The MLB trade deadline is often one of the more exciting events in all of sports. Besides the postseason, the trade deadline is the most exciting time in baseball. It's full of unexpected moves and excitement. In baseball, we see dozens of trades each and every year with all teams in the league having the potential to be involved.
This season, there have been a lot of rumors early in July. Last month, the San Francisco Giants and Boston Red Sox shocked the baseball world when they agreed on a deal that would send slugger Rafael Devers to the Bay Area. But that blockbuster deal isn't going to be the last one of the season.
Each team in the league has the opportunity to save their season at the trade deadline. What's one move that each team could make that would push them in the right direction going forward?
For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop during the MLB season.
30. Colorado Rockies: Trade 3B Ryan McMahon
The Colorado Rockies can't really do anything to "save" their season, per se. But there are still moves to be made, even when the entire season looks like a lost cause.
For the Rockies, the best move to make is trading third baseman Ryan McMahon. McMahon got off to a solid start this season, but has since crashed down to earth. While he had a .750 OPS a month ago, his OPS has dropped to .675 because of his horrendous start to July.
Either way, there are plenty of teams in the league that could use McMahon. The New York Yankees desperately need a third baseman this season. New York will probably look for a better option than McMahon, but he could still be a potential option for the Bronx Bombers. The Chicago Cubs are another team that needs a third baseman this season.
29. Chicago White Sox: Trade OF Luis Robert Jr.
The Chicago White Sox were seemingly ready to trade Luis Robert Jr. for a haul of prospects last season, but nobody was willing to bite on him for their asking price. A year later, Robert has continued to struggle at the plate.
Robert's trade value isn't going to get any higher unless he makes major offensive adjustments. Right now, he's controllable, which adds to his value. He also has plus defense and plus speed. These traits aren't going anywhere for Robert, but his controllability becomes less and less as the days pass by.
The White Sox need to speed their rebuild up by cutting ties with Robert as soon as possible. Trading him this season for a package of three or four prospects would be more than enough for Chicago to benefit.
28. Washington Nationals: Trade RHP Kyle Finnegan
The Washington Nationals are loaded with quite a bit of talent this season, but they're still far short of being a postseason contender. There are a lot of building blocks for the future in the lineup, but the Nationals need to continue their rebuild.
This season, the Nationals need to trade their closer, Kyle Finnegan, to take advantage of his value before he leaves in free agency at the end of the campaign.
Finnegan has put together a solid season so far. With so many teams looking to buy at the trade deadline, the Nationals should be able to take advantage of Finnegan's value. Almost every contending team needs to add relievers, so there should be quite a market for the righty this season.
27. Athletics: Trade LHP Jeffrey Springs
The Athletics are in quite a peculiar spot this season. They have a few of the most talented rookies in baseball, but their pitching staff has struggled so much that it doesn't really matter.
Still, the best move the Athletics could make this season is to trade starting pitcher Jeffrey Springs. Springs has two additional years of team control on his contract following this season.
While the Athletics need pitching, they don't need aging veterans. If they can trade Springs to a team like the New York Yankees to net somebody like Cam Schlitter, they would be much better off. Adding a pitcher like Bobby Miller or Justin Wrobleski could work, too. Either way, the Athletics need to add young pitchers and trading Springs should be able to give them that.
26. Pittsburgh Pirates: Trade Mitch Keller and Andrew Heaney
The Pittsburgh Pirates continue to be mentioned ahead of the trade deadline. There are a lot of players on the roster who make sense as trade assets, but fans continue to mention Paul Skenes as a potential trade chip. Trading Skenes would be one of the worst decisions in baseball history and it's almost certainly not going to happen.
Instead, the Pirates should trade starting pitchers Mitch Keller and Andrew Heaney.
Heaney is the obvious trade chip. He's on an expiring contract and doesn't appear to have a future in Pittsburgh. Keller has a few more years of affordable team control, but the Pirates should still look to trade him. Since there are so many teams likely to buy at the trade deadline, the market is going to favor the sellers. Taking advantage of Keller's value this season is the best thing the Pirates can do. By game one of next year, Bubba Chandler, Thomas Harrington, and Braxton Ashcraft should all be ready to join Skenes in Pittsburgh. Keller isn't going to be a key piece of the future.
