We're now just a week away from the MLB trade deadline, and while we've yet to see any major deals go down — especially with a third Wild Card spot up for grabs, teams are more willing to wait than ever to see if they might yet get to be buyers rather than sellers — the rumor mill has been working overtime.
Which teams will put the finishing touches on a championship-caliber roster? Which will be left standing in this game of musical chairs? And which sellers will be able to kickstart their rebuilds by identifying the right prospects? There's still a ton to be decided between now and July 31; here's the latest on some of the biggest names that could be trading places over the next few days, including Eugenio Suarez and Mitch Keller.
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MLB trade deadline rumors: Mets emerge as suitor for Eugenio Suarez
Eugenio Suarez is the name at the top of just about every contender's wishlist right now, at least as far as offense is concerned; this is a thin group of bats generally, and it's not every day that an infielder on pace for a 50-homer season comes available in July. One of those contenders, apparently, is the New York Mets, who ESPN's Jesse Rogers linked to the third baseman on Thursday.
"[Suarez] could be an intriguing option for the Mets as they've gotten little production out of Mark Vientos at third base," Rogers writes. "And if things work out and Suarez wants to stay — and they want him to — he could also provide protection for the Mets at first base in case Pete Alonso moves on next season."
This would've been hard to imagine just a few months ago, when all of Queens was anticipating a Vientos breakout after his sensational close to the 2024 season. But New York currently ranks just 23rd in the Majors in OPS from its third basemen, and Vientos in particular has struggled through injury and ineffectiveness at the plate.
The Mets seem to be mostly prioritizing bullpen help at the deadline, and meeting Arizona's lofty price for a rental would seem to be against David Stearns' MO. Then again, this team didn't pay Juan Soto $765 million to take half measures, and New York would seem to have the young pitching (from big-leaguers like Tylor Megill to prospects like Jonah Tong, Nolan McLean and Brandon Sproat) that would catch the D-backs' eye.
MLB trade deadline rumors: What would it take for Cubs to land Mitch Keller?
The Chicago Cubs could also be in on Suarez, but with top third-base prospect Matt Shaw settling in at the dish of late, it's likely that Jed Hoyer will concentrate mainly on finding another starter to slot in behind Shota Imanaga and Matthew Boyd. But Hoyer "won't part with any top prospects for rentals," Rogers writes, adding that the Cubs "would be willing to trade a young hitter for a cost-controlled pitcher or one already under contract past this season." Which makes Pittsburgh Pirates righty Mitch Keller an interesting fit.
Keller might not blow Cubs fans away, and he's not the sort of Game 1 starter you'd feel great about rolling into October with. But he's in the midst of another rock-solid season, and importantly from Chicago's perspective, he's under team control through 2028 at around $15 million per year. Pittsburgh is desperate for offense to supplement their abundance of starting pitching depth; would someone like infield prospect Jefferson Rojas or outfield prospect Kevin Alcantara work as the centerpiece of a deal?
MLB trade deadline rumors: Lourdes Gurriel Jr. enters Diamondbacks' fire sale
After getting swept by the Houston Astros to start the week, it seems like the Diamondbacks are finally coming to terms with the idea of selling at the trade deadline, with The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal writing that Arizona is "telling rival clubs they plan to trade at least some of their veterans". Many of those veterans, like Suarez, first baseman Josh Naylor and pitchers Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly, have been speculated about for weeks. But there's now another name entering the picture: outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr.
98.7 Arizona Sports' John Gambodoro posted on X that Arizona has heard "from a few teams" who are interested in the 31-year-old, who was an All-Star as recently as 2023. But a deal might tough to find: Gurriel has always struggled to get on base, and his batting average has plummeted this season, slashing .245/.295/.406 entering play on Thursday. That's a tough sell for someone who doesn't bring much value in the field or on the bases and is still owed $13 million in 2026 (plus a team option for 2027 that would require a $5 million buyout).
That said, Gurriel has a long track record of being an above-average bat, and he has loads of experience on the postseason stage. At this point, Arizona might be willing to attach a lower-level prospect to him just to get him off their books as they look to retool for 2026.