FOX is home to a trio of MLB games this Saturday following the trade deadline.
The Cleveland Guardians host the Baltimore Orioles in a potential ALCS preview that headlines Saturday night’s slate. Simultaneously, the surging Houston Astros will host the Tampa Bay Rays and the San Francisco Giants take on the Cincinnati Reds.
Here’s everything you need to know about this weekend’s slate!
Orioles at Guardians (7:15 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app)
Probable starters: Zach Eflin, Baltimore (4.11 ERA) vs. TBD, Cleveland
The Orioles are seeking to repeat as AL East champions, though the New York Yankees have been nipping at their heels as of late. Baltimore loaded up at the deadline, acquiring Eflin along with outfielder Eloy Jimenez and starting pitcher Trevor Rogers. The O’s also recalled top prospect Jackson Holliday and promoted Coby Mayo in hopes that they can bolster a star-studded lineup with MVP hopeful Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman and more.
The Guardians also made a pair of moves, adding to a roster that’s been in first place in the AL Central for much of the year. They added starting pitcher Alex Cobb, who’s rehabbing from an injury, and outfielder Lane Thomas (8 home runs, 40 RBIs, .256/.334/.412). Cleveland had a bit of a rocky month of July, but it seems to have gotten back on track after taking two of three from the Philadelphia Phillies last weekend as José Ramírez is heating up again.
Rays at Astros (7:15 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app)
Probable starters: Zack Littell, Tampa Bay (4-7, 4.18 ERA) vs. Spencer Arrighetti (4-9, 5.58 ERA)
The Rays were the biggest seller at the trade deadline after failing to live up to their playoff hopes for much of the first half of the season. They moved off of Randy Arozarena, Isaac Paredes, Phil Maton, Amed Rosario and Eflin, while keeping Yandy Díaz. He leads the team in batting average (.271) this season.
The Astros, meanwhile, were buyers ahead of the trade deadline as they aim for another deep playoff run. They gave up a haul of prospects to land starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi. Their lineup has been a major reason for their resurgence, with José Altuve, Yordan Álvarez, Jeremy Peña and Yainer Díaz all hitting north of .300 in the month of July.
Giants at Reds (7:15 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app)
Probable starters: Kyle Harrison, San Francisco (6-4, 3.69 ERA) vs. Hunter Greene, Cincinnati (7-4, 2.97 ERA)
The Giants were also among the notable group of sellers at the trade deadline, moving off of Jorge Soler and Cobb. However, they also acquired Mark Canha to add some right-handed hitting to their lineup. One of the players they didn’t part with was Blake Snell. The reigning NL Cy Young winner has turned things around following a rough few months in the Bay Area, going 4-0 with a 0.75 ERA over his past four starts.
Reds ace Hunter Greene, who just made his first All-Star team, is in the top 10 in the NL in ERA, strikeouts (138) and WHIP (1.05). While Greene and shortstop Elly De La Cruz (.262 batting average, .836 OPS, 18 homers, 55 stolen bases) are among the brightest young stars in the game, Cincinnati remains several games out of a wild-card spot.
Now, check out some pregame reading from across MLB courtesy of FOXSports.com!
MLB trade deadline regrets? Most improved contenders? New World Series favorites? Rowan Kavner and Deesha Thosar answer five burning questions in this week’s roundtable.
MLB’s best rosters? Thosar ranks every contender post-trade deadline.
Trade deadline winners and losers: Kavner highlights which teams he thought improved the most while scrutinizing the teams he thought should’ve been more proactive.
Top 10 impact moves: Kavner and Thosar opine on which trades could shake up the second half of the season and beyond the most.
The John Smoltz Interview: The Hall of Famer and MLB on FOX analyst weighs in on several title contenders in the wake of the trade deadline, and the White Sox’s Garrett Crochet taking a stand.
2024 MLB trade deadline tracker: Kavner and Thosar analyze and grade the biggest trades, plus details on every transaction.
Power Rankings: Where did the best teams stand before the deadline? Ben Verlander offers his latest top 10.
Want more betting angles? There was a bit of a change in the World Series odds following the deadline, with one of the favorites seeing their odds shorten a bit after a slew of acquisitions. Aaron Judge still leads the way in the AL MVP odds, though there is a young star coming up the rear. Stop by our betting hub for all the latest MLB odds!
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