ST. LOUIS (AP) — The Washington Nationals completed their final trade of a dizzying sell-off, sending veteran left-hander Jon Lester to the St. Louis Cardinals at Friday's deadline. Lester becomes the second experienced lefty to join St. Louis, which also acquired J.A Happ from the Minnesota Twins on Friday. The Nationals have entered a full rebuild less than two years after winning the World Series, also trading away Max Scherzer, Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, Brad Hand, Daniel Hudson, Yan Gomes and Josh Harrison in a 24-hour span. The 37-year-old Lester was 3-5 with a 5.02 ERA in 16 starts during his first season with Washington. He has won three World Series titles in his 16-year career: two with Boston and one with the Chicago Cubs. The Cardinals entered Friday at .500 and trailing first-place Milwaukee by 9 1/2 games in the NL Central. St. Louis was 7 1/2 games behind in the NL wild-card race. Washington acquired speedy 25-year-old outfielder Lane Thomas from St. Louis. Thomas hit .104 in 32 games for the Cardinals this season. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — The Washington Nationals kept wheeling and dealing, trading catcher Yan Gomes and utilityman Josh Harrison to the Oakland Athletics for three minor leaguers on Friday. Washington has dismantled its roster in a matter of 24 crazy hours. Ace pitcher Max Scherzer and All-Star shortstop Trea Turner were traded to the reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers for four prospects Friday. Relief pitcher Daniel Hudson was sent to the San Diego Padres late Thursday in a busy day of moves for retooling Washington, which acquired right-hander Mason Thompson and shortstop Jordy Barley in that move. A little earlier, the Nationals traded All-Star slugger Kyle Schwarber to Boston for a minor league pitcher. Before that, they shipped closer Brad Hand to Toronto. The defending AL West champion A's are in second place behind rival Houston. On Monday, Oakland acquired left-hander Andrew Chafin from the Chicago Cubs for two minor leaguers, then traded for outfielder Starling... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers pulled off a monster deal for ace Max Scherzer and All-Star shortstop Trea Turner, getting the dynamic duo from the Washington Nationals shortly before Friday's trade deadline. Washington acquired a pair of rookies, right-hander Josiah Gray and catcher Keibert Ruiz, and two minor leaguers, righty Gerardo Carrillo and outfielder Donovan Casey. Scherzer had been given permission to speak to the Dodgers to see if he would waive his right to veto any trade, a power he had as a 10-year veteran who has been with his team for at least five years. “Today is heart wrenching as we say goodbye to two of the most accomplished players and two of the best people in our team’s history," Nationals owner Mark Lerner said in a statement. The deal came with the Dodgers three games behind NL West-leading San Francisco. Los Angeles owns the top spot in the wild-card race, 2 1/2 games ahead of San Diego. With the Major League Baseball trade deadline... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — The Washington Nationals kept wheeling and dealing, agreeing to trade catcher Yan Gomes and infielder-outfielder Josh Harrison to the Oakland Athletics on Friday, a person with direct knowledge of the swap said. The deal is pending a review of medical reports on the players involved, the person said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the trade had not been finalized. Washington, already rocked by a recent COVID-19 outbreak, has dismantled its roster in a matter of 24 crazy hours. Ace pitcher Max Scherzer and All-Star shortstop Trea Turner were traded to the reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers for four prospects Friday. Relief pitcher Daniel Hudson was sent to the San Diego Padres late Thursday in a busy day of moves for retooling Washington, which acquired right-hander Mason Thompson and shortstop Jordy Barley in that move. A little earlier, the Nationals traded All-Star slugger Kyle Schwarber to Boston for a minor league pitcher. Before that, they shipped closer Brad Hand to Toronto. The defending AL West champion A's are in second place behind rival Houston. On Monday, Oakland acquired left-hander Andrew Chafin from the Chicago Cubs for two minor leaguers, then traded for outfielder Starling Marte on Wednesday in a swap with the Marlins. ___ AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum contributed. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

