We’re less than a week away from the Trade Deadline, and while there haven’t been any deals of note to this point (not counting last month’s Rafael Devers trade, which can hardly count as a “Deadline” deal), there figures to be a flurry of activity between now and July 31.
MLB.com looks at 21 players who have a good chance of wearing new uniforms by next Thursday (listed in order of their 2025 fWAR as of Thursday):
Eugenio Suárez, 3B, Diamondbacks
fWAR: 3.2
Under control through: 2025
The most sought-after bat on the trade market, Suárez is being pursued by a number of clubs in need of a third baseman. The 34-year-old has 36 homers with a league-high 86 RBIs and a .918 OPS in 101 games, though he’s a below-average third baseman (-6 Outs Above Average). Still, with few impact bats expected to move this week, Arizona should be able to get a solid return for the impending free agent.
Mitch Keller, RHP, Pirates
fWAR: 2.6
Under control through: 2028
Keller might be the best controllable starter available at the Deadline, giving the Pirates an opportunity to bring back a strong return for the 29-year-old. Keller is 4-10 with a 3.53 ERA in 21 starts, averaging a touch under six innings per outing. Over his last 14 starts, Keller has allowed more than three runs only once, posting a 3.14 ERA in the process. He’s produced 15 quality starts this season, but a lack of run support doomed him to a 1-10 record in his first 16 outings. With three years and $54.5 million remaining on his contract, Keller is drawing significant interest from a variety of teams looking for short- and long-term rotation answers. A straight-up 1-for-1 deal with Boston for Jarren Duran could make perfect sense for both clubs.
Merrill Kelly, RHP, Diamondbacks
fWAR: 2.2
Under control through: 2025
The 36-year-old veteran has been his typically consistent self in 2025, posting a 3.32 ERA in 122 innings (21 starts) this season. Kelly didn’t make his big league debut until age 30, spending four years pitching in Korea after spending five unremarkable years in the Rays system, but he has a 3.76 career ERA over parts of seven seasons with Arizona and would be a solid mid-rotation addition for many contenders.
Ryan O’Hearn, 1B/OF/DH
fWAR: 2.2
Under control through: 2025
Orioles GM Mike Elias is focused on trading his expiring contracts — and there are plenty of them to move — but the versatile O’Hearn figures to be one of the most appealing as he continues his career-best season. O’Hearn, who turns 32 on Saturday, has an .827 OPS and 134 OPS+ in 89 games this season, ranking in the top quarter of the league in both strikeout and walk percentages. He’s been excellent against right-handers (.874 OPS) and could be a good first base/DH platoon candidate for a contending team.
Adrian Houser, RHP, White Sox
fWAR: 1.8
Under control through: 2025
Houser has been a popular trade candidate this month, with a number of teams calling the White Sox about the 32-year-old. After opting out of his Minor League deal with the Rangers in mid-May, Houser signed with Chicago and has been a revelation, going 5-2 with a 1.89 ERA in 10 starts. He’s earning only $1.35 million this season, making him an inexpensive rotation option for contenders in need of an innings-eater. Houser is averaging more than six innings per start for the White Sox, consistently getting weak contact (he’s in the 94th percentile in barrel rate) while posting solid ground-ball numbers (48.1%).
Edward Cabrera, RHP, Marlins
fWAR: 1.4
Under control through: 2028
While Sandy Alcantara has been the most popular name on the trade market for months, the former NL Cy Young Award winner has struggled in his return from Tommy John surgery, posting a 6.66 ERA in 20 starts this season. He did throw seven shutout innings against the Padres in his last start, but given the price the Marlins are asking for Alcantara, it seems like Cabrera is the more likely trade candidate in Miami’s rotation. The 27-year-old has a 3.48 ERA in 17 starts this season, and while he experienced some elbow discomfort in his final start before the All-Star break, Cabrera tossed 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball on July 22, putting some of those injury fears to rest. Cabrera is earning $1.95 million this season and is arbitration-eligible for three more years.
Griffin Jax, RHP, Twins
fWAR: 1.4
Under control through: 2027
Jhoan Duran, RHP, Twins
fWAR: 1.2
Under control through: 2027
The Twins have two of the more coveted relievers in Duran and Jax, both for their swing-and-miss stuff and their club control through the 2027 season. Both relievers are arbitration-eligible for two more seasons, though Duran ($4.125 million) is earning more than Jax ($2.365 million) this year. Minnesota is unlikely to trade both Duran and Jax, so which one goes — assuming the Twins’ hefty asking price is met — could depend on which pitcher an acquiring club prefers.
Ryan McMahon, 3B, Rockies
fWAR: 1.4
Under control through: 2027
Suárez has been dominating headlines when it comes to the third-base trade market, but only one team can deal for the Diamondbacks slugger. For the others in need of help at the hot corner — the Yankees, Tigers, Cubs, Mariners and Astros are among the teams believed to be looking at third basemen — McMahon could be the answer. Although his season stats aren’t overwhelming (16 homers, .717 OPS in 100 games), the 30-year-old has been heating up for the past six weeks, hitting 10 home runs with an .820 OPS in 39 games since June 7. McMahon is owed $16 million for each of the next two seasons.
