Misc Rumor - Baseball Wiretap

The Minnesota Twins have agreed to terms with catcher Vahn Lackey, the No. 3 overall pick in last weekend's MLB draft.

The projected slot value for the third pick this year was $9.74 million. Lackey becomes Minnesota's highest draft selection since taking Royce Lewis first overall in 2017, a pick that carried a franchise-record $6.725 million signing bonus at the time.

Lackey batted .397 with a .519 on-base percentage and .772 slugging percentage across 283 plate appearances for Georgia Tech this past season. Twins assistant general manager and scouting director Sean Johnson praised the catcher's all-around game.

"He's hard to take your eyes off when you see him play," said Johnson. "He can really throw. He's athletic. He blocks. He does all the little things that you want to see a catcher do. He can take charge on the field. You can't take your eyes off him when he's out there. His presence is really good. All the things you want to see, the intangibles, he has them."

Lackey marks the highest catcher drafted by Minnesota since selecting Hall of Famer Joe Mauer first overall in 2001. He climbed draft boards significantly after a breakout junior season, improving his home run total from six as a sophomore to 20 as a junior after focusing on adding launch angle to his swing.

The New York Mets are considered unlikely to trade away Francisco Lindor at the trade deadline, sources tell The Athletic. While the Mets are open to discussing nearly all of their players, Lindor represents a high bar for any interested team.

Lindor, 32, holds trade veto power as a 10-year veteran who has spent the past five consecutive seasons with the same club. He is owed more than $160 million through 2031, and sources with knowledge of the situation said New York has no particular interest in absorbing money in a potential deal, viewing him as a player who can still help the team win next season.

Lindor declined to comment when The Athletic raised the subject of his no-trade protection in a recent conversation. A person close to him said he has no desire to leave New York and remains comfortable with the organization and city.

The Mets, sitting at 41-57, are fielding calls as sellers in a thin trade market. According to SNY, the team is not expected to engage in trade discussions involving Juan Soto, Nolan McLean, Christian Scott, A.J. Ewing or Carson Benge.

Lindor's situation stands apart given his track record, though he is enduring a difficult individual season. He has committed uncharacteristic defensive lapses and posted below-average defensive metrics despite his reputation for reliability. Offensively, he is batting just .210 with a .654 OPS.

Injuries have limited Lindor to 41 games and 175 plate appearances this season. A hamate bone surgery disrupted his spring training, and a calf injury sidelined him for two months before he returned from the injured list on June 24.

The Detroit Tigers are unlikely to commit to trading ace Tarik Skubal ahead of the deadline given their favorable upcoming schedule. Detroit faces the Los Angeles Angels, Chicago Cubs, Kansas City Royals, Athletics and the Baltimore Orioles, a slate that gives the Tigers little incentive to sell.

Should Detroit reconsider, the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, Atlanta Braves and Tampa Bay Rays all represent teams worth monitoring in a potential Skubal market. The Dodgers don't necessarily need Skubal to remain favorites for a third straight championship, but their deep farm system and financial resources mean they face fewer roadblocks than most rivals in pursuing him.

Detroit has gone 22-14 since the start of June, a stretch equivalent to a 99-win pace. That trend has left rival executives skeptical the Tigers will move Skubal or fellow starter Casey Mize.

"They went in big on this year, making the decision to keep Skubal, and then they signed Framber Valdez," said one official. "They're making up ground on the leaders, and now they might trade [Skubal]? I don't see it, unless they lose a bunch of games [coming out of the All-Star break]."

Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris is regarded around the league as objective in his evaluations, according to peers, and would consider moving Skubal if he believed Detroit could no longer contend for a postseason spot. With Skubal set to reach free agency after this season, the coming weeks could represent the Tigers' last chance to win with the two-time Cy Young Award winner on their roster.

The Cincinnati Reds and right-hander Chase Burns have agreed to a seven-year, $105 million contract, a league source confirmed to The Athletic. MLB Network's Jon Morosi first reported the deal.

The contract contains no options or deferrals and stands as the largest ever given to a pitcher with less than four years of major-league service time, according to the source.

Burns, 23, earned All-Star honors this season in his second year in the majors. He is 11-1 with a 2.54 ERA across 18 starts in 2026 after making 13 appearances as a rookie last season.

The extension buys out several years of team control, as Burns was not previously scheduled to reach free agency until 2032. Cincinnati selected him second overall in the 2024 draft out of Wake Forest.