A look at what’s happening around the majors today: ___ CLOCK IS TICKING Ace Max Scherzer and star shortstop Trea Turner could be moving from the Washington Nationals to the Los Angeles Dodgers as the 4 p.m. EDT trade deadline approaches. The Dodgers and Nationals were close to deal late Thursday night after a day full of trades. Washington sent slugger Kyle Schwarber to Boston, closer Brad Hand to Toronto and reliever Daniel Hudson to San Diego. The New York Yankees acquired Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo after completing another trade to get All-Star slugger Joey Gallo from the Texas Rangers. Already with an eight-game lead over Cleveland in the AL Central, the Chicago White Sox acquired second baseman Cesar Hernandez from the Indians, and then got reliever Ryan Tepera from the Cubs. Left-hander Danny Duffy went from Kansas City to the Dodgers. Seattle got right-hander Diego Castillo from Tampa Bay Rays, and he likely will take over the closer role vacated when the Mariners... [More]

The World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers neared a monster trade for ace Max Scherzer and All-Star shortstop Trea Turner of the Washington Nationals late Thursday night, a person close to the deal told The Associated Press. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the swap wasn't complete. The Nationals would get four young players for Washington's dynamic duo. Scherzer has been given permission to speak to the Dodgers to see if he will waive his right to veto any trade, a power he has as a 10-year veteran who has been with his team for at least five years. If the trade goes through, it would be a stunning haul for the Dodgers, who are three games behind NL West-leading San Francisco. Los Angeles owns the top spot in the wild-card race, 2 1/2 games ahead of San Diego. With the Major League Baseball trade deadline at 4 p.m. EDT Friday, there was speculation on Thursday that the Padres would be the winners in the Scherzer sweepstakes. Instead, the Dodgers got real... [More]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Luis Patiño outpitched Gerrit Cole, Brett Phillips hit a grand slam during a 10-run sixth inning, and the Tampa Bay Rays avoided a three-game sweep by routing the New York Yankees 14-0 on Thursday. Patiño (2-2) allowed three hits in six innings. The 21-year-old right-hander, acquired in the trade that sent Blake Snell to San Diego last December, struck out eight and walked two. Cole (10-6) gave up a season-high eight runs — seven earned — on six hits over 5 1/3 innings and saw his ERA jump from 2.74 to 3.11. He had 10 strikeouts and two walks. Austin Meadows homered twice and drove in five runs for the Rays. Louis Head and Ryan Sherriff completed a four-hitter. All nine batters in the Rays’ lineup reached base in the sixth. It was the biggest scoring inning by Tampa Bay since a 10-run fifth at Miami on June 5, 2008. NATIONALS 3, PHILLIES 1, GAME 1 PHILLIES 11, NATIONALS 8, 8 INNINGS, GAME 2 PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Max Scherzer delivered a signature performance in... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The new-look Nationals have traded right-handed reliever Daniel Hudson to the San Diego Padres in a busy day of moves for retooling Washington, acquiring right-hander Mason Thompson and shortstop Jordy Barley. San Diego announced the deal late Thursday night out West. Hudson is 4-1 with a 2.20 ERA over 31 outings and 32 2/3 innings, and the Padres will count on him down the stretch as they sit in third place in a tight NL West race behind the San Francisco Giants and the defending World Series champion Dodgers. Earlier in the day, Washington dealt All-Star slugger Kyle Schwarber to the Boston Red Sox for a minor league pitcher, and there was speculation Max Scherzer might have made his final start for the Nationals on Thursday and would be headed to the Dodgers along with Trea Turner. Already dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak on the club that postponed Wednesday's game with the Phillies, Washington also traded closer Brad Hand to the Toronto Blue Jays. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Max Scherzer made his final start in a Washington uniform Thursday afternoon and went out in classic fashion, throwing a gem to earn his eighth win of the season against the Philadelphia Phillies. Scherzer allowed one run on three hits and three walks while striking out five batters. He brings his 2.45 ERA and 0.89 WHIP with 147 strikeouts in 111 innings to the Los Angeles Dodgers, where his fantasy value figures to be bumped up with the increased likelihood of wins.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Luis Patiño outpitched Gerrit Cole, Brett Phillips hit a grand slam during a 10-run sixth inning, and the Tampa Bay Rays avoided a three-game sweep by routing the New York Yankees 14-0 on Thursday. Patiño (2-2) allowed three hits in six innings. The 21-year-old right-hander, acquired in the trade that sent Blake Snell to San Diego last December, struck out eight and walked two. Cole (10-6) gave up a season-high eight runs — seven earned — on six hits over 5 1/3 innings and saw his ERA jump from 2.74 to 3.11. He had 10 strikeouts and two walks. Austin Meadows homered twice and drove in five runs for the Rays. Louis Head and Ryan Sherriff completed a four-hitter. All nine batters in the Rays’ lineup reached base in the sixth. It was the biggest scoring inning by Tampa Bay since a 10-run fifth at Miami on June 5, 2008. NATIONALS 3, PHILLIES 1, GAME 1 PHILLIES 11, NATIONALS 8, 8 INNINGS, GAME 2 PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Max Scherzer delivered a signature performance in... [More]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Luis Patiño outpitched Gerrit Cole, Brett Phillips hit a grand slam during a 10-run sixth inning, and the Tampa Bay Rays avoided a three-game sweep by routing the New York Yankees 14-0 on Thursday. Patiño (2-2) allowed three hits in six innings. The 21-year-old right-hander, acquired in the trade that sent Blake Snell to San Diego last December, struck out eight and walked two. Cole (10-6) gave up a season-high eight runs — seven earned — on six hits over 5 1/3 innings and saw his ERA jump from 2.74 to 3.11. He had 10 strikeouts and two walks. Austin Meadows homered twice and drove in five runs for the Rays. Louis Head and Ryan Sherriff completed a four-hitter. All nine batters in the Rays’ lineup reached base in the sixth. It was the biggest scoring inning by Tampa Bay since a 10-run fifth at Miami on June 5, 2008. NATIONALS 3, PHILLIES 1, GAME 1 PHILLIES 11, NATIONALS 8, 8 INNINGS, GAME 2 PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Max Scherzer delivered a signature performance in... [More]

