MLB trade deadline Big Board 2.0: Top 40 players on market as July 31 approaches

Were down to 22 days before the trade deadline 22 days for front offices to decide whether theyre in or out on the 2025 season, 22 days for fans to pine for those in other uniforms, 22 days for teams to scout and debate internally while haggling and cajoling externally.

This is so much fun, isnt it? Theres a reason the other leagues have juiced up their deadlines lately.

Advertisement Heres Version 2.0 of our MLB trade deadline Big Board, pumped up to 40 players that could move in the next three weeks and influence the pennant race.

Since our first version ran three weeks ago, plenty has changed.

The middle of the American League Central has collapsed while its counterparts in the National League Central have risen.

The Blue Jays are in first? We made a big deal last time about how Atlanta and Milwaukee might treat the deadline differently even with similar playoff odds; well, since then, one teams odds have spiked up and the others have plummeted.

So this time around, there are Braves here but no Brewers.

Were still mostly focusing on teams whose playoff odds (according to FanGraphs ) have dipped below 30 percent.

But thats a bigger group now than it was a few weeks back, and so there are some high-profile names joining this list since the last go-round.

That, plus injuries or continued subpar performance, has pushed some players down or even off the board entirely.

Some bookkeeping: The players listed age is how old he is on June 30, B/T is the classic Bats/Throws, the money owed is via Baseball Prospectus and covers only the days after July 31, the WARs are updated through Sunday and are from FanGraphs, the likelihood of being dealt is a best-guess projection (from red as unlikely through yellow to green as likely) and the rankings are beyond reproach.

Value: Controllable do-everything outfielder Analysis: To be clear: Theres little reason for Boston to even entertain offers for Duran unless the return is substantial.

His production has predictably fallen short of his 2024 breakout, but Duran remains a solidly above-average hitter with lots of speed and the ability to play center field.

Perhaps most importantly, hes under team control through 2028, making him a player that teams can build around.

Of course, even with a sudden influx of stud prospects joining the lineup, the Red Sox could continue to build around him, too.

The Padres have already been linked to Duran and surely they wont be alone.

Value: Legitimate star with ample playoff experience Analysis: In this context, Bregman is an unusual player with an unusual contract playing for an unusual team.

When healthy, he is one of the best third basemen in baseball, and he was playing that way at the start of the season.

But Bregman has been out since mid-May with a quad strain, his three-year, $120-million contract is expensive and has opt outs after this year and next, and the Red Sox are clinging to the edge of playoff viability, perhaps not eager to sell despite having already traded away Rafael Devers.

Value: Late bloomer in the rotation Analysis: Lugo had a breakout season in 2024, pitching more than 200 innings with a 3.00 ERA and finished second in AL Cy Young Award voting.

Now 35, his surface-level numbers are almost identical this year.

The pitch and batted ball data suggest hes not been as good as a year ago, but Lugo has remained plenty effective.

He has a player option for 2026 hes unlikely to exercise barring injury, meaning the right-hander should be considered a rental.

Value: Top five (at least) closer in baseball Analysis: If you havent checked in a while, you might remember that Clase was having a shockingly bad season.

He finished the month of April with twice as many earned runs as he allowed all of last year.

But thats changed.

Clase had a weird blown save over the weekend hit batter, stolen base, wild pitch and hes not been as dominant as he was the past three seasons, but hes still throwing his cutter 99 mph, and hes been much better since the start of May.

(And even before that, hed earned more than a little benefit of the doubt).

Clase is signed through 2026 with $10-million club options in 27 and 28.

Hes been an institution in Cleveland, but a low-spending team like the Guardians might have to cash in while theyre having a sub-.500 season.

Value: Cy Young winner searching for form Analysis: Which version of Alcantara is actually on the market? The 2022 Cy Young winner excelled then by keeping the ball in the park and on the ground.

But he took a step back in 2023, went under the knife for Tommy John surgery and has returned this year without the command that makes his mix work.

He ditched his slider earlier this year and started to look like the Sandy of old right up until he allowed 12 runs in 12 innings the last two times out.

Since June 1, the walk rate is one-third of what it was before then, and so theres reason to believe Alcantaras worst is behind him.

