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Phillies trade deadline updates: Phillies add White Sox reliever Tanner Banks, trade Gregory Soto to Orioles The Philadelphia Inquirer[unable to retrieve full-text content]
Diamondbacks To Acquire Dylan Floro MLB Trade Rumors[unable to retrieve full-text content]
Mariners acquire Turner from Jays to help offense ESPN[unable to retrieve full-text content]
Brazil’s vice-president talks China ties and boosting trade amid complaints South China Morning Post[unable to retrieve full-text content]
Latest Mariners trade rumors: Dipoto says M’s remain active The Seattle Times[unable to retrieve full-text content]
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UK port operators to seek compensation if post-Brexit trade barriers are lowered The Guardian[unable to retrieve full-text content]
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When Liberals Fought Free Trade Compact Mag[unable to retrieve full-text content]
Patrik Laine has requested a trade. Could the Capitals be a potential landing spot? NHL.com says yes. Russian Machine Never Breaks[unable to retrieve full-text content]
This may be the worst Karl-Anthony Towns trade idea yet Sports Illustrated[unable to retrieve full-text content]
Draymond Green Hints at Warriors Trade Being Close Newsweek[unable to retrieve full-text content]
Yankees trade scenarios: Bowden evaluates your proposals, answers deadline questions The New York Times[unable to retrieve full-text content]
MLB trade deadline rumors: Jameson Taillon draws looks, Dodgers eye outfield help, Yankees narrow to-do list CBS Sports[unable to retrieve full-text content]
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UPS domestic revenue slips as customers trade down to economy service Yahoo Finance[unable to retrieve full-text content]
China-Mexico trade is not reciprocal, says finance minister South China Morning Post[unable to retrieve full-text content]
Astros GM Trying To "Go Big" On Trade For Rotation Help MLB Trade Rumors[unable to retrieve full-text content]
Rays’ Amed Rosario open to Yankees trade as infield boost: ‘Why not?’ New York Post[unable to retrieve full-text content]
MLB trade deadline 2024: Biggest questions as uncertainty holds up rumor mill USA TODAY[unable to retrieve full-text content]
Dodgers Chasing Garrett Crochet at MLB Trade Deadline, per Report Sports Illustrated[unable to retrieve full-text content]
Trade Deadline Decisions Could Hinge On "When Might The A’s Be Good Again?" Athletics Nation[unable to retrieve full-text content]
The Trump Trade Is Back. But Did It Ever Work? The Wall Street Journal[unable to retrieve full-text content]
Fears of a ‘Fast and Furious’ Trump Trade War on China Bloomberg[unable to retrieve full-text content]
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Dream trades ahead of the MLB trade deadline NBC SportsThe White Sox are reportedly in agreement with free agent infielder Nick Senzel on a major league contract. Senzel, a client of the Boras Corporation, was released by the Nationals last week. Chicago will need to open space on the active and 40-man rosters once the move is finalized, which might not happen until after the All-Star Break.
As MLB’s clearest rebuilding team, the Sox are a sensible fit for Senzel. No team has gotten less from its third basemen this year. Through 371 plate appearances, Sox third basemen are hitting .206/.246/.315 with six home runs and a 4.6% walk rate. That’s in part because Yoán Moncada has been on the injured list since the second week of the season. Yet even with Moncada on a minor league rehab stint and nearing a return, there’s ample opportunity for Senzel around the Chicago infield.
The Sox have turned to Nicky Lopez, Paul DeJong and Lenyn Sosa as their primary options alongside first baseman Andrew Vaughn. DeJong has popped 16 homers and would certainly be dealt if the Sox can drum up any level of trade interest over the next two weeks. Sosa and Lopez have been well below-average hitters.
DeJong and Moncada are impending free agents. (The latter has a $25MM club option that certainly isn’t getting exercised.) Lopez would be due a raise on this year’s $4.3MM salary in his final year of arbitration, so he could be a non-tender candidate. Chicago’s infield could look quite a bit different next year.
Senzel is a long shot to emerge as a key piece himself, but there’s minimal risk for Chicago in taking a look at the former #2 overall pick. The one-time top prospect hasn’t met expectations on either side of the ball over his five-plus MLB seasons. He’s a career .235/.302/.368 hitter in just over 1600 big league plate appearances. Most of that came in one of the sport’s most favorable home hitting environments in Cincinnati’s Great American Ball Park.
Injuries perhaps played some role in diminishing Senzel’s production. He has never topped 420 plate appearances in a season and battled knee and toe issues during his time with the Reds. Cincinnati also bounced him around the diamond without much success in trying to expand his defensive versatility.
After the Reds non-tendered Senzel last winter, he landed with the Nationals on a $2MM free agent deal. Washington moved him back to his customary third base position in the hope that a more stable defensive setup could allow him to unlock some of his offensive upside. That’s not how things played out. Senzel hit .209/.303/.359 with below-average defensive grades over 64 games. Washington decided to move on and turn third base over to rookie Trey Lipscomb.
