Nearly two months before the July 30 trade deadline, conversations are already happening, which shouldn’t come entirely as a surprise in a baseball environment like the 2024 season. Not only is there no obvious World Series favorite, 24 of 30 MLB teams can still call themselves contenders; they’re either in playoff position or within five games of the final wild-card spot.
As usual, San Diego Padres general manager A.J. Preller is burning up the phones, this time in search of a starting pitcher, but he’s not the only one. This is likely to be a deadline with a plethora of teams looking to add and only a few willing to ship out players. So the contenders are doing their diligence now, sources said, fully understanding that the only hope for the desirable-player inventory to grow is borderline teams acknowledging that their players’ value might never be higher than this summer.
It’s a point made by a front office official last week: The combination of hungry teams and in-season urgency makes the deadline the best time to deal for teams looking to move big leaguers, even more so than in the offseason. For relief pitching, it’s unquestionably true. With starting pitching, it’s typically the case. Hitters can be tricky, needing a perfect fit.
Ultimately, this trade class will be defined by the hinge teams that, at this point, remain undecided on their direction. Even though the clearest sense of the market won’t come until mid-July, there’s enough action to offer a cursory team-by-team look at what deadline season holds. Here is the latest information from more than two dozen major league sources.
Unloaders
The worst team in baseball is open for business. Outfielder Tommy Pham might be the most certain player of any to be dealt, but there are no sacred cows on the South Side. Yes, the White Sox are willing to deal center fielder Luis Robert Jr., who is expected to return from a hip injury this week and is signed through 2027. Yes, the White Sox are willing to move right-hander Erick Fedde, who has been excellent in his return to MLB after a one-year sojourn to South Korea and is signed through 2025. Perhaps most notably, yes, the White Sox are willing to trade left-hander Garrett Crochet, whose conversion from the bullpen to starter has been one of the great success stories of the early season and who is a free agent after the 2026 season. What they seek in return won’t be low, particularly for the 24-year-old Crochet, but as the White Sox’s rebuild kicks into gear, don’t underestimate the willingness of new general manager Chris Getz to tear down even more than he already has. Others in play: closer Michael Kopech, reliever Tim Hill and shortstop Paul DeJong, with right-hander Mike Clevinger joining the group should he return from an elbow injury in time to help this season.
Colorado Rockies
Nobody does the deadline quite like the Rockies, who are experts in acting like it doesn’t exist. They were the only team in 2022 not to make a trade. Last year they made five moves — and received only pitchers in return (one of whom, reliever Victor Vodnik, was a great find). This year, Colorado has an opportunity to cash in on infielder Ryan McMahon … but owner Dick Monfort is particularly fond of him and doesn’t want to deal him. Reigning All-Star Game MVP Elias Diaz is thriving, and the 33-year-old is a free agent this winter, so he’s an obvious candidate. So are right-hander Cal Quantrill and left-hander Austin Gomber, though both have another year before they reach free agency and could remain in Colorado because if the Rockies know anything, it’s inaction. One more option: left-handed reliever Jalen Beeks, a former waiver claim who is now closing.
Los Angeles Angels
Los Angeles doesn’t lack desirable players. Left-hander Tyler Anderson could be one of the most sought-after pitchers this July. After a disastrous debut season with the Angels, Anderson sports a 2.47 ERA through 11 starts and is making $13 million this season and next, a bargain salary for such production. Infielder Luis Rengifo is playing like an All-Star and comes with club control through the end of 2025. Outfielder Taylor Ward is under control until after 2026, and outfielder Jo Adell until 2027. And while general manager Perry Minasian is asking for giant returns for either right now, the Angels desperately need to improve the worst-in-baseball farm system that they gutted last summer in an ill-advised spree intended to show Shohei Ohtani that Anaheim was the sort of place he wanted to stay for the remainder of his career. (Narrator: It wasn’t.)
