Gentlemen, start your bear hugs.
In less than a week, baseball’s annual midsummer bazaar will close at the July 31 trade deadline. Teams will be scrambling to do business. Players will be on the move. There will be goodbyes.
Some players, however, are more likely to do some hugging than others. Here’s a look, in no particular order, at who will have bittersweet embraces in their near future.
Ford is one of the best catching prospects in baseball. He’s also blocked by American League MVP candidate Cal Raleigh, and the Mariners just spent an early draft pick on college catcher Luke Stevenson. All of this suggests that Ford could soon be swapped for a big-league corner infielder. — Dennis Lin
Miguel Mendez
RHP
Mendez, a once-obscure member of the Padres’ 2021 international signing class, has put together a breakout season in A-ball while attracting the attention of opposing scouts. As a starter, he’s touching 100 mph and demonstrating improved control. He’s an exciting prospect, but there’s plenty of relief risk here, and the strength of the Padres’ system is the depth of their lower-level arms. — Lin
David Bednar
RHP
The reasons not to trade Bednar amount to little more than: He’s from here. The reasons to trade the hometown closer are many. Just months after a demotion to Triple A, Bednar once again looks like a two-time All-Star closer. He fits every contending team’s bullpen, as either a closer or leverage reliever, and the Pirates will surely receive a better return by trading Bednar now than by waiting to move him this offseason or next trade deadline when he’ll be a rental. — Stephen J. Nesbitt
Bryan Hudson
LHP
You may remember Hudson as the side-arming, soft-tossing lefty with a sub-1 ERA halfway through the 2024 season. Indeed, same dude. But by last season’s end, Hudson had been sent to Triple A due to a velocity decline, and that’s where he’s spent most of this season, too. As the Brewers look to add at the trade deadline, surely they’ll hear from GMs of non-contending teams who want to toss Hudson into the return and think perhaps they can unlock his 2024 form. — Nesbitt
Merrill Kelly
RHP
Teams tend to overpay for starting pitching help at the trade deadline, and fourth-place teams tend to deal rental pitchers at the trade deadline, so this makes too much sense. Kelly will be 37 in October, and he’d be more valuable to a more threatening contender that needs him to chew up some innings in August, September and maybe even October. — Zack Meisel
Carlos Santana
1B
There was always risk to Cleveland signing Santana, who turned 39 in April, to a one-year, $12 million deal to replace Josh Naylor at first base. He remains an elite defender, but his bat has slipped, and the Guardians have first base prospect C.J. Kayfus waiting at Triple-A Columbus. — Meisel
Seth Lugo
RHP
The uncertainty about Lugo’s future makes him a more likely candidate, as he holds a $15 million player option for 2026. His surface-level numbers remain great. His underlying metrics are a bit frightening. But starting pitching is a hot commodity, so maybe a team will fork over a decent return for a guy who’s been uber-reliable the last couple years. — Meisel
Ryan O’Hearn
1B, OF
His three-year emergence in Baltimore is culminating in the best offensive season of his career, but he’s also approaching free agency and is not a great qualifying offer candidate. O’Hearn is a good hitter, and a surprising number of contenders — the Astros, Blue Jays, Red Sox, Giants, Padres — have gotten underwhelming production at either DH or first base. — Chad Jennings
Zack Littell
RHP
With Shane McClanahan due back from injury, the Rays could soon have six starters for five spots. The Rays could choose to simply stay the course, appreciate such depth, and make modest moves, but if they want to be a little more aggressive — both in the short term and long term — they could trade from their pitching depth, which could mean trading Littell, who’s having another strong season but also approaching free agency. — Jennings
Jimmy Herget
RHP
The Rockies should be open for business, but they are the Rockies, so who knows what will happen. Herget, a useful reliever, feels like the most likely player to depart, given the team’s proclivities. Third baseman Ryan McMahon is owed $32 million through 2027, and Colorado does not like dealing players who signed extensions. The relief duo of Jake Bird and Victor Vodnik still have several years of team control, and the Rockies do not like dealing those types of players. Maybe this season’s utter collapse will be a wakeup call. Or maybe it’ll just look like more of the same. — Andy McCullough
Luis Robert Jr.