He isn't a pitcher who strikes out the lineup, but he is a potential playoff starter, and the supply of those is very limited this deadline.

Value: Reliable right-handed power bat Analysis: Moving Suarez to acquire future help while maneuvering with other deals to buttress the roster would be the kind of thing Mike Hazen has done before, most notably when he traded away Zack Greinke in 2019 but also brought in Mike Leake and Zac Gallen.

Nobody on this list has hit more career homers than Suarez or more homers since the start of 2023.

Rafael Devers will end up as the best bat moved this season.

Suarez has a solid case for No.

2.

Value: Elite defender with pop Analysis: Abreu, like Duran, could become expendable in Boston thanks to the wave of young bats.

But hes also young enough (26) and under team control for long enough (2029) to be part of the Red Soxs long-term plan, putting them in the drivers seat for any potential negotiations.

Even if the Red Sox are open to trading Abreu, theres no rush to do so now.

Hes putting up very good numbers at the plate that are in line with his strong rookie showing, and he will be in the mix for a second Gold Glove Award and wont even be arbitration eligible until 2027.

Value: Flame-throwing closer Analysis: Duran has three dominant pitches and the unhittable results to match, pairing a triple-digit fastball with two swing-and-miss breaking balls for a 2.40 ERA in four MLB seasons.

Minnesotas closer for the past three years, Duran often overpowers hitters and has gone over 70 innings without allowing a homer.

Duran is one of the leagues best relievers, still cheap and under team control through 2027, so the Twins will likely ask for the moon and might be able to get it somewhere.

He has the ability to transform an entire bullpen and ranks second to Devin Williams in reliever Win Probability Added since 2022.

Value: Bat-missing setup man Analysis: Jax has had an odd year as the Twins primary setup man, posting a mediocre ERA despite 14.6 strikeouts per nine innings and just four homers allowed.

It stems largely from an unsustainably high .402 BABIP, aside from which hes been a high-end reliever for the fourth straight season.

Trading away Jax would signal full-on sell mode for the Twins, because hes under team control through 2027 and every bit as essential to their bullpen as Duran.

Weird innings seem to always find Jax at bad times, but he has a 3.24 ERA with 303 strikeouts in 247 frames since becoming a full-time reliever.

Value: Proven starter having down season Analysis: Gallens inconsistent season has mirrored Arizonas on the whole.

Each time he looks like his old self, he follows it up with a string of pedestrian outings.

The stuff has really regressed, and the peripheral numbers support an ERA that starts with a five.

So an acquiring team here is really betting on the track record of a 29-year-old who, until this season, had always been good.

Gallen is a free agent at the end of the season.

Value: Solid mid-rotation starter Analysis: On a staff thats lost Corbin Burnes and cant find the proper versions of Zac Gallen and Eduardo Rodriguez, its Kelly thats been the standout.

Hes been better than Gallen in just about every way, so his ranking behind him owes mostly to the track record before 2025.

Even then, its not like Kellys come from nowhere.

His ERA is 3.47 since the start of 2022.

Value: Rising star fulfilling potential Analysis: Nobody on this list is pitching better right now than Cabrera, whose ERA is under two since the final week of May.

Theres good reason to believe this is a real transformation: Cabrera dropped his arm slot, added a sinker, and moved to the curve over the slider.

Hes not walking nearly as many hitters as he used to.

All this makes it both harder to trade the right-hander, whos under team control through 2028, and more tantalizing to do so for a higher-quality return.

Value: Lefty hitter in career year Analysis: Whatever has gone wrong in Baltimore this season, it has not been OHearns fault.

In 2025, the pending free agent has been as good a hitter as anyone on this list, putting together a career year at an opportune time.

Hes maintained most of the drop in strikeout rate he displayed last season, hes added to what was then a doubling of his previous walk rate, and hes performed well enough that his expected numbers align with his improvement across the board.

While he's seen more at-bats against left-handed pitching this season, hes still much better suited to being the long half of a platoon at first or DH.

Value: Elite bat for hire Analysis: Is Atlanta finally ready to call it quits on 2025? Another losing streak and two more pitcher injuries have its playoff odds in single digits.

