We\u2019re not going to lie: you\u2019ve probably seen bolder predictions. However, if you want a guide of what to expect from baseball\u2019s 30 teams as the July 31 trade deadline nears, our team of writers has you covered. Here are their predictions, in no particular order.<\/p>\n
They do not acquire a hitter in a July trade.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Their priority is to remake a leaky bullpen by adding relievers with swing-and-miss stuff. While the Phillies could use more right-handed power for their lineup, they won\u2019t find the kind of upgrade they want. So they\u2019ll double down on creating the best group of pitchers they can. \u2014 Matt Gelb<\/p>\n
Emmanuel Clase gets traded… this winter.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Emmannuel Clase has 3 1\/2 years of team control, all for less than $30 million total, a bargain for a top closer. There\u2019s a horde of contenders desperately trying to convince Cleveland to move him \u2014 and odds are, they will \u2014 just not quite yet. Cleveland needs some bats. The Guardians could have more suitors in the offseason, when more teams have designs to contend and could talk themselves into forking over a haul for a long-term solution at closer. \u2014 Zack Meisel<\/p>\n
A player off the MLB roster will be moved.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The Padres will buy at the deadline and, as always, A.J. Preller is aiming high. To address multiple needs, the general manager may feel compelled to move a contract or two. San Diego is already around the second luxury-tax threshold. Dylan Cease and Robert Suarez are among the Padres expected to test free agency this winter. Jake Cronenworth has a partial no-trade clause and interest from other contenders. Preller has never simultaneously bought and sold in July, but he\u2019s more than creative enough to pull it off. \u2014 Dennis Lin<\/p>\n
Jerry Dipoto pulls off a reunion with Eugenio Su\u00e1rez.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The Mariners traded Su\u00e1rez to Arizona after the 2023 season for some salary relief. With general manager Jerry Dipoto looking to add power, Su\u00e1rez looks like an excellent fit. He\u2019s having the best offensive season of his career, making his second All-Star team after hitting 31 homers with an .889 OPS. He would be a solid upgrade at third base over Ben Williamson, and his contract expires after this season. \u2014 Andy McCullough<\/p>\n
The Cardinals hold on to Ryan Helsley.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ryan Helsley has not been nearly as dominant as last season, but he\u2019s still logged 19 saves out of 25 opportunities, and his fastball velocity remains one of the best in the league. Every contending team covets high-leverage firepower in relief. But the Cardinals, who are teetering on the competitive ledge themselves, don\u2019t seem inclined to trade him, even with Helsley set for free agency after the season. St. Louis could net a sizable return by trading its closer, but it\u2019s more likely it holds on to him, extend a qualifying offer for 2026 and hope for a competitive draft pick if he walks. \u2014 Katie Woo<\/p>\n
Ryan McMahon will get traded.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
This shouldn\u2019t qualify as bold; Colorado is perhaps the worst baseball team ever assembled, Ryan McMahon is one of their few good players and the team should be trying to refurbish its farm system. Except these are the Rockies, who rarely trade players they have signed to extensions, and McMahon is still owed $32 million through 2027. This summer could be different. The Colorado ownership group has been more transparent about rebuilding. McMahon is an elite defender, and the Rockies should be able to find a suitor willing to bet his bat will improve once he escapes the double-edged sword of Coors Field. \u2014 McCullough<\/p>\n
Sandy Alc\u00e1ntara stays put.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Alc\u00e1ntara, the 2022 National League Cy Young award winner, entered this season as one of the sport\u2019s most likely trade candidates, but he has been wretched as he returns from Tommy John surgery. After giving up 18 runs in his 17 innings in his last three starts, he entered the All-Star break with a 7.22 ERA, the worst in the sport among pitchers who had logged at least 90 innings. Alc\u00e1ntara is under team control through 2028. The Marlins simply do not need to trade him now, at a time when contenders should be skeptical about his readiness. They can hope to get him through this season and still find a haul for him this winter or next summer. \u2014 McCullough <\/p>\n
