With just under two months until the MLB tradeline, the standings are starting to take shape and dictate who may become buyers and sellers. We must iterate, it's early, and things can change, but through the first week of June, some surprising teams are trending in the wrong direction that could make this year's deadline one of the more active we've seen in recent years. Let's look at three surprising teams currently trending towards selling, and identify their best assets that could theoretically be on the move.
Atlanta Braves
Given that the Atlanta Braves are currently in 4th place and 11 games back in the NL East, seven games under .500, seven games back in the Wild Card, the team's 2025 outlook is beginning to look grim. After a disastrous start, the Braves began to rebound slightly, but are once again 2-8 in their last 10 games.
Potential Braves player who could be put on the trade block: Chris Sale
If the Braves can't climb uphill fast enough, they have staff ace Chris Sale, who could fetch the team a monster haul.
The Braves have just one top-100 prospect in Cam Caminiti, MLB Pipeline's No. 70 overall, and he isn't expected in MLB until 2028. Should the Braves sell, they can overhaul their farm system without giving up too much of their future outlook. Fresh off an NL Cy Young, Sale owns a 2.93 ERA in 73.2 IP, and has a club option for 2026, which is guaranteed to be exercised by whichever team he's playing for.
If the Braves decide to keep Sale and hope to stay competitive, they may hit a wall at next year's deadline without enough assets to compete in bidding wars with other teams. It almost feels inevitable that once Sale leaves after 2026, Atlanta will find itself in this position anyway. Therefore, you can argue it makes more sense to take their foot off the gas in 2025, retool for 2026, and continue on an upward trajectory next year.
Sale could demand a haul in trade talks, where pitching needy teams like the Cubs are brimming with top prospects with nowhere to play. Reynaldo Lopez and A.J. Smith-Shawver are both sidelined on the 60-day IL, and Atlanta doesn't have the prospects to have a strong enough trade deadline to push back into the conversation this year. Unless they magically turn things around between now and July 31st, the Braves will be a team to keep an eye on.
Arizona Diamondbacks - Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly are the names to watch
With the devastating news that Corbin Burnes will need Tommy John surgery and miss the rest of the season, the outlook for the underperforming Arizona Diamondbacks just took a huge hit. Although the Diamondbacks are .500 at 31-31, they are 6.5 games back in the loaded NL West, and 3.5 games back in the Wild Card. We need to keep an eye on where they sit in the Wild Card more than anything, as it will be scary in the West once the Dodgers get healthy.
Potential Diamondbacks players who could be put on the trade block: Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly
Losing Burnes doesn't instill confidence that Arizona will climb back and win the division, and if they decide to retool, we must keep an eye on Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly. Both are pending free agents who won't be owed much for the rest of the season. Kelly has been steadier this season, pitching to a 3.43 ERA. Gallen, of course, has the higher ceiling, but has struggled through the first third of the year with a 5.13. However, his last outing against Atlanta was promising.
If Gallen turns the corner, he will be one of the more sought-after arms, since he won't break a team's bank or farm. Arizona has a critical nine-game stretch against Colorado, Chicago (Sox), and Miami at the end of June, which will likely determine their relevancy.
Texas Rangers
Currently 5.5 games back in the AL West, the Texas Rangers are facing an uphill battle heading into this stretch before the MLB trade deadline. Like any other team on this list, there's time to turn it around, but they must act fast.
Potential Rangers player who could be put on the trade block: Tyler Mahle
Should they continue to fall, one name sticks out for the Rangers, and it's Tyler Mahle.
The Rangers have an elite starting rotation, but Nathan Eovaldi, Jacob deGrom, and Jack Leiter are still around after 2025. It's difficult to envision the Rangers trading away their top players and tearing it down completely. Patrick Corbin is enjoying a resurgent year, but he likely won't move the needle for teams looking to place somebody towards the front of their rotation. Tyler Mahle, however, is the name to keep an eye on.
Mahle owns a sparkling 2.02 ERA in 71.1 innings and is set to hit the market after the 2025 campaign. Mahle had signed a two-year, $22,000,000 deal with the Rangers before last season, but it was structured so that $16,500,000 is for 2025. The price point isn't an issue for teams as Mahle's production makes him severely underpaid, and the Rangers are in a similar spot as the Braves, where they could net a top prospect and retool for 2026. Losing Mahle in a free agent year still gives the Rangers two of the best pitchers in baseball currently spearheading their rotation next season.