The 2025 MLB trade deadline is on July 31 at 6 p.m. EDT, but teams are already trending in one direction or the other when it comes to the trade market. Usually, teams will either be sellers or buyers at the trade deadline. However, most teams end up standing pat when they are unable to complete any trades.
Sellers tend to be struggling teams who trade away their veterans for an influx of prospects who can help in the future. Buyers are teams who add talent in the hope that big-league acquisitions can help in a push for the postseason and then the World Series.
This year, there are some MLB teams that clear-cut buyers and surefire sellers, but there are also some teams somewhere in the middle. So what teams will look to add major-league talent? Who will look to prepare for the future? And which teams don’t know where they stand yet?
MLB trade deadline sellers
Colorado Rockies
While the Colorado Rockies just earned their first sweep of the season, they are still on pace to be the worst team in history. The Chicago White Sox set the record for modern-era losses last year, but the Rockies have found a way to one-up them so far. They are clear-cut sellers, but they are so bad that they don’t have many players of value.
Ryan McMahon, Brenton Doyle, Kyle Freeland, German Marquez, and Antonio Senzatela have held trade value before, but the Rockies have held on to them for far too long. Now all of those aforementioned players have seen their trade value fade, meaning the Rockies might not be able to bring in the haul of prospects that a team in their position needs to add at the deadline.
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox have been the biggest trade sellers over the last couple of years. This came after blowing things up in 2016-17, too.
The White Sox already have moved most of their assets, but there are still some intriguing pieces on the roster, and the rebuild won’t be complete until they are dealt. Luis Robert Jr. is their biggest trade chip, but his numbers are way down this season.
Los Angeles Angels
It is unclear if the Los Angeles Angels would ever trade Mike Trout. The outfielder has had one of the best MLB careers ever, but he hasn’t shown any urgency to get out of Los Angeles while his team has struggled over the years.
Even if the Angels hold on to their franchise legend, they have other pieces that they could move. Taylor Ward, Tyler Anderson, Kenley Jenson, Yoan Moncada, and other trade candidates give the Angels a variety of assets in varying roles, so a number of teams could call coming for those players.
Miami Marlins
The Miami Marlins have been one of the biggest trade deadline sellers in recent years. Jazz Chisholm, Bryan De La Cruz, Tanner Scott, Trevor Rogers, and Josh Bell were a handful of the many players that the team sent packing during the 2024 MLB trade deadline. The moves have started to pay off, most notably with the acquisition of Kyle Stowers.
The team will continue to make moves this year, but they also have fewer players of value to trade after last year’s roster overhaul.
Sandy Alcantara is the name that will be most frequently discussed. Alcantara is a former Cy Young winner, but he has struggled this season after returning from Tommy John surgery. The Marlins will eventually trade him, but they might hold out until Alcantara resurrects his trade value.
Pittsburgh Pirates
Paul Skenes, arguably the best pitcher in baseball, isn’t going anywhere. The rest of the Pittsburgh Pirates roster could be up for grabs ahead of the MLB trade deadline, though.
The Pirates are 26-40, but they’d be a lot worse without Skenes. They’ve somehow scored only four more runs than the Rockies, so they need to bring in a bunch of prospects who can help Skenes out in the near future.
MLB trade deadline buyers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers have a seemingly endless payroll, which seems to put them in the running for every star who becomes available. That has been displayed through the big free-agent signings the team has made in recent years, but they will also certainly make a splash ahead of the MLB trade deadline.
The Dodgers’ roster is loaded, but they’ve also been bitten by the injury bug. Their rotation has tons of potential, but it could also use a boost due to how many injuries their pitchers have had this season.
New York Yankees
Like the Dodgers, the New York Yankees are perennial buyers. The team made one of the biggest moves last trade deadline when they dealt for Chisholm, and they could make another big trade this go-around. The Yankees have lost a lot of arms due to injuries. Most notably, Gerrit Cole was shut down before the season even started. New York needs pitching help.
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are another team that is no stranger to acquiring superstars. Their roster consists of Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts, Luis Arraez, Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill, and Dylan Cease. They’ve had other big-name players come and go in recent years, too, such as Blake Snell, Josh Hader, and Juan Soto.