They’ll play it safe.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The Rays rarely have been afraid to make big trades, and they sold hard at last year\u2019s trade deadline. But even after seeing their playoff odds plummet heading into the All-Star break, the Rays won\u2019t be in everything-must-go mode this year. Especially with Shane McClanahan due back soon, they\u2019ll make only modest moves with an eye toward a second-half run and a pitching-led postseason surprise. \u2014 Chad Jennings<\/p>\n
No team will trade more big leaguers.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The Orioles are much worse than they expected, but the bright side is that their roster is built to sell. Cedric Mullins, Ryan O\u2019Hearn, Zach Eflin, Seranthony Dominguez, Gregory Soto and Ram\u00f3n Laureano are all pending free agents who could be traded without disrupting the team\u2019s more optimistic future. Charlie Morton, too, has righted the ship enough to have value as a veteran arm. Why not Andrew Kittredge as well? The O\u2019s have plenty of pieces to move, and no reason not to move them. \u2014 Jennings<\/p>\n
They’ll add meaningfully and keep top prospects.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
In the last few years, New York\u2019s farm system has improved to where the talent doesn\u2019t fall off a cliff past its seventh or eighth prospect. The Mets have a surplus of intriguing mid-tier prospects, enough to where they could use them (in one deal or multiple) to substantially improve the big-league club without dealing a top-10 prospect in the organization. \u2014 Tim Britton<\/p>\n
No team will be busier at the deadline.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
It\u2019s not all their fault; losing Corbin Burnes to elbow surgery was a critical blow. But even with a positive run differential at the break, the Diamondbacks, in fourth in the NL West, look like a team destined to sell. Josh Naylor, Zac Gallen, Eugenio Su\u00e1rez, Merrill Kelly, Shelby Miller and Randal Grichuk are obvious candidates to be moved. Mike Hazen could have a busy couple of weeks. \u2014\u00a0Meisel<\/p>\n
There won’t be a trade for a bat.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
At the start of July, Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins identified a right-handed bat as one of Toronto\u2019s deadline priorities. Since then, Davis Schneider has a .954 OPS with four homers in July. At the same time, three Blue Jays relievers have gone on the injured list this month, exacerbating a clear need to add pitching. Atkins will go all in on pitching at the deadline, trusting Schneider to fill the righty role. \u2014 Mitch Bannon<\/p>\n
Two of the franchise\u2019s three largest contracts will be moved.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The money is not coming. If it were, Bob Nutting would have authorized a payroll spike before this season. Instead, they\u2019ll reallocate resources. Bryan Reynolds, Mitch Keller and Ke\u2019Bryan Hayes are on the largest contracts in club history. I see Keller (owed $54.5 million from 2026-28) and Hayes ($36 million guaranteed from 2026-30) as imminently tradeable. I expect them to go. Reynolds\u2019 deal, unlike Hayes\u2019, is backloaded, and getting that off the books as his numbers crater would be a desperate move. \u2014 Stephen J. Nesbitt<\/p>\n
Welcome back old friend Eugenio Su\u00e1rez.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The Reds have gotten little production out of their third baseman this year and adding Su\u00e1rez would go a long way to not only solidifying that spot, but also bringing in a big right-handed bat to place behind Elly De La Cruz. Su\u00e1rez spent seven seasons with the Reds. He is known and beloved by both the fan base and the organization. In turn, Su\u00e1rez loves Cincinnati \u2014 and especially hitting at Great American Ball Park \u2014 where he already has two homers this year and 101 in his career. \u2014 C. Trent Rosecrans<\/p>\n
Blow it up? Nope.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Despite their disappointing first half, the Braves won\u2019t be sellers, at least not in the sense some have predicted. The Braves aren\u2019t planning to give up long-term assets \u2014 players under team control beyond this season \u2014 in trades. That includes many of those whose struggles have contributed directly to the team\u2019s poor first half, such as Ozzie Albies and Michael Harris II, as well as stars such as Chris Sale. \u2014 David O\u2019Brien<\/p>\n
Crew will add lefty pop with Ryan McMahon.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The Brewers have only 55 more homers than Cal Raleigh this season, and they\u2019re desperate for more thunder from their corner-infield positions. The first base inventory at this trading deadline is likely limited to Ryan O\u2019Hearn and Josh Naylor, so the Brewers may settle for the return of Rhys Hoskins from the injured list. The third-base options, though, are plentiful. The Brewers will balance the lineup by bringing in the Rockies\u2019 lefty-swinging Ryan McMahon, a moderate move that shouldn\u2019t cost a fortune in prospect capital. \u2014 Nesbitt<\/p>\n
