Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- Several MLB teams face the challenge of moving high-priced players whose performance no longer matches their contracts as the trade deadline approaches.
- The Giants and Mets are stuck with aging stars and declining production, making finding trade partners nearly impossible.
- The Rangers and Tigers also struggle with costly veterans, and the Astros need to convince contenders to take on an expensive, injury-prone reliever.
As we barrel toward trade deadline season, would-be sellers are no doubt looking forward to an opportunity to make moves for the future — not just acquiring prospects who might help them compete down the line, but getting out from under players who haven't panned out as expected. There's just one problem, however: It takes two to tango, and in order to move on from a bloated contract, you have to convince someone else to take that contract on.
That's much easier said than done, as several teams are about to find out. If the current standings hold, several teams would love to get rid of big names whose production no longer matches their paycheck. Good luck finding trade partners for these would-be stars, though.
1B/DH Rafael Devers, San Francisco Giants
Just over a year to the day after they shocked the baseball world by acquiring Devers from the Red Sox, the Giants would almost surely like a do-over. His bat perked up a bit in May, but he's struck out 20 times in 60 plate appearances so far in June, and it's safe to say that Buster Posey was hoping for something more than league-average offensive production when he made the trade.
And the truly scary part is that things will only get uglier from here. Devers will turn 30 in October. He's already aged off of third base, and he still has seven years remaining on a contract that runs through 2033. Unless he's able to completely turn things around at the plate, it's very hard to envision a world in which San Francisco finds a taker for a deal that's already underwater, unless they give up a ton of value along with it. That's a tough pill to swallow for a team that needs a reset in the worst way.
SS Willy Adames, San Francisco Giants
If it weren't for Devers, Posey would be getting a whole lot more scrutiny for the contract he handed to Adames two offseasons ago. It felt like a desperation move at the time, a team so determined to finally land a star it wound up handing star-level money to the first player who would actually say yes, and sure enough it looks like a disaster now.
Adames' offensive game has declined moving to an extreme pitcher's park. And while he was an excellent shortstop in his 20s, his defense has already started falling off a cliff as he declines athletically. Things will likely only get worse from here, and the Giants still have to pay him through 2031. As much as they'd like to get off of this contract, I'm struggling to see any takers.
INF Bo Bichette, New York Mets
There's a chance the Mets might luck out here, as recent reports suggest Bichette is considering opting out of his deal and becoming a free agent again this winter. I have a feeling that's little more than posturing, though: Sure, the infield market this winter projects to be incredibly thin, but why would Bichette turn down $55 million in salary next season coming off a career-worst year at the plate? He almost certainly won't be able to do better than that on the open market, and he can put together a bounce-back 2027 and still hope for a long-term contract before he hits 30.
If the Mets would like to wash their hands of this high-priced mistake, though, they could be out of luck. It's hard to justify handing a starting infield job to Bichette given the way he's hitting right now, even if New York decides to sell at the deadline. His offensive profile has been alarming, and he doesn't defend well enough to be a valuable player when he's not hitting. These two are stuck with each other, at least for a few more months.
RHP Kodai Senga, New York Mets
Out since April with yet another IL stint, Senga makes his return to the mound this week, hoping to bolster a Mets rotation that could sorely use the help. If he can pitch well over the next month or so, David Stearns would no doubt love to flip him at the deadline: He has one more guaranteed year left on his contract, plus a team option for 2028. But the same reasons the Mets want to wash their hands of him are exactly why they'll have a tough time finding a taker.
Put simply, Senga is just impossible to trust. His 3.39 ERA and 10.1 K/9 so far in the Majors look enticing, but he's yet to kick the command and injury issues that have dogged him over the past few years. Are you really going to give up something of value for a player you can't even rely on taking the ball every fifth day down the stretch? And will you really want to commit to paying that player $15 million in 2027?
SS Corey Seager, Texas Rangers
At this point, it feels about time to stick a fork in this current Rangers core. Texas enters play on Tuesday at 35-37, near the bottom of the league in runs scored, and it's hard to justify butting up against the luxury tax for such middling results.
If the Rangers could find a taker for Seager — and convince him to waive his no-trade clause — they almost certainly would. This team needs to get younger and cheaper, and the 32-year-old shortstop is once again slumping through an injury-marred season. The $155 million he's owed over the next five years could almost certainly be put to better use for a roster in need of retooling, but who's taking on that kind of money? It would be one thing if Seager were at least still hitting like an MVP candidate, but he currently sports a 96 OPS+. There's just too much risk here, between his age and his ever-lengthening injury history, for someone to take the bait.
LHP Framber Valdez, Detroit Tigers
There were plenty of iffy signings over the winter, but arguably no team is feeling free-agency regret quite like the Tigers, who hoped that Framber Valdez would be the ideal rotation partner for Tarik Skubal but have watched him melt down on the mound instead. If Detroit is indeed forced to sell, they'd love to go all the way, shipping out Valdez and other movable pieces in addition to a Skubal deal. But what team would ever trust Valdez in its clubhouse at this point?
The lefty is guaranteed nearly $43 million in 2027, then has a $35 million player option in 2028. With his stock at an all-time low, he'll almost certainly pick that up, leaving some team on the hook for a pitcher who hasn't been anything like an ace this season. Maybe he can start pitching like his old self over the next few weeks, but even then, the off-field concerns are almost as loud.
LHP Josh Hader, Houston Astros
No team is in more dire need of a financial reset than the Astros; you could've chosen three or four different players for inclusion on this list, from Christian Walker to Carlos Correa. But we'll instead go with Hader, who has two more years and $38 million left on the five-year contract he signed before the 2024 campaign.
That's simply too much money for a rebuilding team to be paying any reliever, let alone an aging one with injury concerns. Hader has pitched pretty well since returning from the IL earlier this month, but is that enough to convince a contender to take on his money not just for 2026 but for two more seasons after that? Houston hopes the answer is yes, but I'm skeptical.
Add us as a preferred source on Google