Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase — a rumored MLB trade deadline target — has been placed on paid leave in connection with a sports-gambling investigation, ESPN's Jeff Passan reported Monday. Clase is reportedly on leave through Aug. 31, per The Athletic's Zack Meisel.

Trade Seth Lugo? How about extending him? The Royals on Monday finalized a two-year contract extension with Lugo, committing to the right-handed veteran starter until at least 2027 and ending any talk of Lugo leaving Kansas City this summer or the offseason.

Follow along on Monday for the latest news and rumors: As MLB trade deadline week heats up, one of the top targets on the market received a scare on Monday, July 28.

To set the stage for the sprint to the deadline, here's a primer based on what I'm hearing from front office executives across the league.

The 2025 MLB trade deadline is Thursday, July 31 at 6 p.m. ET, but there will be plenty of trade talk and transactions that take place beforehand. Here are trade rumors around the sport:

The market is heating up in the last week before the July 31 trade deadline. Arizona sent Josh Naylor to Seattle on Thursday.