As the MLB trade deadline looms less than 72 hours away, the Chicago Cubs find themselves on the outside looking in after missing out on a key bullpen target. On Tuesday afternoon, the Baltimore Orioles traded right-handed relief pitcher Seranthony Dominguez and cash considerations to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for promising pitching prospect Juaron Watts-Brown. This move, reported by Jeff Passan and confirmed by Jays reporters Shi Davidi and Ben Nicholson-Smith, signals a significant shakeup in the relief pitching market just days before the July 31 deadline.
The Cubs had been linked to Dominguez over the weekend as they sought to bolster their bullpen with a high-leverage reliever. With an inexperienced closer in Daniel Palencia and veteran arms like Drew Pomeranz and Chris Flexen whose underlying metrics suggest a potential regression, Chicago’s bullpen situation is far from settled. However, the Orioles’ decision to send Dominguez to Toronto has effectively taken him off the table, intensifying the scramble for relief pitching as teams reassess their strategies.
Dominguez’s trade is expected to trigger a domino effect in the bullpen market. The urgency is heightened by the recent news that Emmanuel Clase of the Cleveland Guardians has been placed on non-disciplinary leave amid MLB’s ongoing sports-betting investigation, further thinning the pool of available top-tier relievers. Besides Dominguez, the Cubs have also been linked to Pete Fairbanks of the Tampa Bay Rays and Raisel Iglesias of the Atlanta Braves as they hunt for bullpen help. However, each potential target presents distinct challenges; for instance, Fairbanks carries a $7 million club option for 2026, unlike Dominguez, who is a free agent after this season. Iglesias, meanwhile, might represent a more comparable cost to Dominguez.
The trade itself brings Juaron Watts-Brown to Baltimore, a right-handed pitching prospect who was the Blue Jays’ third-round pick in the 2023 draft and currently ranks as their No. 10 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, with Baseball America placing him at No. 14. Watts-Brown began the 2025 season with Toronto’s High-A affiliate before earning a midseason promotion to Double-A, where he has posted a solid 3.48 ERA across 11 games, striking out 53 batters in 51.2 innings. His performance marks a significant improvement from last year, when after a midseason promotion to High-A, he struggled with a 6.35 ERA and a .244 batting average against.
Baseball America highlights Watts-Brown’s projectable starter traits, noting his command of a four-pitch mix and a swing-and-miss slider. Standing at 6’3", Watts-Brown’s fastball velocity generally sits between 92-94 mph, with potential to gain 1-2 mph as he adds strength and matures physically. The Orioles are likely optimistic about his development, envisioning him as a key piece in their pitching future. After the trade, Watts-Brown is expected to join the Double-A Baysox rotation, which already features promising arms like Nestor German and Trey Gibson, with Michael Forret potentially joining soon. This rotation could become an exciting group to watch as the season progresses.
Meanwhile, Dominguez moves from Baltimore to Toronto amid a mixed tenure with the Orioles. Over 68 games last year and this year, he posted a 3.50 ERA. While he struggled with home run issues in 2024, this year he has curbed those problems but has walked too many batters, with a 5.2 BB/9 rate offsetting his strong 11.7 K/9 strikeout rate. Toronto inherits these challenges as they look to Dominguez to stabilize their bullpen.
The Orioles now face the difficult task of filling the void left by Dominguez’s departure, especially with Gregory Soto also traded and closer Félix Bautista sidelined on the injured list for an extended period. Finding reliable arms to rack up saves and maintain bullpen stability will be a pressing concern as Baltimore navigates the remainder of the season.
For Chicago, the priority remains adding a starting pitcher and potentially acquiring infielder Eugenio Suárez from the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Cubs’ bullpen situation, however, is still fluid. Brandon Birdsell, a promising pitching prospect, is just returning from a season-long injury and unlikely to provide immediate help. Instead, the Cubs may look to package Jack Neely with a low-level prospect to make a deal that fits their needs and budget.
As the trade deadline approaches, the relief pitching market is heating up, with teams like the Cubs scrambling to shore up their bullpens amid shifting availability. The trade of Dominguez to Toronto not only reshapes the Orioles and Blue Jays but also sends ripples through the league as clubs reassess their strategies in the final days before the deadline. With multiple high-profile relievers changing hands or becoming unavailable, the next 48 hours promise to be a whirlwind of activity as teams maneuver to position themselves for a strong finish to the season.
Chicago’s missed opportunity to land Dominguez underscores the challenges of deadline day negotiations and the fine margins that can define a team’s postseason prospects. For the Orioles and Blue Jays, the trade represents a strategic gamble on pitching talent and payroll management, while the Cubs continue their pursuit of roster improvements ahead of the stretch run. Baseball fans will be watching closely as the trade market unfolds and teams finalize their rosters for the critical months ahead.