25. Atlanta Braves: Start a fire sale, trade DH Marcell Ozuna
The Atlanta Braves have been one of the more disappointing teams in baseball this season. Rather than contending for a World Series, they're near the bottom of the league. While they still have a lot of talent on the roster, it's time to start the fire sale.
Atlanta needs to trade expiring designated hitter Marcell Ozuna in the coming weeks. Ozuna still has some value on the trade block and could be a fit for any contender looking for an everyday DH. When Ozuna hits free agency at the end of the year, the Braves are unlikely to re-sign him.
Atlanta could also look to trade away players like Raisel Iglesias. The closer's contract is also expiring at the end of the season, making him a prime candidate. All in all, the Braves need to trade their expiring contracts and listen to offers on everybody else, besides Ronald Acuña Jr.
24. Baltimore Orioles: Acquire a controllable pitcher
While the knee-jerk reaction for the Baltimore Orioles would be to blow up the roster and start over, that would be one of the worst decisions they could make. Sure, they can trade the expiring contracts. Sure, they can part ways with veterans like Ryan Mountcastle and Ryan O'Hearn.
But the most important thing the Orioles can do this season is add a controllable pitcher.
Baltimore needs to target guys like Sandy Alcántara from the Miami Marlins, Mitch Keller from the Pittsburgh Pirates, or Bobby Miller from the Los Angeles Dodgers. At the end of the day, Baltimore needs to add multiple pitchers with three or four years of team control. They have the talent to win, but they need better pitching going forward.
23. Cleveland Guardians: Hold onto RHP Emmanuel Clase and OF Steven Kwan
Over the last few weeks, the Cleveland Guardians have struggled. Because of this, they've fallen down the American League standings. With that in mind, members of the media have jumped on the opportunity to mention their closer, Emmanuel Clase, and their star outfielder, Steven Kwan, as trade candidates.
But this would be a foolish overreaction for the Guardians to make. Cleveland doesn't need to trade these two players. The duo has multiple years of team control on their contracts each. Instead of using the duo as trade pieces, they should continue to build around them. Cleveland has struggled, but Clase and Kwan are two of their best players. Trading them during Jose Ramirez's prime years would be a complete waste.
22. Miami Marlins: Trade OF Kyle Stowers
The obvious answer here is trading Sandy Alcántara, but it might not make the most sense. The Marlins ace is struggling this year, which means his value is a lot lower now than it was before the season. If a team is willing to trade a haul for Alcántara, then, obviously, Miami should deal him away.
But the more important piece to move is All-Star Kyle Stowers. Stowers is having an incredible season and comes with a lot of team control on his contract, but he's already 27 years old. It's unlikely he's going to be in his prime when the Marlins are ready to put together a competitive team.
With that in mind, Miami could trade him to a contender for a haul in return, setting themselves up for a brighter future.
21. Los Angeles Angels: Trade LHP Tyler Anderson and RHP Kenley Jansen
The Los Angeles Angels seemed aggressive last season at the trade deadline. Instead of trading away all their talent and entering a massive rebuild, Los Angeles opted to trade the expiring contracts and plan for this season. But they're still struggling.
Judging by the way they attacked last offseason, the Angels don't seem ready to give up while Mike Trout is on the roster. There's a good chance they're still looking to reload rather than rebuild. If that's the case, the Angels could and should look to trade pitchers Tyler Anderson and Kenley Jansen.
Both veteran arms would likely net a decent return on the trade market. Los Angeles could use more top end prospects in their system, so it wouldn't be surprising to see them attack the market as sellers. Anderson and Jansen would be the first two pitchers to go.
20. Minnesota Twins: Trade RHP Jhoan Durán for a haul
The Minnesota Twins have quite a lot of talent on their roster, but they're not in the position to win right now. They've fallen down the American League standings and seem primed to rebuild a bit. Unlike some of the worst teams in the league, the Twins don't need a full overhaul of the roster. Instead, the Twins are a few moves away from being competitive in 2026 or 2027.
One piece of this puzzle should be trading star closer Jhoan Duran this season. He has multiple years of team control left on his deal, so his value will never be as high as it is now. The Twins could trade him to a powerhouse like the Dodgers or Yankees and look to poach multiple top prospects. This is the kind of deal that sets Minnesota up with the talent it needs for the future.
