The White Sox acquired minor league pitcher Gage Ziehl in return.
Slater is batting .236 with five home runs and a .721 OPS in 51 games this season, but like recent Yankees acquisition Amed Rosario, he has been very productive against left-handed pitchers with a .261 batting average, .859 OPS and all five of his home runs coming in 77 plate appearances against them.
“Really enjoyed my time here and met some incredible people,” Slater said of the White Sox. “Super fun clubhouse to be in. But then also really excited to go play for the Yankees. One of those teams as a kid you always dream about playing for. And they are right in a race for the playoffs. Excited to go there and try to help them out.”
The 32-year-old right-handed hitter missed over a month between April and May with a torn meniscus in his right knee. He signed a one-year, $1.75 million deal with Chicago in November, making him a rental for the Yankees before reaching free agency again this offseason.
Slater has started 15 games in right field, nine in left field and one as designated hitter this season. He provides the Yankees further insurance should Judge, who is on the 10-day injured list with a flexor strain, not return to the outfield for the remainder of the year.
As of now, the Yankees hope Judge will return in early August after the 10-day minimum absence to serve as their designated hitter and begin a throwing program with the goal of returning to right field this season. Giancarlo Stanton, the club’s everyday designated hitter, began working out in right field this week to prepare for the possibility of playing the field for the first time since 2023.
Slater also offers Yankees manager Aaron Boone more lineup and in-game flexibility to counter left-handed pitchers with an outfield group that leans heavily left-handed. With Judge on the injured list, the Yankees don’t have a right-handed-hitting primary outfielder on the active roster; Trent Grisham and Cody Bellinger are left-handed, and Jasson Dominguez, a switch-hitter, has a .585 OPS in 98 plate appearances batting from the right side this season. Slater figures to start games over Dominguez against left-handed pitchers.
Slater spent the first seven-plus seasons of his career with the San Francisco Giants before being traded to the Cincinnati Reds last summer. New York will be Slater’s fifth team in just over a year.
“At this point, we’re a little more prepared than we were last year,” Slater said. “It was something, there was always writing on the wall that it could happen. That maybe helped us mentally prepare a little bit more this year.”
Rosario, a utility man acquired from the Washington Nationals on Saturday, gives Boone another right-handed-hitting corner outfield option, but he is also slated to play second and third base.
Ziehl, 22, was a fourth-round pick by the Yankees last year. The right-hander has posted a 4.15 ERA in 16 appearances (15 starts) between three levels this season, topping out with one start in Double-A.
In addition to Slater and Rosario, the Yankees have traded for veteran third baseman Ryan McMahon in the past week. The Yankees remain in the market for pitching, both starters and relievers before Thursday’s 6 p.m. ET deadline, sources said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Cubs’ Happ: No IL needed after foul ball off shin
Published
4 hours agoon
July 30, 2025By
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Associated Press
Jul 30, 2025, 01:44 PM ET
MILWAUKEE — Chicago Cubs outfielder Ian Happ won’t require a stint on the injured list after fouling a ball off his shin against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Happ wasn’t in the lineup for Wednesday’s series finale but said he could be available if necessary. X-rays taken on Happ’s shin were negative.
“Nothing serious,” Happ said before the game, adding that he did feel “a little sore and stiff.”
The incident occurred Tuesday during the eighth inning of the Cubs’ 9-3 loss to the Brewers and caused him to exit the game. Happ also had said Tuesday he felt lightheaded as a result of the pain coming from his shin.
“It was something like, if you feel like you’re going to pass out or throw up on the field, you probably shouldn’t continue the at bat,” Happ said before Wednesday’s game.
Happ said he generally doesn’t wear shin guards when he’s at the plate. That likely will change for at least a little bit.
“I don’t love the way they feel,” Happ said. “I don’t like the bulkiness of them, so I try not to (wear them). But when I hit right-handed now for a week or two, I’ll have one on. And then once it goes away, we’ll do it again.”
Although Happ avoided a stint on the injured list, the Cubs did make a move Wednesday by calling up catcher Moisés Ballesteros from Triple-A Iowa and designating utilityman Vidal Bruján for assignment. Ballesteros was batting seventh as a designated hitter in the Cubs’ lineup Wednesday.
“It was basically just trying to put the best lineup out there today, essentially,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “In moving on from Bruján, moving forward, we’re probably going to have to make some other changes to the roster just to get more outfield depth. But for today, it made sense.”
Ballesteros, 21, has batted .332 with a .393 on-base percentage, .496 slugging percentage, nine homers, 57 RBI and four steals in 86 games with Iowa. He went 3 for 18 with three RBI in five games with Chicago earlier this season.
He said that earlier stint in the big leagues taught him to be more patient.
“As much as we want to get out there and do things too perfect, we’ve just got to stick to what you do and just try not to do too much,” Ballesteros said through an interpreter.
Bruján, 27, hit .222 with a .234 on-bae percentage, no homers, three RBI and two steals in 36 games.
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Japan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
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