Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The MLB trade deadline approaches with seven teams five or more games out of the Wild Card race ready to sell.
- Each struggling club has at least one standout asset that could reshape a contender's roster or replenish a farm system.
- The rankings reveal which players are most likely to move, with one left-handed starter standing out above all others.
The MLB trade deadline is less than a month away on Aug. 3. As we enter the All-Star break, the standings are all over the place. It's hard to pin down which teams will sell and which teams will buy. For those few teams who are already out of contention, however, the goal is a familiar one: to maximize long-term value and replenish their farm systems.
For the purposes of this exercise, let's highlight the best realistic trade asset from every team that is five or more games out of the Wild Card race. For these seven teams, the focus is more on the future than the present.
7. Jonah Heim | C-1B | Athletics
The A's came out of the gate strong, only to slowly fall off the competitive map. The American League is weak enough to leave the door open for a second-half postseason push. Also, unless the A's want to sell high on Shea Langeliers are another young cornerstone, there just aren't many great trade assets in Sacramento.
Jonah Heim is probably the most valuable expiring contract for the A's to dangle at the deadline. The 31-year-old is a former All-Star and Gold Glove winner at catcher. The Langeliers explosion has forced Heim to spend a lot of time at first base or DH, but he's still razor-sharp behind home plate. Any team looking to upgrade its catcher at-bats without a huge defensive sacrifice should inquire.
He has nine homers on the season with a .746 OPS and 101 wRC+. The numbers under the hood are a bit worrisome, and Heim's track record at the plate is not terribly inspiring. He definitely benefits from playing at Sutter Health Park. That said, Heim's clutch-time heroics have become difficult to ignore. He delivers in big spots and brings extremely positive vibes, on top of a valuable skill set at a position where consistent offensive production is scarce.
6. Michael Wacha | RHP | Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals typically aren't keen on purging a deep pitching staff, but midway through the season from hell, the front office will need to recalibrate. One reason Kansas City has struggled so much: Said pitching staff is ravaged by injuries. Michael Wacha has managed to stay healthy and productive, however, with a 3.77 ERA and 1.19 WHIP across 19 starts and 119.1 innings.
Wacha wins with command and finesse more than raw power. He dots the strike zone with fastballs against righties and digs into his off-speed pitches against lefties, with tremendous success. He's a mid-rotation arm, nothing more and nothing less, but Wacha's durability is an easy selling point as contenders look to plug holes in their injury-battered rotations. Wacha currently leads the AL in innings pitched and he's put 160-plus innings under his belt in each of the past two seasons.
He's under contract for a very affordable $14 million next season with a club option for the same price in 2028. He's no spring chicken at 35, but that extra control should add to the appeal.
5. JJ Bleday | OF | Cincinnati Reds
JJ Bleday was DFA'd by the Athletics last season before picking up with the Cincinnati Reds in 2026. While the Reds are on a somber trajectory these days, Bleday's breakout season is a bright spot. Moreover, with Bleday under club control through 2028, the Reds could flip him for significant value at the deadline.
Cincy will need to weigh the risk and reward of carrying Bleday into next season as opposed to selling when his value has reached what is probably its absolute highest point. Every team needs outfield help. Bleday earns mediocre marks on defense, but the 28-year-old is up to 16 home runs with an .846 OPS and 126 wRC+. If teams believe in his ability to sustain this production — and his disciplined plate approach feels sustainable — Cincy will receive bountiful offers left and right.
4. Luis Arráez | INF | San Francisco Giants
How about Luis Arráez, man? Amid all the misery of another lost San Francisco Giants season, Arráez has dramatically outperformed expectations, becoming a fan favorite and an All-Star.
Bemoaned for his league-worst defensive metrics and essentially relegated to strictly first base a year ago, Arráez bet on himself and joined San Francisco with the intention of playing second base again. Most of us rolled our eyes; it felt like a disastrous move for a team with a black hole on the right side of the infield in Rafael Devers. Instead, Arráez has completely reinvented himself and emerged as a leading Gold Glove candidate. Consider it Ron Washington's crowning achievement.
Beyond his defense, Arráez has generated more pop at the plate without sacrificing his incredibly low strikeout numbers. He's hitting .332 with an .834 OPS and 128 wRC+.
If Arráez weren't on an expiring contract, he'd rank higher on this list. He's the most valuable right now in terms of fWAR (3.7). Teams will line up around the block for him, even as a rental.
3. Freddy Peralta | RHP | New York Mets
There's an argument for Bo Bichette here, but that contract is toxic. Freddy Peralta, meanwhile, is on an expiring deal. The New York Mets are financially equipped to re-sign him, but whether or not the Mets actually want to re-sign him after such a nightmarish season remains to be seen. Honestly, David Stearns might want to flip Peralta to a contender for assets and then pursue him as a free agent, a la the Diamondbacks with Merrill Kelly a year ago.
Peralta hasn't quite lived up to his billing as a Cy Young candidate, with a 4.66 ERA and 1.44 WHIP across 20 starts and 104.1 innings. The numbers always pointed to regression, but Peralta's slide was a bit steeper than anticipated. Still, the numbers under the hood are much easier to stomach, and Peralta's reputation as a frontline ace should carry him to plenty of deadline interest.
He's another rental, but pitching is always at a premium in July and August. A needy contender should look at Peralta as a prime bounce-back candidate and toss a few quality prospects in New York's direction.
2. Hunter Goodman | C | Colorado Rockies
Hunter Goodman offers rare production at the plate (and behind it). Catchers who can hit are a rare breed. Goodman has 27 homers and 51 RBI, with an .862 OPS and 117 wRC+. He's boom or bust in nature, with elite hard-hit metrics counterbalanced by a sky-high 32.3 percent strikeout rate. That profile will be an acquired taste in some front offices, but Goodman is now a two-time All-Star at 26 years old and he's under club control through 2029.
The Colorado Rockies aren't going anywhere soon. This is the worst team in baseball by a considerable margin. So, while there's no immediate pressure to deal Goodman, trading him at peak value and recouping significant prospect capital is a savvy business decision. The Rockies need to restock their farm system. Colorado would be lucky to be playing meaningful baseball before Goodman is asking for a new contract, which the Rockies will never pay.
1. Reid Detmers | LHP | Los Angeles Angels
Reid Detmers has allowed 10 earned runs over his last two starts, which brings his ERA up to 4.39 on the season, with a 1.14 WHIP and 123 strikeouts in 108.2 innings. The numbers under the hood are much better, though, as Detmers has broadly fared quite well in his return to a starting role for the Los Angeles Angels. The 27-year-old southpaw is under club control through 2028, which adds to his deadline appeal.
Los Angeles appears hesitant to actually move the lefty, but at some point, the folks in Anaheim need to be honest about their situation. Kurt Suzuki was signed to a one-year contract to manage the ball club; there is no more directionless organization in MLB. The Angels are light on elite prospects and overstuffed with expensive, going-nowhere contracts.
Detmers has frontline potential and a very favorable contract. If a couple bad starts is enough to open the floodgates for a trade, it may ultimately benefit L.A., which could use the haul of prospects a Detmers trade would entail. His 2.7 fWAR still ranks 15th in MLB; a ton of contenders would sell the farm for a chance to lock up Detmers for the next couple years.
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