Major League Baseball’s annual trade deadline is 6 p.m. ET this Thursday, July 31, meaning teams are running out of time to declare themselves buyers or sellers. There is only so much time to remain in the mushy middle. We sorted out which teams could be buyers and which teams could be sellers on July 17. That was 11 days ago and 11 days is an eternity in this game. It’s time to update those priors. Here is where each team sits on the buy/sell spectrum with the trade deadline mere days away.
Obvious buyers
Boston Red Sox: The Red Sox have won 25 times in 39 games since the Rafael Devers trade and are firmly in the postseason race. There is a chance they add and subtract at the same time — outfielder Jarren Duran’s name keeps popping up in rumors — but more likely they add only. Pitching help of all kinds is the priority.
Chicago Cubs: Even before the Brewers ran them down in the NL Central, the Cubs were firmly in the buyers category. This is their only guaranteed season with outfielder Kyle Tucker and that means urgency. Expect the Cubbies to import a starting pitcher, bullpen help, and ideally a third baseman before Thursday.
Detroit Tigers: Not so quietly, the Tigers are 2-12 in their last 14 games and a .500-ish team since mid-May. Their scorching hot start combined with the AL Central’s overall mediocrity means Detroit still has a comfortable eight-game lead in the division. Bullpen help is badly needed here. Expect the Tigers to add at least one reliever this week, and potentially even more than that.
Houston Astros: Third baseman Isaac Paredes suffered a severe hamstring strain last week, which changed the trade deadline calculus for the AL West-leading Astros. Now they need a bat in addition to a starter and general pitching depth. No surprise though, the Astros are buying.
Los Angeles Dodgers: Despite sinking nine figures into their bullpen this past offseason, the Dodgers need relief help at the trade deadline, and not just middle relievers. They need late-inning arms. Los Angeles would surely like an outfielder too.
Milwaukee Brewers: The Brewers are an MLB-best 62-40 since getting swept in their first series of the season. They are neck and neck with the Cubs in the NL Central, and it’s possible Milwaukee’s never had a better shot at the World Series than they do this year. A slugging third baseman would be the big ticket addition here.
New York Mets: Every contender wants bullpen help and that includes the Mets, who traded for lefty Gregory Soto over the weekend. Bullpen help and a center fielder are the top priority for a New York team that has been unable to create separation atop the NL East.
New York Yankees: The Yankees have tumbled down the standings the last few weeks but they remain in a wild-card spot, and it is not in the organization’s DNA to sell when they are anything other than an abject disaster. Besides, the Yankees have already begun buying: they added third baseman Ryan McMahon and bench bat Amed Rosario over the weekend. Expect the Yankees to add bullpen help this week. Lots of it.
Philadelphia Phillies: The Phillies and Mets have traded places atop the NL East all season. Philadelphia dipped into free agency to sign veteran reliever David Robertson earlier this month, and bullpen help will continue to be the priority at the trade deadline (remember, José Alvarado is ineligible for the playoffs after a PED suspension). An outfielder with even an average bat would be a significant upgrade. The Phillies could use two of them, really.
San Diego Padres: With payroll space tight, there are rumblings the Padres could move pieces around and subtract while also adding at the deadline. Rental starter Dylan Cease’s name has popped up in recent weeks. San Diego will add though. That is clear. An outfielder, a DH bat, and pitching are on the shopping list.
Seattle Mariners: Seattle has already started their deadline shopping, picking up first baseman Josh Naylor late last week. A third baseman and bullpen help are the priorities now as the Mariners seek their second postseason berth in over two decades.
Texas Rangers: With 27 wins in their last 42 games, the Rangers have gone from “maybe they’ll sell” to “they’re on the fence” to “they’re buying, for sure.” They’re tied for the third wild-card spot and need bullpen help to get over the hump. A starting pitcher and another bat wouldn’t hurt either.
Toronto Blue Jays: No team has a better record than the Blue Jays over the last two months, during which time they went from eight games back in the AL East to 5 ½ games up. They’re buying, for sure. Like every other contender, Toronto needs bullpen help. Finding room for another bat is doable too.
Probable buyers
Cincinnati Reds: At 56-50, the Reds are one game behind the third wild-card spot. So, of course they should buy. The question here is will ownership let them? And how much buying will they allow? Taking on payroll is not a given here. Assuming they do buy, put the Reds down for bullpen help and an outfielder.
San Francisco Giants: The Rafael Devers trade should have cemented them as buyers, but they are 13-21 since the trade. Still, they’re three games out of a postseason berth. They’re a good week away from being in wild-card position with a lot of weeks remaining in the season. Injuries will have the Giants in the market for a starting pitcher. Another bat wouldn’t hurt either.
Somewhere in the middle
Cleveland Guardians: The Guardians have run hot and cold all season. Every extended stretch of success is followed by a string of losses, and vice versa. Cleveland is 3 ½ games behind the third wild-card spot. They are said to be fielding calls about their relievers, including Emmanuel Clase and Cade Smith. The Guardians could move a pitcher or two while bringing in any kind of offense (an outfielder fits best).