An outfielder will be moved for a controllable starter.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The Red Sox traded for a starter last year in James Paxton and he was promptly hurt. This year, if they plan to contend in the postseason as they\u2019ve said they do, they need a bona fide No. 2 \u2014 not a mid-tier option \u2014 to slide between Garrett Crochet and Brayan Bello. Here\u2019s predicting they trade an outfielder (among others) to get a controllable starter who\u2019s a better fit this time around. \u2014 Jen McCaffrey<\/p>\n
Happy trails, Luis Robert Jr.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Despite the former All-Star\u2019s struggles over the last two years, he still is a veteran who holds value around the league. And more importantly for the White Sox, if they can get a prospect or two out of the deal that they can develop for the future, it works out for all parties involved. \u2014 Dhani Joseph<\/p>\n
Halos will be aggressive buyers.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
It might not make a ton of sense to the average baseball fan. Why would a team that\u2019s four games out of the Wild Card and two games under .500 make an aggressive push for the postseason? Well, this is the Angels. There\u2019s a palpable desperation to every move they make, and they\u2019ll take what little chance they have and go for broke. Maybe that changes with a bad couple weeks, but every indication is that the Angels believe they have a playoff-caliber team. For better or worse. \u2014\u00a0Sam Blum<\/p>\n
Impending free agents will be traded.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Minnesota has enough impending free agents to be sellers, and get future value, without altering any post-2025 plans. In particular, Willi Castro, Harrison Bader, Chris Paddack and Danny Coulombe should be easy to move for decent returns (less so Ty France and Christian V\u00e1zquez) and don\u2019t figure to re-sign with the Twins. \u2014\u00a0Aaron Gleeman<\/p>\n
The biggest deadline acquisition will be a bat.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Yes, they\u2019re tied for second in the majors in runs scored. They have three former MVPs and the current leader in the NL batting race. They have a bigger priority in the bullpen that they\u2019ll need to address. But one way to mitigate all the questions about the Dodgers\u2019 pitching staff is to create a lineup with no holes. The Dodgers clearly saw that in adding Michael Conforto this winter, but that hasn\u2019t worked out \u2013 he has a .620 OPS. If they can find a way to add an impact bat, they can move around the pieces to make everything else work. \u2014 Fabian Ardaya<\/p>\n
Welcome to the Bronx, Merrill Kelly.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The Yankees need a pitcher who could start a playoff game for them. The Diamondbacks seem destined to be sellers. Trading for Merrill Kelly would be a tremendous win for general manager Brian Cashman and his front office. Max Fried and Carlos Rod\u00f3n could be a strong 1-2 punch at the front of a postseason rotation, and Luis Gil seems poised to make his way back from injury. But Kelly misses bats at a high clip, and as a rental, his price shouldn\u2019t be sky high. \u2014\u00a0Brendan Kuty<\/p>\n
There will be moves, but not big names.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
We know the Tigers need relief help. But do they actually want Aroldis Chapman? There\u2019s a case for adding a starter. But would they pay up for Sandy Alc\u00e1ntara? A big right-handed bat has its merits, but other teams like Eugenio Su\u00e1rez, too. It would be very Tigers-like to add a couple of under-the-radar relief pitchers and maybe a platoon bat. They\u2019ll improve the team, but maybe not boost the star power. \u2014 Cody Stavenhagen<\/p>\n
Starting pitcher Seth Lugo gets traded.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Lugo was an A+ signing prior to the 2024 season. He finished second in the AL Cy Young Award voting last year and has been effective again this year. But with the Royals mired in mediocrity, Lugo heading toward his 36th birthday, and a decision looming on whether to exercise a player option for 2026 or become a free agent, the Royals might as well see if they can flip him for a near-ready position player prospect or two. He\u2019d be one of the top starting pitchers available.\u2014 Meisel<\/p>\n
Kyle Finnegan goes to a division rival.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Kyle Finnegan has been a National for all six of his big league seasons. Now on an expiring contract, he\u2019s of no use to a team that is far out of the playoff race, largely because of its awful bullpen. But Finnegan has been good, and two division rivals can use some help, namely the Phillies and Mets. Philly\u2019s Dave Dombrowski is known to be willing to trade prospects at the deadline. And while New York\u2019s David Stearns is the opposite, his team\u2019s glaring bullpen needs might force him to be more aggressive. \u2014 Blum<\/p>\n