The Angels have a group of veteran free agents-to-be who should move — outfielder Kevin Pillar and relievers Matt Moore, Adam Cimber and Hunter Strickland — but that’s simple. The hard thing would be to deal someone like right-hander Jose Soriano, whose 100 mph fastball has helped his seamless move to the rotation. Soriano is the sort of arm around whom teams like to build, but the Angels will be in such dire shape in the coming years that cashing in on Soriano’s success would be the move a front office confident in itself — and, more pertinent to the Angels, in its owner’s willingness to learn what constitutes a good baseball decision — would make.
Miami Marlins
Who’s the best player who will be dealt this deadline? It could be Marlins left-hander Jesus Luzardo, who has ace stuff and is under club control through the end of the 2026 season. Teams will line up for him — and for the remainder of the Marlins’ starters. At least one of them is expected to move, and whether it’s Luzardo, one of their left-handers (Braxton Garrett, Trevor Rogers and Ryan Weathers) or right-hander Edward Cabrera, new general manager Peter Bendix has already proved aggressive, dealing All-Star second baseman Luis Arraez to San Diego in early May. Another big name who could move: center fielder Jazz Chisholm Jr., though between his injury history and propensity to find himself in the middle of clubhouse drama, the offers might not satisfy the Marlins’ need for young talent. Gone for sure are left-hander Tanner Scott, who might be the best reliever available, and first baseman Josh Bell, both of whom reach free agency this offseason. Other names being bandied about include relievers Burch Smith, Andrew Nardi and Declan Cronin and perhaps outfielder Bryan De La Cruz, whose interest level is, more than anything, a function of the awful class of outfielders.
New York Mets
Jesse Rogers explains why the Mets should look to get what they can for Pete Alonso before the trade deadline, and speculates where he could land.
Including New York in this tier might be a touch preemptive, as this group includes some of the worst teams in baseball and the Mets still have enough life to avoid a 100-loss pace. Still, New York has the opportunity to better itself long-term with its current roster. Pete Alonso would be the preeminent slugger available — and considering he makes $20.5 million and the Mets would get only a fourth-round draft pick in draft compensation for letting him sign elsewhere in free agency because of their exorbitant payroll, multiple general managers said they expect new president of baseball operations David Stearns to trade the All-Star first baseman. Queens hosts bats aplenty beyond Alonso, with designated hitter J.D. Martinez ($9.5 million, mostly deferred), center fielder Harrison Bader ($10.5 million) and Starling Marte, the 35-year-old outfielder who continues to fight off perceptions that he’s well past his prime, all candidates to move.
Want starting pitching? Right-hander Luis Severino has been great and, at a $13 million salary, would cost barely $4 million for the final two months. Lefty Sean Manaea is another who could be available, though one GM cautioned that teams are hesitant to deal for arms with player options — Manaea is on a $14.5 million salary and controls a $13.5 million option for 2025 — because an injury could lead to sunk cost. Relievers aren’t in short supply here, either, whether it’s from the right side (Adam Ottavino, $4.5 million) or the left (Jake Diekman, $4 million). If the relief market collapses and Stearns is looking for arbitrage opportunities, he can’t ignore the sort of return controllable right-handers Sean Reid-Foley or Reed Garrett could bring. In the end, the Mets could very easily be the talk of the deadline for the second consecutive season.
Oakland Athletics
As much as the A’s are open to listening for offers on uber-reliever Mason Miller, multiple executives believe it’s unlikely he’ll be moved. That could change in coming weeks, of course, but the consensus is that the A’s are in no rush to deal Miller, who has struck out 51 batters in 26 innings. Oakland should have action on Brent Rooker, who’s hitting .280/.366/.549 with 11 home runs this season but profiles more as a DH than an outfielder. Veteran starters aplenty will be available as well, from Paul Blackburn, Ross Stripling to Alex Wood. (Not expected to be on that list: left-hander JP Sears, who has generated significant interest among teams but is likelier to stay with Miller.) Right-hander Austin Adams and left-hander T.J. McFarland should be in the bullpen mix, too.