Ozuna makes sense as the first piece to go: He remains a dangerous hitter with elite on-base skills and the threat of tremendous power; his homers are down this year, but he hit 79 the past two seasons combined.

While hes strictly a designated hitter, there are contenders struggling to get elite production from that role, and Ozuna could fill the gap for a couple of months before becoming a free agent.

Value: Slumping former All-Star Analysis: Perhaps the season has gone south enough for Atlanta and for Albies that a player with notoriously inexpensive team control through 2027 becomes available.

Albies is in the midst of his worst big-league season by far, and since 2022, hes posted a league-average OPS while missing significant time with injuries.

Theres still value in the talent and the contract for an acquiring team, and Atlantas farm system could use a kickstart.

Value: Dependable starter signed through 2028 Analysis: Drafted in 2014 and signed to an extension 10 years later, Keller is a homegrown Pirates starter who made an All-Star team in 2023 and has finished with an ERA between 3.90 and 4.25 in each of the past four seasons.

Hes not an ace, but hes a dependable arm with team control through his early 30s (his extension goes through 2028).

The Pirates have enough young pitching to consider moving one of their more established starters, and Keller has a blend of consistency and contractual control that teams covet.

Value: All-around center fielder Analysis: Mullins doesnt hit for high averages, but he has 20-homer power and 30-steal speed, and few center fielders have a more impressive highlight reel of jaw-dropping catches.

As a 30-year-old impending free agent, he might not be part of Baltimores plans any longer.

Legit center fielders with above-average bats are typically very hard to find at the deadline.

But the Orioles could opt to keep Mullins and take their chances with draft-pick compensation via the qualifying offer.

Either way, they wont have much motivation to move Mullins for a marginal return.

Value: Solid middle-of-the-order contributor Analysis: Traded last winter to Arizona after making his first All-Star team, Naylor is in the midst of perhaps his best season.

His average is up around .300 thanks to some better batted-ball luck and his strikeout rate is way down.

Only a dozen qualified hitters strike out less often than Naylor, and among them only Mookie Betts and his old teammate Jose Ramirez hit with his kind of power.

(Thats never bad company to keep.) This is a robust market for teams in need of first basemen.

Value: Flame-throwing closer Analysis: Chapmans fastball still regularly hits triple digits at age 37 and he continues to be one of the leagues most dominant relievers, with the added wrinkle that hes working in the strike zone more than ever.

Hes capable of dramatically altering a contenders bullpen as a setup man or a closer.

And this is nothing new for Chapman, who was traded mid-season in 2016 and 2023, winning the World Series with his new team in both years.

Value: Long-term fix at catcher Analysis: When the Braves traded for and immediately extended Murphy in December 2022, it would have been hard to imagine theyd consider trading him less than three years later.

But Atlantas 2025 chances keep getting slimmer, and the homegrown Drake Baldwin has emerged as a worthy replacement behind the plate.

All of that makes Murphy an exceedingly rare commodity: an everyday catcher who was recently an All-Star and is in the midst of another strong season.

At a position of scarcity, Murphy could be a short-term solution with long-term impact.

Value: All-Star reliever returning to form Analysis: Optioned to Triple A on the first day of April, Bednar rebounded to be named the NLs Reliever of the Month in June.

His ERA since returning to the majors in mid-April is under two, and the right-hander has made 2024s rough campaign look like an aberration.

Theres a chance hes an All-Star for the third time in four seasons.

Hes striking out more than a third of opposing hitters and is showcasing the best walk rate of his career.

Value: Right-handed power hitter Analysis: Seemingly an annual candidate to be moved at the deadline, Ward is a good right-handed power bat whose late-blooming career path has him under team control through 2026 despite already being 31.

Ward has 25-homer power, generally crushing left-handers and holding his own against right-handers while posting an above-average OPS+ for the fifth straight season.

But will the Angels finally decide to move him? Value: Versatile veteran arm Analysis: Martinez won't wow you with stuff his vulcan changeup is the only pitch that's above average in that regard but he throws six pitches with good command of each.

Despite his poor strikeout rate, he's been able to limit the walk rate and keep hitters guessing enough that they don't do lots of damage when they connect.

