The Main Characters of the 2025 MLB Trade Deadline

With just days to go until the July 31 deadline, someone’s bound to make a splash

Every summer, Major League Baseball delivers its own version of a summer blockbuster. But heading into Thursday’s trade deadline, it’s still unclear which team, if any, will step up, take a Happy Gilmore–sized swing, and shake up the playoff race. Since the league expanded to a 12-team postseason in 2022, trade deadlines have become more subdued. Fewer teams are willing to sell because they feel they’re still in the hunt; thus, the lack of available talent has caused prices to soar. We’ve seen the 2022 Phillies, 2023 Diamondbacks, and 2023 Rangers go from wild-card hopefuls to pennant winners. As a result, the middling franchises of this season can squint and convince themselves they’re still in the mix. No team is currently on pace to win more than 96 games, and the top eight are separated in the standings by just three games. The parity at the top of the league should encourage more teams to push their chips in and make a run at the pennant. 

There have already been a number of moves: The Mariners acquired Diamondbacks first baseman Josh Naylor. The Yankees traded for Washington’s Amed Rosario and Colorado’s Ryan McMahon to try to improve their infield defense and lineup depth. The Mets added hard-throwing lefty reliever Gregory Soto from Baltimore. Across the next three days, the hot stove will be burning as MLB’s top pennant contenders chase difference-making upgrades. 

Here are the main characters to know before the deadline reaches its final act:

The Deadline Heartthrob: Eugenio Suárez (Arizona Diamondbacks)

It’s not often that a player in the top five of the home run race gets moved at the deadline. Anytime you’re included in a conversation that involves Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani, and Kyle Schwarber, you’re in the midst of a special season. Suárez has 36 homers this season, but he’d be a complicated fit because his third-base defense is well below average, and he’s a free agent after this season, likely making him a two-month rental. After trading for McMahon, the Yankees are seemingly out of the Suárez sweepstakes, but there are numerous teams that could use the power upgrade in their lineups. If the Phillies brought him on, they would need to get creative with Alec Bohm and Schwarber occupying third base and designated hitter, respectively. The Cubs would be blocking rookie Matt Shaw. But would you let the presence of Bohm or Shaw stop you from adding a bat of Suárez’s caliber? I certainly wouldn’t.

Suárez could also have a reunion with the Mariners, who just acquired Naylor from Arizona last week. And the injury to Isaac Paredes at third base makes the Astros a potential dark horse suitor as well. Suárez will be pricey for just a couple of months of guaranteed playing time, but there’s no doubt that he could reshape the October playoff picture. 

The Chaos Agent: A.J. Preller (San Diego Padres General Manager)

No figure in all of baseball has done more to keep the hot stove burning in recent times than Preller. He hasn’t made a move yet this year, but this is the same guy who traded for Juan Soto in 2022 and then sent him to the Bronx in 2023. Preller has also traded for Josh Hader, Jason Adam, Tanner Scott, Dylan Cease, and Luis Arraez in the past three years. The Padres are currently four games back in their division and sit in the heart of the National League wild-card race. Preller has some notable players on expiring contracts, such as Cease and Arraez, and his lineup lacks power and needs upgrading if the Padres are going to compete in October. Preller already reportedly tried to make a blockbuster move for Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran, but Boston apparently rejected it. 

No one does chaos quite like Preller. When the fireworks go off this week, don’t be surprised if he’s holding the match. 

The Franchise Coasting on Name Recognition: The Los Angeles Dodgers

Four teams have a better record than the Dodgers as of July 28. Because of bullpen injuries to Ben Casparius and Tanner Scott, plus time missed by starting pitchers Roki Sasaki, Tyler Glasnow, and Blake Snell, it’s been a weird year in Chavez Ravine. On the one hand, the Dodgers earned the benefit of the doubt by winning the World Series last year. On the other hand, they’re not exactly passing with flying colors in 2025. Veterans Mookie Betts and Teoscar Hernandez are underperforming, and GM Andrew Friedman has work to do to bolster the team.

Because of all their injury uncertainty, it’s not obvious how the Dodgers should approach this deadline. Despite all the think pieces about how they’ve ruined the sport with their spending, the Dodgers are just like everyone else in contention at the moment: flawed. 