Washington Nationals
The Nationals are closer to contention than some might realize. Their starting pitching is legitimately good — particularly MacKenzie Gore, who looks like one of the 10 best pitchers in baseball on any given day — and their bullpen is right there as well. They’ve got one player under contract next season: catcher Keibert Ruiz, at $5.4 million. One aggressive offseason and suddenly the Nationals could enter next season as contenders. But that’s if they hold on to outfielder Lane Thomas and relievers Kyle Finnegan, Hunter Harvey and Derek Law, all of whom are free agents after 2025 — and considering they’ll all have robust July markets, that’s far from a certainty. Among back-end starter types, Trevor Williams will be near the top of every contending team’s list, and fellow free agents-to-be Jesse Winker and Dylan Floro are having stellar bounce-back seasons after disappointing 2023 campaigns. The Nationals’ farm system needs depth, and this could be general manager Mike Rizzo’s last opportunity to find it before Washington graduates to win-now mode.
Hinge teams
Arizona Diamondbacks
Two months into the season, the defending National League champions haven’t found their footing, and with a franchise-record $163 million Opening Day payroll, other teams are keeping an eye on the Diamondbacks, thinking owner Ken Kendrick could pursue a reduction. The possibilities Arizona presents are impressive. First baseman Christian Walker is in the midst of another typically excellent year and will be a free agent at the end of the season, as will closer Paul Sewald. Every playoff team could use an outfielder like Joc Pederson — who has a mutual option for 2025, which means he’ll be a free agent, too — and Randal Grichuk is historically a lefty crusher, though he has a reverse platoon split this season. While third baseman Eugenio Suarez is off to a disappointing start and would command a fair bit of money — the remainder of his $15 million salary, plus a $2 million buyout on a club option for 2025 — he could be popular if Arizona helps pay down what’s owed. And if Arizona is inclined to dip into players under club control, relievers Ryan Thompson and Kevin Ginkel certainly would appeal to contenders after their excellent postseason performances in 2023.
Boston Red Sox
Maybe the Red Sox were just waiting for the trade deadline to go “full throttle”? The infamous words of Boston chairman Tom Werner continue to hang over a season in which the Red Sox have pitched themselves into a middle-of-the-road team. Boston remains nearly $20 million shy of the luxury tax threshold — something the franchise has exceeded just once in the past five years, to the tune of a $1.2 million penalty — and shows no desire to add. The question is whether new president of baseball operations Craig Breslow will take a decent suite of assets and flip it into something that helps the cause of the 2025-and-beyond Red Sox. Outfielder Tyler O’Neill would draw plenty of interest, provided he’s healthy. Right-hander Nick Pivetta is due to hit free agency and can start or relieve. Closer Kenley Jansen and setup man Chris Martin are the sorts of relievers who can help win championships. And if the Red Sox want to get really creative, they can at least entertain moving one of their controllable relievers, whether it’s Justin Slaten, Brennan Bernardino, Cam Booser or Greg Weissert. All of them have been good, and capitalizing on that kind of performance is the sort of thing of which future championships are made.
Detroit Tigers
No one would fault the much-improved Tigers for holding on to all their players and aiming for their first winning season since 2016. Then again, the baseball world is binary — either you’re a playoff team or you aren’t, and if you aren’t, then a team should do everything it can to maximize its current roster for the future. If that is the case, right-hander Jack Flaherty will move for the second consecutive deadline — and this time, he’ll bring back a whole lot more, because what he’s doing this season is giving second-half-of-2019 flashbacks: 90 strikeouts and 10 walks in 67â…” innings. Like Flaherty, outfielder Mark Canha will be a free agent following the season, and his on-base skills and solid glove make him a desirable acquisition. Gio Urshela‘s infield versatility makes him a no-brainer to deal for a lottery-ticket prospect. The bullpen is where the Tigers get really interesting. Right-handers Jason Foley, Alex Lange and Will Vest all have big stuff, Alex Faedo can go multiple innings, and all come with at least three more years of club control after this season.
