MLB Teams with Clear Needs Already for 2025 Trade Deadline
We're still a few months away from serious buying and selling season in Major League Baseball, but it's never too early to start identifying the biggest needs for the likeliest buyers.
The 10 teams chosen for this list were the five from each league with the best "To make the playoffs" odds according to DraftKings on Wednesday morning.
That ended up being Atlanta, Chicago, the Dodgers, the Mets and Philadelphia in the National League, plus Boston, Detroit, Houston, the Yankees and Texas in the American League. (San Diego narrowly missed the cut, and would have made the list if it had just been the 10 best odds regardless of league.)
Without question, some of those teams have more pressing needs than others. But as those are the clubs theoretically most likely to be buyers this summer, it just makes sense to try to pinpoint what they'll be buying.
Needs can and will change due to injury, of course. Heck, some of the identified needs changed due to IL moves announced while writing this article. But choices were based on the information we currently have.
Along with each need, we've offered up potential solutions.
Teams are presented in alphabetical order by location.
Atlanta Braves: Starting Pitcher
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The good news for the Atlanta Braves is that Spencer Strider should be back sooner rather than later. He went 5.1 hitless innings with eight strikeouts in a rehab start on April 4. Barring any setbacks, he ought to be back no later than the April 18-23 homestand.
The bad news is Reynaldo López is already on the 60-day IL awaiting official word on if/when he's expected to return in 2025, and Atlanta had already done absolutely nothing to address the offseason losses of Max Fried and Charlie Morton.
At this point, they need Strider back just to bring the number of question marks in their rotation down from three to two.
The big three of Strider, Chris Sale and Spencer Schwellenbach could be all sorts of special when healthy. But having some combination of Grant Holmes, AJ Smith-Shawver and Bryce Elder filling out the rest of the rotation isn't particularly promising for a team that has gotten out to a brutal start to the year.
We do still expect Atlanta to be in the postseason hunt in late July, but very likely searching to add at least one starting pitcher to the mix.
Potential Solutions: Nick Martinez, Andrew Heaney, Aaron Civale
As ever, there will be plenty of rotational options available ahead of the deadline. The big question with Atlanta is whether it has either the budget or the prospects necessary to make a gigantic swing for a Sandy Alcantara, Freddy Peralta or Luis Castillo.
Most likely, the team will be aiming a bit lower for a No. 3/4 starter type of rental, but we'll see how desperate it becomes over the next few months.
Boston Red Sox: Catcher
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By the slimmest of margins, Boston (-135 to make playoffs) edges out division rival Baltimore (-130) for the American League's fifth and final spot on the list. [For what it's worth, starting pitching will unquestionably be at the top of the Orioles' shopping list, if buying.]
And while the Red Sox don't appear to need much (aside from better health) after a busy offseason, the catcher spot has quickly become a glaring concern.
Connor Wong had a breakout year at the plate in 2024, triple-slashing .280/.333/.425 and making appearances at first, second and DH to get as many ABs as possible. But he started out 2-for-23 with a pair of run-less, RBI-less singles before landing on the IL with a fractured pinkie. We'll see how long he's out, and how well he can bounce back when he does return.
While Wong is out, Carlos Narváez will get as much work behind the plate as he can handle, but he had appeared in just six big-league games prior to this season, making the roster mostly due to his defense.
Boston used to have a highly touted catcher in its farm system, but it shipped Kyle Teel to the White Sox in the Garrett Crochet trade.
Potential Solutions: Willson Contreras, William Contreras, Christian Vazquez
Neither Contreras brother would come cheap, particularly William, who has a $12 million club option for next season plus one more year of arbitration eligibility in 2027. Even if Milwaukee drops out of the picture completely, it will be reluctant to move one of its best hitters.
Willson is more gettable with the Cardinals possibly headed for a total rebuild, but he's also making $18 million this season, $18 million next season, $18.5 million in 2027 and has a $17.5 million club option or $5 million buyout for 2028.
Boston certainly brings in enough revenue to make that happen, but it may well decide against it.
