We've reached the final weekend in June. The official halfway point of the 2025 MLB season has come and gone, the All-Star Game is right around the corner and the trade deadline is just weeks away. And that means it's time for the rumor mill to kick into overdrive.
Even in a wide-open year like this, where it seems like just about everybody (but especially everybody in the American League) has a path to a playoff spot, it's getting time for the rubber to meet the road. Teams have precious little time left to decide whether they should buy, sell or stand pat, and each game is one more data point in one column or the other.
Which teams figure to be most aggressive? Who will wave the white flag? And which players will be on the move before July 31? USA Today's Bob Nightengale had us covered on Sunday with a roundup of all the latest trade deadline news and rumors from around the league. Let's dive in.
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MLB trade deadline rumors: Luis Severino on the block amid rocky first season in Sacramento
The Athletics have been feistier than most expected this season, but a June swoon has them solidly in last place in the AL West and likely to sell at the deadline. And one name to keep an eye on has come seemingly out of nowhere: According to Nightengale, the A's are "open to trading" righty Luis Severino just months into the three-year, $67 million contract they gave him over the winter.
Why the about-face? The righty "continues to bash the environment in Sacramento," in Nightengale's words, which might be putting it mildly: Severino has been significantly worse in his home park (6.79 ERA entering Sunday) than he has on the road (2.27) this season, and he hasn't been shy letting everyone know what he thinks of pitching in a refurbished Triple-A stadium.
“It feels like a spring training kind of game every time I pitch, and every time other guys pitch,” Severino told The Athletic before Friday night's game against the New York Yankees. “It’s the same mentality we have, to go out there and try to do our best. But it’s not been great for us.”
Whether it's the rock-hard mound (which pitchers around the league view as a hazard) or the clubhouse beyond the left-field fence or the scorching heat, Severino isn't a fan of his new digs. And with a move to Las Vegas still years away, that's a problem — one that the A's could look to resolve given how few starting pitchers figure to be available this summer.
MLB trade deadline rumors: No one knows what the Orioles will do
The Baltimore Orioles are putting Mike Elias in a tough spot. The team has rebounded somewhat from its dreadful start to this season, beating the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday to run their June record to 15-11. But that pace likely won't be enough to make up ground in the AL East or the crowded AL Wild Card chase. So, will the O's buy into their new form or sell and pivot toward 2026?
Everyone around the league would love to know. Baltimore "[has] scouts and executives scratching their heads," per Nightengale, still not ready to commit to selling despite being 12 games back of the Yankees in the AL East and sitting behind seven different teams in the Wild Card standings. Given the lack of reliable pitching, it would seem that the O's are a long shot to make serious noise this season, which could put some surprising names on the trade block.
MLB trade deadline rumors: Astros eying Cedric Mullins to fill lefty lineup hole
Ryan O'Hearn and Charlie Morton are just a couple of the disposable veterans that have been thrown out there as potential trade bait if Baltimore does look to sell off some pieces in July. But they're not the only expiring contracts on this roster: Veteran outfielder Cedric Mullins is also set to hit free agency this winter, and he could be an ideal fit for the Houston Astros.
Nightengale writes that Houston is "aggressively looking for a left-handed bat." GM Dana Brown recently admitted as much, and it's not hard to see why given that the team's regular lineup is almost entirely right-handed (especially with Yordan Alvarez still on the IL). This team needs another lefty, and preferably one that could partner with Jake Meyers and Chas McCormick in the outfield.
Mullins is mired in a pretty miserable slump this month, but he's still a league-average bat (100 OPS+ on the year) who can still go get it in center field. Plus, Houston can shield him from left-handed pitching, which will certainly help.