15 potential trade options as we near the MLB All-Star break
Boston Red Sox's Alex Bregman, left, celebrates after his double in the third inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets at Fenway Park, Monday, May 19, 2025, in Boston. Credit: AP/Charles Krupa
While the MLB trade season typically kicks off at the start of July — this year’s deadline is 6 p.m. on the 31st — the party started a bit early with what is likely to be the summer’s biggest blockbuster: the Red Sox shocking the world by shipping Rafael Devers to the Giants on June 15.
That’s going to be a tough act to follow. Boston set the bar impossibly high in terms of drama, actually pulling Devers off the team plane to re-route their homegrown $313.5 million franchise player to San Francisco.
But we still have more than a month to try, and if Devers can be dealt, nothing should be ruled out going forward. The problem — as always is the case at this time of year — is identifying the buyers and sellers, which has become increasingly difficult since the playoff field expanded to 12 teams before the 2022 season.
Through Thursday, 21 of the 30 teams were within three games of a playoff spot, and by our estimation, only six teams — three in each league — should consider this year’s October chances kaput. In the AL, it’s the 26-55 White Sox (15 1⁄2 games out), the 33-50 A’s (-9 1⁄2) and the 34-46 Orioles (-7). For the NL, the 18-63 Rockies (-26 1⁄2), the 32-50 Pirates (-13) and the 33-48 Nationals (-11 1⁄2).
For those sorry six, selling is a no-brainer. Everyone else now has some hard decisions to make in the weeks leading up to the deadline, which is why the market may take a little longer to shake loose.
“It’s still really tough to tell,” Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said this past week. “With our current playoff format, so many don’t really decide how they’re going to approach the deadline until mid-July. We’ve got the draft the first half of July, so a lot of teams turn their focus to that.
“And then once you get past the draft, teams that are maybe on that bubble area, in the middle of the pack, really begin to make their decisions on how they’re going to approach the deadline. So right now, I think it’s very difficult to tell which teams are where, and we’ll get more information as we go.”
We’d expect the Mets and Yankees to be active in shoring up some holes for a World Series chase, but they won’t be alone. So here’s 15 players who should be the most talked about during next month, and potentially moved by July 31. Some have a better chance than others, but as the Devers deal reminded us, never say never.
(Stats listed below are through Thursday’s games)
Alex Bregman, 3B, Red Sox: Would general manager Craig Breslow dare to trade his team’s top remaining offensive threat after dealing Devers, the previous No. 1 bat, only weeks earlier? Bregman is almost certain to opt out after this first season of his three-year, $120 million deal, and the Sox — sitting on the playoff bubble — could use this highly coveted trade chip to continue their young rebuild.
Marcell Ozuna, DH, Atlanta: The signals are mixed on whether Atlanta eventually will sell off a few assets. But with GM Alex Anthopoulos insisting that Chris Sale is staying put, Ozuna’s expiring contract ($16M this season) makes him a highly motivated and dangerous bat whose offensive numbers (11 homers, 40 RBIs, .781 OPS) could quickly spike for a recharging contender.
Sandy Alcantara, SP, Marlins: The early trade buzz for the 2022 Cy Young Award winner cooled some with his sluggish start coming off Tommy John surgery (8.47 ERA through his first 11 starts). But Alcantara, signed through next season (roughly $25M left) with a $21M team option for ’27, is a bargain ace heating up just in time. He has a 2.47 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 23 innings in his last four starts.
Eugenio Suarez, 3B, Diamondbacks: Technically, the D-backs are in the playoff mix, but the NL West is a beast, and losing $210M ace Corbin Burnes to Tommy John surgery could put them in shopping mode with a number of their pending free agents. Suarez is a very wallet-friendly power threat — about $7M left this season — with 25 homers, 67 RBIs and an .892 OPS, so there should be plenty of suitors.
Adolis Garcia, RF, Rangers: While the Texas rotation could generate the most trade chatter, Garcia is an intriguing bat with another season of team control before reaching free agency. A Gold Glove outfielder who averaged 30 homers and a .758 OPS in the previous three seasons, Garcia could step up his current production (nine homers, .672 OPS) for a change-of-scenery playoff run.