Houston Astros
Most front offices don’t think the Astros will wind up subtracting: It’s not owner Jim Crane’s style, and Houston still possesses a solid-enough core that contending in 2025 is entirely realistic. That said, the Astros have four potential routes. They could add, which remains an option because despite the hole they’ve dug themselves at 26-34, they’re just 7 games back of first-place Seattle. They could stand pat and hope the returns of Luis Garcia and Lance McCullers Jr. help a depleted rotation. (Jose Urquidy is likely headed for Tommy John surgery, and Cristian Javier’s status remains up in the air.) They could do a soft unload, moving only their pending free agents, both big names: third baseman Alex Bregman and reliever Ryan Pressly. Or they could go full reimagining, shipping out outfielder Kyle Tucker and left-hander Framber Valdez in addition to Bregman and Pressly. Generally, when trading players of Tucker and Valdez’s ilk, teams wait until the winter to ensure the largest market possible. But if the inventory of available players is grim this summer, and if the Astros don’t believe they’re a playoff team, it’s incumbent on GM Dana Brown to, at the very least, listen to offers and see if a contender will overpay to reap two postseason runs from Tucker or Valdez. Even if it goes against Crane’s instinct.
Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa Bay’s roster is populated with below-league-average hitters: Only three current Rays sport an OPS+ above 100. It’s not the sort of formula that screams turnaround, and with Shane McClanahan, Jeffrey Springs and Drew Rasmussen all on track to be healthy for the 2025 season, Tampa Bay could pivot toward next year. Utilityman Amed Rosario is a free agent-to-be and would be a solid addition for any playoff contender, and Shawn Armstrong is in his walk year and performing well enough to find a new home. But they’re not the names that intrigue fellow executives.
Teams want to know if the Rays will move Randy Arozarena, who, despite a dreadful offensive season (his wOBA ranks 149th of 157 qualified hitters) remains enough of a name that teams will line up if the Rays make him available. They’d love to see either Pete Fairbanks or Jason Adam made available as a late-inning bullpen option. They know the lack of quality left-handed relief pitching makes Garrett Cleavinger a hot commodity. They see opportunity with right-hander Aaron Civale and will make offers accordingly. The Rays are among the best-run organizations in baseball because they’re brutally honest with themselves, and if they don’t make headway soon, they won’t hesitate to move accordingly — and target near-major-league-ready talent for their next run.
Toronto Blue Jays
The Blue Jays could turn an OK deadline into a blockbuster if they wave the white flag. For now, though, this much is clear, according to sources: Barring a complete collapse, they won’t begin to signal their intentions until after the All-Star break ends July 18. Yes, GM Ross Atkins said “it just doesn’t make any sense” to trade Vladimir Guerrero Jr. or Bo Bichette, which sounded a lot like June 1, 2022, when Rizzo said: “We are not trading Juan Soto.” They traded him, of course, because circumstances evolve. Even though Toronto is in last place in the American League East at 27-29, talent abounds on its roster. Guerrero and Bichette are slated for free agency following 2025, and while moving either would go a long way toward fixing a bad farm system, it also would reinforce the struggles of an organization that hasn’t won a playoff series since 2016. Even if the Jays hold Guerrero and Bichette, they’ve got a catcher putting up All-Star numbers in Danny Jansen, a proven postseason commodity in DH Justin Turner, a defensive wizard in Kevin Kiermaier and a utility man extraordinaire in Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who’s slugging on par with Guerrero and well ahead of Bichette. The Blue Jays are hoping to climb out of this tier, but the AL East has seen plenty of teams whose poor starts never got much better.
Tweeners
Chicago Cubs
Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer is eminently practical, and if the Cubs in June and July at all resemble what they were in May (they went 10-18), sign ’em up for unloader status. The problem: Even if the Cubs ultimately decide to go that route, they don’t have a whole lot of obvious candidates to put on the trade block. They could try to shed the remaining $40 million on Ian Happ‘s contract and do the same with Jameson Taillon at $36 million over the 2025 and ’26 seasons. The money would mitigate the return on both. Perhaps relievers Hector Neris or Mark Leiter Jr. could move. Even then, though, the return might underwhelm. Dealing just for the sake of dealing is not what a team that entered the season with playoffs aspirations does. The Cubs just need to get out of neutral before it’s too late.
