MLB trade deadline rumors: Braves, Rangers swap pitchers; Rays in a standstill with less than two weeks left

Major League Baseball's trade deadline is now less than two weeks away (July 31), meaning that it's time for moves and rumors to start flowing like last night's wine. As such, CBS Sports will be tracking all of Friday's latest news, notes, and moves in the space below for your viewing convenience.

Rays in holding pattern on deadline plans

The Rays will enter the second half a game and a half behind the Mariners for the third and final wild-card spot in the American League. How Tampa Bay opens up the second half of the schedule will go a long way in dictating how the front office approaches the deadline.

"We've got to make up some ground," president of baseball operations Erik Neander told the Tampa Bay Times. "There's a belief in this team. … But these are really big games that will have some sort of influence on our decision-making as the month draws to a close."

The Rays are theoretically a buyer first, though they showed last year they're willing to sell if they don't like their postseason odds. Should Tampa Bay open up for business, it's possible that reliever Pete Fairbanks and second baseman Brandon Lowe would be made available.

MLB trade deadline: Who's a buyer, who's a seller and who doesn't really know yet ahead of July 31

Dayn Perry

Braves, Rangers swap pitchers

The Braves and Rangers made a small trade overnight, with Atlanta sending righty reliever José Ruiz and cash to Texas for fellow righty Dane Dunning.

Dunning, 30, has made five relief appearances this season, but has otherwise spent the year starting for Texas' Triple-A affiliate in Round Rock. He averaged more than 20 starts over the last three seasons, compiling a 94 ERA+ and a 2.34 strikeout-to-walk ratio. The Braves are without several starters because of injury -- Chris Sale, Spencer Schwellenbach, and Reynaldo López included -- so it's theoretically possible that Dunning could make emergency starts for Atlanta.

Ruiz, 30, has made 18 appearances at the big-league level this season, most of them with the Phillies. He's tallied an 8.82 ERA, surrendering 16 runs in 16 ⅓ innings. Prior to 2025, he had accumulated a 102 ERA+ over the previous three seasons in more than 200 appearances.