Burns previously set a signing bonus record after the draft, earning $9.25 million, which broke the mark set by Paul Skenes out of LSU with the Pittsburgh Pirates the year before.

The Houston Astros will trade veteran starter Lance McCullers Jr. to the Milwaukee Brewers. The move aims to reduce payroll and bring clarity to Houston's crowded pitching staff.

Triple-A left-hander Colton Gordon will head to Milwaukee as part of the package, according to a source. Gordon has thrown 95 1/3 major-league innings since debuting last season and carries five years of team control.

McCullers is in the final year of a five-year, $85 million extension he signed before the 2021 season. It remains unclear how much of the remaining salary Milwaukee will absorb. Multiple team sources said Houston has attempted to trade McCullers for much of the past year.

McCullers was previously included in a proposed package sent to the St. Louis Cardinals before the 2025 season in exchange for Nolan Arenado, a deal Arenado ultimately vetoed using his no-trade clause.

McCullers has battled significant injuries since 2021. He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2018 and flexor tendon repair in 2023, an operation that sidelined him for the 2023 and 2024 seasons.

McCullers has thrown just 359 2/3 innings since his Tommy John surgery, with more than half of that total coming during the 2021 season, the only year he has made more than 22 starts. He has made eight starts this season with a 6.86 ERA and is currently on the injured list with a rotator cuff impingement.

McCullers made his third minor-league rehab start last week, increasing his pitch count to 77 in that outing.

Roch Cholowsky  has agreed to a record signing bonus with the Chicago White Sox after they made him the No. 1 overall pick in last week's draft. The shortstop out of UCLA landed a $10.35 million bonus, according to MLB.com, roughly $1 million below the pick's slot value but $1.1 million higher than the previous record.

The prior mark of $9.25 million was shared by Cincinnati Reds pitcher Chase Burns and Colorado Rockies outfielder Charlie Condon, the second and third picks in the 2024 draft. Cholowsky became Chicago's first No. 1 selection since 1977, when the franchise took Hall of Fame outfielder Harold Baines.

Cholowsky threw a ceremonial first pitch to Baines on Sunday afternoon at Rate Field. He had visited the organization in early June, meeting coaches, players, front office staff and owner Jerry Reinsdorf during a trip that included Braden Montgomery's walk-off home run in his major-league debut.

The 21-year-old posted a .320/.452/.636 slash line with 21 home runs in 60 games during his junior season at UCLA. The Athletic's draft analyst Keith Law, who ranked Cholowsky as his top overall prospect, described him as a polished shortstop with power and strong instincts on both sides of the ball.

The Chicago White Sox selected UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky with the No. 1 overall pick Saturday, taking the consensus top prospect in this year's class despite late buzz around Grady Emerson and Vahn Lackey. Cholowsky posted a 1.088 OPS during his junior season and profiles as a well-rounded shortstop with a fast track to the majors.

The Tampa Bay Rays followed by selecting Fort Worth Christian High School shortstop Grady Emerson, the top-ranked high school position player in the draft. Emerson earned Gatorade National Player of the Year honors and fills a need for a Rays organization still searching for stability at shortstop.

The Minnesota Twins took Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey third overall after he hit .397 with 20 home runs this season, continuing the school's pipeline of first-round catchers.

The San Francisco Giants then selected UC Santa Barbara right-hander Jackson Flora fourth, the top pitching prospect in a class considered thin on arms.

The Pittsburgh Pirates rounded out the top five by taking LSU outfielder Derek Curiel, a draft-eligible sophomore who batted .353 with strong instincts in center field.

