New MLB Trade Rumors on Sonny Gray, Corey Seager, Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha and Jonah Tong

The Boston Red Sox could be involved in the MLB trade market as either buyers or sellers ahead of the Aug. 3 deadline, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon reported Thursday.

According to Rosenthal and Sammon, the Red Sox are receiving interest from several clubs including the Atlanta Braves should they decide to move starter Sonny Gray.

The Red Sox sent two prospects and cash to the St. Louis Cardinals in November to acquire Gray, who has posted a 2.61 ERA through 16 starts and 89.2 innings pitched this season.

The 36-year-old is signed through this season on a full no-trade clause with a $30 million mutual option featuring a $10 million buyout for 2027, per Spotrac.

ESPN's Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan noted the Red Sox may need to be "willing to pay down a significant portion" of that buyout in order to facilitate a trade.

The Red Sox were also interested last offseason in Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager, who could be on the trade block ahead of the deadline, per Rosenthal and Sammon.

Seager is batting a career-low .182 through 51 games this season. He is a trade candidate because his 10-and-5 trade protections kick in after the 2026 campaign, although the Rangers may have to retain salary to move him, Rosenthal and Sammon noted.

Whether the Red Sox shop Gray or the Rangers considering selling Seager will both depend on how these clubs perform in the weeks heading into the deadline.

The Rangers currently sit at .500 and second in the AL West with a 46-46 record, while the Red Sox rank fourth in the AL East at a 42-28 mark.

The Kansas City Royals are unlikely to trade right-handed pitchers Seth Lugo or Michael Wacha ahead of the deadline, according to Rosenthal and Sammon.

Lugo, 36, has a 4.56 ERA through 18 games. Wacha, 35, could be the more desirable trade candidate after posting a 3.45 ERA in an AL-high 114.2 innings.

Rosenthal and Sammon reported the Royals have told other clubs they will listen to offers on Lugo or Wacha but are seeking "massive" returns involving "multiple top prospects."

Another unlikely trade candidate, per Rosenthal and Sammon, is New York Mets starter Jonah Tong.

Tong, 23, has marked a 5.90 ERA in 14 starts with Triple-A Syracuse this season. Rosenthal and Sammon reported the Mets still like him "too much" to accept what could be multiple trade offers.

"To even merit consideration, another team would have to value Tong as a top-50 prospect and offer players New York loves," Rosenthal and Sammon reported.

The Mets could be heading into the deadline as sellers after a 39-54 start to the season left the team in the basement of the NL East, while the Royals are at the bottom of the AL Central with a 38-55 record.

How much those two teams value the starting pitching currently in their organization could impact whether players like Wacha or Tong ultimately land on the trade block this August.