MLB Trade Deadline: Who Will Buy and Who Will Sell?

The biggest question on everyone’s minds as we approach the trade deadline in Major League Baseball is: who will buy and who will sell? The answer to that one question can inform what players get moved and what teams get better as they push towards the playoffs. Today, we’ll look at the likely scenarios for which teams will choose to buy or sell.

Hard Sellers

Colorado Rockies

The Rockies have started to form a decent young core, but it hasn’t resulted in any winning just yet. The question for them will be who is expendable right now? At the center of that discussion is all-star Hunter Goodman, who either could be a franchise cornerstone or a significant trade asset.

San Francisco Giants

The Giants should look to sell as much as possible. Not only do they have several rentals who are prime trade candidates, such as Luis Arraez and Harrison Bader, but they also have some huge contracts they could potentially get off the books in Matt Chapman and Willy Adames. It will all come down to what teams are willing to give San Francisco for those players and if they’re willing to eat some of the contracts.

Kansas City Royals

Kansas City has been another disappointing AL team. They have a lot of stars underperforming, leading to one of the worst records in baseball. They have a lot that they can sell if they’re willing to part ways. Notably, some veteran starting pitchers.

New York Mets

The Mets will likely look to get payroll off the books in a season where they have one of the highest payrolls in the league, but one of the worst records. With the position they’re in, it would be safe to assume they would listen to offers on anyone except Juan Soto and young talent like Nolan McLean.

Athletics

The A’s were hovering around .500 for a while, but have cratered back down the last few weeks. With Shea Langeliers out possibly for the year, their offense has taken another hit. They will keep their core intact, guys like Nick Kurtz and Tyler Soderstrom, but will likely sell off other pieces.

Cincinnati Reds

The Reds tried to keep pace in a packed NL Central, but ran out of gas midway through May. They have been rough ever since, and it looks like they will be shopping some of their expendable pieces this week. Some solid hitters and pitchers could be leaving Cincinnati soon. Big names include Tyler Stephenson and Spencer Steer.

Soft Sellers

Los Angeles Angels 

The Angels should be hard sellers, and with a new front office, maybe they will be. However, the Angels should have been hard sellers for the last several years, and for the most part, they have refused to do so. They have interesting players who should definitely be shopped, Reid Detmers and Zach Neto mainly, but it remains to be seen if they will do the right thing this year.

Toronto Blue Jays

The World Series hangover is real for Toronto. On paper, this looks like a great team, but in reality, it’s been bad. I don’t think Toronto will decide to blow it up, as some of their struggles have come from underperforming stars such as Vladimir Guerrero Jr. That said, they likely won’t be buying either.

Baltimore Orioles 

Baltimore is still a good stretch away from truly being in the mix in the AL, but that wouldn’t be the most shocking thing that has happened this season. They have, reportedly, been listening to offers on players like Adley Rutschman, which tells us that they are selling as of now.

Minnesota Twins 

The Twins have been hanging on in the AL Central, and they certainly aren’t out of it yet, but I don’t think this is a team that can make noise later in the season. They have guys like Joe Ryan who other teams are chomping at the bit to trade for. It would make sense for them to start listening on some of their more intriguing pieces.

St. Louis Cardinals

Let’s call this season what it is for the Cardinals: a rebuild year that went much better than expected. They have been a pretty good team, but that doesn’t mean that they are going to be buyers. I expect them to sell some of their guys on expiring contracts and keep building for the future around guys like JJ Wetherholt and Jordan Walker.

Washington Nationals 

The Nats have been a fun team to watch this season, but I’m not sure if this is the time for them to go get guys at the deadline quite yet. There have been rumors floating around about a C.J. Abrams trade, but that would be crazy for a team that has been building a good thing with cornerstones such as Abrams and James Wood. They might make some smaller deals for controllable players, but I wouldn’t expect anything huge.

Boom or Bust

San Diego Padres 

San Diego is in a strange position. They have been one of the worst teams in the league over the last couple of months. Even with that, they are at .500. They have some stars who are on huge contracts underperforming, and some other players who are playing very well. The Boom or Bust potential here for the Padres is what they decide to do with Mason Miller, who has been rumored to be on the block.

Detroit Tigers

Detroit is in a similar position to San Diego, except they have been trending in the opposite direction. They had an abysmal start to the season, and have been pretty good since then. Their inflection point will be the decision around 2x Cy Young Tarik Skubal, who is on an expiring contract and likely will not resign with the Tigers. If the Tigers keep Skubal, look for them to buy more, as that would mean they think they have a chance to make a deep playoff run.