Cincinnati Reds
The Reds are among the more disappointing teams in baseball this season, and while injuries have crushed Cincinnati, they’re not the lone concern. The Reds look more like a team light-subtract-or-hold team, and it’s not like they’re teeming with obvious players to move. Reliever Lucas Sims is set to hit free agency. His bullpen mate Fernando Cruz is striking out batters at the highest rate in the NL, a near-Mason Miller clip, and would fetch a nice return, especially if Miller remains in Oakland. Otherwise, barring a blockbuster challenge trade that involves one of Cincinnati’s position players — the injured Matt McLain is a particular favorite of opposing executives, though Cincinnati has no intention of moving him — the Reds’ deadline might be as quiet as their bats have been.
Minnesota Twins: This is less add or subtract and more like add or hold. The Twins believe in this roster, which is mostly intact from last year’s AL Central-winning team, and they’ll soon return Royce Lewis from the injured list. The Twins know what it’s like to be on the good side of a deadline deal (getting Joe Ryan for Nelson Cruz in 2021) as well as a bad one (giving up Spencer Steer and Christian Encarnacion-Strand for 42 innings of Tyler Mahle in 2022). And while they’d do very well if they chose to move Max Kepler before he hits free agency this winter — Minnesota is the sort of organization that could try to thread the add-and-subtract needle — the goal is to add to a roster every bit as talented as the two teams ahead of them in the division.
Pittsburgh Pirates
After five consecutive unsightly seasons, the Pirates want to illustrate that they’re close to something good, and with Paul Skenes and Jared Jones debuting this year, they’re off to a strong start — which complicates any potential trade of Connor Joe. With 3½ years of control left and Joe’s bat the best in the Pirates’ lineup this season, giving him up would require the sort of blowaway offer unlikely to come, even with the thin corner-outfield selection. Aroldis Chapman would have plenty of suitors if available — Kansas City dealing him for the excellent Cole Ragans last year is proof that deadline reliever trades can indeed reap quality players. MartÃn Perez can capably eat innings and Colin Holderman is a genuine leverage reliever. Closer David Bednar has found his name in countless trade rumors, and that’s unlikely to end now that he rebounded from a dreadful April to carve in May. Pittsburgh’s window is starting to open. How it handles moments like the deadline can help determine how long it stays there.
San Francisco Giants
The Giants juiced their payroll well past the luxury tax threshold in hopes of hanging in the NL West, and they’ve been rewarded with abject averageness. Their record hovers around .500. Their run differential is in the negative. And yet they’re just a half-game back of the final wild-card spot. The notion of a team guaranteeing more than $300 million in the winter only to turn around and unload at the deadline isn’t inconceivable, but so far for the Giants, it still tracks as unlikely. San Francisco’s pitching — particularly a bullpen with Camilo Doval, the Rogers brothers and the magnificent Ryan Walker, whose crossfire delivery is something to behold — should keep it afloat. But the muddled middle is an ugly place to be, and any additions would necessitate cost-effectiveness, with the Giants’ luxury tax payroll already over $250 million and on the cusp of the second threshold. Were they to move players, on the other hand, outfielder Michael Conforto is a reasonable bet, and teams would gladly add LaMonte Wade Jr.‘s .470 on-base percentage. (Both are on the injured list with hamstring strains.) In terms of bigger names, third baseman Matt Chapman and left-hander Blake Snell both have opt-outs after this season, and teams automatically devalue players with that sort of optionality, making them likely to stay regardless of San Francisco’s tack.
