The MLB trade deadline is the last chance teams have to make drastic roster changes. It's the last chance for contending teams to patch holes, and it's the last chance for selling teams to trade players they don't see in their long-term plans.
Unfortunately, GMs won't bat 1.000 at the deadline. They're bound to make at least a few mistakes. Here's onepotential mistake each executive should be looking to stay far away from.
Arizona Diamondbacks: Fail to add starting pitching
If the Arizona Diamondbacks do buy at the deadline, as GM Mike Hazen says they will, they must add starting pitching. Mike Soroka and Ryne Nelson were both recently placed on the IL, Corbin Burnes had a setback in his recovery from Tommy John surgery, Zac Gallen has an ERA over 6.00, and Merrill Kelly hasn't been much better. Eduardo Rodriguez is their only reliable arm right now, and even his advanced metrics suggest he's a prime regression candidate. The need for a starter, and a good one at that, couldn't be clearer if Arizona is serious about competing.
Athletics: Fail to add any pitching
The Athletics have the second-worst staff ERA in the majors. While sure, some of that has to do with calling a minor league stadium home, the A's don't have much starting pitching to offer beyond JT Ginn Gage Jump, two inexperienced starters at the big-league level, and their bullpen isn't any good, either. The A's lineup is good enough to compete in an incredibly weak American League, but they'll need to fortify their pitching to give themselves their best shot of making the playoffs.
Atlanta Braves: Not going all-in
The Atlanta Braves haven't played well at all lately, but they still have the third-best record in the majors and a comfortable lead in the NL East. That goes to show that while they haven't been good of late, they've been the team to beat in the NL for much of the year (that includes the Dodgers). In order for that to be the case come October, they're going to need to add to this roster. Adding at least one, and probably two, starting pitchers feels like a must, and the same goes for adding a bat who can play either shortstop or left field. The Braves shouldn't spare any prospect, especially knowing how aggressive the Dodgers are almost certainly going to be.
Baltimore Orioles: Refusing to pick a direction
The Baltimore Orioles are in a weird spot. On one hand, they haven't been over .500 since April 14 and have a clear rotation issue. On the other hand, they have a lot of talent on their roster, and almost certainly going to hang around the Wild Card race in a remarkably weak AL. This could lead to Mike Elias thinking his team isn't good enough to mortgage the future for, and that their playoff odds are too high to sell veterans. This would be a nightmarish outcome. Elias must either be willing to make uncomfortable win-now deals or trade veterans like Taylor Ward and Trevor Rogers for prospects. Sitting in the middle is the worst place to be.
Boston Red Sox: Hold onto Aroldis Chapman
The Boston Red Sox are almost certainly going to sell at the trade deadline, parting with rentals like Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Sonny Gray and Danny Coulombe for whatever they can get, but Aroldis Chapman is an interesting case. Chapman technically can hit free agency, but assuming he reaches 40 innings and passes an end-of-year physical, he'll be under contract for $13 million in 2027. The likelihood of this occurring could lead to Craig Breslow keeping him around in hopes of the team competing next season. This should not happen. Chapman is a 38-year-old reliever who, in what figures to be a massive seller's market, could fetch a ridiculous haul for Boston. The Red Sox can sign a reliever to replace him in the offseason. They must sell high on Chapman while they can.
Chicago Cubs: Fail to add pitching
Trading for David Peterson meant that the Chicago Cubs are taking winning now seriously, and Jed Hoyer must double down on that at the deadline. This means being willing to trade prospects (or young big-leaguers like Matt Shaw and/or Pedro Ramirez) to acquire more pitching help. The Cubs are still in dire need of rotation help, given the injury situation they're dealing with, and with Daniel Palencia also hurt, the need for bullpen arms is rather clear, too.
Chicago White Sox: Trade top prospects for anything but controllable SP
The Chicago White Sox have come out of nowhere to enter AL Central contention. As fun as it'd be to see them win this division (and they can absolutely do it), they should not be willing to mortgage their future for it. It feels like this team is a year too early to do such a thing. This means they shouldn't be in the Tarik Skubal sweepstakes, but they should be open to trading prospects for a controllable starting pitcher, as that's something they'll need both this season and in 2027.
