The MLB trade deadline is coming up fast and the one thing that is very clear is that the number of buyers vastly outpaces the supply of players on the trade market that are worth having. Only the most creative and/or aggressive front offices are going to be able to land top talent for the home stretch of the 2025 stretch. Even then, it is likely to come at a very heavy cost.
Teams have never valued prospects more than they do right now. The combination of years of team control and the bargain basement salaries players during their first few years in the majors has many MLB executives very reluctant to part with top prospect talent. However, there are a few top names that seem more likely than others to change hands before the dust settles at the trade deadline.
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Which MLB prospects could be traded at the deadline?
Making an exhaustive list of prospects that could be traded by the deadline would be both impossible and unbelievably tedious. Instead, the focus here is going to be on known prospect names that would move the needle by themselves in trades that are in organizations that are likely to be buyers at the deadline. Not all of these guys will be moved and there will certainly be other top names that end up in trade packages, but this feels like a good starting point.
Cam Schlittler - Yankees
New York needs a third baseman and it just so happens that one of the best players (if not the best) available on the trade market is third baseman Eugenio Suarez who probably tops their wish list. Even for a rental, acquiring Suarez is going to require a significant trade package. The Yankees aren't going to part with guys like George Lombard Jr. or Spencer Jones for a player with less than a year of team control, but Schlittler has burst onto the scene and selling high on an arm feels like a smart play. Schlittler's biceps injury muddies the waters a bit, but he is still a name to watch at the deadline.
Lazaro Montes - Mariners
This is a weird one because the Mariners need offense and Montes is one of the better power hitting prospects in baseball. It seems like he could help the big league club at first base this season in a pinch, but there seems to be a growing consensus that he isn't quite ready yet and Seattle is looking to compete right now. Finding a good match for the Mariners when it comes to an impact bat isn't easy this year especially since Suarez didn't play that well in Seattle the first time, but Montes feels like the big trade chip that could be moved if the Mariners do make such a move.
Jhostynxon Garcia - Red Sox
The Password has been a popular name in baseball this year as he has gotten a chance to shine now that the buzz around the Big Three has faded a bit. The tools with Garcia are loud, in particular his raw power. However, Boston seems to have played their way into playoff contention again and their outfield is a clogged mess at the moment. Trading Garcia could redistribute their talent a bit into areas that are weaker and clarify the outfield picture a bit going forward.
Mick Abel - Phillies
The Phillies are one again in the middle of the World Series discussion and with Dave Dombrowski at the helm, you can bet they are going to be aggressive. It would be extremely odd for Philly to spend all of this time getting Andrew Painter healthy again only to trade him, so Abel may be the odd man out from the pitching-rich Phillies if they make a big move. They did make a real move to address their bullpen already after signing David Robertson, but Abel could be the centerpiece of a deal for a big time bullpen arm with some team control or an impact bat.
Tirso Ornelas - Padres
Including Ornelas here is more just hoping he gets to a new organization where he could actually get some playing time as opposed to the crowded Padres roster. While the numbers and tools aren't the loudest with Ornelas, the guy can just hit and could probably help a team right now. If AJ Preller finds a real upgrade for left field, catcher, or their rotation, including Ornelas could give their trade partner a MLB-ready bat and allow San Diego to include lower level prospects to round a potential deal out.