19. Kansas City Royals: Trade RHP Seth Lugo
A few years ago, the Kansas City Royals were one of the worst teams in the sport. Last year, behind the superstar production from Bobby Witt Jr., the Royals made a tremendous turnaround. They surged up the AL standings and placed themselves among the best teams in the league.
But this season, they've struggled again, as has Witt. With that in mind, Kansas City could conservatively sell ahead of the deadline and place themselves in the perfect position going forward. If they receive any sort of interest for starting pitcher Seth Lugo, which they absolutely will, they need to trade him.
The Royals could trade Lugo for a decent sized haul and build their rotation back up with prospects. They need to continue building their farm system and a Lugo trade would be exactly what they need for the next few seasons.
18. Arizona Diamondbacks: Trade all expiring contracts
The Arizona Diamondbacks are in a tough situation. They have a lot of talent, but that's not enough when you're in the NL West. The Dodgers, Padres, and Giants are all aggressive powerhouses, so Arizona has a few big moves to go before it's a true contender in that division.
With that in mind, they need to get as much value as they can from all of their expiring contracts. Anybody whose deal ends at the end of the year should be traded. This includes players like Merrill Kelly, Zac Gallen, Josh Naylor, and Eugenio Suárez. If the Diamondbacks are able to trade all their expiring contracts, they should be able to net multiple impactful prospects. A trade deadline like this would crush the team this season, but it would set them up nicely for the future and for free agency next winter.
17. Texas Rangers: Trade Adolis Garcia to a contender
A few years ago, the Texas Rangers were one of the best teams in baseball. They brought home the 2023 World Series title, but they've failed to put a contender back on the field since. With that in mind, it's time for change in Texas.
There are a few players the Rangers could use on the trade block in the coming weeks. But the most important piece they could look to trade is slugger Adolis Garcia.
Trading Garcia makes plenty of sense. He's a veteran with team control on his deal. There are a lot of teams in baseball that need to add an outfielder, including the Reds and the Padres. The market would likely be decently hot if the Rangers began shopping him. Getting some value before he ages himself out of production is crucial for the future in Texas.
16. Cincinnati Reds: Add a controllable outfielder
The Cincinnati Reds are in a weird spot this year. Their front office typically doesn't spend much money and they're not the kind of team that makes huge trades to acquire big talent. But the team is winning just enough to keep them in the postseason race. Pair that with the fact they coerced Terry Francona out of retirement to manage the team and there are plenty of reasons to buy.
If the Reds are going to buy at all, they could use an outfielder, preferably one with some team control on his contract. Cincinnati has a lot of talent including Elly De La Cruz, Chase Burns, and Hunter Greene, but they don't have a star outfielder. If they could go add somebody like, let's say Jarren Duran, ahead of the trade deadline, they would be in a great spot this season and beyond.
Adding an outfielder on an expiring contract would benefit the Reds for the next few months, but their front office doesn't spend money enough to re-sign star players.
15. Boston Red Sox: Trade LHP Aroldis Chapman
The Boston Red Sox are in one of the weirder positions in baseball. They opted to trade Rafael Devers this season, which seems like a selling move, but the team has gotten hot recently. They added two potential big league pitchers for this season and returned Alex Bregman to the field late this week.
Boston could look to buy and sell at the same time. What I mean by this is the Red Sox could trade a few expiring contracts while looking to add controllable talent. The top priority for the Red Sox should be trading closer Aroldis Chapman. Chapman is on an expiring contract. At this point in his career, it seems like he's going to sign a one-year deal with the highest bidder in free agency each offseason. With that in mind, the Red Sox need to mortgage his value at the trade deadline while they have the chance to.
Trading him to a team like the Dodgers in an attempt to bring in Justin Wrobleski or Bobby Miller, alongside other prospects, would be the best case for Boston.
14. Seattle Mariners: Add a slugger
The Seattle Mariners need to go all in this season. Their starting rotation is incredible, but it's not getting any younger. Seattle has all of their best pitchers under contract for a few more years, but there's no guarantee that these arms stay healthy and dominant down the line. Cal Raleigh is also one of the most dominant players in the league.
Seattle needs to go after a slugger and find a place to play him. It could be any level of player from Taylor Ward to Eugenio Suarez. Seattle needs to add more consistent pop behind Raleigh in the lineup. If they waste this season without committing to winning, there's a good chance the front office looks back and regrets it.