The Nationals are on the hook for the majority of Senzel’s contract. The White Sox will only pay him the prorated portion of the $740K minimum for any time he spends in the big leagues (which comes out of Washington’s obligations). Senzel surpassed the five-year service threshold earlier this season. That means he can no longer be sent to the minor leagues without his consent. He would be eligible for arbitration for the 2025 campaign if he plays well enough to hold a roster spot down the stretch.
Jon Heyman of the New York Post first reported Senzel was signing with the White Sox. James Fegan of Sox Machine reported it was a big league deal.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
The St. Louis Cardinals haven't looked as expected in the outfield.
St. Louis entered the 2024 season with the outfield seeming like a strength. The Cardinals looked like they had a logjam and traded Tyler O'Neill away ahead of the season. St. Louis had some tough decisions to make entering the season but the decisions got taken out of its hands as injuries started to pile up.
The Cardinals haven't had their expected starting outfield together for a single game yet this season and have made due. One bright spot has been the performance of young center fielder Michael Siani. He has been tremendous defensively so far after taking on a larger role than expected.
St. Louis has turned things around of late and is looking like a real contenders in the National League. With the trade deadline quickly approaching, there sure will be plenty of speculation on who could make sense for the Cardinals in a possible trade.
At this point, the Cardinals could use some more pop in the middle of the lineup and another starting pitcher. Some intriguing players have been mentioned as trade candidates and one who could be a high-reward option for St. Louis would be Chicago White Sox superstar slugger Luis Robert Jr.
Injuries have shown that the Cardinals could use another boost in the outfield despite the expectation that they had a logjam. Robert would be a great option to add and is just 26 years old and is on an affordable contract through 2027.
He launched 38 home runs and drove in 80 runs last season in 145 games to go along with 36 doubles and 20 stolen bases. Robert will be one of the best offensive players possibly available on the open market and the New York Post's Jon Heyman even predicted that he has a 50 percent chance of being moved.
"Though the Sox have three more years of control at a reasonable rate, it’s looking possible," Heyman said. "Even money (50 percent)."
Robert would be a great player to build around and could help take the Cardinals to another level.
More MLB: White Sox 'Open' To Moving Hurler Who Would Be Perfect Option For Cardinals
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The attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump is already influencing markets as investors place bets on trades set to benefit from a second Trump term.
In the immediate aftermath of the attack at Trump's rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, the price of bitcoin increased by 2%. Those gains extended to 4% on Monday morning.
Trump has come out strongly in favor of bitcoin this year and is set to headline the Bitcoin Conference in Nashville later this month with a speech.
Shares of Trump Media & Technology Group soared 48% on a massive trading volume of 13 million shares in Monday's premarket trading session. Shortly after the opening bell, the stock pared that gain by about 28% to trade at $40 a share.
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Tesla stock was also higher on Monday by about 4%.
If Trump is reelected in November, it could have mixed results for the electric-vehicle industry. But analysts have described the company as a Trump trade, and the EV maker was largely higher as its CEO, Elon Musk, endorsed Trump over the weekend.
"I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery," Musk said Saturday on X.
Shares of the GEO Group, a company that operates private prisons and correctional facilities, jumped about 7% on Monday.
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The company is seen as benefiting from a second Trump presidency, especially if he followed through on his proposed plan to detain and deport millions of immigrants.
Even before the assassination attempt, economists and analysts were debating what a Trump presidency would mean for markets.
A Trump agenda would spur "higher inflation expectations, higher breakeven rates, higher yields and steeper yield curve because of expectations of greater deficit spending in the United States," Kyle Rodda, a senior market analyst at Capital.com, an online trading platform, wrote in a client note.
Rodda wrote that in the short term, investors would look to bitcoin and gold as havens to hedge against political instability in the US.
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Long-term bond yields rose Monday on the prospects of higher inflation and expanding fiscal policy that could come if Trump won reelection, with the 30-year US Treasury yield rising above the two-year US Treasury yield for the first time since January.
"UST yields are rising as the prospect of Trump regaining the presidency also rises. Higher tariffs, restricted immigration, and the extension of the Tax Cut and Jobs Act are the three key aspects of Trump's policy agenda that traders associate with higher inflation and higher interest rates," the Macquarie strategist Thierry Wizman wrote in a note on Monday, adding that European defense stocks were also rallying on the premise that Trump would force Europe's governments to spend more on defense.
"Judging by historical parallels, this event will galvanize the Trump vote, meaning the markets will gradually price in the so-called 'Trump trade,'" Rodda wrote.
"The direct impact could be a firmer US dollar, as higher odds of a Trump's presidency suggest that his inflationary policies in terms of stricter immigration, tougher trade ties, and increased spending could potentially be set to pass," Yeap Jun Rong, a markets analyst at trading platform IG, wrote on Monday.