St. Louis Cardinals
Well, look at that. The fourth NL Central team in this category. Paul Goldschmidt has looked like his standard self over the past three weeks, and Sonny Gray has been magnificent in his first season with the Cardinals. If you squint, maybe you can see a pathway to the postseason for a St. Louis team that has clawed its way to the verge of .500. If the Cardinals remain in the race, chances are they won’t unload players for a second consecutive season. They’re already bleeding more than 6,000 fans per game off their attendance peak. But if revenues are down in St. Louis, that apparently means payroll goes with them, and the Cardinals would do awfully well if they made relievers Ryan Helsey (controlled through the end of 2025) or JoJo Romero (2026) available. Goldschmidt is headed to free agency and would be a likely candidate to go, too, were it not for his no-trade clause. If St. Louis starts moving players, it could wheedle him into waiving it.
Likely adders
Cleveland Guardians
Regardless of how real the Guardians are, they’ve staked themselves an immense cushion and earned some payroll leeway from owner Larry Dolan. The Guardians started the season at barely over $100 million, and they’ve ridden a ridiculous bullpen and a surprisingly stout offense to the third-best record in baseball. Shortstop has been a black hole, and if Bichette is on the market, there might be no better fit at the deadline. It doesn’t hurt that Toronto GM Ross Atkins spent the entirety of his pro baseball career with Cleveland before going to Toronto. Should rookie Kyle Manzardo continue to struggle, adding another bat to DH would go a long way in lengthening the lineup. And, depending on how the return of Gavin Williams progresses, perhaps a mid- to back-of-the-rotation starter would help.
Kansas City Royals
The Royals are already canvassing the league for relief pitching, a sign that they intend to add to one of the most surprising rosters in baseball. Even after recent struggles, Kansas City holds the fourth-best record in the AL, and beyond an acute need for bullpen help, the Royals could use an outfielder who can hit. In 685 plate appearances this season, their outfielders are hitting .204/.271/.324, good for a wOBA of .267 — the worst among all big league outfields.
Milwaukee Brewers
Few teams have as good an understanding of who they are and where they exist in their contention cycle as the Brewers. Two years ago, they got filleted for trading closer Josh Hader while in first place in the NL Central. Well, the main pitching prospect in the deal, Robert Gasser, has been Milwaukee’s best pitcher since debuting May 10. And outfielder Esteury Ruiz, who arrived in the deal, was later flipped in a deal for William Contreras, who should start at catcher for the NL All-Star team. Gasser reporting soreness in his elbow after his last start doesn’t exactly buttress the idea that the Brewers should go for it, but with a top-end starting pitcher joining Freddy Peralta in a playoff rotation, Milwaukee would cement itself as an even greater threat to Philadelphia, Los Angeles and Atlanta. Garrett Crochet certainly fits and is what they hope DL Hall — whom they got in a deal for Corbin Burnes, the sort of ace they really could use now — can be: a lefty with obscene stuff who can head a rotation. Same goes for Jesus Luzardo. Milwaukee has the system to land one of them.
San Diego Padres
Preller was on the hunt for starters even before Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove wound up on the injured list, and the Padres are operating like an organization that believes it’s closer to its 19-12 road record than its 13-19 stinkfest at home. San Diego has cobbled together one of the best bullpens in baseball, led by closer Robert Suarez and buttressed with two of the most underrated arms in the majors: right-hander Jeremiah Estrada and left-hander Adrian Morejon. Even with Xander Bogaerts out, Fernando Tatis Jr. not playing to expectations and Manny Machado struggling, the hope is that the offense can score enough to allow Preller to spend prospect capital on pitching instead of hitting. Even after getting Dylan Cease, the state of San Diego’s starting pitching is grim, and the Padres are going to need to get creative to fill the void and still remain under the luxury tax threshold, with about $10 million of leeway.
Texas Rangers
On one hand, the presence of a sub-.500 team in this category goes against conventional wisdom. On the other, it’s entirely logical. The Rangers are defending World Series champions. They expect Max Scherzer, Tyler Mahle and Jacob deGrom to return before the end of the season. More than that, though, their core is not getting any younger. It’s impossible to say how many more four-win-plus seasons Corey Seager and Marcus Semien have in them, but both are on pace to exceed the mark again. So expect GM Chris Young to aggressively pursue bullpen help — particularly if it’s cheap. Remember, the Rangers guaranteed less than $50 million this winter despite the financial boon that accompanies a championship, citing fears about regional sports network dollars, and those concerns aren’t going anywhere.