David Bednar, RHP, Pirates
fWAR: 1.1
Under control through: 2026
Bednar has heard his name in trade rumors for the past couple years, but it’s looking more and more like this Deadline will finally be the one during which he gets dealt. After some early-season struggles that resulted in a demotion, Bednar has been one of the best closers in the game, going 14-for-14 in save opportunities with a 1.59 ERA in 36 appearances since being recalled on April 19. Bednar, whose strikeout percentage (33.8%) ranks in the 95th percentile, is earning $5.9 million in 2025 and is arbitration-eligible for one more year.
Jake Bird, RHP, Rockies
fWAR: 0.9
Under control through: 2028
This trio of controllable, low-cost Rockies relievers has drawn interest from contenders looking for swing-and-miss stuff in the bullpen. Halvorsen’s average 100.1 mph fastball ranks in the 100th percentile of the league, while Vodnik (98.5 mph) ranks in the 97th percentile. Bird doesn’t feature the same velocity as his teammates, but his sinker/sweeper/curveball mix has been effective (80th percentile in strikeout percentage). These aren’t household names like some other relievers on the market, but all three would help bullpens around the league.
Marcell Ozuna, DH, Braves
fWAR: 0.8
Under control through: 2025
The Braves don’t have a wealth of trade capital from which to deal this week, but despite his recent struggles at the plate, Ozuna should be traded by the Deadline. The 34-year-old was raking through the first third of the season (.901 OPS, 10 homers in his first 55 games), but his numbers have plummeted since (.524 OPS, three homers in his past 38 games). Ozuna’s .360 on-base percentage for the season is helped greatly by his walk percentage (16.2%), which ranks in the 99th percentile.
Cedric Mullins, CF, Orioles
fWAR: 0.6
Under control through: 2025
Mullins’ best season came in 2021, when he made his only All-Star team and had a 6.0 fWAR. He hasn’t been able to replicate that in the past four years, but he’s still a solid defender in center (2 Outs Above Average), and has above-average speed. Mullins’ 95 OPS+ leaves him just below league-average this season, but the impending free agent has an .822 OPS against lefties this season, so he could certainly help a team in a platoon situation.
Luis Robert Jr., CF, White Sox
fWAR: 0.6
Under control through: 2027 ($20 million club options for 2026 and 2027)
Robert has struggled offensively for most of the past two seasons, but the 27-year-old (he turns 28 on Aug. 3) has had a recent resurgence, boosting his trade value. In his past 24 games, Robert has four home runs, 15 RBIs, five stolen bases and an .813 OPS, looking more like the 2023 All-Star version of himself. His bat speed remains elite (94th percentile), his walk percentage (10.7) ranks in the 74th percentile, and he is still one of the fastest players in the league. His two $20 million options could complicate matters, but his recent play should help the White Sox find a buyer.
Charlie Morton, RHP, Orioles
fWAR: 0.4
Under control through: 2025
The ageless wonder has been one of the better starters in the Majors since rejoining Baltimore’s rotation in late-May, posting a 2.76 ERA in eight starts between May 26 and July 10. Morton allowed seven runs in his July 18 start against the Rays, but that was only the third time in nine starts that he’s allowed more than two runs. He’s not going to slot in as an ace for a contender, but the 41-year-old will help in the middle of many rotations and has a strong postseason track record (7-5, 3.60 ERA in 18 appearances/17 starts).
Ryan Helsley, RHP, Cardinals
fWAR: 0.3
Under control through: 2025
A two-time All-Star, Helsley is one of the top rental closers on the market, with his average 99.3 mph fastball placing him in the 99th percentile of the league. Helsley’s swing-and-miss stuff — he ranks in the 92nd percentile in chase percentage and 80th percentile in whiff percentage — is exactly what many contenders are seeking for their bullpen, and with the Cardinals lingering around .500, St. Louis could look to move him rather than losing him for nothing via free agency.
Anthony Bender, RHP, Marlins
fWAR: 0.2
Under control through: 2027
Bender is having a stellar season for Miami, posting a 1.91 ERA in 43 appearances. The hard-throwing righty has a knack for getting ground balls (50%, 83rd percentile), helping him keep opponents off the scoreboard during his past 12 outings. Bender is earning $1.35 million this season and is arbitration-eligible for two more years, making him an attractive, controllable relief option.
Andrew Heaney, LHP, Pirates
fWAR: 0.1
Under control through: 2025
Nearly two months into the season, Heaney carried a 2.91 ERA through his first 10 starts, projecting him as a near-lock to be traded. The 34-year-old has struggled since then, posting a 7.58 ERA in 10 outings (nine starts) for the Pirates, including three starts in which he allowed seven runs. Heaney might not be in the mix for a postseason rotation spot for an acquiring team, but those clubs seeking help at the back end could look to the veteran southpaw as an inexpensive trade option.
Zac Gallen, RHP, Diamondbacks
fWAR: 0.0
Under control through: 2025
Gallen picked a bad time to have the worst season of his career, posting a 5.58 ERA over 121 innings (21 starts) while allowing a career-high 23 homers in 2025. But the 29-year-old (he turns 30 on Aug. 3) finished in the top five in NL Cy Young voting in 2022 and ’23, giving clubs a belief that he could be reinvigorated by a move to a contender.
Source link