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Finally, an odd beneficiary of the failed attempt on Trump's life appeared to be the stock of a Chinese company whose name sounds like "Trump wins big" when pronounced in its local language.
The stock saw its price rise by the maximum daily limit of 10% in Shenzhen. Wisesoft also saw its stock price rise in late June following President Joe Biden's poor debate performance against Trump.
Correction: July 15, 2024 — An earlier version of this story misspelled the name of Yeap Jun Rong.
As world financial markets started to reopen after the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, one thing seemed likely: The Trump trade will get even more momentum.
The series of wagers — based on anticipation that the Republican’s return to the White House would usher in tax cuts, higher tariffs and looser regulations — had already been gaining ground since President Joe Biden’s poor performance in last month’s debate imperiled his re-election campaign.
It appears Tee Higgins will be playing out the 2024 season on the franchise tag after he and the Cincinnati Bengals won't be getting an extension done before Monday's deadline to do so with tagged players, according to NFL Media. Higgins is expected to be at training camp when veterans report in on July 23, per Ian Rapoport.
The star wide receiver will make $21.8 million fully guaranteed in the upcoming season, though it's just a one-year deal.
The Bengals made Higgins the first pick of the second round (33rd overall) in the 2020 NFL Draft, the same year they took quarterback Joe Burrow first overall, and it was assumed he would be a top target of Burrow's for years to come.
Higgins totaled 257 catches for 3,684 receiving yards and 24 receiving touchdowns in his first four NFL seasons, with his best years unsurprisingly occurring in 2021 and 2022 -- when Burrow was healthy. He amassed 74 catches and more than 1,000 yards in each of those seasons as well as 13 receiving touchdowns. He battled through both injuries and inefficiency in 2023 with Burrow's health being unstable, but at the age of 25, Higgins' prime years should still be ahead.
He requested a trade back in March, according to CBS Sports lead NFL insider Jonathan Jones, after Cincy had yet to discuss a new long-term deal with him. The Bengals already made Burrow the highest-paid player in the NFL with a five-year, $275 million extension ($55 million average per year), and they are staring down the barrel of top-dollar extension for wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase as well.
With that in mind, any teams with receiver needs at this juncture would be wise to call the Bengals to see what the cost would be to acquire Higgins. Here are a few landing spots for the playmaker, with both a need and the financial flexibility to sign him long term.
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, who's disgruntled and searching for a new home, expressed interest in being traded to Washington and reuniting with his college quarterback at Arizona State, Jayden Daniels -- the second overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Should the Commanders deem the 49ers' asking price to be too high, perhaps they pivot to Higgins and give Cincy a call.
Sure, Washington already has Pro Bowler Terry McLaurin in place, but after that it's a bunch of youngsters. Providing Daniels with two proven wide receivers from the get-go could accelerate his NFL development, and the Commanders currently have a little over $37 million in cap space at the moment, the second most in the league, according to OverTheCap.com. The Bengals also get the benefit of trading Higgins out of the AFC with this move, something that sometimes matters in deals of this magnitude.
The New England Patriots currently have the most cap space in the entire league at the moment -- $43.763 million, per OverTheCap.com -- and they have a dire need at their wide receiver position. Their WR room at the moment is led by veteran Kendrick Bourne, veteran K.J. Osborn, second-year receiver DeMario Douglas, 2024 second-round rookie Ja'Lynn Polk, 2024 fourth-round rookie Javon Baker and journeyman Jalen Reagor.
New England also has quarterback Drake Maye, the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, which it's trying to develop. Providing him with a true No. 1 receiver would only accelerate his growth. Bills quarterback Josh Allen (Stefon Diggs), Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (Tyreek Hill) and Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (A.J. Brown) all took major leaps after their respective teams traded for a big-time wideout. The Patriots doing the same could have a similar effect down the road.
The New York Jets don't have a ton of cap space left to play with for this season ($6.254 million), but they could get creative in their accounting for a Higgins extension by providing him with a massive signing bonus and backloading his contract to defer larger cap hits to future years.
Gang Green's window to contend with future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers, who turns 41 on Dec. 2 and is coming off an Achilles tear, at quarterback will likely be only for couple years or so. Both All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams and Rogers have talked about the potential of the Jets reuniting Rodgers with his top Green Bay Packers target. However, a trade and contract for Higgins will most certainly cost less than trading for Adams, who has three years remaining on a five-year, $140 million contract.
This deal could make sense for the Jets if acquiring Adams doesn't materialize as a real opportunity.
The Los Angeles Chargers saw both of their longtime top wide receivers -- Keenan Allen and Mike Williams -- depart this offseason, leaving Joshua Palmer, 2023 first-round pick Quentin Johnston and 2024 second-round pick Ladd McConkey as quarterback Justin Herbert's top three receivers.