13. St. Louis Cardinals: Trade RHP Ryan Helsley in a buyer-to-buyer deal
The St. Louis Cardinals have been one of the more shocking teams in the league this year. They've won a lot more and been a lot more competitive than anybody expected. Because of that, the trade deadline is a major question mark in St. Louis.
The Cardinals should buy, but they need to do it the right way. What I mean by this is the Cardinals could trade somebody like Ryan Helsley to a contender in an attempt to add big league talent. This could be a deal with the Dodgers to bring in Justin Wrobleski, Bobby Miller, or James Outman. They could also try to make a deal with the Tigers to add more top young talent.
Either way, the Cardinals should take advantage of Helsley's value on the trade market this season.
12. Tampa Bay Rays: Add two cheap bullpen arms
The Tampa Bay Rays have placed their front office in a weird spot. It seemed like everybody in Tampa was ready to give up on this season when the hurricane destroyed their stadium. But the team didn't get the memo. Tampa Bay, despite playing in the loaded AL East, has won a lot more than anybody expected this season.
With that in mind, they need to be cautiously aggressive ahead of the trade deadline. They've already swung a trade for reliever Bryan Baker, but that can't be the only move they make. Tampa Bay needs to add another reliever or two to their bullpen before the deadline.
They shouldn't target the top talents on the trade block. But they can go after some setup guys. Potentially a talent like Pierce Johnson or Phil Maton. They could go after Nationals closer Kyle Finnegan, too.
11. San Diego Padres: Trade for an outfielder (with pop)
The San Diego Padres have a clear need right now. It's a left fielder.
And they seemingly have a guy in mind: Red Sox star Jarren Duran. There have been multiple reports indicating the Padres were aggressively pursuing a deal for Duran this month, but nothing has come to fruition.
Duran seems to be the perfect fit for San Diego, but it's crucial they add an outfielder either way. There are plenty of options on the table for the Padres to look into if Duran doesn't work out. They could pursue a deal for another Red Sox outfielder, potentially Wilyer Abreu, if Duran is off the table. Somebody like Adolis Garcia could make sense, too.
10. San Francisco Giants: Trade for a rental starting pitcher
The San Francisco Giants have already made their massive move of the season. Adding Devers to the roster was a huge addition to make, but it plucked two pitchers out of San Francisco's rotation. With that in mind, the Giants need to make a move for a rental starting pitcher.
While adding a controllable starting pitcher would be the best-case scenario for the Giants, they might not have the prospect capital it would take to bring one in this season. Instead, the Giants could hunt somebody like Seth Lugo or Nick Martinez on the trade block.
Either way, San Francisco doesn't have a postseason-ready starting rotation right now. It's not one of the worst pitching staffs in the game, but it's certainly not going to hold its weight against the top teams in the league.
9. New York Yankees: Add a reliable starting pitcher (or two)
The New York Yankees have two massive holes on their roster. They have a hole at the hot corner and an even more concerning hole in the starting rotation. You could even call it two holes in the starting rotation. If you want, you could call it two holes and a question mark because Will Warren hasn't been in the big leagues long enough to be considered a sure thing.
I use all this to say the Yankees desperately need to add a starting pitcher, maybe even two.
The Yankees could target any pitcher on the market. If they're looking to keep the prospect return to a minimum, there are pitchers like Tyler Anderson on the market. If they're willing to trade a haul, the Yankees could target Sandy Alcántara or Freddy Peralta. Speaking of Peralta...
8. Milwaukee Brewers: Don't trade Freddy Peralta
The Milwaukee Brewers have been connected to Freddy Peralta trades this season, but the team has won quite a lot since then. With Milwaukee surging up the standings, there's no reason to trade a star pitcher with an additional year of team control on his deal.
Peralta doesn't seem likely to re-sign in Milwaukee at the end of his contract, but that's an issue the Brewers could deal with next season. For now, it's important that Milwaukee holds onto Peralta and continues to build a team to win this season.
7. New York Mets: Add a starting pitcher
The New York Mets looked to bring together a starting rotation full of misfits in the offseason, but it's come back to haunt them so far. Pitchers like Frankie Montas haven't panned out for New York. Griffin Canning is expected to miss the entire season with an injury. New York has a solid top three or four in their rotation, but if it doesn't add another pitcher, it's going to be a long October for the Mets.