2026 MLB Draft Results

First Round

1. Chicago White Sox: Roch Cholowsky, SS, UCLA
2. Tampa Bay Rays: Grady Emerson, SS, Fort Worth Christian HS (Texas)
3. Minnesota Twins: Vahn Lackey, C, Georgia Tech
4. San Francisco Giants: Jackson Flora, RHP, UC Santa Barbara
5. Pittsburgh Pirates: Derek Curiel, CF, LSU
6. Kansas City Royals: Zion Rose, LF, Louisville
7. Baltimore Orioles: Eric Booth Jr., CF, Oak Grove HS (Mississippi)
8. Athletics: Drew Burress, CF, Georgia Tech
9. Atlanta Braves: AJ Gracia, CF, Virginia
10. Colorado Rockies: Tyler Bell, SS, Kentucky
11. Washington Nationals: Chris Hacopian, 2B, Texas A&M
12. Los Angeles Angels: Jared Grindlinger, RF/LHP, Huntington Beach HS (California)
13. St. Louis Cardinals: Trevor Condon, CF, Etowah HS (Georgia)
14. Miami Marlins: Jacob Lombard, SS, Gulliver Prep HS (Florida)
15. Arizona Diamondbacks: Ryder Helfrick, C, Arkansas
16. Texas Rangers: Gio Rojas, LHP, Stoneman Douglas HS (Florida)
17. Houston Astros: Logan Hughes, LF, Texas Tech
18. Cincinnati Reds: Justin Lebron, SS, Alabama
19. Cleveland Guardians: Liam Peterson, RHP, Florida
20. Boston Red Sox: Jake Schaffner, SS, North Carolina
21. San Diego Padres: Coleman Borthwick, RHP, South Walton HS (Florida)
22. Detroit Tigers: Cameron Flukey, RHP, Coastal Carolina
23. Chicago Cubs: Cade Townsend, RHP, Mississippi
24. Seattle Mariners: Ace Reese, 3B, Mississippi State
25. Milwaukee Brewers: Trey Ebel, SS, Corona HS (California)
26. Atlanta Braves: Carter Beck, CF, Indiana State
27. New York Mets: Carson Wiggins, RHP, Arkansas
28. Houston Astros: Jack Radel, RHP, Notre Dame
29. San Francisco Giants: Carson Bolemon, LHP, Southside Christian HS (South Carolina)
30. Kansas City Royals: Taylor Rabe, RHP, Mississippi
31. Arizona Diamondbacks: Blake Bryant, RHP, Citizen's Christian HS (Georgia)
32. St. Louis Cardinals: Tegan Kuhns, RHP, Tennessee
33. Tampa Bay Rays: Taj Marchand, SS, James Island Charter HS (South Carolina)
34. Chicago White Sox: Landon Thome, SS, Nazareth Academy HS (Illinois)
35. New York Yankees: Hunter Dietz, LHP, Arkansas
36. Philadelphia Phillies: Tyler Spangler, SS, De La Salle HS (California)
37. Colorado Rockies: Daniel Jackson, C, Georgia

Second Round

38. Colorado Rockies: Logan Reddemann, RHP, UCLA
39. Toronto Blue Jays: Cole Carlon, LHP, Arizona State
40. Los Angeles Dodgers: Bo Lowrance, 3B, Christ Church Episcopal HS (South Carolina)
41. Chicago White Sox: Cole Prosek, 3B/C, Magnolia Heights HS (Mississippi)
42. Washington Nationals: Chase Brunson, OF, TCU
43. Minnesota Twins: Carson Tinney, C, Texas
44. Pittsburgh Pirates: Aiden Ruiz, SS, The Stony Brook HS
45. Los Angeles Angels: Jarren Advincula, 2B, Georgia Tech
46. Baltimore Orioles: Ty Head, OF, North Carolina State
47. Athletics: Mason Edwards, P, USC
48. Atlanta Braves: Kaiden McCarthy, P, Vermont Academy
49. Tampa Bay Rays: Ben Blair, P, Liberty
50. St. Louis Cardinals: Rocco Maniscalco, SS, Oxford HS
51. Pittsburgh Pirates: Chris Rembert, 2B, Auburn
52. Miami Marlins: Ethan Kleinschmit, P, Oregon State
53. Arizona Diamondbacks: Carson Kerce, SS, Georgia Tech
54. Texas Rangers: Connor Comeau, 3B, Anderson HS (Texas)
55. San Francisco Giants: Kaden Waechter, P, Jesuit HS (Florida)
56. Kansas City Royals: Jack Slightom, P, Lyons Township HS (Illinois)
57. Houston Astros: Wes Mendes, P, Florida State
58. Cincinnati Reds: Eric Becker, 3B, Virginia
59. Cleveland Guardians: Logan Schmidt, P, Ganesha HS (California)
60. San Diego Padres: Elliot Lascelles, SS, Upper Canada College HS
61. Detroit Tigers: Tyson LeBlanc, SS, Kansas
62. Chicago Cubs: Caden Sorrell, OF, Texas A&M
63. New York Yankees: Sean Duncan, P, Terry Fox SS (Canada)
64. Philadelphia Phillies: Caden Bogenpohl, OF, Missouri State
65. Seattle Mariners: Jake Brown, OF, LSU
66. Milwaukee Brewers: Sawyer Strosnider, OF, TCU

