The 2025 MLB trade deadline (July 31) already looks completely unpredictable and perhaps the least intriguing deadline in a long time. First, Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s monster extension takes him off the board, removing the one obvious potential superstar trade candidate. Secondly, almost all the top players heading into free agency are on likely playoff contenders -- Kyle Tucker, Dylan Cease, Michael King, Zac Gallen, plus guys with opt-outs such as Pete Alonso and Alex Bregman.
What we do have, however, is an American League playoff picture that projects as perhaps the most crowded race ever, which would lead to a lot more teams looking to add come July -- if they can find a trade partner. Maybe that will lead to some more unusual deadline deals: MLB-player-for-MLB-player trades, rather than just prospect deals; or maybe a few more trades involving players who aren't just headed into free agency, like Jazz Chisholm Jr. last year.
Let's dig into an early look at the trade deadline for all 30 teams, which we'll categorize into five tiers that will eventually shape the deadline.
Jump to team:
American League
ATH | BAL | BOS | CHW | CLE
DET | HOU | KC | LAA | MIN
NYY | SEA | TB | TEX | TOR
National League
ARI | ATL | CHC | CIN | COL
LAD | MIA | MIL | NYM | PHI
PIT | SD | SF | STL | WSH
Unlikely playoff contenders
It admittedly feels a little callous to say a team isn't going to make the playoffs when April isn't over yet ... but, well, the teams in this tier aren't going to make the playoffs. Sorry. So they'll be looking to trade away any useful veterans -- and there's one clear headliner here.
Miami Marlins
Trade candidate: Sandy Alcantara
With Guerrero off the board and the Marlins in the middle of a deep rebuild, Alcantara jumps to the top of the list as the biggest name likely to be traded. What makes him so intriguing is that the 2022 Cy Young winner is signed through 2026 with a reasonable $21 million club option for 2027, so he can help a team through three pennant races. After missing all of 2024, he has returned from Tommy John surgery throwing 97 mph, but he's going to need some good outings for the Marlins to maximize their return. He allowed six runs in two innings in his last start and has registered just three swing-and-misses in each of his past two starts. His game has always been about getting batters to pound that sinker into the ground, but the crispness in his command just hasn't been there yet.
Chicago White Sox
Trade candidate: Luis Robert Jr.
The White Sox resisted dealing their center fielder in the offseason, hoping he'd bounce back from an injury-marred 2024 season and improve his trade value. That hasn't happened yet as he's off to a slow start, but Robert is just a season removed from hitting 38 home runs and slugging .542 in 2023. As with Alcantara, Robert can be retained beyond this season, with $20 million team options for 2026 and '27. Even if the bat doesn't get all the way back, he at least provides premium center-field defense, and the list of teams that might need an upgrade there is long, including the Phillies (Brandon Marsh hasn't hit), Mets (Jose Siri broke his leg and can't hit anyway), Tigers (depending on Parker Meadows' return from a nerve issue in his arm) and Guardians (Lane Thomas is off to a terrible start).
Colorado Rockies
Trade candidate: Kyle Farmer
The Rockies rarely do anything splashy at the trade deadline -- and often do nothing at all -- but they'll have plenty of time to map out a potential strategy this year. However, which players would they even consider trading? Right-hander German Marquez is a free agent but hasn't shown any swing-and-miss stuff. Kyle Freeland is a homegrown local kid whom they will never trade. Ryan McMahon is signed through 2027 and is viewed as a franchise cornerstone. So that leaves ... Farmer? Maybe some team will want him as a utility guy.
Pittsburgh Pirates
Trade candidates: Andrew Heaney/Tommy Pham
With a discouraging start and a lineup that just isn't going to score enough runs, it already looks like a lost season in Pittsburgh, one that Paul Skenes can't rescue all by himself. The Pirates can only hope their list of veterans heading into free agency will play well enough to create some trade interest. Heaney is a viable back-end starter, although not necessarily someone you want to line up in a playoff game. Pham has been here before: He was traded at the 2022 deadline to the Red Sox, at the 2023 deadline to the Diamondbacks and at the 2024 deadline to the Cardinals (and later joined the Royals on waivers). However, he's struggling at age 37 and might not have much left in the tank.
