MLB trade rumors: 14 players most likely to be traded by 2025 deadline, from Eugenio Suarez to Dylan Cease

Yahoo

a day ago

Barring a surprise, no Earth-shattering move is on the horizon before MLB's July 31 trade deadline. That doesn't mean teams can't dramatically change their outlooks ahead of the postseason push.
While the Dodgers entered the season as the decisive favorites to win the World Series and remain favored, there hasn't been much separation between them and the rest of baseball's best teams. The Dodgers, Cubs, Brewers, Tigers, Blue Jays, Phillies, Mets, and Astros were all separated by a handful of games as the deadline approached, putting pressure on each of those squads to get aggressive and try to separate from the pack.
Eugenio Suarez is considered the prize of the deadline, with the Diamondbacks officially selling from a talented roster. Arizona already dealt 1B Josh Naylor to the Mariners, launching the fire sale. Who else could be available to contending clubs?
Here's a look at the 14 players most likely to be traded by the July 31 deadline.
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MLB players most likely to be traded by 2025 deadline
Eugenio Suarez, 3B, Diamondbacks
Any time a hitter on pace for more than 55 home runs and leading the league in RBIs is available, teams are going to swarm. While Suarez can be hot-and-cold and prone to significant slumps, his raw power is as impressive as any hitter in the league and makes him a clear trade candidate in the final year of his contract. Assuming the Diamondbacks follow the path most expect them to take and sell players on expiring contracts, Suarez will be as sought-after as anyone on the market as contenders look for some additional pop.
Best fits: Yankees, Mariners, Reds
Dylan Cease, SP, Padres
The Padres' willingness to listen on Cease surprised some, given they are sitting in postseason position, but the pending free agent was a popular name in trade rumors leading up to the season and San Diego could be looking to get creative. Any deal involving Cease, who has struggled in 2025 but is still missing bats with 11.4 strikeouts per nine innings, would likely involve at least one major-leaguer going back to San Diego to address another need on the roster. A Cease deal could also spur a Padres trade for a lower-profile veteran starter to fill the void down the stretch.
Best fits: Red Sox, Cubs, Astros
Ryan O'Hearn, DH, Orioles
O'Hearn was never going to be able to sustain his red-hot start, which saw him carry a .333 AVG into June, but he has been a reliably above-average hitter with a bit of pop in each of his three seasons with the Orioles. Also showcasing easily the best on-base percentage of his career, O'Hearn should be a popular target as the Orioles look to sell expiring contracts.
Best fits: Padres, Mariners, Rangers
Ramon Laureano, OF, Orioles
Laureano is having the best season you don't know about after bouncing between three teams in the past two seasons. Now settled into a regular role with the Orioles, Laureano hit 14 home runs over his first 75 games with an OPS north of .850, and he remains one of the best outfield arms in baseball. It's a near certainty that Baltimore will take advantage of the season Laureano has had and deal him before he hits free agency this winter.
Best fits: Phillies, Reds, Astros
Sandy Alcantara, SP, Marlins
Alcantara has had an abysmal season after missing all of 2024 due to Tommy John Surgery, but he tossed seven strong innings without an earned run in a recent start and has a Cy Young Award to his name. Will that be enough to entice a team to take a flier? If Alcantara is fixed or can be fixed, he comes at a fairly cheap cost in 2026 and has a team option on his deal for 2027. If a surging Marlins team doesn't get the offer it wants before the deadline, Alcantara trade talks could be pushed off to the winter.
Best fits: Padres, Cubs, Dodgers
Merrill Kelly, SP, Diamondbacks
Kelly, a pending free agent, seems likely to be on the move if the Diamondbacks sell. The 36-year-old has been steady once again in 2025, carrying an ERA in the low 3s and limiting hits better than he has at any point in his career. Kelly also had a 2.25 ERA over four starts during Arizona's run to the World Series in 2023, so contenders should be willing to give up something of value to get him even if he is just a rental.
Best fits: Yankees, Cubs, Red Sox
Luis Robert, OF, White Sox