Competitive Balance Round B

67. Boston Red Sox: Owen Hull, OF, North Carolina
68. St. Louis Cardinals: Andrew Williamson, OF, Central Florida
69. Detroit Tigers: Evan Dempsey, P, Florida Gulf Coast
70. Cincinnati Reds: Mulivai Levu, 1B, UCLA
71. Miami Marlins: Ryan Peterson, P, Sam Houston State
72. St. Louis Cardinals: Dawson, Montesa P, West Virginia
73. Athletics: Gabe Gaeckle, P, Arkansas
74. Minnesota Twins: Brett Renfrow, P, Virginia Tech

Compensation Picks

75. Chicago Cubs: Myles Bailey, 1B, Florida State

Third Round

76. Colorado Rockies: Jack Natili, C, Cincinnati
77. Chicago White Sox: Joey Volchko, P, Georgia
78. Washington Nationals: Luke Williams SS, Franklin Regional HS (Pennsylvania)
79. Minnesota Twins: Ethan Wachsmann, P, Grandview HS (Colorado)
80. Pittsburgh Pirates: Jason DeCaro, P, North Carolina
81. Los Angeles Angels: Gavin Grahovac, 3B, Texas A&M
82. Baltimore Orioles: Dominic Voegele, P, Kansas
83. Athletics: Jacob Dudan, P, North Carolina State
84. Atlanta Braves: Jensen Hirschkorn, P, Kingsburg HS (California)
85. Tampa Bay Rays: Gavin Giese, P, Dana Hills HS (California)
86. St. Louis Cardinals: Caden Ferraro OF, Texas Tech
87. Miami Marlins: Cam Kozeal SS, Arkansas
88. Arizona Diamondbacks: Brayden Dowd OF, Florida State
89. Texas Rangers: Brody Bumila P, Bishop Feehan HS (Mass.)
90. San Francisco Giants: Peyton Bonds OF, Rutgers
91. Kansas City Royals: Maxx Yehl P, West Virginia
92. New York Mets: Aiden Robbins OF, Texas
93. Houston Astros: Keon Johnson SS, First Presbyterian HS (Georgia)
94. Cincinnati Reds: Ty Horn P, Nebraska
95. Cleveland Guardians: Tre Broussard, OF, Houston
96. Boston Red Sox: Jace Mataczynski, SS, Hudson HS (Wisconsin)
97. San Diego Padres: Ryan Lynch, P, North Carolina
98. Chicago Cubs: Carson Jasa, P, Nebraska
99. New York Yankees: Brendan Brock, C, Oklahoma
100. Philadelphia Phillies: Ruger Riojas, P, Texas
101. Seattle Mariners: Nathan Taylor, P, Cincinnati
102. Milwaukee Brewers: Kyle Jones, OF, Florida
103. Toronto Blue Jays: Ryan Cooney, SS, Oregon

Fourth Round

104. Colorado Rockies: Ben Davis, P, Mississippi State
105. Chicago White Sox: Eric Segura, P, Oregon State
106. Washington Nationals: Cooper Harris, P, Flower Mound HS (Texas)
107. Minnesota Twins: Tommy LaPour, P, TCU
108. Pittsburgh Pirates: Andruw Giles, OF, Basic HS (Nevada)
109. Los Angeles Angels: Rylan Lujo, OF, Georgia
110. Baltimore Orioles: Kevin Roberts Jr., OF, Jackson Prep HS (Mississippi)
111. Athletics: Roman Martin, SS, UCLA
112. Atlanta Braves: Cole Dennis, P, Bishop Snyder HS (Florida)
113. Tampa Bay Rays: Collin Bland, OF, Houston HS
114. St. Louis Cardinals: Dee Kennedy, SS, Kansas State
115. Miami Marlins: Wessley Roberson, OF, Glynn Academy HS (Georgia)
116. Arizona Diamondbacks: Josh McDevitt, P, Missouri
117. Texas Rangers: Hudson Calhoun, P, Mississippi
118. San Francisco Giants: Carlos Martinez, P, Hofstra
119. Kansas City Royals: Dominic Battista, OF, Oswego East HS (Illinois)
120. New York Mets: Shane Sdao, P, Texas A&M
121. Houston Astros: Kam Durnin, SS, Missouri
122. Cincinnati Reds: Ethan Norby, P, East Carolina
123. Cleveland Guardians: Kade Lewis, 3B, Wake Forest
124. San Diego Padres: Robbie Lavey, C, George Washington
125. Detroit Tigers: Dominic Pellegrin, SS, Holy Cross HS (Louisiana)
126. Chicago Cubs: Dylan Marionneaux, P, Northwestern State
127. New York Yankees: Paul Contreras, OF, Cal State Fullerton
128. Philadelphia Phillies: Deven Sheerin, P, LSU
129. Seattle Mariners: Trevor Lucas 3B, UNC Wilmington
130. Milwaukee Brewers: Julian Garcia, P, St. John Bosco HS (California)
131. Toronto Blue Jays: Will Brick, C, Christian Brothers HS (Tennessee)
132. Los Angeles Dodgers: Russell Sandefer, P, Florida