Soft Buyers

Houston Astros 

I don’t think any team in the AL West should have the confidence to go all-in right now, but three of these teams, the Astros and the two listed next, all have been jockeying for control of the division. Houston should look for some starting pitching and maybe some bullpen depth to help out their offense and Yordan Alvarez.

Seattle Mariners 

Seattle was a lot of people’s AL favorites coming into the season. Instead, they are hovering around .500. The pitching staff has been solid while the offense has underperformed. They have an embarrassment of riches in the starting pitching department, along with prospects coming up soon. They will likely look to flip one of their extra starters for some more offense.

Texas Rangers 

Texas has been one of the teams hit hardest by the injury bug this year. If they can stay healthy, they could be a contender. That, and the relative weakness of the AL, may give them confidence to add at the deadline. I could see them adding anywhere, but the bullpen is the most glaring need.

Cleveland Guardians

Even with an anemic offense, Cleveland has still found ways to win, like they always do. Their young pitchers have been tremendous, and they still have a decent shot at chasing down the White Sox for the AL Central. They should look to add some power to a lineup that desperately needs to score more runs.

Pittsburgh Pirates

The Pirates have been one of the best offenses in the league this season. That has not been enough, however, to keep pace in the NL Central. I don’t think they will be ultra-aggressive at the deadline, just looking at their history, but they could add some small pieces in the bullpen.

Miami Marlins

Two weeks ago, I would’ve said that the Marlins were hard buyers after being among the best teams in the league for over a month. Now, they’ve lost 12 straight and are right back into the under-.500 danger zone. I still believe that their front office will hold on to guys like Sandy Alcantara, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see them buy a little, as they know they are capable of ripping off a good stretch of games.

Hard Buyers

Boston Red Sox 

After a second-half surge that included a 15-game win streak, the Red Sox are squarely back in the picture in the American League. They have gone from sellers to hard buyers in the span of about three weeks. Expect them to pursue infield power and potentially a catcher.

Chicago White Sox 

I think the White Sox can be a sneaky aggressive team at the deadline. They have vastly outperformed expectations, and that offense can be deadly. They can really shore up their team for a playoff run by adding pitching, and they are in desperate need of reliable bullpen arms.

New York Yankees

I’m not sure if Yankees fans will ever be satisfied with a season, but one as up and down as this can certainly be frustrating for a fanbase. The key is waiting for Aaron Judge to return, and to get some players at the deadline who can produce behind him. The major focus for New York seems to be catcher, where they have eyed players like Ryan Jeffers and Adley Rutschman.

Tampa Bay Rays

No one thought Tampa would be the best team in the AL halfway through the season, but here we are. While they have a reputation for being stingy with their contracts, the Rays also have been reportedly in on some big names recently. They will likely try to add some more to their lineup. They have been strongly linked to players like Luis Arraez.

Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies started the season at a terrible pace, but have played well enough over the last two months to situate themselves in the thick of the NL wild card picture. Another surge from them could even challenge Atlanta for the East. The Phillies require bullpen help behind Jhoan Duran and potentially some outfield depth.

Chicago Cubs

The Cubs have had some of the worst injury luck in the league this season. Their pitching staff has been hit especially hard. They have been without most of their projected starting rotation for chunks of the year. They are reportedly pursuing depth to help out that starting staff and the back end of the bullpen.

Atlanta Braves 

Even after a rough month, the Braves still lead the NL East. Braves fans have clamored for starting pitching to help their depleted staff behind All-Star Chris Sale. Their lineup also has some holes, but that is mostly due to injuries that should be remedied soon. A frontline starter would go a long way for the Braves’ postseason hopes.

Milwaukee Brewers 

The Brewers definitely should buy next week. They have flirted with the best record in the league, and they clearly have some firepower. Their savvy front office, however, may choose to keep their league-best farm system intact. Regardless, some infield power or a veteran pitcher could improve the team.

Los Angeles Dodgers

With the Dodgers, there is usually a big deadline swing coming. Being the consensus best team in MLB, it’s not like they really need one, but rest assured their front office is looking to add a big name. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them grab some bullpen help.

Arizona Diamondbacks 

The Diamondbacks currently hold the last playoff spot in the NL. They have been a team to be aggressive in getting guys that they like. They really need help in the starting rotation, as cornerstones like Zac Gallen have struggled mightily.

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