Washington Nationals
Trade candidates: Kyle Finnegan/Josh Bell
Finnegan had 66 saves over the past two seasons and was the Nationals' All-Star rep in 2024, but they non-tendered him anyway -- only to re-sign him to a one-year deal in spring training as there wasn't much interest in him from other teams. Despite the 38 saves last year, he's not an elite closer, which is why no other team signed him, so his potential trade value is minimal unless he suddenly cuts down on the home runs or the walks. Meanwhile, Bell, like Pham, is shooting for a fourth straight deadline trade, as he went to the Padres in 2022, the Marlins in 2023 and the Diamondbacks in 2024. He'll have to start hitting, though.
If they fall out of contention
This tier includes teams that weren't popular playoff picks before the season or don't currently project as likely playoff teams. They could go either way at the trade deadline -- especially those teams in the AL, where it's not ridiculous to say 14 teams could be within shouting distance of a wild-card spot in late July.
Athletics
Trade candidate: Justin Sterner
Anything might be possible in the AL West, although the A's probably don't have the pitching depth to compete over the full season. They also don't have any obvious trade candidates. Sterner is a 28-year-old who pitched a couple of innings with the Rays last year and is off to a blistering start with a 0.00 ERA and a 98th percentile whiff rate in 10⅓ innings. He throws only 93-94 mph, but he's getting a big swing-and-miss with his four-seamer and even higher whiff rates on his cutter and sweeper. The A's could look to cash in on Sterner as an older reliever with years of team control remaining, the way they did last year with Lucas Erceg, who netted the club three prospects from the Royals.
St. Louis Cardinals
Trade candidates: Ryan Helsley/Nolan Arenado
Helsley is the easy one here: He's an elite closer in his walk year. He'll be in high demand if the Cardinals aren't in it. Arenado's status is more up in the air as the team tried to trade him in the offseason. Will some team want him now? He's making $32 million this year, $27 million in 2026 and $15 million in 2027, which complicates things. He's off to an excellent start -- with more walks than strikeouts while hitting for average -- so that could create some interest, and there are certainly teams that could use an upgrade at third base.
Alec Bohm is struggling with the Phillies, the Cubs demoted Matt Shaw, the Blue Jays aren't getting any production at third, the Yankees have only one home run from their third basemen ... it's a long list. If the Cardinals pay down some of the contract, they could probably find Arenado a new home.
Los Angeles Angels
Trade candidates: Kenley Jansen/Tyler Anderson
The Angels are hitting a ton of home runs and that has made them an early surprise as they attempt to end the majors' longest playoff drought. Assuming the wheels eventually come off -- the way they have for the past nine consecutive losing seasons -- Jansen and Anderson are the logical trade candidates since both will be free agents. At 37, Jansen is a long way from his dominant days with the Dodgers, but he still gets the job done, relying almost exclusively on his cutter. Is he the guy you want closing out Game 7 of a playoff series? Maybe not, but there are teams that still have some uncertainty in the ninth inning, including the Red Sox, Rangers and Cubs.
Minnesota Twins
Trade candidate: Jhoan Duran
The Twins had the best preseason projection of this group but haven't played well so far. If they're out of the running, they could make the trade deadline a lot more interesting if they're willing to deal some of their controllable players, such as Duran. As a rookie in 2022, he looked as if he would turn into one of the league's top relievers. It hasn't quite happened, but he still throws 100 mph and could be added to the late-inning pitching mix for a playoff team. From Minnesota's perspective, even though Duran is under team control for two more years, he's making $4.125 million this year and will get a raise next year -- which, for the Twins, might mean he becomes a trade candidate.
Tampa Bay Rays
Trade candidates: Pete Fairbanks/Brandon Lowe
Yes, yet another hard-throwing reliever in Fairbanks -- but that's the kind of deadline this is shaping up to be. There just isn't a long list of premium starting pitchers and position players who figure to be available. So, let's throw Lowe out there as well as a position player to watch. Like Fairbanks, he's a potential free agent with a club option for 2026 ($7 million for Fairbanks, $11.5 million for Lowe) that the Rays might not necessarily want to pick up. The Mariners and Astros are possible fits -- at least if the Astros continue playing Jose Altuve in left field -- and maybe the Mets, either at second base (with Jeff McNeil going to center field) or DH.
Cincinnati Reds
Trade candidates: Taylor Rogers/Nick Martinez
The Reds' offense has been abysmal while the Hunter Greene/Brady Singer/Nick Lodolo pitching trio has been excellent. If the Cubs pull away in the National League Central, it's possible none of the other teams in the division is a wild-card contender given the early strength of the NL West.