The Redemption Arc: Luis Robert Jr. (Chicago White Sox)

Just two seasons ago, Robert finished in the top 25 in fWAR and looked like a breakout franchise player. Since then, his production at the plate has cratered, alongside the White Sox’s fall into historic failure.

Robert’s tools are still there. He remains a good defender in center. He’s stolen 26 bases this year. His bat speed ranks in the 93rd percentile across the league. If his hitting numbers hadn’t trailed off so much, he’d be the most valued asset on the market. Instead, he’s a roll of the dice. He’s a player with all the ingredients of a blockbuster but none of the recent results.

There has to be a front office out there that will buy his upside. Maybe a competitive environment and playoff race will reignite Robert’s hitting. He’s certainly a risk, but he could also be a smash hit at the deadline. 

The Pawn Stars: The Baltimore Orioles

This time last season, Baltimore was in first place in the American League East and building a perennial contender with its young core of hitters. But after a second-half collapse last year and a season of hell so far in 2025, the Orioles are buried in the AL East and staring down a fire sale.

Closer Felix Bautista went to the injured list with shoulder discomfort on July 21, so he probably won’t be moving at the deadline. Outfielder Cedric Mullins’s trade value has taken a hit given that he’s had a .601 OPS since June 1, but quality center field play is very scarce, so you never know. Seranthony Dominguez and Andrew Kittredge are veteran relievers with playoff experience and quality stuff, so they’re certainly on the table. Ryan O’Hearn could add thump to any lineup at first base/designated hitter, and Houston seems like an ideal match for him. Charlie Morton looked washed in April, but he’s had a semirespectable 3.93 ERA since May 1 and could help with a different team’s rotation depth. 

The Orioles will have to do some soul-searching about their core of young talent this offseason, but first, they’ll likely look to pawn off their expendable assets for as much return as possible this week. 

The Buddy Comedy Revival: David Bednar and Mitch Keller (Pittsburgh Pirates)

Now that Seth Lugo has signed an extension in Kansas City, Pittsburgh’s Keller could end up being the best starting pitcher who moves at this trade deadline. Keller isn’t flashy, but he’s made 29-plus starts in each of the past three seasons and has had a 4.02 ERA since the start of 2022. Bednar has had his fair share of ups and downs—he was demoted to Triple-A earlier this year—but he has electric stuff and hasn’t allowed a run since May 23. 

Keller and reliever Bednar were once the two pitchers the Pirates hoped to build around. That rebuild has stalled out and regressed, and now the Pirates could look to cash in on their second-best starter and best reliever. 

Both guys are pitching well right now, and the timing will never be better for the Pirates to move on and rebuild (again). Keller is under contract through 2028, so any acquiring team would need to believe that its pitching lab can take him to the next level. Bednar is more volatile but could potentially be electric in October. And the truth is that baseball would benefit from seeing these two get a real postseason shot. But that’s not happening in Pittsburgh anytime soon. 

Think of them as the deadline’s buddy duo. Could a team like the Yankees, Cubs, Blue Jays, or Mets swoop in for a package deal? 

The Hunt for Red October Redux: The Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies have the second-oldest average lineup age, at 30.2 years, younger than only the Dodgers. When you consider that almost all of Philadelphia’s stars—Zack Wheeler, Bryce Harper, J.T. Realmuto, Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner, Nick Castellanos, and Aaron Nola—are in their 30s, it’s easy to make the case that the team is nearing the end of its window. You can debate whether this really is their last ride (I suspect that Schwarber and Realmuto, both in contract years, will return next year), but it’s unlikely that they’ll have a healthy rotation performing at the level they are right now in the next year or two. Wheeler and Cristopher Sánchez are both in the top three in National League Cy Young odds. Ranger Suárez has a 2.59 ERA but is a pending free agent. Nola is having an off year (6.16 ERA) but has a quality track record and is set to return in mid-August.

With six guys in MLB’s top 100, Philadelphia also has the prospect capital to push more chips in for this October. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has had a reputation for being aggressive about trading away prospects, but that has not been the case at all during his tenure in Philly. 

After their disappointing playoff exits in 2023 and 2024, what does an aggressive move look like for the Phillies? It needs more strikeouts and depth. The two offseason additions of Jordan Romano and Joe Ross have 6.99 and 5.28 ERAs, respectively. And the lineup needs more thump. The Phillies rank 13th in isolated power—25th if you include only their right-handed hitters. 

