As the trade deadline looms, several teams are looking to make a second-half push for the playoffs. Trade talks and rumors are swirling online and in major-league circles. With several divisions and wild-card races still close and nowhere near decided, there will be a significant number of teams looking to buy players this year.
At the same time, there could be many teams looking to either dump salary or rebuild. There could be a vast number of players on the move or looking for a new home by the end of the month. The question is, what teams are looking to buy, and which ones are looking to sell?
The New York Yankees could be in the market for a big bat this year’s deadline, following the release of veteran infielder D.J. LeMahieu and their recent slide. The 36-year-old’s decline in productivity was gradual, but bottomed out last year with a .204/.269/.527 slash line. While the three-time all-star ran out of time, the news still stung Yankee fans and rattled the baseball world a bit.
With LeMahieu’s release, the Yankees have a significant gap at third base, with Oswald Peraza being the only primary player for the position. Oswaldo Cabrera is on the 60-day injured list following a gruesome injury to his ankle during a game against the Seattle Mariners in May. Aside from possibly Jorbit Vivas and Jeimer Candelario, the team has no depth in that position.
There are a few options the team can take, the first option being the lucrative St. Louis third baseman Nolan Arenado. The 34-year-old is having a down year, but his defense continues to rank highly among active third basemen. Yes, he’s having issues with chasing pitches and hitting the ball hard, but his strikeout rate remains one of the lowest in the league.
The problem is that, with LeMahieu’s $22 million payout, it significantly diminishes the Yankees’ ability to trade for him. There are cheaper options for the team, including Colorado Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon and Arizona Diamondbacks Eugenio Suárez. Both McMahon and Suárez have $11.667 million and $15 million in annual value, respectively, with the latter in a contract year at the trade deadline.
The good news on Suárez is that he’s a power machine, hitting 29 home runs with 75 RBIs. The bad news is that his trade deadline value is likely sky-high, which means McMahon is the more affordable option. The Rockies‘ third baseman, though, has 118 strikeouts over 318 at-bats, the most in the National League. It would be a gamble to bring him in.
The Mariners are unlikely to win the American League West, but they are definitely in the wild-card race. They have a powerhouse in catcher Cal Raleigh and a solid pitching rotation spearheaded by Bryan Woo and Luis Castillo. The problem is that they need another pop bat, since only four additional players have a slugging percentage of over .400.
If Seattle wants to bump Jorge Polanco back to the middle of the infield, they may go for a designated hitter like Ryan O’Hearn. The 31-year-old is a perfect fit for the team and to complement Raleigh’s 2025 power surge. He has come down somewhat, but still gives you a high on-base percentage at .378 and 11 home runs, on track to beat his career high of 15 last season. He is entering free agency, however.
If the Mariners feel that they need pitching, their likeliest option would be to go for more experience in the form of Merrill Kelly. The 36-year-old is having a career year, extending his streak of good pitching and regaining his durability after spending some of 2024 injured. The right-hander is pitching a 3.41 ERA with a 1.05 WHIP and 107 strikeouts over 111 innings pitched. You can thank an increase in his vertical drop across the board. He’s also entering free agency this year.
The good news for Seattle is that the team has a large amount of salary room to maneuver. They can make two splashes if they choose to do so, but it might cost them some of their top-heavy prospect field in the process.
Steve Cohen likes to throw money around, and being in a tight division with the Philadelphia Phillies gives him a reason to blow past the final luxury tax threshold. The Mets are turning it around after a lackluster June, going 5-2 in their first seven games in July. Juan Soto is hitting again, Pete Alonso is giving extra power, and their pitching staff, despite injury, is picking up the slack.
The Mets need a little more to win the National League East. The trade deadline is the perfect time. The question is what route they decide to take to boost the team. There is one issue: Pitching, since everyone in the starting rotation is injured. Kodai Senga and Sean Manaea are coming back, but the two season-ending injuries are critical.
Expect Cohen to make a gigantic push for Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Freddy Peralta. The 29-year-old is having a career year, with stats not seen since his breakout 2021 campaign. He’s pitching a 2.74 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and 111 strikeouts. The better news is that he has one more year until he hits free agency.
Peralta has seen an effectiveness increase in his pitches, from his four-seamer to his changeup, though his curveball has run into some trouble. Nevertheless, he’s a good long-term option for a team that lost Griffin Canning to an Achilles injury and Tylor Megill to an elbow sprain.
Remember the rule: When Cohen wants, he’ll usually get.
Not only have the Giants been one of the more surprising teams of 2025, but they’re currently in a position to fight for the last wild-card spot in the National League. San Francisco, however, needs help in a few areas, ranking fifth-worst in home runs and sixth-worst in batting average. The pitching fared better, with their team ERA ranking fourth-best in the entire league, and 43 quality starts.
They might be hard-pressed to buy due to their lack of minor-league capital outside of Bryce Eldridge, but this playoff window might be short-lived. While O’Hearn could be a target, they can afford Josh Naylor in a trade if they wish. LaMonte Wade Jr. fell off a cliff in terms of efficiency, which is why he’s no longer on the team, with Dominic Smith acting as a substitute.
Naylor holds not only decent gap and raw power, but his renewed ability to put the bat on the ball gives him an advantage over any other first baseman trade candidate. He’s repeating his stellar 2023 campaign, and it’s going to pay off handsomely come free agency time.
The only downside for Naylor is his high chase rate of 35%, but he doesn’t whiff. He’s a contact bat, plus he shows a bit more power to the right side of the field. Oracle Park isn’t a hitter-friendly park, but he could utilize the triple alley a lot.
There will be a lot more buyers before the trade deadline, but these four teams could be the most aggressive. Expect more to jump in as the list of available players grows. It comes down, however, to affordability and pressing needs for a team to make a move. With division races tightening, it might be an active year.
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