MLB trade rumors: Padres in talks for Contreras, Phillies get Sosa from Cardinals, and Blue Jays interested in Fulmer

Four days remain until the MLB trade deadline, and late Friday night, the Reds traded right-hander Luis Castillo to the Mariners for four prospects. With only four teams reportedly interested in Juan Soto, the Nationals' young star, the move likely eliminates Seattle from contention. The following are the trade deadline rumors for Saturday:

Padres in talks for Contreras; open to moving youngsters for Soto

According to Jon Morosi, the Padres, one of the top teams mentioned as potential suitors for Nationals outfielder Juan Soto, are open to talking about infielder C.J. Abrams, outfielder Robert Hassell III, and left-hander Adrian Morejon. The Nationals have a reputation for looking for both young big-league players and prospects. Since Morejon is still recovering from elbow surgery and Abrams has had trouble in the big leagues, it's not clear if the Padres' offer would be enough to get them to go over their threshold.

According to ESPN, the Padres and Cubs are in discussions regarding catcher Willson Contreras. After the season, Contreras will be a free agent, and it is very probable that he will be dealt with before the trade deadline on Tuesday. Although San Diego's catchers are already hitting better than the positional average of.225/.294/.364 (.258/.311/.366), Contreras would still be a big improvement. The Padres had a 2.5-game lead for a wild card slot going into Saturday, despite losing 21 of their previous 36 games and occasionally struggling offensively. The outfield is one area where the Padres could use some offensive support. Since Taylor Rogers was recently demoted from closer, the bullpen could also use reinforcement.

Phillies get Sosa from Cardinals

According to the team's announcement on Saturday, the Phillies traded infielder Edmundo Sosa to the Cardinals for left-handed bullpen prospect JoJo Romero. Sosa began the year as the Cardinals' starter shortstop, but he has struggled this year after being demoted to a utility position. Since St. Louis has a surplus of infielders, Sosa was traded for an intriguing bullpen addition. Although Jean Segura is anticipated to make a full recovery from his fractured finger by next week, Philadelphia's shortstop and second base output have been far less than stellar this season. Romero, 25, has pitched 21 2/3 innings in the major leagues and has given up 21 runs, but he has a chance to miss bats in the long run with his strong changeup and mid-90s fastball.

Blue Jays are considering Fulmer

According to MLB.com, the Blue Jays are one of the teams showing interest in Tigers righty Michael Fulmer. On Friday in Toronto, Fulmer tossed a scoreless eighth inning. Although Fulmer will soon become a free agent, the Tigers have other relievers to offload before the deadline, including All-Star Gregory Soto and Andrew Chafin. For a Blue Jays club that has been on a roll offensively the past two weeks, pitching is the team's first objective. Fulmer has changed into a bat-missing slider machine, but he's also had issues walking. He is the kind of rental reliever who is upgraded in every contender's bullpen and moves at the deadline each year.

Montas now Yankees' No. 1 target

According to USA Today, the Yankees' top aim has changed from Castillo to right-handed pitcher Frankie Montas of the Athletics. In Oakland, everything must go, and Montas is the team's top trade asset left. The right-hander missed two starts earlier this month due to a small shoulder problem, but he has pitched well for a number of years and has looked good in his first two appearances back. In order to buy Montas, New York will probably need to prevail in a negotiation process. The fact that Montas will stay under team control as an arbitration-eligible player for the upcoming season makes him enticing to other contenders who need rotation help. He is not a rental, and as the Castillo trade showed, an impact starter costs a lot to acquire for two postseason runs.

Rockies extend Bard

The Rockies have signed closer Daniel Bard to a two-year agreement worth nearly $19 million rather than trading him at the deadline. The 37-year-old Bard will be a free agent and was a major trade candidate after the season. The 2020 NL Comeback Player of the Year, Bard, continues to be a top ground-ball and bat-misser. At the deadline the previous year, the Rockies managed to keep Trevor Story and Jon Gray but were unable to re-sign them as free agents. They knew to extend Bard this time before he entered the market.

Dodgers add Martin

Right-handed veteran Chris Martin has joined the Dodgers' bullpen. Zach McKinstry, a utility player, was traded to the Cubs in a one-for-one deal. Martin gives a bullpen that is missing, among others, Blake Treinen and Daniel Hudson (torn ACL), more depth. With McKinstry, the Cubs acquire a versatile bench player with some flair.