We are mere days away from a major event on the MLB calendar that we’ve all surely circled in red: the MLB trade deadline.
This year, the trade deadline is actually a couple of days later than normal, falling at 6 p.m. ET on Aug. 2 rather than its normal home at the end of July. But that’s OK with us. It just means a couple more days to talk about what should happen as we approach one of the most exciting days of the year.
To help sort out what to keep an eye for at this year’s trade deadline, we’ve assembled a collection of FanSided.com editors and team experts to give us their best takes.
A roll call of the characters before we get to the questions and answers:
- Mark Powell, MLB editor at FanSided.com
- Cody Williams, editor at FanSided.com
- Robert Murray, FanSided’s MLB Insider and editor at Redbird Rants
- Thomas Carannante, Sports Director and editor at Yanks Go Yard and Dodgers Way
- Adam Weinrib, Sports Director and editor at Yanks Go Yard and Dodgers Way
- Gabrielle Starr, editor at That Ball’s Outta Here
- Dave Hill, expert at Call to the Pen and White Cleat Beat
- Drew Koch, FanSided.com MLB contributor and expert at Blog Red Machine
- Noah Yingling, FanSided.com MLB contributor and expert at Rox Pile
- Tim Boyle, FanSided.com MLB contributor and expert at Rising Apple
Which team needs to be the biggest buyer at the MLB trade deadline?
Robert Murray: New York Yankees. The Yankees are in prime position to win the World Series, but have a need for another outfielder, starting pitching and bullpen help. They have the prospects to make these moves and should, otherwise they run the risk of yet another defeat against the Houston Astros. If there was ever a time to part with some of those prospects for a, say, Luis Castillo type, now is the time to do so.
Mark Powell: Needs to? The Yankees and/or Cardinals. New York doesn’t have many holes but now is the time to go for it, if ever. St. Louis is lacking hard in the pitching department with Steven Matz and Jack Flaherty down. Unless they’re punting on World Series chances this season, it’s the year to land a big-name pitcher with some contract control.
Adam Weinrib: New York Yankees — after an historic start, the past month has been a semi-slog (near-.500) that’s seen them dip to a clear second banana behind the Astros in the AL. They can’t afford to waste Aaron Judge’s walk year or a 12-game lead in the AL East. The pressure has been on for years, but now the screw-turning has been supercharged.
Gabrielle Starr: The Phillies. They finally have a chance to end the longest postseason drought in the NL, but they need some pitching and a solid defender in their outfield. Hopefully not strikeout machine Joey Gallo.
Dave Hill: Phillies. They need multiple relievers, another starting pitcher, and a center fielder if they are going to end their playoff drought. While they have gone on an impressive run since Joe Girardi was fired, they just do not have enough as the roster is currently constructed to continue their run, especially as other contenders improve.
Drew Koch: I’m going to go with the Seattle Mariners, simply for the fact that they earmarked this season to get back to the playoffs. By trading for Jesse Winker and Eugenio Suarez, Seattle sent a clear message that they were looking to compete in 2022. While they’ll never catch the Houston Astros, they’ll need to improve the roster in order to make a run at the postseason.
Cody Williams: St. Louis Cardinals – Locked in a tight NL Central race, the Cardinals rotation has been devastated by injuries. They have to be aggressive in pursuing starting pitching (and another bat to deepen the lineup wouldn’t hurt either).
Which team will be the biggest seller at the MLB trade deadline?
Thomas Carannante: Boston Red Sox. Initially, I thought the Sox would be on the Yankees’ tail all year, but now that they’ve spiraled, it’s all but officially over. JD Martinez, Nathan Eovaldi, Christian Vazquez, Jackie Bradley Jr., Kiké Hernandez, Michael Wacha and others are free agents after this season. Easy assets to cash out on. And then there’s Xander Bogaerts, who could also be dealt due to the contract negotiations remaining stagnant. Expect Chaim Bloom to restock the farm system after the team has bottomed out.
Gabrielle Starr: I’d bet the Boston Red Sox, who’ve collapsed after making it to the ALCS last fall. They have a ton of big names hitting free agency at the end of this year, including JD Martinez, Nathan Eovaldi, and Christian Vazquez, three guys from their historic 2018 team with ample postseason experience, perfect for hopeful teams who need guys who know how to win.
