The final month of the MLB regular season is finally upon us. Over this last month, we’ll find out which teams will end up making the playoffs and get more of a sense when it comes to teams that have what it takes to go on a deep run in the postseason.

Given the fact that the trade deadline was a month ago, there isn’t much going on with rumors, but there’s still some information worthwhile for MLB fans to know. With that being said, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale revealed a good amount of news and rumors in his latest roundup. Here’re the most important snippets from that piece.

Red Sox are stuck with Trevor Story whether they want that or not

If MLB had a Comeback Player of the Year award, Trevor Story would’ve likely been in the running for it. After three lost seasons with the Boston Red Sox mostly due to injuries, Story has stayed healthy this season and is enjoying his best year with the team, slashing .258/.305/.432 with 22 home runs and 84 RBI in 133 games played. He’s even chipped in 24 stolen bases without being caught.

Story might not be putting up the gaudy numbers he did with the Colorado Rockies, but he’s been a valuable middle-of-the-order bat for the Red Sox. He’s played so well, in fact, to the point where some Red Sox fans were wondering whether he’s been playing well enough to use his opt-out and test free agency. Nightengale has made it clear that Story almost certainly won’t be doing that.

“While Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story has an opt-out after this season, it’s far-fetched to believe he’d turn his use it after having only one good half of a season since he signed his six-year, $140 million contract.”

Story has played well, but he has two years and $55 million guaranteed in his deal beyond this season. Considering his durability concerns (averaged 54.3 games played in his first three seasons with the Red Sox) and his underwhelming performance when on the field (.713 career OPS with Boston), it’s hard to envision the 32-year-old earning any more than that on the open market.

Story staying put has its pros and cons. On the pro side, he’s shown he can still play at a fairly high level, and if this continues for the duration of the contract, it isn’t a bad deal. The alarming cons, though, are that he’s struggled to stay healthy and hadn’t been all that productive in Boston prior to this season.

All Red Sox fans can do is hope Story can stay both healthy and productive, because it’s extremely unlikely he opts out of the contract.

Cubs make underwhelming addition by signing Carlos Santana

The Chicago Cubs had an underwhelming trade deadline, acquiring guys like Willi Castro, Andrew Kittredge, Taylor Rogers and Michael Soroka instead of a needle-mover. They’ve now made another underwhelming addition by signing Carlos Santana, according to The Athletic’s Patrick Mooney.

The terms of the deal are unknown at this point, but it will likely be an MLB deal for Santana who was recently released by the Cleveland Guardians. While he’s an established veteran who likely makes the team marginally better, my question is what role would he play?

Michael Busch has established himself as the leadoff hitter and primary first baseman against right-handed pitching. Justin Turner has been a disappointing signing, but he still has a .754 OPS against left-handers, 73 points higher than Santana’s .681 mark. Turner should be the option at first base against left-handers if the Cubs are unwilling to start Busch full-time. Santana could DH, but Seiya Suzuki is there.

I’m not sure how many, if any, starts Santana will get for the Cubs down the stretch, but he’s at the very least a veteran bat Craig Counsell can trust off the bench and he comes with 30 games of postseason experience under his belt. Considering the fact that the Cubs get an extra spot for a position player in September when rosters expand, taking a flier on Santana makes some sense, as underwhelming as it might seem on paper.

Braves’ Ozzie Albies decision couldn’t be easier

There are many reasons why the Atlanta Braves will end up missing the playoffs in 2025, but Ozzie Albies’ struggles have played a huge role. Albies, a three-time All-Star, was expected to play a huge role for Atlanta but is having the worst offensive season of his career. In 136 games, he’s slashed .236/.303/.352 with 13 home runs and 60 RBI.

His struggles had some Braves fans wondering whether this would be the end of the line for the second baseman in Atlanta. Albies has a $7 million club option at the end of the year, and for a Braves team that must make changes, parting with Albies could signal that they’re ready to make needed adjustments. Nightengale made it clear that Albies’ option will be picked up, though.

“It’s an easy decision for Atlanta to pick up second baseman Ozzie Albie’s $7 million option considering it includes a $4 million buyout. That extra $3 million could be a steal, even coming off his his worst offensive season.”

This makes all the sense in the world. Braves fans might not want to see Albies back, but the real kicker with the $7 million option is that Albies would receive a $4 million buyout. This means that Albies would have to be valued at less than $3 million for the Braves to justify declining the option. As frustrating as this season has been, he’s certainly worth more than $3 million.

Albies has also given Braves fans reason to believe that he’s starting to figure it out offensively. His .721 OPS in August is his highest for any month this season, and he’s hitting .316 with an .873 OPS in his last 18 games. The Braves need to pursue upgrades, and could even consider trading Albies for the right return, but there’s no reason whatsoever for them to entertain the thought of declining the club option.