Cleveland Guardians: Not taking winning this season seriously
While I think the White Sox should be patient, what are the Cleveland Guardians waiting for? The Guardians have one of the league's best farm systems and an offense that finally isn't entirely Jose Ramirez reliant. The AL Central is very winnable, and outside of the New York Yankees, I'm not sure there is even a very formidable foe in the AL. A blockbuster or two could easily put Cleveland into World Series contention, and they have the assets to get big deals done.
Colorado Rockies: Not selling high on Antonio Senzatela
While I can understand the Colorado Rockies not wanting to move on from guys like Hunter Goodman and Mickey Moniak, who are popular trade candidates, there's no reason to hold onto Antonio Senzatela, a breakout reliever. Senzatela has gone from DFA candidate to a possible All-Star this season with how well he's pitched out of Colorado's bullpen, but he's also a 31-year-old with a $14 million club option for next season. Rather than hold onto him for a year in which they won't be able to win much anyway, the Rockies should continue to hoard prospects by cashing in on Senzatela's booming value.
Detroit Tigers: Holding onto Tarik Skubal
The Detroit Tigers are playing well enough to linger around in the AL Wild Card race, but they're still one of the worst teams in the AL with short odds to make the playoffs, and even if they were to make the playoffs, it's hard to envision this team actually doing anything. With all of this in mind, there's no choice for them to make other than trading Tarik Skubal. I get that they don't want to do this, and I wanted to see Skubal remain with Detroit for his entire career, but the Tigers are not good enough to justify keeping him, knowing that he'll almost certainly be leaving as a free agent in the offseason. Get your haul and try to win in 2027.
Houston Astros: Not entertaining offers for some of their stars
The Houston Astros have already made it clear that they are not selling at the trade deadline, and I think that's a major mistake. While the Astros have been better of late and are in the AL West race, does anyone think this team is anywhere close to winning a World Series? Even if they were, does anyone really think the Astros have the prospect capital to get pieces that'd get them over the hump? Why not, at least, see what the market value for guys like Jeremy Pena, Isaac Paredes and Christian Walker (to name a few) is? Since a World Series berth isn't realistically in the cards for this season, it'd behoove the Astros to at least consider getting assets that can help them win in 2027 and beyond in exchange for players who are unlikely to be with the club long-term.
Kansas City Royals: Not trading Michael Wacha and/or Seth Lugo
The Kansas City Royals are almost certainly going to sell at this year's deadline, and I think they should be willing to do more than just trade their rentals. No, I don't mean trading Bobby Witt Jr., but what about a veteran like Seth Lugo or Michael Wacha? Both of these right-handers are under contract for next season, which is why Kansas City might hesitate, but the extra year of control could lead to a much better return for the Royals. Selling high on one of them in a seller's market and then reallocating the money this offseason would be a wise move.
Los Angeles Angels: Exactly what they plan on doing
For what feels like the millionth year in a row, the Los Angeles Angels are one of the worst teams in baseball, yet will refuse to enter a full-blown rebuild. I'm not asking them to trade Mike Trout, but what is the rationale behind not even entertaining offers for guys like Reid Detmers, Jose Soriano and Jo Adell, as has been reported. Firing Perry Minasian won't change that, as Arte Moreno, the owner, is the guy who wants to keep those young, controllable players. The Angels can completely revamp their farm system in one swoop by selling off that trio, but refusing to even consider dealing one of them will result in the team remaining in the worst spot of any in the league.
Los Angeles Dodgers: Sitting on their hands
The Los Angeles Dodgers have won back-to-back World Series titles, so if anyone's earned the benefit of the doubt, it's Andrew Friedman. Still, the Dodgers have a golden opportunity to win a third straight title, and holding onto their prospects instead of trading some of them for win-now pieces won't get them closer to hoisting another Commissioner's Trophy. Do they need Tarik Skubal? No. Do they need Aroldis Chapman? No. Would both of these guys make them much better? Of course.