Kansas City Royals: The math is not in their favor — Kansas City is four games behind the third wild-card spot with four teams ahead of them — though they did just trade for rental outfielder Randal Grichuk this past weekend. Starter Seth Lugo agreed to a new extension over the weekend, taking him off the market. The Grichuk trade indicates the Royals are a soft buyer. Surely they would like to dig up a long-term outfield piece, and doing that would require some level of selling.
St. Louis Cardinals: After storming up the standings in May, the Cardinals are 7-14 in July and sit 3 ½ games behind the third wild-card spot. Rental relievers Ryan Helsley and Phil Maton should be hot commodities. Teams are poking around controllable super utility man Brendan Donovan as well. The Cardinals could ship out their rentals while adding players who can help them stay in the race this year and stick around beyond 2025.
Tampa Bay Rays: The Rays are perpetually in buy and sell mode. They’ve made a habit of simultaneously adding and subtracting at the last few deadlines. Starters Taj Bradley and Zack Littell have been in trade rumors (Littell is a rental), and DH Yandy Diaz‘s name has popped up as well. If they add, Tampa will bring in pitching first and foremost, with the bullpen in particular needing a shot in the arm.
Obvious sellers
Arizona Diamondbacks: The D-backs were on the buy/sell fence up until they got swept by the Astros last week. Since then they’ve traded Josh Naylor and Randal Grichuk. The smart money is on righties Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly, and especially third baseman Eugenio Suárez, becoming former D-backs before long.
Atlanta Braves: It is unlikely the massively disappointing Braves will shake up their core. Any seller’s moves will involve players like closer Raisel Iglesias and setup man Pierce Johnson, the latter of whom could fetch a nice return.
Baltimore Orioles: The selling started even before the All-Star break, when setup man Bryan Baker was shipping out for a draft pick. Lefty Gregory Soto was dealt with past weekend. Righties Zach Eflin and Charlie Morton,and outfielders Cedric Mullins and Ramón Laureano are among the rental Orioles who could find themselves in a new uniform come Friday.
Chicago White Sox: The good news is they’re on pace to win 17 more games than last year. The bad news is they’re on pace for 104 losses. Chicago has a few attractive trade pieces in outfielders Luis Robert Jr. and Austin Slater and starter Adrian Houser.
Colorado Rockies: Colorado is on pace to lose 120 games and they’ve already traded away longtime third baseman Ryan McMahon. Relievers Jake Bird, Seth Halvorsen, and Victor Vodnik will garner plenty of attention between now and Thursday, but aren’t the only Rockies players on the block.
Los Angeles Angels: It has been reported the Angels have let teams know their rentals are available. That includes starter Tyler Anderson, closer Kenley Jansen, third baseman Yoán Moncada, and super utility man Luis Rengifo. Lefty Yusei Kikuchi, setup man Reid Detmers, and outfielder Taylor Ward are under contract/team control for at least one more season, but could perhaps be on the move as well.
Miami Marlins: Despite their surge up the standings — 24-13 in their last 35 games! — the Marlins are clear-cut sellers. Starters Sandy Alcantara and Edward Cabrera are the big trade chips here, plus outfielders Dane Myers and Jesús Sánchez. Those four and a small army of relievers could be on the move this week.
Minnesota Twins: At 16-28, the Twins have the American League’s worst record since the admittedly arbitrary date of June 4. They’re selling. The only question is will they seriously consider moving starter Joe Ryan and relievers Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax? I supposed it depends on the offers. Those three are under team control through 2027. Otherwise, rentals like lefty Danny Coulombe, super utility man Willi Castro, and outfielder Harrison Bader are obvious trade candidates.
Pittsburgh Pirates: The front office has failed spectacularly to build a competent team around Paul Skenes, and now that same front office will get to decide whether starter Mitch Keller and closer David Bednar are dealt at the deadline. Keller has another three years on his contract. Bednar is under team control in 2026. Pittsburgh’s mostly unexciting crop of lesser trade chips is headlined by infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa and setup man Dennis Santana.
(Sacramento) Athletics: Even after this past weekend’s four-game sweep in Houston, the A’s are on pace to lose 93 games, so they will subtract at the trade deadline. Starters JP Sears, Luis Severino, and Jeffrey Springs would have league-wide appeal. The Godfather move would be making closer Mason Miller available. That seems unlikely, however.
Washington Nationals: Washington traded away utility man Amed Rosario this past weekend to begin their sale. Closer Kyle Finnegan, starter Michael Soroka, infielder Paul DeJong, and DH Josh Bell are all available, I’m sure. They will all be free agents after the season. All-Star lefty MacKenzie Gore’s name has popped up in rumors lately. Never say never, though a Gore trade does seem unlikely.
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