OF
White Sox general manager Chris Getz faces such an annoying dilemma with Robert, one of the last links to the 2021 club that won the American League Central. Robert was an All-Star as recently as 2023 but has been far less productive these past two seasons. Should the team accept a return for a rental who entered the All-Star break with a sub-.600 OPS? Or should the team pick up his $20 million option for 2026 and hope he rejuvenates himself in time to be traded next year? The financial risk of Robert continuing to crater may force Getz’s hand. — McCullough
Michael Soroka
RHP
The Nationals don’t really have much for new general manager Mike DeBartolo to move. Their best relievers, Kyle Finnegan and Brad Lord, don’t miss bats. Their best starters, besides MacKenzie Gore, couldn’t start a postseason game for a contender. They don’t really have quality position players besides CJ Abrams and James Wood. So let’s go with Soroka, a swingman whose peripherals are better than his raw numbers. — McCullough
Edward Cabrera
RHP
Should the Marlins sell low on Sandy Alcantara? Maybe. Should the team sell high on Cabrera? Definitely. Cabrera has cut down on his walks during the best season of his career. There is an argument for Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix to hold onto Cabrera, who is under team control through 2028. But the risk of injury or regression is significant enough that Miami should explore his market aggressively. — McCullough
Jhostynxon Garcia
OF
The Red Sox outfield is already facing a crunch at the big league level with Roman Anthony, Wilyer Abreu, Jarren Duran and Ceddanne Rafaela. That’s not counting Rob Refsnyder and Masataka Yoshida, who are getting occasional outfield reps. The Red Sox may trade from their big league core, but have said they’d prefer not to. Garcia is a top-5 prospect in the system, hitting close to .300 with a .900 OPS in Triple A. There’s little room for him in the majors, but he could be part of a bigger package to acquire a pitcher at the deadline. Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has shown a willingness to trade prospects with Kyle Teel and Braden Montgomery as part of the Garrett Crochet deal and Nick Yorke traded for Quinn Priester last summer. — Jen McCaffrey
If there’s anything the Yankees have to trade, it’s young pitching. Hess, almost 23, was the Yankees’ first-round pick last year. He has a big fastball with strikeout ability (13.1 K/9) and a 6-foot-5 frame to dream on, but he’s also shown a lack of control (5.1 BB/9) in his first professional season, all at High-A Hudson Valley. A caveat: Many evaluators prefer 2024 second-rounder Bryce Cunningham, 22, to Hess. — Brendan Kuty
Willi Castro
IF, OF
Castro is the best of the Twins’ six impending free agents, each of whom figures to be very available. He can play anywhere defensively and he’s a switch hitter with good speed and a .741 OPS over three seasons in Minnesota, making him a smooth fit in almost any lineup. Castro was an All-Star last season and he’s having an even better 2025, so the 28-year-old should have plenty of suitors. — Aaron Gleeman
Marco Luciano
IF, OF
Luciano still has the lightning-quick bat that made him a top-20 prospect, but he’s stalled in Triple A, both offensively and defensively. He’ll be out of options next year, and he still has some measure of trade value, which makes him the perfect player to include in a larger deal. — Grant Brisbee
Edwin Arroyo
SS
If the Reds want to get an impact player for a playoff push, they’ll have to give up something, and the one place they’re set for the immediate future is shortstop. The switch-hitting Arroyo missed all of 2024 after shoulder surgery. His power’s been limited, but he has a solid batting average and OBP in Double A this year and his defense is still good at a premium position. — C. Trent Rosecrans
Joey Loperfido
OF
The Jays have nine outfielders on the 40-man roster, plus Anthony Santander on the 60-day IL. They’ll likely move one of the many similar young outfielders. It’s a group that includes Alan Roden and Jonatan Clase, but Joey Loperfido’s value might be the highest of the bunch. When Daulton Varsho returns from his hamstring injury, Loperfido likely loses his MLB spot anyway. So, he’s the perfect high stock to cash in. — Mitch Bannon
Marcell Ozuna
DH
Ozuna was the second-best DH in baseball over the 2023-24 seasons, behind Shohei Ohtani. He got off to another strong start this season, albeit with more walks and fewer homers while playing through a hip injury. But Ozuna, on an expiring contract, slumped badly since early June, and recently lost regular DH duties as manager Brian Snitker decided to go with catchers Sean Murphy and Drake Baldwin in the lineup most games, one at DH. — David O’Brien