Robert Murray: Oakland A’s. They have a multitude of trade candidates — Frankie Montas, Paul Blackburn, Chad Pinder, Ramon Laureano — and I expect at least two of those players to go.
Drew Koch: It’s got to be the Cincinnati Reds. The Reds began the offseason by waving the white flag and as the trade deadline approaches, I could make the argument that as many as six players will be wearing new jerseys on August 3rd. Luis Castillo, Tyler Mahle, Tyler Naquin, Tommy Pham, Donovan Solano, and Brandon Drury will all be made available at the deadline.
Tim Boyle: The Chicago Cubs need to be the biggest seller at the trade deadline. Despite a poor record, they have some intriguing pieces. Willson Contreras and David Robertson have no business being on the roster past the trade deadline even if the return isn’t exactly what the Cubs would like to see. Ian Happ should also get traded as should several of their bullpen pieces. The Cubs tried to speed up their rebuild in the offseason. It was a mistake. They should have waited at least another year. It’s time to replenish the farm system.
Dave Hill: Nationals. Not only do they have several impending free agents that will generate interest (Bell, Cruz, etc) but there is the Juan Soto wild card. This deadline could impact their franchise for years to come.
Which team will be the biggest surprise at the MLB trade deadline?
Thomas Carannante: Seattle Mariners. Don’t forget, this team has the No. 2-ranked farm system in the league per MLB.com. Why are we not talking more about them landing Juan Soto? Or Luis Castillo? Or anybody else of relevance? GM Jerry DiPoto is a trade deadline madman, akin to AJ Preller. Though the M’s just got swept, they’re still an AL Wild Card threat and are built to contend for the foreseeable future. Trading some of that farm system talent for major league stars could be what helps Seattle snap their current postseason drought.
Tim Boyle: The Seattle Mariners will be the biggest surprise at the trade deadline merely because they’ve been the biggest surprise over the last two weeks or so. The huge winning streak leading into the All-Star Break has Jerry Dipoto foaming at the mouth with plans of making as many trade deadline deals as possible. They were a sneaky team in the AL wild card race. Next, they’ll be a sneaky contender to add any, and all, of the best players at the trade deadline. They have a stacked farm system and the longest playoff drought in MLB. It’s time to end it.
Dave Hill: Mariners. Jerry Dipoto has been very quiet which is quite unlike him. Chances are, that means he is working on something big, especially with the Mariners currently holding a Wild Card spot.
Adam Weinrib: Baltimore Orioles — Who would’ve ever suspected the O’s would be the ones attempting a hybrid sell-off at this year’s deadline? Rumor has it they intend to float pieces from their deep relief corps, but are just a few games out of the Wild Card chase. They should supplement those trades from a position of strength with some well-timed additions at the margins, too, and kinda still go for it.
Drew Koch: The Chicago White Sox have to win right now. The roster is built for the postseason, but Tony La Russa’s club has woefully underachieved. I think Chicago makes a big move at the deadline.
Who’ll be the most important player moved at the MLB trade deadline?
Mark Powell: Boring answer, but Willson Contreras. Catcher is such a unique position and there are very few two-way backstops that can hit like he can AND have such a positive impact on a pitching staff. He’s in a contract year and he’s playing like it.
Dave Hill: Frankie Montas. I don’t think Soto is moved at the deadline just because he will cost so much in terms of prospects and there is not much time to put such a deal together. Montas, meanwhile, has been a dependable starter who shows flashes of being a top of the rotation arm. He could make a major impact both this year and in 2023.
Robert Murray: Frankie Montas. The A’s held out until the trade deadline to trade Montas when they could get the most value for him. Now, he’s the consensus top starting pitcher available, and should garner an absolute haul in return.
Cody Williams: Andrew Benintendi – A player in his late 20s having a career-year from the left side of the plate and with plus defense? Yeah, that’ll sell at the trade deadline. While Benny Biceps doesn’t have overwhelming power numbers, his ability to get on base as often as he has this season should be extremely valuable down the stretch, particularly for teams chock full of power bats to drive him in consistently.