Chicago Cubs: Pitching
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The jury is still out on Matt Shaw as the primary third baseman for the Cubs, but he has at least been serviceable. They do also have both Jon Berti and Gage Workman as options already on the roster if they feel the need to replace the rookie. And aside from that, Chicago's lineup is in a pretty good place.
The pitching staff, on the other hand, devolved from "questionable" to downright "grimace-inducing" with Wednesday's news of Justin Steele landing on the IL with elbow tendinitis.
The Cubs already had Javier Assad (oblique) on the IL, which meant continually rolling with Ben Brown in the rotation even through his early struggles. And in Steele's stead, they called up Ethan Roberts to help out with what figures to be a lot of bullpen games for the foreseeable future.
Things aren't pretty on the bullpen front, either, especially with Ryan Brasier sidelined indefinitely by a groin strain.
Even before the season began, the Cubs were likely to be in the market for middle relief help at the trade deadline. And if Ryan Pressly (7 IP, 11 H, 3 ER, 6 BB, 2 K) doesn't turn things around, adding a closer might be on the menu, too.
Potential Solutions: Nick Martinez, Cal Quantrill, Martín Pérez, Kyle Hendricks
That last solution on the list would be a fun reunion, with Hendricks out to a pretty impressive start to the Angels chapter of his career. But a swing man like Martinez would seem to make the most sense for a team with a wide range of pitching needs.
If his $21 million salary is a bit too much for the Cubs to stomach, there's always $3.5 million Quantrill wasting away in Miami.
Detroit Tigers: Third Base and Bullpen
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Though the Tigers have persevered thus far with help from Spencer Torkelson re-emerging as a legitimate slugger, injuries have ravaged their lineup.
Already, Gleyber Torres, Parker Meadows, Jake Rogers, Matt Vierling, Wenceel Pérez and Manuel Margot are on the IL, forcing the likes of Ryan Kreidler, Zach McKinstry, Javier Báez and Andy Ibáñez into more regular playing time than anyone would have guessed a month ago.
Even at full strength, though, third base was all but destined to be a problem area, between not doing anything about it in the offseason and Jace Jung not performing well enough in spring training to take over the job (or even earn a roster spot). A deadline upgrade at the hot corner is a near-must.
The bullpen is also a big concern for Detroit, with last year's primary closer (Jason Foley) not even making the roster out of spring training. He has been rock solid thus far at Triple-A Toledo, but not enough to get the call yet. And that's certainly not because Brant Hurter (3.68 ERA, 5.39 FIP) and Beau Brieske (9.64 ERA, 5.64 FIP) have been sensational.
Potential Solutions (3B): Yandy Diaz, Paul DeJong, Luis Urias
Potential Solutions (RP): Pete Fairbanks, Kyle Finnegan, Jose Leclerc
It's no coincidence that we chose a 3B/RP tandem from three different teams. Two birds with one stone could be the name of the deadline game for the Tigers.
Washington's tandem of impending free agents would likely be the easiest/cheapest to acquire, but getting a Diaz/Fairbanks package from Tampa Bay would be fun.
They are two of the eight highest-paid players on the Rays and would surely be on the block if they remain in the AL East basement. Each one also has a club option for 2026, but that's not a major consideration. Fairbanks is $7 million or a $1 million buyout, while Diaz is $12 million or no buyout.
Houston Astros: Starting Pitcher
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Much like the Dodgers by the end of last season, Houston's list of pitchers on the IL is more impressive than the list of starting pitchers it has available.
Spencer Arrighetti suffered a broken thumb on his pitching hand in a fluke batting practice injury this week. No timetable has been given yet, but speaking from the experience of suffering a broken thumb twice, that's probably a six-week recovery, at a minimum.
That injury occurred one day after Luis Garcia was transferred to the 60-day IL after an MRI revealed inflammation in his surgically repaired elbow. The Astros were hoping to have him back from Tommy John surgery relatively early in the year, but that is no longer the case.
Meanwhile, Cristian Javier is unlikely to return until at least the All-Star break after his 2024 TJ, and JP France might not pitch at all in 2025 following his shoulder surgery last July.
The one bit of good news is that Lance McCullers Jr. is working his way back, pitching in actual games (minor league, but still...) for the first time since the end of 2022.