Yes, new head coach Jim Harbaugh has spoken repeatedly about the value he places in winning up front at the line of scrimmage, and new Chargers offensive coordinator Greg Roman is known for his run-heavy offenses during his years with Jim Harbaugh and the 49ers (2011-2014) as well as his brother John Harbaugh and the Baltimore Ravens (2019-2022). However, trading for Higgins could provide a veteran presence that both Johnston and McConkey could learn from plus a new, young reliable deep threat for Herbert.
The Chargers have $20.656 million cap space for this season, and they are projected to have just under $43 million ($42.926 million) in cap space in 2025. Trading for, and signing, Higgins could be a smart short- and long-term move for a Chargers squad that could rebound quickly under Harbaugh.
The Royals have bolstered their bullpen with the acquisition of right-hander Hunter Harvey, as the Nationals announced that Harvey will head to K.C. in exchange for third baseman Cayden Wallace and the Royals’ Competitive Balance Round A pick (39th overall) in the 2024 draft. The Royals also announced the move, as well as the news that right-hander Nick Anderson has been designated for assignment to create roster space for Harvey.
Today’s 5-0 loss to the Red Sox dropped the Royals to a 52-44 record, and a game back of Boston for the third and final AL wild card slot. Playing .542 baseball is already an impressive step forward for a team that lost 106 games in 2023, yet Kansas City clearly has eyes on bouncing back from some recent struggles. The Royals started the season at a blistering 39-26 pace, but have since stumbled to a 13-18 mark in their last 31 games, and relief pitching has been a major reason behind this slide.
The K.C. bullpen ranks in the bottom third of baseball in most major categories, including 22nd in bullpen ERA (4.30). James McArthur has converted 17 of 21 save chances but has been somewhat shaky, and the Royals’ relief corps is lacking in both velocity and strikeout ability. Recent reports suggested that Kansas City was considering the bullpen as a top need heading into the trade deadline, even ahead of the Royals’ also-pressing need for outfield upgrades.
Harvey and his 97.8mph fastball provide some immediate high-leverage zip in the Royals’ pen, and Harvey also has above-average strikeout and walk rates over his 45 innings this season out of Washington’s bullpen. While he has a 4.20 ERA, Harvey’s SIERA is 2.99, as a .325 BABIP has contributed to make Harvey’s bottom-line results an insufficient reflection of his quality pitching.
Selected 22nd overall by the Orioles in the 2013 draft, Harvey drew top-100 prospect attention before a variety of injuries threatened to halt his career before it ever got off the ground. He had a 3.42 ERA over 23 2/3 innings and 26 appearances for Baltimore during the 2019-21 seasons, but the Giants claimed him off waivers in November 2021, and Harvey then moved to Washington on another waiver claim just prior to the start of the 2022 campaign.
This time with the Nationals allowed Harvey to establish himself as a solid MLB-caliber arm, even if he has flown under the radar during the team’s rebuild. Harvey has a 3.17 ERA, 27.8% strikeout rate, and 6.4% walk rate in 145 innings for D.C., working mostly as a setup man but with 10 saves to his ledger in 2023. Hard contact is a big red flag in Harvey’s arsenal, but he has done a passably good job of keeping this hard contact from translating into home runs. Moving to spacious Kauffman Stadium could further help the 29-year-old Harvey in this regard.
Harvey is earning a $2.35MM salary this season in his second-last year of arbitration eligibility, so the Royals also control him through the end of the 2025 campaign. This extra year of control made Harvey a particularly interesting player to watch heading into the July 30 deadline, and both Harvey and Nats closer Kyle Finnegan (also controlled through 2025) cracked the top 15 of MLBTR’s recent listing of the top 50 trade candidates. Since teams generally have to pay a bit extra to complete deals further in advance of the deadline, that factor plus Harvey’s extra year of control and perhaps the Royals’ eagerness to quickly correct their bullpen struggles combined to give Washington a pretty nice return.
The rebuilding Nationals stayed within striking distance of the NL wild card race, but today’s trade leaves no doubt that the Nats will remain on their expected path as sellers heading into the deadline. This doesn’t mean that Washington might not seek out some players that could help them be competitive as early as 2025, and Wallace could potentially fit that category, as he is currently in his second season of Double-A ball.
A second-round pick for the Royals in the 2022 draft, Wallace is hitting .282/.350/.427 over 140 plate appearances for Double-A Northwest Arkansas this season, but he has been slowed by both an oblique strain and an ongoing IL stint for a broken rib. These injuries have slowed his development, but MLB Pipeline still ranks Wallace as the second-best prospect in the Kansas City farm system, and Baseball America ranked him fifth in their preseason ranking of Royals minor leaguers. Both scouting reports consider him a good defensive player with the ability to remain at third base due to a strong throwing arm, and Wallace has a good approach at the plate and a solid swing. He has power potential moreso than obvious power at the moment, so Pipeline and BA view Wallace as a gap hitter with some upside as he develops.