Definite adders
Atlanta Braves
When asked whether the Braves should be buyers after Ronald Acuna Jr.’s season-ending ACL tear and the team’s not-quite-up-to-snuff start, one GM chuckled and said: “Alex is always a buyer.” That’s Alex Anthopoulos, the Braves’ wheelin’-and-dealin’ president of baseball operations, and despite the Braves’ offensive struggles and wondrous pitching, opposing teams see Atlanta’s biggest need on the mound — even after losing the reigning NL MVP. The bats are bound to come around, and Anthopoulos will look for complementary pieces there. Meanwhile, executives say, Chris Sale and Reynaldo Lopez are bound for regression. Charlie Morton is 40 years old. And Spencer Strider’s season-ending Tommy John surgery left Atlanta in a spot that demands more depth.
Baltimore Orioles
The season-ending Tommy John surgeries for left-hander John Means and right-hander Tyler Wells reinforced the Orioles’ need for starting-pitching depth, even with Cade Povich and Chayce McDermott striking out the world at Triple-A. Give GM Mike Elias this much: He will not chase a deal despite the surplus of position players in Baltimore’s system. His patience, in fact, could very well dictate how the deadline operates. The unloaders all want what Baltimore has, and whether it takes Heston Kjerstad, Connor Norby, Dylan Beavers or Enrique Bradfield Jr. (Jackson Holliday isn’t going anywhere, and chances are Coby Mayo and Sam Basallo aren’t, either), the Orioles will be the rare team looking to add that can control the market. Because everyone wants what they have.
Los Angeles Dodgers
It’s easy to look past deficiencies when a team’s first four hitters are as good as Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Will Smith, but L.A. needs to figure out what it’s going to do in the outfield. It’s conceivable James Outman returns from Triple-A and plays like he did last season, or that Chris Taylor remembers how to hit, or that Andy Pages overcomes his 2.5% walk rate. Absent that, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman cannot run the risk of wasting his core four’s brilliance, particularly with a rotation holding opponents to a .220 batting average and a bullpen that’s even better at .205. With the scarcity of outfield bats, incremental upgrades might be the best bet, but with MLB so wide open, the Dodgers owe it to themselves to do more.
New York Yankees
When you’ve got Aaron Judge and Juan Soto, what more do you need? Well, another high-octane bullpen arm would be nice. Maybe a corner-infield bat? (McMahon would be a perfect fit, actually.) Otherwise, the Yankees look awfully good, and that’s before they get the equivalent of a megatrade: the return of reigning AL Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole.
Philadelphia Phillies
Short of moving Edmundo Sosa to the outfield once Trea Turner returns, the Phillies don’t have much in the way of internal help to solve their outfield hitting issues. They’ll be all over the outfield market. Otherwise, though, there’s no real weakness to address at the deadline. Maybe a utility man? Potentially another reliever to add to a group that with Jeff Hoffman, Matt Strahm, Orion Kerkering, Jose Alvarado, Seranthony Dominguez, Jose Ruiz and Gregory Soto has spent the last month looking downright unhittable? President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski tends to adhere to a go-big-or-go-home philosophy, and whether it’s Robert, Arozarena or even Tucker, he’s got the minor league system to convince an on-the-fence team to deal a true impact outfielder.
Seattle Mariners
The Mariners are in go mode, not wanting to waste another season of their exceptional starting pitching. They’ve got the goods to do it, too. No organization outside of Baltimore and perhaps Tampa Bay possesses the array of position-player prospects that Seattle does, and the Mariners will be on the hunt for impact bats to supplement a group of major league hitters that has been so bad the team fired its offensive coordinator less than 60 games into the season. Robert, Alonso, and especially Guerrero and Bichette, if available, all will be in play for the Mariners, and the question isn’t whether they’re going to add offense. It’s whom they’re going to add.