Rogers and Martinez are in their walk years, but Rogers is the more likely trade candidate given his salary. He's making $12 million, but the Giants are paying $6 million of it, so any team that acquires him would be on the hook for only $2 million or so to cover the months after the deadline. Martinez is a useful swingman, but he's making $21 million, so that's about $7 million for two months, a steep price for a pitcher who isn't a lock for a playoff rotation.
If something has gone really wrong
These teams should be playoff contenders. But, you know, sometimes everything just goes wrong -- injuries, bad luck, bad performances -- and you're 10 games under .500 on July 31. That could lead to some big names that would juice up this trade deadline.
Baltimore Orioles
Trade candidate: Zach Eflin
With the Orioles, it's possible the starting pitching disintegrates enough that they slowly fade out of the playoff picture -- after all, they currently have seven potential starters on the injured list, including Eflin, who is out because of a right lat strain. They might be in a similar situation to the late 1990s/early 2000s Astros, who made the playoffs six times in nine seasons and had a winning record every year of those nine except 2000, when they went 72-90. The Orioles have a long list of free agents, including starters Kyle Gibson, Charlie Morton and Tomoyuki Sugano, but Eflin is the best of that group and the one with the most trade value.
Atlanta Braves
Trade candidate: Marcell Ozuna
It would be shocking not to see the Braves recover from this slow start, but if they don't, Ozuna would be a fascinating player to consider. He's in the final year of a five-year deal and the Braves already have a lot of future commitments on the books, so there's no guarantee he'll re-sign with Atlanta, especially since his production warrants a bigger salary than the $16 million he's making this year. Ozuna was one of the best hitters in baseball last year and is off to an even better start in 2025, so while he's limited to DH, he would fill a middle-of-the-order need for a DH-starved club (and given the lack of offense across the majors, this is a long list).
Seattle Mariners
Trade candidate: Logan Gilbert
Speaking of the Mariners, it's hard to envision a scenario in which their starting pitching doesn't keep them around .500 -- especially assuming they get George Kirby back -- but they also lack overall pitching depth and have big-time hitting woes at home. (It's an extremely small sample size, but the Mariners rank second in the majors in road OPS but 28th in home OPS.) Indeed, the biggest challenge for president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto will be to decipher those splits: Do the Mariners need hitting or do they actually need pitching? Either way, if they do collapse, Gilbert -- who wasn't signed to an extension like Julio Rodriguez and Cal Raleigh were -- would bring back a blockbuster return given he has two more years of team control and an impeccable record for health and durability (not to mention a brilliant start to 2025).
Houston Astros
Trade candidate: Framber Valdez
The Astros traded Kyle Tucker in his walk year but kept Valdez, believing the rotation could carry them to a ninth consecutive playoff trip and eighth division title in that span. With Ronel Blanco scuffling and Spencer Arrighetti sidelined by a broken thumb, the offense will now have to carry more of the load. Let's see if it can do it. Certainly, Valdez would be an attractive trade ask and fits the prototypical deadline trade: a rental starter who can lead a playoff rotation. Think Jack Flaherty last season or Max Scherzer and Jordan Montgomery in 2023 -- pitchers who helped lead their teams to World Series titles.
Kansas City Royals
Trade candidate: Michael Lorenzen
Considering the Royals' out-of-nowhere playoff season last year, it wouldn't necessarily be a surprise to see them take a step back. Let's hope not, as the more reasons to watch Bobby Witt Jr., the better. But it looks as if they're going to need some offense. If the lineup doesn't come around, teams will certainly inquire about Seth Lugo or a couple of the relievers, but Lorenzen would be the most likely to be traded. He's making $5.5 million this year with a $12 million mutual option for 2026.
Toronto Blue Jays
Trade candidates: Chris Bassitt/Bo Bichette
In the Blue Jays' case, things would really have to go sour for them to surrender at the trade deadline, but they do have two interesting would-be free agents in Bassitt (off to a tremendous start with a 0.77 ERA through four outings) and Bichette (hitting for average but not any power). Even if the Blue Jays are a few games back at the deadline, they'll probably look to make additions -- especially keeping in mind that the jobs of executives Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins, let alone manager John Schneider, are possibly on the line.
Most likely Alcantara landing spots
Here's where we switch from teams dealing away major league stars to teams acquiring them. These clubs will have the need -- and the prospect depth -- to add Miami's star right-hander. But do they have the will to swing what could be a decisive addition for October?