Trading a “third baseman of the future” candidate like Wallace serves as an endorsement of the Royals’ faith in Maikel Garcia in at least the short term, even if Kansas City might now look for some help at the hot corner down the road — perhaps as soon as tomorrow’s draft. As noted by MASNsports.com’s Mark Zuckerman, the Nationals have now given themselves lot of third base depth for the future, with Wallace joining Brady House (ranked by Pipeline as the 44th-best prospect in all of baseball) and Yohandy Morales in the minor league ranks. This could be a potential surplus position for the Nationals in the coming years, if they return to contention and start moving their own internal prospects for more win-now veterans.
The Competitive Balance Round selections are the only types of draft picks that can be traded, and as such are quietly some of the most valued trade chips in all of baseball. Any team can trade for CBR picks, but since smaller-market and lower-revenue teams are the only clubs eligible for these bonus selections in the first place, trades involving the picks are relatively rare, given how adding talent through the draft is of such particular value for the game’s lesser spenders. Still, today’s trade marks the third CBR pick of the 2024 draft to change hands — the Brewers acquired the 34th overall pick from the Orioles as part of the Corbin Burnes trade, while the White Sox landed the 68th overall pick (in CBR Round B) as part of the deal that sent Gregory Santos to the Mariners.
The Royals select sixth overall in tomorrow’s draft, and now won’t pick again until their second-round choice (41st overall). The Nationals now have three selections within the first 44 picks, with their newly-acquired CBR selection sandwiched between their first- and second-round slots.
Anderson came to the Royals in a trade with the Braves last November, as Kansas City had interest in seeing if the former Rays bullpen ace could regain his form after three injury-marred seasons. Over 34 2/3 innings for the Royals this season, Anderson had a 4.15 ERA and not much in the way of secondary metrics, as he posted a 10.1% walk rate and 18.1% strikeout rate.
Anderson is earning $1.575MM this season, and he is arb-controlled through 2025, which could add some attraction for any club interested in adding bullpen depth via waiver claim. Anderson has now passed the five-year threshold for MLB service time due to being on the Royals’ active roster all season, and would thus retain all of his 2024 salary if he clears waivers and becomes a free agent.
Canada’s finance minister said she’ll hold talks next week with business and labor groups about erecting trade barriers against Chinese-made vehicles — and suggested the government may even go beyond autos.
The government last month announced a public consultation on how to respond to “unfair Chinese trade practices” of electric vehicles. But “the consultation actually could be broader than that,” Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said in an interview on Friday with Bloomberg News.
Japan depends far more heavily on single countries – often China – for imports of many more types of consumer and industrial products than do Tokyo’s Group of Seven peers, according to the white paper.
The report applied the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI), a measure of market concentration in which a reading above 50 for a given product means that one specific country accounts for more than half of its imports.
Overall, Japan relied heavily on imports for nearly 47 per cent of its 4,300 products surveyed. In particular, Japan imported more than half from China in 1,406 specific items, representing almost 70 per cent of 2,015 items that Japan sourced heavily from overseas in 2022.
[China and Japan] are in a situation where they need each other, and I don’t see a push toward decoupling
In contrast, the US accounted for only 12.5 per cent of the imports on which Japan strongly relied.
And today, that type of trade scenario still persists, explained Stephen Nagy, director of policy studies for the Yokosuka Council of Asia-Pacific Studies in Tokyo.
China-Japan economic ties remain “highly complementary”, he said, adding that Japan’s reliance on Chinese goods is expected to continue.
“Both countries are in a situation where they need each other, and I don’t see a push toward decoupling,” Nagy said, adding that a weak yen makes Japan all the more attractive to Chinese exporters.
Japan does not advocate decoupling the way Western countries have done, but the Japanese aim to “insulate the sensitive parts of their relationship” from China, Nagy noted. However, Japan will limit Chinese access to chips and dual-use technology used for both civilian and military purposes, Nagy said.
In 2022, Tokyo passed the Economic Security Promotion Act to develop more resilient supply chains while promoting infrastructure security and the use of critical technologies.
Additionally, Japan has expanded fiscal support to companies to incentivise the reshoring and diversification of business operations from China, especially in strategically crucial industries such as semiconductors.
However, Japan, China and South Korea agreed to resume negotiations on a trilateral free-trade agreement at a summit in May 2024.
02:42
Japan sets up ‘cooling shelters’ amid brutal heatwave
Japan sets up ‘cooling shelters’ amid brutal heatwave
Rumi Aoyama, director of the Waseda Institute of Contemporary Chinese Studies at Waseda University, said the agreement was a “clear signal” from the leaders of the three major powers in the region that economic relations are vital and must continue.
“In a region where the trend towards economic integration is continuing, political leaders show a strong intention to stabilise economic relations, and economic-security policy does not aim at full decoupling,” Aoyama said in a blog post on June 27 on the Australia-based East Asia Forum that focuses on analyses of Asian economics and public policies.
As the second-largest exporting country of China, Japan’s exports fell to US$157.49 billion in 2023 from 2022’s US$171.98 billion, according to Chinese customs data.