Miami Marlins: Refusing to pick a direction
The Miami Marlins have been the league's hottest team in June, going from relative afterthought to legitimate Wild Card contender. This reality means I have no idea what they're going to do at the deadline. Are the Marlins really in a position to be trading prospects in an attempt to win now in an uber-competitive National League? Are the Marlins really going to trade Sandy Alcantara when they're in the thick of a postseason race? The answer probably lies somewhere in the middle. What they can't do is nothing. They need to either be willing to make win-now moves, even if their best prospects are off the table, or sell off some pieces, even if Alcantara isn't included in the list of veterans on the block. Doing nothing would be their biggest mistake.
Milwaukee Brewers: Not taking winning this season seriously
The Milwaukee Brewers' process shouldn't really be questioned as they're competitive year after year despite consistently trading away proven talent and limited resources, but I'm going to question it. Are they ever going to try to win now? Do the Brewers expect to ever do anything but make the playoffs and bow out early if they don't try to add meaningful talent at the deadline? Why shouldn't they pursue Tarik Skubal? They have arguably the best farm system in the sport, and can almost certainly acquire him without including a prospect of the caliber of Jesus Made or Luis Pena. Another year of refusing to pursue a big fish will likely result in another year of bowing out before the World Series.
Minnesota Twins: Holding onto Joe Ryan
If Byron Buxton wants to remain with the Minnesota Twins, there's nothing they can do, as he has a no-trade clause. Whether Joe Ryan wants to remain with the team or not, Minnesota should be trading him now. Ryan is having an excellent year and is a player Twins fans obviously adore, but he's only under control through 2027 and has already dodged one major injury scare this season. This is Minnesota's last chance to trade Ryan at his highest value, as his value will only diminish in his contract year. The Twins are unlikely to make the playoffs, and certainly won't go deep in October if they get in, so trading Ryan for a haul is their best path forward.
New York Mets: Not selling off rentals
While the David Peterson trade doesn't fully signal that a major deadline sell-off is coming, the New York Mets are eventually going to have to consider waving the white flag. This team just isn't good enough, and firing Carlos Mendoza won't change that fact. I can understand holding onto players with control in an effort to win in 2027 (even though I'd strongly consider fielding offers for guys they can sell high on like Luke Weaver and Huascar Brazoban), but there's no world in which rentals like Freddy Peralta, Brooks Raley and A.J. Minter should be with the team past August's deadline, barring some ridiculous and immediate winning streak.
New York Yankees: Failing to land a right-handed-hitting catcher
The New York Yankees need relievers, and there's no reason to expect Brian Cashman to ignore that at the deadline. Something I do somewhat fear him ignoring is their need for a right-handed-hitting catcher. Austin Wells is fine against righties, but he's struggled mightily against lefties, and guys like Ali Sanchez and J.C. Escarra aren't the answer. The Yankees should find someone who is.
Philadelphia Phillies: Making any prospect untouchable
The Philadelphia Philies have been playing like World Series contenders ever since Rob Thomson was fired in April, and they're showing no signs of slowing down. Given how well this team has played, why not go all-in? Why not do what you can to get a big right-handed bat (or two) this lineup could really use? Why not add a late-game reliever to set up for Jhoan Duran? Why not add another much-needed starting pitcher? The Phillies' farm system isn't very good anyway, especially with Aidan Miller having major injury concerns, so the last thing they should do is make Miller or anyone else untouchable. This could be Philly's last chance to win with this aging core.
Pittsburgh Pirates: Not adding to the bullpen
The Pittsburgh Pirates' lineup is better than it's been in quite some time, and their rotation is good enough to bump a quality back-end starter in Carmen Mlodzinski to the bullpen. Yet, the team is hovering around the .500 mark because the bullpen is not good at all. Beyond Gregory Soto (who has a history of iffy command), who do you trust to get outs late in games? The Pirates should be adding multiple relievers.