The offense will get an upgrade.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Everyone around this team assumes pitching is the focus at the deadline. It is. But the Cubs are going to look at any way to get better. Right now, third base and the bench are not strengths, especially offensively. They\u2019ll find a way to improve at least one of those areas, in turn lengthening an already deep and fearsome offense. \u2014\u00a0Sahadev Sharma<\/p>\n
They’ll add a lefty reliever and infielder.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The Giants will get a left-handed reliever and an infielder you\u2019ve heard of, but never really thought about. The reliever is obvious. The infielder? He\u2019s someone you\u2019ve heard of, but never examined long enough to have an opinion on him. You\u2019re neither impressed nor repulsed by his Baseball-Reference page. He is, to be clear, just a guy. \u2014 Grant Brisbee<\/p>\n
They will be extreme sellers.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The Athletics are 41-57 and still in the midst of a lengthy rebuild, so they should be extreme sellers at the deadline. Miguel Andujar, with his .287 batting average, could be interesting for contenders. However, it\u2019s unlikely he\u2019d bring back much. But Mason Miller, who has multiple years of team control and is one year removed from being an All-Star, would absolutely bring in a haul of prospects and assets. \u2014 Joseph<\/p>\n
Welcome to H-Town, Merrill Kelly<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
A two-headed monster atop Houston Astros\u2019 rotation. An Arizona Diamondbacks team teetering toward selling. Sound familiar? Six years ago, the two instances inspired Houston\u2019s stunning trade for Zack Greinke, adding him to the duo of Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole. Now, the Astros again need a third starter behind Framber Valdez and Hunter Brown. They may not have enough prospect capital to land Merrill Kelly \u2014 a Houston native in the final year of his contract \u2014 but if owner Jim Crane covets a splashy name while contemplating whether to cross into the luxury tax, Kelly fits the bill. \u2014 Chandler Rome<\/p>\n
The front office admits this year is a wash.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
With the expanded playoffs, it\u2019s hard to be truly out of the race. But the Rangers pushed in their chips last season after a subpar first half and did not succeed. This year, they face a similar crux. But we\u2019re going on 18 months of poor offensive performance. The Rangers will need to get hot out of the break to justify more buying. They might not truly sell, but it\u2019s about time to admit this team needs reshaping. \u2014 Stavenhagen<\/p>\n
(Top photo of Eugenio Su\u00e1rez after hitting a homer earlier this season: Christian Petersen \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"We\u2019re not going to lie: you\u2019ve probably seen bolder predictions. However, if you want a guide of what…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":73044,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[41],"tags":[1279,1280,1276,1281,1271,1274,5048,1282,1283,1885,2382,1284,1285,2502,1286,4247,1287,1266,1305,2228,5055,2083,1886,1306,1275,1288,62,3692,1289,1278,1290,67,132,68,1291],"class_list":{"0":"post-73043","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-mlb","8":"tag-arizona-diamondbacks","9":"tag-atlanta-braves","10":"tag-baltimore-orioles","11":"tag-boston-red-sox","12":"tag-chicago-cubs","13":"tag-chicago-white-sox","14":"tag-cincinnati-reds","15":"tag-cleveland-guardians","16":"tag-colorado-rockies","17":"tag-detroit-tigers","18":"tag-houston-astros","19":"tag-kansas-city-royals","20":"tag-los-angeles-angels","21":"tag-los-angeles-dodgers","22":"tag-miami-marlins","23":"tag-milwaukee-brewers","24":"tag-minnesota-twins","25":"tag-mlb","26":"tag-new-york-mets","27":"tag-new-york-yankees","28":"tag-oakland-athletics","29":"tag-philadelphia-phillies","30":"tag-pittsburgh-pirates","31":"tag-san-diego-padres","32":"tag-san-francisco-giants","33":"tag-seattle-mariners","34":"tag-sports","35":"tag-st-louis-cardinals","36":"tag-tampa-bay-rays","37":"tag-texas-rangers","38":"tag-toronto-blue-jays","39":"tag-united-states","40":"tag-unitedstates","41":"tag-us","42":"tag-washington-nationals"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73043","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=73043"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73043\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/73044"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=73043"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=73043"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=73043"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}