Last year, Japan was China’s top buyer of air conditioners and rare earth minerals, the second-largest importer of Chinese smartphones, and the fourth-biggest importing country of Chinese laptops and organic chemicals, according to customs data.
In the category for “portable equipment under 10kg”, which largely includes laptops, the value of China’s exports to Japan fell last year by 0.5 per cent to US$4.22 billion from US$4.67 billion in 2022, the data showed.
China exported more than 40 per cent of its rare earths to Japan last year, by value, and the value of exports to Japan plunged by 24.66 per cent to US$218.66 million in 2023 from US$209.2 million in 2022.
Nearly 13 per cent of China’s air conditioners were sold to Japan last year, and their export value accounted for 12.75 per cent of China’s total air conditioner exports.
Additional reporting by Ralph Jennings
The Padres are going to promote right-hander Sean Reynolds, reports Craig Mish of the Miami Herald on X. The righty will be making his major league debut as soon as he gets into a game. He’s already on San Diego’s 40-man roster but the club will need to open an active roster spot.
Reynolds, 26, was a fourth-round pick of the Marlins back in 2016. He was drafted as a hitter but never did much hitting. In over 1,000 minor league plate appearances, he struck out at a 43.8% clip and slashed .178/.287/.344, never getting higher than Single-A.
He moved to the mound in 2021 and has been having more success in that role. He tossed 84 1/3 innings on the farm over 2021 and 2022 with a 3.74 earned run average and 27.7% strikeout rate. The 12.6% walk rate was a bit high but understandable for a guy fairly new to pitching.
The Marlins were intrigued enough to add him to their 40-man roster at the end of 2022, keeping Reynolds out of that year’s Rule 5 draft. He tossed another 48 2/3 innings in Miami’s farm system last year, between Double-A and Triple-A. In that time, he had a 2.77 ERA, 26.3% strikeout rate and 11.2% walk rate. He was also briefly promoted to the majors but didn’t get into a game.
The Padres were impressed enough to acquire Reynolds alongside Garrett Cooper in the trade that sent Ryan Weathers to the Marlins. Reynolds struggled with the move, allowing 24 earned runs in 16 innings after the deal last year.
He’s been in better form this year, though with the underlying numbers being more impressive than the surface ones. He has tossed 45 1/3 Triple-A innings this year with a 6.55 ERA, 28.3% strikeout rate and 14.6% walk rate. His .365 batting average on balls in play and 57.2% strand rate are both on the unlucky side, so perhaps his 4.62 FIP is a better indicator of how he’s pitched in the Pacific Coast League this year. Control is clearly still a work in progress but Reynolds seems to have strikeout stuff, so the Padres will give him a shot to miss major league bats.
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China’s trade surplus hit a record high last month as exports surged and imports unexpectedly declined, raising the risk of the US and Europe stepping up efforts to shield their markets from Beijing.
“We cannot carry on trade without war, nor war without trade,” wrote Jan Pieterszoon Coen, a brutal governor-general of the Dutch East India Company, to shareholders in 1614. Four centuries later, things sound a bit different. “Let’s make no mistake: assertiveness is a prerequisite for keeping our markets open,” says Sabine Weyand, the EU’s top trade negotiator. After decades during which America supported the global rules-based trade order and European commerce thrived, the bloc now has to learn how to do business in a fractious world.
Electric vehicles (EVs) from China are the EU’s latest target. On July 5th the European Commission started to apply provisional tariffs to them. These differ by firm, from 17% for BYD to 38% for SAIC, based on subsidies they have received from the Chinese state and their co-operation with the EU’s investigation. The commission’s logic for applying levies on top of an existing 10% tariff on car imports is that Chinese carmakers have an unfair advantage owing to favoured treatment at home—a justification that allows the levies to fall within the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) rules. The move nevertheless illustrates the tightrope European officials must walk. They want to uphold the rules-based order, from which the continent benefits enormously, while ensuring that they are not bullied by more protectionist rivals.
The New York Yankees have reportedly discussed a trade for Miami Marlins star Jazz Chisholm Jr., per the New York Post's Jon Heyman.
Heyman also noted that the Seattle Mariners have also been linked to Chisholm.
"The Yankees have discussed Jazz Chisholm Jr., the Marlins' talented outfielder-turned-infielder," Heyman wrote. "The extent of the interest is unknown, but Chisholm likely would play mostly infield, a Yankees need.
"The Mariners are another possible landing spot for Chisholm."
The report comes ahead of the July 30 trade deadline as the Yankees look to bolster their roster to make a World Series run.
Chisholm, 26, has 11 home runs, 41 RBI and a .256 batting average through 89 games this year, on track to record career highs in all those categories. The center fielder, who has been playing second base this year, could help New York fill some holes in what is already a strong roster and help it continue to surge.