Forced Into a Supporting Role After Failing in a Leading Role: The St. Louis Cardinals

If the trade deadline were at the end of June instead of July, the Cardinals might have been buyers. Unfortunately, St. Louis has come crashing down to just above .500, had a 7-14 record in July, and could now move closer Ryan Helsley and third baseman Nolan Arenado. Neither of them is having a great season by their standards. Helsley’s strikeout rate has declined in each of the past four years, and Arenado has had the lowest slugging percentage of his career this season. 

St. Louis probably could have gotten more for both players at the deadline last year, and now the Cardinals would probably get an underwhelming return for both. In retrospect, it was shortsighted not to move on from both and speed up their rebuild. 

The Understudy Ready to Shine in a Leading Role: Griffin Jax (Minnesota Twins) 

Jax hasn’t had a save this year. He also doesn’t have the dramatic entrance theme that closer Jhoan Duran has. But he has quietly put together an incredibly impressive season for Minnesota, which is five games under .500 and 5.5 games out of a wild-card spot. Jax is waiting for an opportunity to be a high-leverage reliever in the most important moments of the 2025 playoffs. That probably won’t happen in Minnesota. 

Jax ranks fifth in strikeout rate (36.5 percent) out of 100 relievers with at least 40 innings pitched this year. The only names in front of him are Josh Hader, Bryan Abreu, Edwin Díaz, and Aroldis Chapman. There are a ton of top contenders in need of relief pitching—especially the Yankees, Mets, Dodgers, Phillies, and Tigers. 

Guardians reliever Cade Smith should have been part of this conversation, but he’s unlikely to be moved after shutdown closer Emmanuel Clase was placed on non-disciplinary paid leave on Monday for a gambling investigation.  

The Multiverse of Outfielders

There are always dozens of outfielders thrown around the rumor mill in the weeks leading up to the deadline. The list rarely includes stars, but anyone from defense-first center fielders to power-hitting corner outfielders to potential platoon bats could be moving this week. We’ve already seen the Royals acquire Randal Grichuk, and there should be more minor deals like that in the days ahead.

The Angels’ recent losing streak means that they’ll potentially sell someone like Taylor Ward, a corner outfielder with 24 homers and a .795 OPS. The Rangers’ recent winning streak means that they’ll probably keep Adolis Garcia. The Twins could capitalize on a healthy Harrison Bader in the midst of his excellent season by trading him to a contender. Minnesota also has Willi Castro, who is this deadline’s most available super-utility man. 

The Scene-Stealers

Baseball probably already had its most shocking trade of 2025 when the Red Sox sent Rafael Devers to San Francisco in June. But you can never rule out the idea of a major player moving unexpectedly in the final days before the trade deadline. I wonder what Nico Harrison is up to this week. Here are my top three trade candidates that you wouldn’t necessarily expect to move but who quite possibly could.

1. Oneil Cruz (Pittsburgh Pirates): Cruz hasn’t developed much in Pittsburgh, and if the Pirates go fully nuclear, he could move. At age 26, he has elite tools but just OK production.
2. Yandy Diaz (Tampa Bay Rays): The Rays have continued to slide in July and could look to move on from Diaz. The “never trade with the Rays” bit has lost its shine in recent years, so maybe general managers will pick up the phone. 
3. Ketel Marte (Arizona Diamondbacks): Arizona will be one of the biggest sellers at the 2025 deadline, but just how far will it go? If it moves Josh Naylor, Eugenio Suárez, Zac Gallen, and Merrill Kelly, then 31-year-old Marte could also be on the board. Good offensive second basemen are so scarce that the return would need to be significant. He’s still under contract for the rest of the decade. 

The MLB trade deadline doesn’t always reward the risk takers, but sometimes it throws them a parade. Recent history tells us that October difference makers have been acquired at the deadline. Paul Sewald closed out the NLCS for the Diamondbacks in 2023. Jack Flaherty pitched key innings to stabilize the thin Dodgers rotation last year. Tommy Edman won NLCS MVP with the Dodgers last year as well. Jorge Soler won World Series MVP with Atlanta in 2021.

With this much parity at the top and some rosters looking like they’re only one or two moves away from winning it all, this week offers a chance for many front offices to step up and take a big swing. Fortune favors the bold.