The MLB season has passed the halfway mark, and the trade deadline looms after the upcoming All-Star break. As the July 31 deadline approaches, teams are busy evaluating what they can do to improve. Some will sell to build for the future, while others will take big swings to make a push for a deep playoff run. Here’s a look at what the AL Central teams will be doing.
With one of the lowest payrolls in MLB, the White Sox seem destined to be bad for some time. If one has watched the team over the last few seasons, they might argue that there is nothing that the White Sox could do to get worse. Anything would be an improvement. Believe it or not, for a team that was record-setting bad last season, that is not true. The White Sox have a nice young core of starting pitchers. If they hadn’t traded away Garrett Crochet, they would be set for some time in that department. Most of the positivity ends there.
Unlike their crosstown rivals, the Chicago Cubs, the White Sox’s offense is atrocious. They rank 30th in batting average, 29th in runs scored, and 28th in home runs. The White Sox’s only remaining potential offensive star, Luis Robert Jr., is mired in a season-and-a-half-long slump. The Gold Glove center fielder has the potential to be a 30-homer, 30-stolen base player, but unfortunately, when he accomplishes that, it will most likely be with another team. Look for the White Sox to trade Robert Jr. in hopes of picking up several prospects to help in the team’s long rebuild.
After a 31-20 start to the season, Cleveland collapsed, going 9-20 since June 1. After losing their eighth straight game on July 4, the Guardians may well be in selling mode at the trade deadline. When one gets past Steven Kwan, José Ramírez, and Carlos Santana in the lineup, things go downhill in a hurry. Nolan Jones and Lane Thomas were emerging stars in the National League, but they have not produced at all since joining Cleveland in the American League. If those two turn it around, and Kyle Manzardo learns to strike out a little less, the Guardians could still be a potential playoff team for the next few years.
The starting rotation, considered a strength going into the season, has not been. Promising righty Ben Lively had season-ending UCL surgery at the end of May, and Tanner Bibee has had a bad first half. Shane Bieber is not due back until late July or early August from Tommy John surgery, and Luis Ortiz just got suspended by MLB pending a gambling investigation. Look for Cleveland to listen to offers on closer Emmanuel Clase, lefty starter Logan Allen, Santana, Jones, and Thomas to try to improve their middle infield options.
Detroit has the best record in the American League, and when healthy, the team has very few weaknesses. Unfortunately, their rotation is pretty banged up. Jackson Jobe just underwent Tommy John surgery, and José Urquidy isn’t expected back from his 2024 TJ procedure until late in the season. Alex Cobb has missed the entire season with hip inflammation. Needless to say, the Tigers may well look for a starting pitcher at the deadline.
Detroit’s front office also has to weigh whether it wants to keep playing third base by committee or make a play for someone like Eugenio Suárez or Ryan McMahon. Colt Keith, Javier Báez, Zach McKinstry, and Andy Ibáñez have all gotten a considerable amount of starts at the position, and Matt Vierling also has experience there. McKinstry is having his best season as a pro, and Báez is having a bounce-back year. Both have played all over the field. With Parker Meadows slumping in center, it may be time to bring in Suárez or McMahon full-time at third and keep Báez in center field, where he made the All-Star team.
This season, the Royals appeared ready to build on last season, where they went 86-76 and nabbed a wild card spot, but instead, they have regressed. Groin and rotator cuff strains have limited ace Cole Ragans to ten starts. Kyle Wright (shoulder surgery) and Alec Marsh (shoulder impingement) have not pitched at all this season. Somehow, though, Kansas City’s rotation, which is fourth in MLB in ERA, has thrived anyway. It is the Royals’ offense that has struggled. Beyond Bobby Witt Jr., Vinny Pasquantino, Salvador Perez, and Maikel Garcia, the lineup has been a wasteland.
Kansas City’s outfielders have been the main culprits. Drew Waters, Kyle Isbel, Mark Canha, Hunter Renfroe, Nick Loftin, and top prospect Jac Caglianone have combined to hit .212 with 7 homers and 49 RBI. Renfroe was designated for assignment, and Waters was demoted to the minors. The Royals are now forced to look at trading starter Seth Lugo (6-5, 2.65 ERA) and one of its four catching prospects (Ramon Ramirez, Blake Mitchell, Carter Jensen, and Hyungchan Um) for an outfield bat or two.
Minnesota is another team that was hoping to build off a winning 2024 season but has failed to do so. Slugger Royce Lewis has struggled with injuries for the fifth straight year, and the Twins’ pitching staff had the worst ERA in the majors in June. That led to the team going 9-18 for the month and likely tanking their playoff chances. A large part of the rotation’s problem has been injuries to 2024 standouts Pablo López and Bailey Ober, as well as rookie fireballer Zebby Matthews. Look for Minnesota to look at starting pitching upgrades at the deadline.
With speedy utility man Willi Castro set to become a free agent, there is a good chance that he will become trade bait. Closer Jhoan Duran, outfielder Matt Wallner, second baseman Edouard Julien, third baseman Jose Miranda, and outfielder Trevor Larnach could also be on the block if it means the team can get their hands on starting pitching.
The big headline here would be if the Tigers could make a big move to boost their World Series chances. Suárez could be that move for them. The Arizona Diamondbacks’ third baseman hit his 28th home run on July 4 and brought his RBI total up to 72 for the season in a 9-3 loss to the Royals. The Diamondbacks’ play over the next two weeks will determine whether or not the team decides to sell at the deadline. If they pull back above .500, there is a chance that they add or stand pat. Suárez is a free agent at year’s end, though, and they do have Jordan Lawlar waiting in the minors.
The Royals have to move on from Isbel. He has had five years to show that he could hit. His career .232 batting average, .280 on-base percentage, and .366 slugging percentage say that he can’t. Maybe trading Lugo will finally bring his replacement. Kansas City thought that bringing up 2024 first-round pick Caglianone would spark their offense, but it appears that he just isn’t ready yet. His .157/.204/.255 rate stats over 108 plate appearances make that clear. One big outfield bat could be the difference-maker that the Royals need. With their payroll, though, they probably won’t find that bat through free agency.
It will also be interesting to see what the White Sox acquire for Robert Jr. It would not surprise me if the New York Mets or Philadelphia Phillies take a chance on him regaining his All-Star form and pull the trigger on a deal.
Finally, when will the Twins give up on the injury-prone Lewis? His contract is up after the season, but his potential remains. Over parts of four major league seasons, Lewis has hit 35 homers in 185 games. Minnesota has enough injury-prone stars in Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton. He earns a little over $1.6 million, making him a low-risk experiment for someone like the New York Yankees, Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles Angels, Seattle Mariners, Miami Marlins, or Washington Nationals. The Los Angeles Dodgers might view him as a suitable fill-in while Max Muncy recovers from injury.
This should be an interesting trade deadline for the AL Central. Check back over the next few days for trade deadline analysis of the AL West, NL East, and NL West. Click the embedded links to find trade analysis of the NL Central and AL East.
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