Even if he comes back and stays healthy for a change, this is a rotation that presently has three spots designated for Hayden Wesneski, Ronel Blanco (who has come crashing back to earth after a breakout 2024) and possibly rookie Ryan Gusto replacing Arrighetti.
Potential Solutions: Sandy Alcantara, Freddy Peralta, Jack Flaherty
Assuming Houston does its usual thing and bounces back from a slow start—the Astros have had a sub-.500 record around April 20 in each of the past four seasons—it might be the singular team most likely to swing big for someone like Alcantara, as a means of both improving the current rotation and preparing for Framber Valdez's likely departure in free agency.
However, without a single top 100 prospect in their farm system (Cam Smith was top 100, but he is already their primary right fielder), we'll see if they can actually make it happen.
Los Angeles Dodgers: Second Base
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After an 8-0 start to the year, the Dodgers entered Wednesday having lost four of their last five games, including series losses at Philadelphia (no big deal) and at Washington (uhh...what?).
By no means is it Panic O'Clock for the still overwhelming favorites to win the World Series, but it's not a bad time to start thinking about where the inevitable trade-deadline buying will be focused.
The lowest hanging fruit is arguably whichever of 2B/CF is easier to upgrade, with Tommy Edman becoming fully entrenched as the starter at the other. And with several other contenders likely to be in the market for a center fielder, second base is probably the answer.
Potential Solutions: Brandon Lowe, Luis Arraez, Gleyber Torres
The best potential solution here is very likely the in-house one, as the Dodgers do have an option waiting in the wings in Oklahoma City.
Los Angeles gave KBO star Hyeseong Kim a three-year, $12.5 million deal in January, and he presently has an .874 OPS with four stolen bases through nine Triple-A games. Not exactly sure what it's waiting for, but have to think he'll be in the big leagues soon, particularly if Andy Pages (.162/.311/.270) continues doing next to nothing in center.
Like Edman, Kim can play second, center or shortstop, so the Dodgers might be in the market for a second baseman either way. If that's the case, Lowe ($10.5 million this season with an $11.5 million club option for 2026) following Tyler Glasnow on the path from Tampa Bay to Los Angeles could make a lot of sense.
New York Mets: Center Field
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For a team with Sean Manaea, Frankie Montas and Paul Blackburn all on the IL, New York's rotation has been surprisingly effective.
Whether Tylor Megill and Griffin Canning can continue to admirably shoulder the load remains to be seen, but it's hard to argue with how things have gone thus far. And with the three aforementioned injured pitchers all likely to return before the All-Star break, pitching might not be as big of an issue here as it seemed to be when arms were dropping like flies in spring training.
However, the Mets' center field situation is every bit as problematic as we feared it might be when they chose that spot to be (by their recent standards) uncommonly frugal, rolling with a $5.425 million platoon of Jose Siri and Tyrone Taylor.
Through 11 games, they have gone a combined 5-for-40 (.125) at the dish with no home runs, each amounting to a negative bWAR. Siri at least typically provides value with his speed on the basepaths and his range on defense, but that might not be enough at a position that could be the potential Achilles' heel that keeps the Mets from winning a loaded NL East.
Potential Solutions: Luis Robert Jr., Mike Yastrzemski, Tyler O'Neill
With left fielder Brandon Nimmo more than capable of playing center, the Mets do have the flexibility to pursue either a CF or LF.
Even so, the list of respectable options available will hinge on how competitive Baltimore and San Francisco end up being. Robert is the big name out there all but certain to be available, but both the Orioles and Giants have multiple outfielders who are likely headed for free agency this winter.
Colorado's Brenton Doyle isn't listed among the potential solutions because he is under team control for another four years. Don't put it past the Mets to make the Rockies say "no" multiple times before shopping elsewhere, though.
New York Yankees: Third Baseman
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Starting pitching is also a major concern for the Yankees, having already lost Gerrit Cole for the year while both Luis Gil and Clarke Schmidt are presently on the IL.
However, the latter two figure to be back by the trade deadline, at which point perhaps one of Will Warren, Marcus Stroman or Carlos Carrasco will have proved himself worthy of keeping a regular spot in the rotation. It looks rough for now, but it might be fine by July.
