Is the Detroit Tigers’ summoning of top prospect Max Clark one last effort to spark the club before the trade deadline? Are the Tigers trying to cushion the blow for fans as they prepare to part with Tarik Skubal and others? Why make this move before Aug. 14, this season’s rookie cutoff date?Clark will exceed 45 days of active service, losing his rookie status, if he stays with the Tigers the rest of the way. The timing of his promotion caught the attention of at least one rival executive, who found it odd the team would add the outfielder to the 40-man roster when such a move would not have been necessary this offseason.Now that Clark is on the 40-man, he will be unable to play in the minors if the expected lockout extends into the 2027 season, costing him valuable reps. Clark, after reaching Triple A at 21, forced the issue for the Tigers, though, hitting five homers and producing a 1.086 OPS in July.The Tigers expected to promote him at some point this season. Center fielder Matt Vierling might require a stint on the injured list with a groin injury. And while Javier Báez is playing center after returning from the IL, the Tigers also need him in the infield.It seems like the Tigers believe Clark can help them win. If they trade Skubal for a package of young players that includes a controllable starting pitcher, they could argue — futilely, perhaps — that they are still in position to contend.Clark, the No. 3 pick in the 2023 draft, was batting .276 with an .802 OPS at Triple A, with 21 stolen bases in 23 attempts.Why haven't there been many MLB trades yet?Andy McCulloughA connection between the Red Sox and RaysThe Boston Red Sox, after losing trade acquisition Curtis Mead to a fractured left wrist in his first game with the club, are looking for additional infield help. While Miami Marlins shortstop Otto Lopez is of interest, another Marlins infielder, Xavier Edwards, also has the Sox’s attention.Edwards, like Mead, was acquired by the Rays as a minor leaguer. Red Sox assistant general manager Taylor Smith, the Rays’ director of predictive modeling before joining Boston in Oct. 2024, is familiar with both players.The Red Sox’s preference seems to be a shortstop — they also are interested in the Los Angeles Angels’ Zach Neto, as The Athletic previously reported. Edwards started 108 games at short for Miami in 2024-25, but lacks a strong arm. The Marlins moved him to second and made Lopez their permanent shortstop in May 2025.Detroit Tigers second baseman Gleyber Torres also could appeal to the Red Sox, who showed interest in him during the 2024-25 offseason before he signed with the Tigers. A native of Caracas, Torres would join fellow Venezuelans Wilyer Abreu, Ranger Suárez, Willson Contreras, Carlos Narváez and Andruw Monasterio in Boston. Still, because he no longer plays shortstop, he would be less of a fit.Cardinals armed with catching depthAs they look to sell off players on expiring deals, including right-handed starter Dustin May and reliever Ryne Stanek, the St. Louis Cardinals are can capitalize on the industry-wide scarcity of catchers if they choose.The Cardinals are carrying three catchers: All-Star Ivan Herrera, reserve Pedro Pagés and rookie Jimmy Crooks. But their long-term backstop likely resides in the minor leagues, with Leo Bernal in Triple A and top prospect Rainiel Rodriguez in Double A. The Cardinals have identified late 2027 or early 2028 as their next competitive window. The projected arrival of both catchers aligns with that timeline.So, could St. Louis deal from their major-league depth? According to rival executives speaking anonymously to speak freely, the Cardinals’ asking prices are high, and there are concerns Herrera might not be a catcher long-term.Herrera’s arm has always been a weakness, and he has thrown out just one of 29 attempted base stealers this year. That the Cardinals would prefer he catches no more than twice a week is also a telling sign that they don’t see Herrera as their long-term solution at the position.The Cardinals, though, are exceptionally high on his bat, and don’t feel particularly inclined to move him, those executives say. The Cardinals are also high on Pagés as a backup, citing his preparedness, game-planning and strong relationship with pitchers. Thus, the catcher the Cardinals would be most open to moving is Crooks, a 25-year-old left-handed hitter who won’t be eligible for arbitration until 2029.President of baseball operations Chaim Bloom will listen on all three players if the right prospect package is involved, but as he prepares for his first deadline at the helm of the Cardinals, he is under no pressure to make a deal.White Sox mulling pitching movesWhile the Chicago White Sox explore trade additions for their pitching staff, they are also considering at least three of their top prospects as potential reinforcements in the bullpen.Lefty Hagen