The trade rumors come as the Marlins seem to be heading toward a rebuild. They traded two-time batting champ Luis Arráez to the San Diego Padres for a handful of prospects earlier this season, the first move towards rebuilding, and could continue making moves ahead of the deadline.
Heyman reported in June that several teams, including the Yankees, are interested in reliever Tanner Scott, so he could be another piece on the move before the trade deadline.
Miami currently sits at the bottom of the NL East at 32-60 and has virtually no chance of reaching the postseason. Given their current position, building for the future could be the best plan of action for the Marlins this year.
Front offices across Major League Baseball are on the clock.
The 2024 MLB trade deadline is just weeks away, meaning clubs with postseason aspirations are running out of time to make any final additions via trade.
Two aces changed teams ahead of last year's deadline, with Justin Verlander rejoining the Houston Astros and Max Scherzer going to the eventual champion Texas Rangers. Could more big names be on the move this year?
From the date to the top trade candidates, here's what to know about the 2024 MLB trade deadline:
The 2024 trade deadline is on Tuesday, July 30.
The exact deadline to make deals by is 6 p.m. ET on July 30.
Here's a look at some of the top players who could be on the move ahead of the deadline (players listed alphabetically by last name, all stats through July 10):
Contract situation: Free agent after 2024 season
An Alonso trade seems less likely than it was when the Mets were 11 games under .500 in early June. That's because New York now finds itself right in the thick of a very crowded NL wild-card race, with FanGraphs' projections giving the club a 40.4% chance of making the playoffs. So how the Mets play in the lead-up to the deadline could determine Alonso's availability.
Alonso, 29, is set to hit free agency this offseason. The four-time All-Star and two-time Home Run Derby champion is batting .240/.320/.454 with 18 homers and 48 RBIs.
Contract situation: One year, $13 million left on deal after 2024 season
The 34-year-old Anderson has been a bright spot in what's been another rough season overall in Anaheim. After struggling in Year 1 with the Angels, Anderson has rebounded by sporting a 2.81 ERA over 18 starts.
Contract situation: Under club control through 2026 season
Arozarena has followed up his first All-Star campaign with a career-worst season. The 29-year-old is batting just .203/.311/.360 with 11 homers and 29 RBIs. The Rays, who have an 11.9% chance of making the postseason per FanGraphs, don't have to be in a rush to trade Arozarena, who's under club control for two more seasons beyond 2024.
Contract situation: One year, $22 million left on deal after 2024 season
The underperforming Blue Jays may be the most interesting team to watch at this year's deadline. Toronto, which has very slim playoff odds, boasts several enticing trade candidates, including Bassitt, should it decide to be sellers. The 35-year-old righty is sporting a sub-4.00 ERA (3.52) as he's done for the past several seasons, although his WHIP has jumped up to 1.44.
Contract situation: Two years, $52.5 million left on deal after 2024 (player opt out available after 2024)
The Cubs decided not to deal Bellinger at last year's deadline and then signed him to a three-year, $80 million deal in the offseason. But Chicago now faces a decision on the 2019 NL MVP yet again.
Bellinger, who turns 29 this month, hasn't been as productive as he was in his bounce-back 2023 season, hitting .269/.331/.410 with nine homers and 37 RBIs. He also has the ability to opt out of the remaining two years and $52.5 million left on his deal after 2024.
Contract situation: One year, $17.6 million left on deal beyond 2024
Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said in early June that "it doesn't make any sense" for the club to trade Bichette or Vladimir Guerrero Jr. But Toronto's continued struggles have led to speculation about whether either of its franchise cornerstones could be moved before entering contract years. The New York Post's Jon Heyman reported in late June that Toronto "never came close" to reaching long-term agreements with the two stars in past negotiations.
"And folks who know the pair believe the Jays have little to no chance to lock up Bichette, and maybe only a slightly better chance with Guerrero," Heyman added.
Bichette, 26, said in late June he wouldn't be surprised "at all" if he was dealt ahead of the deadline. The two-time All-Star is having a career-worst campaign, hitting just .222/.275/.321 with four homers and 30 RBIs. This would be his first season with a sub-.800 OPS.
Contract situation: Under club control through 2026
The Marlins were among the most active buyers at last year's deadline. This time around, though, they could be one of the most active sellers.
The Athletic's Jim Bowden polled dozens of baseball executives and Chisholm, 26, was pegged as the most likely position player to be traded before the deadline. After struggling to stay on the field in recent seasons, Chisholm has only missed a handful of games in 2024. The one-time All-Star is hitting .256/.325/.414 with 11 homers and 41 RBIs. He's also made strides against left-handed pitchers, bringing his OPS up from .479 last year to .716 in 2024.
Contract situation: Under club control through 2026
This time last year, Crochet was a full-time reliever recovering from Tommy John. Now, the 25-year-old southpaw leads all of Major League Baseball in strikeouts (146) while sporting a 3.08 ERA and 0.97 WHIP over 19 starts.