Noah Yingling: Juan Soto. He’s the best hitter in the sport and he’s only 23. An acquiring team would get three postseasons worth of him, even if they don’t extend him. It would be the biggest deal at the trade deadline in a very long time, if not the biggest ever.
Tim Boyle: We’re all important to someone but Luis Castillo will be the most important player moved at the trade deadline. There are not an abundance of quality starting pitchers expected to be available this summer. Only Frankie Montas comes close to what Castillo can do. While the Cincinnati Reds may not have an absolute urgency to trade him, someone is going to overpay. He feels exactly like the type of addition the Los Angeles Dodgers will make.
Who’ll be the biggest prospect traded at the MLB trade deadline?
Thomas Carannante: CJ Abrams. The San Diego Padres will be their usual frantic selves when re-tooling the roster with AJ Preller at the helm. Could be Juan Soto (probably not), Luis Castillo, Nathan Eovaldi, the list goes on. The Pads can’t be ruled out with their stacked farm system and World Series-contending roster. The Dodgers’ continued dominance has San Diego chasing its tail, so the time is now to jump the line and build something special for October.
Adam Weinrib: Oswald Peraza, New York Yankees. He’s the second-ranked shortstop in their system, but might also be the second-ranked prospect, depending on what you see in Jasson Dominguez. Either way, his potential will be unlocked once he’s given a free path to MLB playing time, which he’ll secure at whatever his next stop may be. He’s knocking down the door right now, and could be Gleyber Torres with defensive chops.
Cody Williams: Kyle Harrison (Giants) – San Francisco isn’t finding the same magic they did in the 107-win campaign from 2021 but they are still in the playoff mix. I expect a push to get back to the postseason, which will require aggressive trading. Harrison is a Top 25 prospect in baseball and one who is growing in favor. He could be the linchpin for getting the deal the Giants want done.
Mark Powell: Tough one. The Padres are making a lot of noise so I’ll go with either Robert Hassell III (23) or Luis Campusano (54), both in MLB Pipeline’s top-100. Expect San Diego to hang on for dear life to CJ Abrams if they can.
Noah Yingling: Jordan Walker of the Cardinals. The Cardinals have to address a lot of issues and if they trade for Soto, then Walker would have to be in a deal. He’s MLB.com’s #7 overall prospect.
Tim Boyle: Gabriel Moreno will be the biggest prospect traded this summer. It’s pretty simple. The Toronto Blue Jays don’t need him anymore with catcher Alejandro Kirk playing the way he has. Catching prospects at his level can help add some fantastic major league help to the Blue Jays roster. Look for the Blue Jays to flip him for the best starting pitcher or left-handed bat they can get.
Drew Koch: Don’t be shocked if the New York Yankees have to sacrifice Anthony Volpe in order to land Cincinnati Reds pitcher Luis Castillo. The Yankees have been after Castillo for quite some time, but he’s not going to come cheap. With Oswald Peraza also in the Yankees’ farm system, New York can afford to take a calculated risk.
Bonus question: Will Juan Soto still be a National after the MLB trade deadline?
Mark Powell: Yes! The kind of haul the Nationals want is tough to meet midseason. Talk to me at the winter meetings, though, and that answer will change.
Adam Weinrib: Yes. Gulp.
Gabrielle Starr: Heck no.
Thomas Carannante: Yes. It’s going to be too hard for the Nationals to find a package they desire in a rushed manner. Two weeks isn’t enough time for Washington to determine if they’re getting the right amount of talent in return for one of the game’s best players. Expect this to leak into the offseason and create more of a frenzy … with the Winter Meetings returning!
Noah Yingling: No.
Drew Koch: This is a tough question, but I’m going to say no. Juan Soto is a once in a generation talent, and some team is going to pony up the prospects in order to get a deal done rather than waiting until the offseason.
Cody Williams: Yes. Every team is making offers and the Nats are surely considering them. But they are in the power position right now with 2+ years left on Soto’s deal so they can afford to wait until the offseason for the exact trade and return package they want.
Robert Murray: Yes. Barring a change in talks, Soto is unlikely to be traded before Aug. 2. So my best guess, at least as of right now, is that he will still be a National.