Mick Abel
RHP
No one ever has enough starting pitching, which is why Abel’s renaissance season is important. He was a first-round pick for a reason, and he’s regained confidence. But he projects as the sixth or seventh starter now and in 2026 for the Phillies. That makes him a trade chip. — Matt Gelb
A.J. Ewing
CF
A fourth-round pick out of high school in 2023, Ewing has done nothing but hit over the last calendar year. Sent in the spring to repeat Low A, he earned a promotion before April was up and has carried a .400 on-base percentage over three months in High A. He’s precisely the kind of appealing top-20 prospect the Mets have lacked at recent deadlines. — Tim Britton
Dustin May
RHP
The Dodgers want to be bringing in arms to address their issues, not ship them out. But as their rotation gets healthier, some names are going to get squeezed out — including, potentially, May, who has not missed a turn through the Dodgers rotation and has remained healthy. The stuff remains tantalizing, but the production (4.73 ERA) hasn’t matched up. Perhaps the Dodgers try to cash in on the pending free agent while they address their bullpen need. — Fabian Ardaya
Max Anderson
2B
The Tigers have a rich farm system. The question here is what sort of prospects they will actually be willing to trade. Anderson is having a great season, hitting above .300 in Double-A Erie and showing ability to get to his power in games. But his defensive ability is average at best, and with other infielders like Kevin McGonigle, Hao-Yu Lee and Jace Jung in the system, Anderson seems expendable to the Tigers. He could simultaneously be attractive to other teams in a high-priced market. — Cody Stavenhagen
Phil Maton
RHP
Maton is a textbook deadline acquisition. He’s a two-month rental with a veteran pedigree and ample postseason experience, all things contending teams covet this time of year. Maton has thrived as the Cardinals’ set-up man, posting a 2.48 ERA with 47 strikeouts over 38 appearances. He’s also pitched in four consecutive postseasons, dating to 2021. He’ll bring in considerable value in a return for St. Louis, even as a rental, as all signs point to the Cardinals opting for a soft sell at the deadline. — Katie Woo
Adolis García
OF
Just when it seemed like the Rangers might have to wave the white flag, this team is waking up. Whether the Rangers buy, sell or thread the needle, García could be most vulnerable to a move. The Rangers could aim to reshape their offense with a more consistent hitter, and García could still have value elsewhere as an elite defender with one remaining year of team control. — Stavenhagen
Luis Severino
RHP
This one isn’t exactly a no-brainer. Luis Severino has publicly stated how much he dislikes Sutter Health Park due to its playing environment. And with a road ERA of 3.10 versus a home ERA of 6.68, it’s clear he’d rather be playing literally anywhere else. The veteran will most likely get his wish granted, with the rebuilding A’s hoping to bring in a young prospect or two in return. — Dhani Joseph
Chas McCormick
OF
Houston’s major-league roster is so ravaged by injury that it’s difficult to envision any player getting moved, but McCormick makes the most sense if one does. He is the odd man out of a full-strength Astros outfield, has one more season under club control and is making $3.4 million — not an insignificant sum for a Houston team that may have to move money around if owner Jim Crane doesn’t authorize crossing the luxury tax threshold. — Chandler Rome
Jordan Wicks
LHP
The Cubs are clear buyers searching for pitching. Wicks just hasn’t gotten the job done for them this season in his big-league opportunities. But he still has value as a future starter. It could benefit Wicks and the team he’s moved to if he’s allowed to just pitch through struggles without the concern of a playoff race hovering over him. — Sahadev Sharma
Yoán Moncada
3B
The Angels could try to move Moncada regardless of whether they intend to compete. With Christian Moore set to return at some point this season, the Angels won’t really have much use for either Moncada or Luis Rengifo in their starting infield, and Moncada is going to be the more desirable trade piece by opposing teams. The only issue is his health. He can barely stay on the field this season, so whatever value the Angels get back might be minimal. — Sam Blum
(Illustration: Kelsea Petersen / The Athletic; Alika Jenner / Getty, Jason Miller / Getty, Diamond Images / Getty)