Chicago Cubs
Trade candidates: Owen Caissie/Kevin Alcantara
With staff ace Justin Steele out for the season, the Cubs will be on the hunt for a replacement -- and just happen to have a nice farm system with plenty of depth to make a deal for Alcantara. Caissie and Kevin Alcantara (not related) are two young outfielders in Triple-A, and even if Tucker isn't re-signed, there won't be room for both youngsters in 2026, so either could headline a deal. Caissie's high-end power potential would certainly be intriguing for the Marlins, who have long been searching for a power-hitting outfielder.
New York Yankees
Trade candidates: Will Warren/Ben Hess
No Gerrit Cole. Luis Gil is slowly on the mend from a lat strain. Carlos Carrasco and Marcus Stroman aren't exactly getting the job done. The Yankees did just get Clarke Schmidt back, but they could certainly use a rotation upgrade. It's hard to envision them trading top prospect George Lombard Jr., plus Spencer Jones' stock has fallen, so let's list a couple of pitchers here. Warren has had some big league time and would give the Marlins an MLB-ready starter. Hess was the Yankees' first-round pick last year and perhaps has more upside but is further away from the majors.
Boston Red Sox
Trade candidates: Marcelo Mayer/Franklin Arias/Yoelin Cespedes
Garrett Crochet has been everything the Red Sox hoped for, but Tanner Houck has been getting pounded, the rotation depth is thin and most of Boston's top prospects are position players. Alcantara's multiyear team control and reasonable salary make him especially attractive to the Red Sox -- a team that has been reluctant to spend with the big boys in recent years. Frankly, they should be able to outbid any other team, especially since the Marlins are starving for hitters.
Roman Anthony is a nonstarter, but maybe Mayer? Trevor Story is still under contract for two more years after all. With Mayer, the Marlins could shift Xavier Edwards to second base. If not Mayer, Arias and Cespedes are high-upside young infielders in Single-A ball. (Arias is off to a terrific start.)
Texas Rangers
Trade candidates: Alejandro Rosario/Alejandro Osuna
The Rangers might not need a starter -- Nathan Eovaldi looks better than ever, Tyler Mahle is off to a great start, Jacob deGrom is trying to round into form and Jack Leiter made two strong starts before developing a blister. Still, it's a fragile group of starters and Kumar Rocker might be a better fit in the bullpen, so Alcantara could fit here -- and general manager Chris Young was aggressive at the 2023 deadline. Top prospect Sebastian Walcott is probably untouchable, but the Rangers have an interesting mix of other prospects to offer. Right-hander Rosario had a breakout season in 2024, hitting 100 mph, but then went down for this year in spring training, undergoing elbow surgery. Osuna is a lefty-hitting outfielder in Double-A who could also be part of a package deal.
In it to win it
These teams are strong playoff contenders, playing well enough to start the season but will have holes to fill later. They might be more so on the lookout for rentals than hemorrhaging their farm system, so we're considering second-tier prospects for these clubs as opposed to the front-line ones needed to acquire Alcantara.
New York Mets
Trade candidates: Drew Gilbert/Jonathan Santucci/Blade Tidwell
The Mets' supposed Achilles' heel -- their rotation -- has actually been their strength so far, and that has been without Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas. But they have other concerns: Center field (Siri was hitting .050 when he broke his leg), third base (Mark Vientos' first homer of the season came this past Thursday) and DH (Starling Marte and Jesse Winker haven't hit) -- even reliever Edwin Diaz hasn't looked good, not that New York would look to demote him. The point: The Mets probably will have to upgrade somewhere, even if it's not the rotation. They've strengthened their farm system in recent years, so they have plenty of solid prospects to deal without touching top ones such as Brandon Sproat and Jett Williams.
Philadelphia Phillies
Trade candidates: Gabriel Rincones Jr./Jean Cabrera
The Phillies are mostly locked into place, but they have two players scuffling big time at the plate in Brandon Marsh and Alec Bohm, so keep an eye on those two as the deadline approaches. But the team's clear hole is bullpen depth, as the Phillies look shaky outside their top three of Jose Alvarado, Matt Strahm and Orion Kerkering. Jordan Romano is trying to bounce back from injury but has struggled. The Phillies will keep Andrew Painter and Aidan Miller, their two high-ceiling prospects, so we'll throw out a couple of other names in Rincones, a lefty-hitting outfielder off to a good start at Triple-A but limited to a corner position, and Cabrera, a Double-A pitcher.