Smith (the club’s No. 2 prospect, per MLB Pipeline), right-hander Tanner McDougal (No. 4) and right-hander Mason Adams (No. 10) could all factor into Chicago’s bullpen plans down the stretch. Smith and McDougal already are working as relievers in Triple A. Some within the White Sox view the situation as the setup that gives the trio the best chance to impact the major-league club this season.A new concession item hits the White Sox standsJon Greenberg and Madison EadesSuch a configuration would not make Chicago more or less inclined to add a starter over a reliever before the trade deadline; the White Sox just need more good pitchers. Several of their pitchers have started and relieved games. Still, one path includes trading for a traditional starter, moving Erick Fedde to the bullpen and then deepening the relief corps with their younger arms.Angels’ Mozeliak ‘open-minded’Some rival executives believe the Angels are more likely to trade one or both of Reid Detmers and José Soriano, each of whom comes with two additional years of control, than Neto, who can remain with the club for the next three years.Interim GM John Mozeliak isn’t so sure.“The sense I have right now is: I don’t know,” Mozeliak told The Athletic on Thursday afternoon. “We are staying very open-minded in this process. Ultimately, we’ll see where this goes.“The good news for us is two things. One, we have time, in the sense that Monday is a long way away. And two, we have even more time, meaning they’re under control. They’re not expiring contracts where we have to do something in a panic. We just have to do what’s best for the franchise.“We know change is important. We know we have to do things differently. It doesn’t mean you move a player to say we moved a player. We have to do well and have success in these types of trades. We just can’t do something rash to say we did something to appease a narrative.”Angel who?Mozeliak raised eyebrows among prospect evaluators with his first trade, in which he acquired minor-league infielder Angel Arredondo from the Texas Rangers for right-handed reliever Chase Silseth and catcher Logan O’Hoppe.Arredondo, 19, did not appear on lists of the Rangers’ top 30 prospects. Some consider him an organizational player who will be a utility type at best, but Mozeliak said the Angels liked what they saw out of him at Class A.“He’s someone we think is performing well at his age, at his level,” Mozeliak said. “From a pure scouting standpoint, we look at him as a plus defender. We think he can stay at third, but he does have flexibility to move around.“I do value his bat-to-ball skill, especially in an era where swing-and-miss is high. And then our overall reports were, he’s a high-quality person, great teammate and a good solid baseball player.”A possibility at first base for DBacksThe Washington Nationals’ Luis García Jr. would appear a perfect fit for the Arizona Diamondbacks, whose .599 OPS at first base entering Thursday was the worst in the majors by nearly 50 points, behind the New York Mets.García’s .860 OPS, meanwhile, ranked 17th among individual hitters. The biggest potential concern for the Diamondbacks: García’s 41.7 percent chase rate was the league’s ninth highest. The DBacks’ chase rate is about league average.In any case, beggars can’t be choosers: García would be a significant upgrade for a team that has started eight players at first base this season.A Pirates prospect in heavy demandThe Pittsburgh Pirates evidently made a good choice when they selected right-hander Seth Hernandez out of Corona (Calif.) H.S. with the sixth pick of the 2025 draft.Hernandez likely is out for the season with a left oblique strain he suffered July 24, but numerous teams are asking for him in trade discussions, according to people briefed on the Pirates’ discussions but not authorized to speak publicly. The Pirates, though, are unlikely to trade him — yes, even in a potential package for San Diego Padres closer Mason Miller, a Pittsburgh native.If the Pirates were going to move Hernandez, the No. 9 prospect in Keith Law’s most recent top 60, they almost certainly want a controllable position player or controllable starting pitcher already in the majors, according to a person briefed on their thinking.Yankees-Padres possibilitiesMiller, by the way, seems increasingly likely to stay. Still, the best way for the Padres to acquire a desperately needed controllable starter is trading from the strength of their bullpen.Lefty Adrian Morejon, a potential free agent, might be the best reliever traded if Miller stays put.Lefty Wandy Peralta, who is under contract through 2027 but can opt out after this season, might be another possibility.The New York Yankees, whose rotation depth could enable them to move righty Will Warren or lefty Ryan Weathers, remain one potential match.-The Athletic’s Cody Stavenhagen contributed to this story.