USA TODAY's Bob Nightengale reported in late June that the White Sox intend to trade their former No. 11 overall pick as they have "no optimism" about reaching an extension agreement.
Contract situation: Free agent after 2024 season
The Rockies didn't move Díaz at last year's deadline, but it'd be surprising if that was the case again this year as the 2023 All-Star Game MVP heads toward free agency. The 33-year-old is enjoying an even better offensive season than his first All-Star campaign, hitting .296/.340/.417 with five homers and 30 RBIs.
Contract situation: Free agent after 2024 season
Estévez is among the top potential options for teams seeking bullpen help. The 31-year-old right-hander has recorded 16 saves in 19 chances while sporting a 2.79 ERA.
Contract situation: Free agent after 2024 season
The Baltimore Orioles acquired Flaherty at last year's deadline, but the right-hander struggled mightily down the stretch with a 6.75 ERA over nine appearances. The 28-year-old right-hander has bounced back after signing a one-year, $14 million deal with Detroit, though, boasting a 3.24 ERA and 1.00 WHIP over 15 starts.
Contract situation: Under club control through 2025 season
Unlike Bichette, Vlad Jr. is putting together another strong season at the dish. The 25-year-old four-time All-Star is hitting .290/.364/.454 with 13 homers and 52 RBIs. Even if Toronto keeps Guerrero and Bichette beyond July 30, their 2025 free agency is looming.
Contract situation: Free agent after 2024 season
In addition to Tyler Anderson and Jack Flaherty, Kikuchi is another rental option for any teams in need of rotation help. The 33-year-old right-hander has a 4.00 ERA and 1.27 WHIP over 19 starts this season.
Contract situation: Free agent after 2024 season
Alonso isn't the only Mets slugger that rival clubs may be eyeing. Martinez has continued to fend off Father Time in his age-36 season, hitting .264/.349/.463 with 10 homers and 37 RBIs.
Contract situation: Under club control through 2029 season
Miller has quickly turned into one of the most dominant bullpen arms in all of baseball. The flame-thrower, who turns 26 next month, has gone 15-for-17 in save chances and boasts a 2.33 ERA. His average fastball speed of 100.9 mph leads MLB and he combines that with a slider averaging 87.4 mph. The lethal pitch combo has helped him strike out 68 hitters in 38.2 innings.
Miller isn't slated to hit free agency until 2030, either, so prying him away from the A's will require quite the haul.
Contract situation: Three years, $55 million left on deal after 2024 season ($20 million club option in 2026 and 2027)
Robert, like Chisholm, is a centerfielder who's been limited by injuries. He missed a combined 150-plus games from 2021-22 before his first All-Star season in 2023 when he made 145 appearances. Robert missed over 50 games earlier this season due to a right hip flexor strain, an injury he also sustained in 2021.
While Robert's health may be a concern, his ability to produce at the dish isn't. Robert, who turns 27 next month, boasts a career slash line of .274/.324/.500 and he hit 38 homers in 2023. In 40 games this year, he's hitting .220/.295/.493 with 11 homers and 21 RBIs.
Nightengale reported earlier this month that rival general managers are skeptical about whether any team will meet Chicago's high asking price for Robert.
Contract situation: Under club control through 2027 season
Rooker is proving his 2023 All-Star season wasn't an outlier. The 29-year-old slugger is hitting .282/.362/.544 with 18 homers, 17 doubles and 55 RBIs. Rooker may not be the strongest fielder, but he can certainly mash.
It would make sense for the A's to also place a high price tag on Rooker, who's under club control for three more seasons beyond 2024.
Contract situation: Free agent after 2024 season
The Marlins closer has continued to build on his strong 2023 campaign. Scott, who turns 30 later this month, has a 1.42 ERA over 37 appearances. The first-time All-Star has struck out 42 hitters while completing 13 of 15 save opportunities.
Contract situation: Free agent after 2024 season
Winker, who turns 31 next month, has regained the form he showed with the Cincinnati Reds earlier in his career. Following down seasons with the Seattle Mariners and Milwaukee Brewers, he joined the Nationals this past offseason on a one-year, $1.5 million deal -- and he's certainly outperforming that contract. Winker is hitting .264/.379/.430 with 10 homers and 41 RBIs.
Contract situation: Free agent after 2024 season
It's safe to say this isn't what the Rangers envisioned their title defense would look like. While Texas is still lingering in the playoff race, the defending champs have just a 9.6% chance of making the playoffs per FanGraphs.
Should the Rangers decide to sell, they may have the best rental bullpen arm on the trade market in Yates. The 37-year-old signed with Texas in the offseason on a one-year, $4.5 million deal and has gone on to post a career-best 0.84 ERA over 32 appearances. He's struck out 45 hitters and hasn't blown a save in 14 chances.
The 2024 MLB Home Run Derby will feature several players making their debut, but Vaughn Dalzell of NBC Sports discusses why the Mets’ Pete Alonso has the best chance to win for a third time.