The Washington Nationals officially traded ace Max Scherzer and star shortstop Trea Turner to the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for catcher Keibert Ruiz, right-hander Josiah Gray, pitcher Gerardo Carrillo, and outfielder Donovan Casey. Scherzer agreed to waive his no-trade clause, and the deal became official. The 38-year-old ace has shown signs of slowing down, owning a 2.76 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, and a 147:28 K: BB across 111 innings in 2021. Turner is currently on the COVID-IL after testing positive for coronavirus during Tuesday's game. The 28-year-old is expected to return to the team as soon as he clears MLB's COVID protocols. According to Baseball America, catcher Keibert Ruiz is the No.16 overall prospect in baseball, and Washington also lands the Dodgers number two prospect Josiah Gray. Gray has struggled in the majors this season, owning a 6.75 ERA and 1.50 WHIP over eight big league innings. The Dodgers landed two top superstars and is gearing up for another World Series run. Incredible.

A look at what’s happening around the majors on Friday: ___ CLOCK IS TICKING Time is running out for playoff contenders to bolster their rosters through a trade, and there likely will be more players changing teams before the 4 p.m. EDT deadline. Three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer was among those still on the trading block. The right-hander made what might have been his last start for the Washington Nationals, allowing one run and three hits in six innings to win the the opener of a doubleheader Thursday. He then watched the second game against Philadelphia from the dugout. There was a lot of movement Thursday, with the selling Nationals sending closer Brad Hand to Toronto. Shortstop Trea Turner, currently out because of COVID-19 protocols, could also be headed out of Washington. The New York Yankees acquired Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo after completing another trade to get All-Star slugger Joey Gallo from the Texas Rangers. Already with an eight-game lead over Cleveland... [More]

Jeff Passan of ESPN reports that the Los Angeles Dodgers are making "significant progress" on a deal that would send them Washington Nationals ace Max Scherzer and star shortstop Trea Turner. It was reported earlier that NL West rival the San Diego Padres were close to acquiring Scherzer. The tables have turned in recent hours, and the Dodgers could land both superstars for another World Series run. The 38-year-old ace has shown signs of slowing down, owning a 2.76 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, and a 147:28 K: BB across 111 innings in 2021. Turner is currently on the COVID-IL after testing positive for coronavirus during Tuesday's game. The 28-year-old is expected to return to the team as soon as he clears MLB's COVID protocols. Stay tuned.