Detroit Tigers
Trade candidates: Troy Melton/Jaden Hamm/Jake Miller
Last year, the Tigers appeared out of it at the deadline and traded away Jack Flaherty -- only to have one of the unlikeliest late-season surges in history and make the playoffs as a wild card. What's in store for 2025? Spencer Torkelson has carried the offense early -- what the heck is wrong with Riley Greene? -- and center field has been a mess with Parker Meadows injured, but the Tigers' needs aren't obvious right now other than a general "sure, they could use a hitter" or "sure, they could use pitching depth." One thing is for sure, though: Detroit's Double-A team at Erie will be one of the most scouted teams in the minors, with Melton, Hamm and Miller all in the rotation there.
Milwaukee Brewers
Trade candidate: Luis Pena
It will come down to this question: How much money do the Brewers have to make an upgrade? Consider Arenado as a potential player for them. Though the Brewers have a handful of options at third base, with Oliver Dunn and Vinny Capra getting first opportunity in a timeshare, that duo has been ineffective so far. But they're not taking on Arenado's salary.
We'll see what pops up. Last year, they did trade for Aaron Civale in early July and then Frankie Montas at the deadline to help the rotation, so ownership might be willing to expand the payroll at least a little. Pena is a teenage infielder who won the Dominican Summer League batting title in 2024, but he's behind Jesus Made and Cooper Pratt on the prospect depth chart.
Cleveland Guardians
Trade candidate: Parker Messick
The Guardians' holes right now are as dire as their NFL counterpart's quarterback situation: Center field and right field are the problem, where Lane Thomas, Jhonkensy Noel and Nolan Jones have all struggled. There's time to turn things around, but Thomas and Noel both had sub-.300 OBPs with Cleveland last year and Jones' high whiff rate is a concern. Messick is a fun player: a stout finesse lefty who nonetheless ranked fifth in the minors in strikeouts last season and is doing the same thing at Triple-A in 2025. Maybe the Guardians will just want to try him eventually in their own rotation.
NL West battle royal
Let's keep our fingers crossed for the greatest four-team division race we've ever seen. If that's the case at the deadline, all these teams will be looking to make an addition -- nobody wants to be stuck in that wild-card series.
San Diego Padres
Trade candidate: Tyson Neighbors
The Padres are off to a rousing start despite one of the weakest benches in the majors and a weak spot in left field, so they will have clear areas to target at the deadline. It's possible they trade from their major league bullpen depth, but we'll list Neighbors. A closer at Kansas State whom the Padres took in the fourth round of last year's draft, he has the potential to move quickly to the majors.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Trade candidates: Ben Casparius/Bobby Miller/Justin Wrobleski
The Dodgers will have to face some difficult decisions in shoring up a bench that is an obvious weak spot -- but features longtime Dodgers Austin Barnes and Chris Taylor, plus fan favorites Enrique Hernandez and Miguel Rojas. The other problem: Since players on the 60-day IL don't count against the 40-man roster limit, the Dodgers currently have 47 players on the 40-man roster because of all of their injured pitchers. Some of those guys are out for the year, so the roster crunch won't completely happen until the offseason, but when Clayton Kershaw is activated, for example, the Dodgers will have to clear a roster spot (he just made his first rehab appearance in the minors). If they do improve the bench -- and they should -- that could mean trading someone from the 40-man roster, such as one of the above pitchers, rather than a low-level prospect.
San Francisco Giants
Trade candidate: James Tibbs III/Dakota Jordan
The Giants are riding some surprising performances from Wilmer Flores and Jung Hoo Lee, and a lockdown bullpen to a solid season start. The back of the rotation (Justin Verlander, Jordan Hicks) is the area most likely in need of an eventual upgrade -- although Hayden Birdsong could eventually get an opportunity there -- and maybe first base or DH (Flores could slide over to first) as well. Tibbs was the 13th pick last year out of Florida State and fellow outfielder Jordan was a fourth-round pick out of Mississippi State with big power potential if he can cut down on his strikeouts. Either could bring back an impact performer -- and, hey, Marcell Ozuna would look nice in this lineup.
Arizona Diamondbacks
Trade candidate: Yilber Diaz
The Diamondbacks are going to score runs -- just as they did last year, when they led the majors. The rotation hasn't been great so far and big-ticket free agent Corbin Burnes has struggled with his control, but let's give it more time. The back of the pen looks solid with Ryan Thompson, Shelby Miller, Justin Martinez and A.J. Puk. Something will pop up though, whether it's via injury or it's Eugenio Suarez and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. continuing to hit under .200. Diaz got some big league time last season and has a power arm but shaky control, which could eventually land him as a reliever instead of a starter.