New York would likely target an innings-eater like Nick Martinez at the trade deadline. Somebody like Martinez would give the Mets a lot of flexibility. He has the ability to pitch in the bullpen or start games for the Mets. This means New York could use him as a starter for the next few months before shifting him to the bullpen for the postseason.
A rental option like Seth Lugo would also make a lot of sense.
6. Philadelphia Phillies: Trade for a closer (with postseason eligibility)
The Philadelphia Phillies were dealt a crushing blow earlier in the season when closer Jose Alvarado was suspended for half the year and the postseason due to a failed drug test. While Alvarado is nearing a return during the regular season, the lefty will be forced to sit out in the postseason regardless.
This is a huge issue for the Phillies, whose bullpen has struggled a bit this year. The front office is likely going to be aggressive toward adding another high leverage arm or two at the backend of the bullpen. This could be a lefty like Aroldis Chapman or a righty like Ryan Helsley. Pitchers like Jhoan Duran, Emmanuel Clase, or Felix Bautista could make sense, too, if the Phillies want to chase somebody with team control left on their deal.
5. Toronto Blue Jays: Add more pitching
The Toronto Blue Jays weren't in a great spot during the offseason after whiffing on Juan Soto in free agency, but they've quietly dominated this year. After extending Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s contract, the Blue Jays need to do what it takes to build around him going forward.
With that in mind, the Blue Jays need pitching this season, both starting and relief.
Toronto's bullpen hasn't been great. They added Jeff Hoffman in the offseason and he's struggled. Their starting rotation hasn't been great either. It's flashed some dominance at the top, but the depth is certainly concerning.
Toronto needs to add one or two pitchers to the bullpen, preferably high leverage arms like Ryan Helsley. It also needs to add one or two pitchers to the rotation. Somebody like Merrill Kelly would fit the Blue Jays perfectly this season.
4. Chicago Cubs: Add more pitching
The Chicago Cubs came into the season with a massive need for starting pitching. A few weeks into the season, the Cubs lost Justin Steele for the season with an elbow surgery. Pair that with some early season struggles for a few Cubs pitchers and you have a massive void in their roster.
Chicago needs to add pitching, both starting and relief, ahead of the deadline. If we're going to get nit-picky, the Cubs need to add controllable pitching. Chicago has brought in multiple expiring contracts this season. If they're going to trade away more top prospects, it would be safer to land a pitcher with some team control. Think of somebody like Sandy Alcántara, who the Cubs have often been linked to this season, rather than an expiring pitcher like Merrill Kelly.
3. Los Angeles Dodgers: Trade for an ace
The Los Angeles Dodgers came into the season with the clear top roster in baseball, but injuries have destroyed the roster. Specifically, it's been injuries to the starting pitching rotation that's hurt the Dodgers this season. Los Angeles has lost nearly every top pitcher on their roster for a chunk of the season, though they're seeing some names return to the mound.
The one thing the Dodgers need to do this season is add an additional ace to their roster. This could be somebody like Miami Marlins ace Sandy Alcántara or Kansas City Royals ace Seth Lugo. Either way, the Dodgers need to make a move for a starting pitcher this season to assure that Justin Wrobleski isn't making a postseason start in a few months.
2. Houston Astros: Don't panic, add bullpen help
The Houston Astros have quietly climbed the AL standings over the last few months and they've done it without the typical production expected from Christian Walker and Yordan Alvarez. I use all this to say the Astros are in a very, very good position right now. The one thing they can't do right now is panic.
Houston should target pitchers at the trade deadline. They could look to add one starting pitcher, preferably somebody on an expiring contract. They could also target bullpen help. But it's crucial the Astros don't panic and overpay right now. They're in way too good of a position going forward to overpay and destroy the farm system in a run for the World Series this season.
1. Detroit Tigers: Add bullpen help, LHP Aroldis Chapman?
The Detroit Tigers have been one of the best teams in baseball this season, but they still have flaws on their roster. Detroit has a few holes in the lineup, but the spot they need to upgrade the most is the bullpen.
The Tigers' bullpen has been solid, but it hasn't been great. Will Vest and Tommy Kahnle have been great at the backend of games, but Detroit could use another arm or two to help lock down the 8th or 9th inning of close games.
Detroit could target somebody like Aroldis Chapman from the Red Sox. He's in the midst of a career season in Boston while sitting on a one-year deal. The Red Sox will almost certainly trade him and the Tigers could be the perfect landing spot.