The Los Angeles Angels have entered the last minute frenzy to try and complete a deal to acquire Washington Nationals starting pitcher Max Scherzer, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network. Earlier in the afternoon on Thursday it appeared that Scherzer was on the brink of being traded to San Diego, but there has been a flurry of teams attempting to make a better offer for Scherzer, including the Dodgers. It would be an interesting scenario to see Scherzer end up in the AL West, but for now there's just no telling who will come out on top. Managers should keep an eye on this situation closely throughout the rest of this evening.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Luis Patiño outpitched Gerrit Cole, Brett Phillips hit a grand slam during a 10-run sixth inning, and the Tampa Bay Rays avoided a three-game sweep by routing the New York Yankees 14-0 on Thursday. Patiño (2-2) allowed three hits in six innings. The 21-year-old right-hander, acquired in the trade that sent Blake Snell to San Diego last December, struck out eight and walked two. Cole (10-6) gave up a season-high eight runs — seven earned — on six hits over 5 1/3 innings and saw his ERA jump from 2.74 to 3.11. He had 10 strikeouts and two walks. Austin Meadows homered twice and drove in five runs for the Rays. Louis Head and Ryan Sherriff completed a four-hitter. All nine batters in the Rays’ lineup reached base in the sixth. It was the biggest scoring inning by Tampa Bay since a 10-run fifth at Miami on June 5, 2008. NATIONALS 3, PHILLIES 1, GAME 1 PHILLIES 11, NATIONALS 8, 8 INNINGS, GAME 2 PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Max Scherzer delivered a signature performance in... [More]

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Max Scherzer is on the verge of being traded to the San Diego Padres, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Trade rumors have been pointing for a few days now that Scherzer would be open to a trade to an NL West team, and it looks like the Padres could end up being the winners in the race for Scherzer. Scherzer was 7-4 with a 2.83 ERA, 0.886 WHIP and 35.1 percent strikeout rate over 105 innings of work entering Thursday, and in what looks to be his final game with Washington, he tossed six innings of one-run ball against the Phillies with five strikeouts in Game 1 of Thursday's doubleheader. Managers should stay tuned to see if this deal gets completed.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Toronto Blue Jays acquired closer Brad Hand from Washington on Thursday, getting some bullpen help from a skidding Nationals team that has turned into a trade-deadline seller. The 31-year-old Hand is 5-5 with a 3.59 ERA and 21 saves in 26 opportunities for the Nationals, who entered Thursday's doubleheader at Philadelphia eight games under .500 and in the midst of a COVID-19 outbreak that has sidelined four players. Washington is 6-16 in July. The Blue Jays sent catcher Riley Adams to Washington. Toronto entered Thursday at 50-48, good for fourth place in the tough AL East, but the Blue Jays are 4 1/2 games back of the second AL wild card as they prepare to begin their first true homestand of the season on Friday. Toronto had played home games in Dunedin, Florida, and Buffalo, New York, this season because of pandemic-related travel restrictions between the U.S. and Canada. Hand signed a one-year, $10.5 million contract with Washington in the offseason. Before that,... [More]

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Max Scherzer could reportedly be traded tonight. According to a tweet from MLB Network's Jon Morosi, trade discussions involving Scherzer "have continued to intensify." There appear to be a number of clubs that are interested, including three mentioned in Morosi's tweet, who the reporter described as "top suitors." The three teams mentioned were the San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers, and San Diego Padres. Scherzer, per usual, has been excellent so far this season. In 105 innings, the starter has pitched to a 2.83 ERA, a 3.47 FIP, 142 strikeouts, and 25 walks. A trade to a contender would only improve things for fantasy managers as Scherzer could be in line for more wins pitching on a pennant-chasing team.

The Seattle Mariners have worked their way into the postseason race — one run at a time. The Mariners improved to 23-8 in one-run games, and that remarkable record has them just 1 1/2 games behind Oakland for the second wild card in the American League. Seattle has been outscored by 52 runs on the season, but the Mariners are eight games over .500. This last series against the Athletics was a microcosm of Seattle's season. The Mariners lost 4-1 in the opener before taking three straight one-run games. Although there are still reasons to doubt that Seattle will be in the playoffs in the end, there is understandable excitement surrounding this team. The Mariners haven't made the postseason since 2001 — the longest drought in baseball. The Miami Marlins ended what was the second-longest absence during last year's shortened season. They qualified for the first time since 2003 Seattle is seven games behind first-place Houston, and the Mariners have a chance to cut into that gap during a three-game... [More]