The White Sox have lived to regret not trading Robert closer to his excellent 2023 season, which saw him blast 38 home runs, but they could still find a buy-low taker on the market before his contract expires at the end of the season (pending a team option). Robert has struggled again in 2025, barely batting north of .200 without any of the power he flashed in 2023, but he has been much better since the start of July and could be heating up just in time for the White Sox to get a little bit of value.
Best fits: Mets, Phillies, Reds
Seth Lugo, SP, Royals
The Royals are no guarantee to sell, but as they sit under .500, it might be time to start making difficult choices. Expect Seth Lugo to be a popular name if Kansas City does trade expiring contracts. Lugo has a player option for 2026 that he will almost certainly decline in hopes of landing one more multi-year deal, and it's easy to understand why. After posting a 3.00 ERA over 33 starts and finishing as the AL Cy Young runner-up in 2024, he's posted near-identical marks in 2025 with the exception of some home run issues. Teams looking for a rental starter with a bit of recent postseason experience could turn to Lugo.
Best fits: Cubs, Astros, Padres
Edward Cabrera, SP, Marlins
Now here's an interesting name flying under the radar. Cabrera, once a highly touted prospect, has quietly fixed his control issues this season and is putting up a career year with a 2.18 ERA over his past 10 starts leading up to trade deadline week. The Marlins certainly don't have to trade Cabrera if they plan on contending in 2026, but reports indicate they might view now as the time to strike — and that makes plenty of sense with Cabrera still only 27 and under contract all the way through 2028.
Best fits: Dodgers, Tigers, Cubs
Mitch Keller, SP, Pirates
Keller is under contract all the way through 2028 on an extension he signed with the Pirates, and that could make him one of the most valuable trade chips on the market. While Pittsburgh doesn't have to trade him, a deal could bring back key offensive pieces that give the franchise a better chance of contending around Paul Skenes in 2026 and beyond. Keller has struggled to sustain strong starts in the past, but he's been durable since 2022 and is on track for a career-best season in 2025.
Best fits: Mets, Tigers, Dodgers
David Bednar, CL, Pirates
The Pirates have no shortage of organizational issues, but they seem to have fixed Bednar. The two-time All-Star closer had a brutal 2024 season and was optioned to the minors after a similarly tough start to 2025, but he put together a stretch of 21 consecutive scoreless appearances (and counting) from late May onward and has looked every bit like the reliable late-inning reliever he was in 2022 and 2023. With an additional year of control on his contract, Bednar could bring back some nice value to Pittsburgh.
Best fits: Dodgers, Yankees, Cubs
Charlie Morton, SP, Orioles
The Orioles can't expect to get much value out of Morton, who is 41 and pitched like he was 81 early in the season, but he has at least shown enough lately for a desperate team to justify taking a flier on him. Morton allowed two or fewer earned runs in five of his first seven starts after rejoining Baltimore's rotation in late May. While he erased some of that goodwill with a rough outing against the Rays out of the break, Morton struck out seven in his next start and could be an option for teams who miss out on other rental starters.
Best fits: Tigers, Padres, Rays
Zac Gallen, SP, Diamondbacks
Zac Gallen carried a 3.20 ERA from 2022-24, helping power the Diamondbacks to the World Series in 2023, but this season has been a bit of a nightmare for the 29-year-old. While he's stayed fully healthy, his ERA has remained in the mid-5s. Gallen's strikeout rate is down, and he allowed a whopping 23 home runs in his first 21 starts. A pending free agent, Gallen won't bring back the haul Arizona might have hoped for. Does it make more sense for the Diamondbacks to hold onto him and extend a qualifying offer after the season? The desperation of pitching-needy teams will provide the answer.
Best fits: Cubs, Tigers, Yankees
Griffin Jax, RP, Twins
The Twins are expected to trade one or Griffin Jax and closer Jhoan Duran. Jax seems like the more likely candidate, unless Minnesota is blown away by an offer for Duran. While a 4.09 ERA this season is nothing special, Jax's underlying numbers are excellent — he has a 2.07 FIP and is striking out a whopping 13.9 batters per nine. After posting a 2.07 ERA over a full 2024 season, Jax should be tempting to a number of bullpen-needy teams.
Best fits: Dodgers, Yankees, Phillies