While this year hasnt gone as well as the end of last season did for Martinez, he returned from a brief stint in the bullpen by taking a no-hitter into the ninth inning in his last start of June.

He owns a lot of experience as a starter and as a reliever in the same season, and his versatility makes him a great pickup for a team that just needs an arm to help it get to October.

Value: Low-walk, low-strikeout starting pitcher Analysis: In a 12-year professional career, Littell has been traded twice, sold once, and claimed off waivers.

Hes also been a free agent two times.

But if he changes teams again at the deadline, it will finally be a transaction you actually notice.

Thats because Littell has emerged from obscurity to become yet another productive Rays starter.

Hes given up a lot of home runs this year, and doesnt strike out many batters, but doesnt walk many either, and hes consistently minimized damage through two-plus seasons in the Rays rotation.

The Rays are very much in the playoff hunt, but they also have some Triple-A rotation depth in Joe Boyle and Ian Seymour, and ace Shane McClanahan could return from the IL sometime after the deadline.

The teams roster-churning style could lead them to deal Littell before he becomes a free agent at seasons end.

Value: Closer with strong track record Analysis: Helsley figured to be one of the big fish available at the deadline at least until the Cardinals perched themselves firmly in the postseason picture in the NL.

St.

Louis said recently it doesnt intend to deal from its bullpen, but it will re-assess throughout July.

A closer whos received down-ballot Cy Young votes in two of the last three seasons, Helsley hasnt been as sharp in 2025, with five blown saves.

Unlike some other Cardinals, hed be a pure rental.

Value: Right-handed power hitter Analysis: Garcia is a below-average hitter for the second straight season, and at 32 years old, its possible his middle-of-the-order days are over.

But the two-time All-Star still has big power and remains an excellent defensive outfielder with a great arm.

Memories of his amazing 2023 postseason run could convince some teams to bet on there being gas left in the tank.

And if Garcia gets back on track in the second half, his new club would have him under 2026 control via arbitration.

Value: Excellent defender at the hot corner Analysis: So were gonna go out on a limb and suggest maybe, maybe , the Rockies should sell at this deadline.

Part of Colorados current malaise owes to front office inactivity at prior deadlines, and McMahon might be its best piece to dangle this time around.

By now, McMahon is who he is as a hitter, striking out too much and producing at a level just below league average.

But hes an outstanding defender and the kind of complementary piece that could help a contender into October.

Value: Reliever excelling for bad team Analysis: Its too bad the rest of the roster is what it is, because Colorados bullpen isnt half-bad.

And Birds been the best of that group, with a strikeout rate near 30 percent and a ground-ball rate just under 50 percent.

His park-adjusted FIP is in line with that of Emmanuel Clase.

Birds slider against righties and curveball against lefties are each effective, rendering him platoon-neutral.

Hes not even in arbitration yet, so an acquiring team would control him through 2028.

Value: Top defensive outfielder with some pop Analysis: This trade market could be thin on outfielders, especially right-handed-hitting outfielders.

Bader could help fill that void.

He remains a very strong defender, capable of playing left, right or center, and hes been a slightly above-league-average hitter with enough power to be dangerous.

He also can still run a little bit.

The total package is a solid outfield regular.

Value: Veteran mid-rotation starter Analysis: The Orioles have probably dug too far a hole and have too much long-term work to do on their pitching staff for the organization to hold expiring deals for a slim playoff chance at the deadline.

With Zach Eflin, Tomoyuki Sugano and Charlie Morton all finishing their deals at the end of the season, it behooves Baltimore to get whatever prospect arms it can, preferably on the higher-upside, lower-floor spectrum of things.

Unfortunately for Eflin, a brutal three-start stretch at the end of June led into an IL stint for back discomfort, which is why his ranking here dropped as precipitously as it did.

Value: Light-hitting center fielder Analysis: Thomas middling bat and Arizonas strong outfield depth could create the right conditions for trading the former Top 100 prospect.

He may always be a bottom-of-the-order hitter, but teams that view Thomas as a legit glove in center field will be just fine to fill the position with someone under team control through 2028.

Value: Switch-hitter with long contract Analysis: Reynolds is three years into the largest contract in team history, so any acquiring team would have to be cool with the $76 million hes owed over the five seasons after this one.