Comp Picks

133. Houston Astros: Beau Peterson, 3B, Mill Valley HS (Kansas)
134. San Diego Padres: Alex Conover, OF, Oklahoma State
135. Philadelphia Phillies: Jaxon Jelkin, P, Kentucky

The Athletics fired pitching coach Scott Emerson on Monday following a stretch in which the team lost 13 of its last 14 games before the All-Star break. 

Bullpen coach Dan Hubbs will take over as interim pitching coach for the remainder of the 2026 season. The Athletics currently sit at 41-55 with the worst ERA in the American League at 5.21.

Oakland's pitching staff has struggled since the team moved into Sacramento's Sutter Health Park last year, a ballpark that ranks among the most hitter-friendly in baseball, trailing only Coors Field in offensive environment. Starter J.T. Ginn has been a bright spot this season, but the rotation has otherwise lacked consistency.

Luis Severino has been sidelined since late May with a shoulder strain, while veterans Jeffrey Springs and Aaron Civale carry ERAs of 6.08 and 5.42, respectively.

Emerson, 54, began his coaching career in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization before joining the Athletics as a minor-league pitching coach in 2003. He moved to the major-league staff as bullpen coach in 2015 before being promoted to replace longtime pitching coach Curt Young in 2017.

The Athletics reached the postseason three times under Emerson in 2018, 2019 and 2020. The pitching staff ranked in the top half of the majors in ERA during his first four full seasons as coach but fell to 24th or worse in each of the last five seasons.

Philadelphia Phillies ace Zack Wheeler said he declined an invitation to be added to the National League All-Star roster, adding that he felt "disrespected" by being snubbed multiple times.

Wheeler did not make the initial NL All-Star roster, which was revealed last weekend, and also was not among several replacement additions announced Tuesday.

The veteran right-hander told reporters that he was invited Friday by Major League Baseball to join the NL roster as an injury replacement but refused, saying he was "not gonna be the fifth option.""They disrespected me, so I'm just not going to participate in that thing," Wheeler said Saturday, according to NBC Sports Philadelphia.

The Tampa Bay Rays selected shortstop Grady Emerson with the second overall pick in Saturday's MLB Draft. Emerson, out of Fort Worth Christian School in North Richland Hills, Texas, becomes the first high school player taken this year.

Emerson had been projected as the top overall prospect for most of the draft cycle before eventual No. 1 pick Roch Cholowsky surged late in the process. Emerson instead joins an organization known for its strong player development track record.

The left-handed hitter closed his prep career with a .532/.648/1.013 line, adding seven home runs, 50 RBIs and 31 stolen bases. He became just the second high schooler in 48 years to earn a Golden Spikes Award nomination, joining Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., whom Emerson has trained with and considers a mentor.

Emerson is widely viewed as the best pure hitter in this year's class, combining an advanced approach with elite contact skills. He became the first player to appear on multiple USA Baseball U-15 and U-18 national teams.

Keith Law of The Athletic offered a comparison for Emerson's offensive profile.

"(T)he descriptions I hear from scouts and execs make it sound like they're hoping he's the next Kevin McGonigle," wrote Law. "And maybe he is: Emerson does hit, making contact at a reasonably high clip last summer at showcases (13.3 percent strikeout rate, 23.3 percent whiff rate), while showing fringe-average power now that projects to above-average at his peak."

Defensively, evaluators believe Emerson can play shortstop, citing soft hands, a plus arm and strong instincts to go with above-average speed. He finished as runner-up in last year's high school home run derby at Truist Park during MLB All-Star weekend.

Emerson grew up a Texas Rangers fan and modeled his game after former second baseman Ian Kinsler.