The Padres have played well this season despite injuries in their pitching staff. They can’t afford to stand pat in a division as deep as the National League West, though.
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs have been great this year, but they need a boost to their pitching staff because Justin Steele is out for the season. Chicago has still pitched well, but they’d be smart to find a replacement for their ace.
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers’ 43 wins are the most in baseball. They have Tarik Skubal, but the rest of their roster is still underrated. Some big-name trades would help get the Tigers more in the limelight. Middle infield is where the Tigers could most use a boost. Javier Biaz spends time in the outfield now, and Trey Sweeney has been the team’s least productive offensive player.
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies have tons of talent at the plate, but their pitching is holding them back. They have one of the worst bullpens in MLB, especially now that Jose Alvarado is serving a long-term suspension. Starters Aaron Nolan and Taijuan Walker have also struggled.
Bryce Harper, JT Realmuto, Kyle Schwarber, Nick Castellanos, Trea Turner, and Max Kepler are all on the wrong side of 30 years old, so this core only has so many more good years left. The time to go all in is now.
New York Mets
The New York Mets have thrived despite Juan Soto’s struggles. While the team will bank on Soto returning to his normal form, they still should bring in some talent to help out while Soto finds his way.
Teams that will wait and see
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are in a weird place. They came into the season with championship ambitions, but they became baseball’s biggest disappointment because of a more than slow start to their season. Injuries and underperforming players ruined this season for the Orioles, but they’ve shown signs of life recently.
The team won six straight games, so they might be trending away from being sellers. Still, it could be smart to move on from veterans and players on expiring contracts before gearing up for a World Series push next season.
One thing is for sure, though, and that is that Baltimore’s young core isn’t going anywhere. The Orioles had the best farm system for years, and a number of these once-elite prospects have already proven their immense potential at the major-league level.
Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman, Grayson Rodriguez, Jordan Westburg, and Colton Cowser aren’t going anywhere, but players such as Cedric Mullins, Ryan O’Hearn, or Seranthony Dominguez could be on the table. If the team’s recent winning ways continue, perhaps the Orioles will turn into full-blown buyers by the time of the trade deadline.
Boston Red Sox
Like the Orioles, the Boston Red Sox have the unfortunate reality of playing in a stacked American League East. They are currently in fourth place in the division, and Baltimore is on their tails. They might be too talented to be sellers but too far out of playoff contention to go all in, either.
If Boston is to make moves one way or the other, it likely won’t be until closer to the trade deadline when they have a better feel about how their record stacks up to their divisional rivals.
Rafael Devers’ antics landed him in trade rumors earlier in the year, but his bat is too valuable to the Red Sox, so the team likely won’t trade him. Jarren Duran has started to emerge in trade rumors, though. Duran had a breakout season last year.
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks made a surprise run to the World Series just two seasons ago. Then they missed the playoffs altogether last season, and they are below .500 this year. Arizona is trending in the wrong direction despite the fact that their World Series core from two years ago was considered young and up-and-coming.
The young core, led by Corbin Carroll, still has championship potential. Some of the veterans are close to moving past their primes, though, so players such as Eugenio Suarez, Josh Naylor, Merrill Kelly, Zac Gallen, Ketel Marie, and Lourdes Gurriel could be viewed as trade candidates.
That is a list of a lot of talent, though, so it is also possible that Arizona would want to buy in hopes that they can get back into the postseason. The Diamondbacks’ problem is they share a division with the Dodgers, Padres, and Giants.
Texas Rangers
Arizona’s opponent in the 2023 World Series was the Texas Rangers, and they’ve failed even more than the Diamondbacks since their Fall Classic matchup. The Rangers only won 78 games last year, and they are four games below .500 this season.
The Rangers’ championship is looking more like it was a fluke, which could lead them to believe that blowing things up might be the necessary course of action going forward. The team also may still believe that there is a championship-caliber team somewhere in there that could be unlocked again if the right additions were made to the roster.
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are shockingly just 27-37 and in fourth in the NL East. They are a talented team that seems destined to turn things around, though. If they do, then they can become buyers and add the pieces who can help them return to elite status. If the Braves keep losing games, though, it won’t make any sense to add at the trade deadline.
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