Thats not necessarily a bad rate for a switch-hitter who was 20 percent better than the league average with 25 homers per year from 2022 through 2024.

This year has been worse, largely because of a hideous 2-for-45 stretch in early May.

Since then, his OPS is over .800.

Value: Oft-injured veteran starter Analysis: An impending free agent two seasons removed from his second Tommy John surgery, Paddack shows flashes of front-line upside but hasnt posted an ERA better than league average or surpassed 110 innings since 2019.

Hes not part of the Twins future plans and can fill out the back of a contenders rotation.

Value: Complementary infield piece Analysis: Urias is one of the success stories from Baltimores rebuild, a waiver-wire pickup who played his way into an everyday role while contention was far from the clubs mind.

Hes been a solid if unspectacular infielder since 2021, consistently producing about 10 percent better than league average at the plate and earning one Gold Glove at third.

His defensive versatility makes him an intriguing fit for teams with uncertain infield situations.

Value: Strike-throwing setup man Analysis: Martin is 39, but the long-underrated setup man has shown no signs of slowing down.

His ability to relentlessly pound the zone without giving up hard contact is rare, and hed be an ideal plug-and-play rental for almost any contenders bullpen.

Value: Veteran starter returning to form Analysis: As of early June, Giolitos 6.42 ERA suggested few teams would be interested in a somewhat costly starting pitcher who hadnt been especially good since 2021.

But Giolito has turned things around in the past month.

Seemingly gaining strength and consistency in his first year back from 2024 elbow surgery, Giolito has been excellent for the past month, cutting his ERA below 4.00 and consistently giving the Red Sox six-plus innings.

He now looks more like an innings eater with some upside, pitching more like the guy who received Cy Young votes three straight seasons from 2019 to 2021.

His fastball velocity is back up to 94 mph, and hes mixing that pitch with an even assortment of sliders and changeups.

Giolito's been regaining value lately.

Value: Emerging force in bullpen Analysis: The primary results have caught up to the peripheral ones for Detmers, who hasnt allowed an earned run since mid-May.

The lefty has above-average Stuff+ on four different deliveries as well as above-average Location+.

His strikeout rate during his outstanding June was just under 40 percent.

An under-the-radar candidate last time we did this, Detmers now may be too good for the Angels to move.

Value: Versatile arm seeking consistency Analysis: Soroka was an under-the-radar target for a lot of teams last winter, thanks to the outstanding second half hed put together as a reliever for the White Sox.

Moved back to the rotation in Washington, hes dealt with another injury (a biceps strain this time) and some inconsistency.

Despite a pedestrian ERA, Soroka still excels at a lot of things teams really value today: He owns good strikeout, walk, and ground-ball rates, and he keeps the ball off the barrel.

Plus, his experience last season makes Soroka a flexible fit: He can fill out your rotation in the short term and then slide to the bullpen later in the year.

Value: Veteran with recent postseason success Analysis: After so much inconsistency early in his career, Heaney has settled into a niche these past three seasons as a reliable No.

4 starter with an ERA just over four.

This is a guy who started three postseason games for the champion Rangers in 2023, and he looked like a free-agent steal for Pittsburgh until a couple of rough outings in late June ballooned his ERA.

On the other hand, the strikeout rate has dipped quite a bit to below league-average, and the walk rate is up.

He could make a playoff start for you, but you probably wouldnt feel super comfortable about it.

Value: Back-end rotation stability Analysis: A once touted prospect who quietly became a two-time All-Star in his 30s, Anderson is a dependable back-end starter for a contender in need of rotation stability.

He has roughly league-average numbers (100 ERA+), but hes also tied for the second-most starts in the Majors, and hes allowed more than four runs only three times.

Anderson is rarely dominant but typically steady, which has value as teams worry about workload and depth down the stretch.

His contract expires at the end of the year, which surely increases the motivation for the Angels who are vaguely in contention to consider moving him.

Dropped from rankings: Freddy Peralta (2), Luis Robert Jr.

(8), Walker Buehler (19), Jake Burger (21), Yoan Moncada (24), Tyler Mahle (26), Rhys Hoskins (27), Austin Hays (28).

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