Steven Matz, RP, Cardinals: This year was supposed to be somewhat of a reset in St. Louis, but the Cardinals are firmly in the wild-card race, which could have them straddling the buy-sell mode. That makes former Ward Melville star Matz a pitcher to dangle as a lefty starter turned multi-inning reliever (3.50 ERA in 23 appearances). He’s due about $6 million in the final season of his four-year, $44 million deal.
Luis Robert Jr., CF, White Sox: Robert has been leaving the South Side for what seems like forever, and this is the last chance for the woeful Sox to deal him before free agency. The problem? His value has plummeted. Just two years ago, Robert had 38 homers and an .857 OPS. Now? He’s hitting .185 with eight homers, a .584 OPS and the fourth-highest strikeout rate (30.9%) in the majors. Can a change of scenery fix all that?
Seth Lugo, SP, Royals: With KC falling hopelessly behind in the division race and becoming a long-shot wild-card candidate, Lugo — a pending free agent due roughly $7 million — becomes a very valuable chip in a starter-starved pitching market. The 2024 Cy Young Award runner-up has a 2.93 ERA this season, but the Royals are 6-8 in his 14 starts.
Luis Severino, SP, Athletics: The team formerly known as Oakland gave Severino the biggest free-agent contract in franchise history (three years, $67M) but his real value could come in a trade return — and liberating him from hitter-friendly Sutter Health Park. The home-away splits have greatly skewed his overall numbers. Severino is 0-7 with a 6.79 ERA and an opponent’s OPS of .827 in Sacramento (10 starts). In seven starts on the road, he’s 2-1 with a 2.27 ERA and a .558 OPS against.
Emmanuel Clase, RP, Guardians: The flame-throwing Clase, the undisputed top prize of this year’s relief market, is a three-time All-Star who has led the majors in saves for three straight seasons and is under team control through 2028. While Cleveland — a half-game out in the wild-card race — is very much in the playoff picture, it already has Clase’s ready-made replacement in Cade Smith, and the haul for Clase would be too huge to ignore.
Aroldis Chapman, RP, Red Sox: It’s been a decade since the Yankees traded Chapman to the Cubs for highly touted infielder Gleyber Torres (only to re-sign him the following December). Now Boston is poised to cash in. The 37-year-old closer’s average fastball velocity still is among MLB’s highest (98.6). His 1.36 ERA is his lowest since 1.01 in that half-season with the Cubs, and his 4.80 K/BB ratio is the best since his 5.50 with the Yankees in 2020.
Ryan O’Hearn, 1B/RF, Orioles: Camden Yards should hang an “Everything Must Go” sign out front because the O’s should be in fire sale mode, with O’Hearn an alluring item for team’s seeking instant offense. O’Hearn has only $4 million left before hitting free agency, and that’s a steal for his production (.301 average, 11 homers, 30 RBIs, .869 OPS).
Felix Bautista, RP, Orioles: This time of year, a bat-missing reliever is a great card to hold for a failing team, and Bautista is at the head of the class among the most available. Bautista, with a 98-mph sinker as his primary weapon, has a 2.60 ERA with a 12.4 K/9 ratio and 16 saves. He’s making only $1 million this season and is under team control through 2027.
Jarren Duran, CF, Red Sox: If it’s truly a post-Devers rebuild in Boston, then why not move Duran too, who’s become expendable in the outfield but has additional value as a controllable player through 2028. He’s coming off an All-Star season and eighth place finish for the AL MVP, but his five homers and .708 OPS are behind the pace of last year’s career-highs (21 HRs, .834). He does lead the AL in triples though (8).
Ryan McMahon, 3B, Rockies: He’s been the subject of trade speculation for years. Will the Rockies — on pace for the worst of their seven straight losing seasons — finally pull the trigger? McMahon, who is due $38 million through 2027, is heating up at the right time, shaking off a slow start to hit .264 with 10 homers and an .854 OPS in his last 50 games.
David Lennon is an award-winning columnist, a voter for baseball's Hall of Fame and has covered six no-hitters, including two perfect games.