San Diego Padres: Not adding to the rotation
The San Diego Padres need to score more runs, but they can reasonably hope to see improvements from guys like Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado and Jackson Merrill at some point. What they can't realistically do is trust anyone in the rotation not named Michael King (with Nick Pivetta hurt) to give them a quality outing every fifth day. That is an issue. I know A.J. Preller loves to add to his bullpen, and I know the Padres lack high-end prospects to trade, but it's hard to take the Padres seriously with their rotation in its current state. Not adding to it would be problematic.
San Francisco Giants: Not entertaining offers for Logan Webb
The San Francisco Giants are a disaster and will be selling at the trade deadline because of that fact. They're going to trade rentals like Robbie Ray and Luis Arraez, and would almost certainly be willing to trade expensive veterans like Rafael Devers, Willy Adames and Matt Chapman if they find a taker. One player they've said they won't listen to offers for is Logan Webb, and I think that's a mistake. Webb remains one of the best starters in the National League and can net the Giants a ridiculous return, as he's under contract through 2028. Not even listening to offers for Webb when the Giants aren't close to winning anything feels like a mistake. At least see what is out there.
Seattle Mariners: Not going all-in
On one hand, the Seattle Mariners going all-in on this season, in which they've essentially hung around .500 and not played anywhere near their best baseball, feels silly. On the other hand, the Mariners are clearly one of the most talented teams in the sport even if they haven't played like it, and they have an opportunity to win their first pennant thanks to an awful AL West and AL as a whole. I can understand the Mariners being unwilling to part with Kade Anderson and even Ryan Sloan, but it makes all the sense in the world to consider deals for other non-debuted prospects in deals that can net them a game-changing bat and/or a game-changing reliever.
St. Louis Cardinals: Trading top prospects for anything but controllable SP
The St. Louis Cardinals are in a similar spot as the White Sox. Nobody expected them to be competitive this season, yet they've been in a playoff spot for much of the year. At some point, we need to universally acknowledge that this team is good. I can understand the temptation to trade prospects to try to win now, given how well they've played, but the Cardinals are not in a position to trade top prospects for rentals with how good the NL is and how much work their roster still needs to be a World Series-caliber team. If they can get Joe Ryan or some other controllable starting pitcher, they should consider such a deal. Other than that, they shouldn't be willing to offer anything more than mid-level prospects at best.
Tampa Bay Rays: Not adding to their lineup
The Tampa Bay Rays having a record as good as theirs is beyond impressive, knowing that they do not have a single good hitter in their lineup beyond Yandy Diaz, Jonathan Aranda and Junior Caminero. As impressive as that might be, it's obviously unsustainable to have only three good hitters. Yes, the Rays need to add to their rotation, too, but under no circumstances can they let the deadline pass without adding at least one and preferably several big bats to lengthen their lineup.
Texas Rangers: Not adding to their lineup
The Texas Rangers' pitching staff is mostly solid, even if their bullpen lacks big names (they could use another starter, though), but their lineup, for a third straight year, is simply not good enough. Some of this has to do with injuries, as key cogs like Corey Seager and Wyatt Langford have missed significant time, but Texas has not been scoring enough runs all year. Not adding to their lineup would make it tough for them to go on a deep playoff run.
Toronto Blue Jays: Not adding pitching
While the Toronto Blue Jays' lineup has underperformed this season, a lot of that has to do with injuries and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. struggling. Well, they're healthier now, and Guerrero is bound to get going at some point, right? Injuries have ravaged their pitching staff as well, but upgrades are still needed. Cody Ponce is out for the year, and who knows what you'll get from Max Scherzer? On the bullpen side, can the Jays really trust Jeff Hoffman to pitch in big spots? Probably not.
Washington Nationals: Not adding relievers
The Washington Nationals have been leading the majors in runs scored all year, yet have lingered around the .500 mark because their bullpen is atrocious. It isn't just atrocious, it's historically bad. Washington has blown 24 saves already, six more than any other team, as of this writing. The full-season record is 34 blown saves. They're on pace to obliterate that mark. I can understand not wanting to fully buy in on this year, but not addressing the bullpen at all feels criminal with how good their lineup is.
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