Third base is a different story, where the Yankees have gone with a revolving door of Oswaldo Cabrera, Oswald Peraza and Pablo Reyes thus far without much success—save for Peraza hitting a pinch-hit HR during that nine-homer, torpedo bat-infused extravaganza during opening weekend.
This is hardly an unexpected development, of course. The Yankees traded for Jazz Chisholm Jr. to address their third base situation last season—even though he previously had never played third in the majors—but they moved him back to second base after losing Gleyber Torres to free agency and never did anything to address the resulting hole at the hot corner.
Kind of seems like the plan here was to throw things at the wall for a few months, see if anything sticks and make a trade if nothing does.
Potential Solutions: Nolan Arenado, Yandy Díaz, Eugenio Suárez
This may well be an "Arenado or bust" situation, which is a bit what it felt like all winter, even though the Yankees were never one of the teams rumored to be seriously pursuing the Cardinals third baseman.
If not Arenado, Díaz is probably the next-best combination of "can play third base" and "should be available," but we'll see if he's available to the Yankees. The AL East rivals have only ever made three trades, and none of those were deadline deals.
Philadelphia Phillies: Center Fielder
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As the old saying goes: If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
When it comes to Philadelphia's center field situation, though, it's evidently content with a "If it's broke, don't fix it" approach.
We all assumed the Phillies would be all-in on upgrading in center last summer, but they took much more of a half-hearted approach, trying to buy low on Austin Hays who was both ineffective and spent two stints on the IL before serving in a backup role in the NLDS loss to the Mets.
In that series, Hays went 0-for-4 with three whiffs while Johan Rojas and Brandon Marsh went a combined 2-for-18 with no runs or RBI.
Bullpen implosions left and right were the main reason they got bounced, but getting a whole lot of nothing out of their LF/CF set up certainly didn't help.
They went out and signed Max Kepler this offseason to man left, but that was a $10 million gamble on someone who hadn't been anything special in three of the past four years, and early returns are more of the same on that front.
Meanwhile, Marsh has struggled out of the gates and should probably be in left instead of center anyway.
Potential Solutions: Luis Robert Jr., Cedric Mullins, Lane Thomas
If we're talking early returns, it's notable that Robert's haven't been good. He hasn't gotten injured yet, which is a plus, but his decline from an .857 OPS in 2023 to a .657 mark last year and now .444 through nine games is brutal.
He is undeniably going to be available to the highest bidder, though, and there's plenty of time for him to turn a corner before the trade deadline.
Mullins could be an intriguing option, though. He's in his final season before hitting free agency for the first time, and the Orioles have a bit of a logjam of hitters deserving of regular playing time. They don't even need to fall out of contention in order to consider moving him at the deadline.
Texas Rangers: Closer
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Since getting lit up for three earned runs in a non-save situation in Texas' first game of the season, Luke Jackson has fared quite well as the Rangers closer, logging five consecutive run-less saves in helping guide the team to the best record in the American League.
Prior to that, though, his last converted save came in August 2019, before he was replaced by Mark Melancon as Atlanta's closer. And he was a free agent for nearly four months this offseason until taking a one-year, $1.5 million offer from the Rangers.
It's more than fair to question (or outright doubt) whether Jackson and his career ERA well north of 4.00 will still be Texas' No. 1 choice for save situations four months from now.
The Rangers made a bunch of additions to their bullpen this offseason, but most of them seemed like seventh-inning solutions. It almost felt like their plan all along was to trade for closer in July if they were going to be in a "buying" position.
Potential Solutions: Ryan Helsley, Kyle Finnegan, Kenley Jansen, Just About Any Dodgers Reliever
Helsley is likely going to be the cream of the closer crop this summer, with the two-time All-Star Cardinals reliever entering his final season before free agency. He had a sub-2.50 ERA in each of the past three years and could instantly elevate the Rangers from a good team to a serious World Series contender.
If not Helsley, though, there ought to be plenty of viable options this year. The three listed above are impending free agents. So are Ryan Pressly, Raisel Iglesias and Devin Williams if the Cubs, Braves or Yankees happen to freefall into "selling" mode. Or maybe Texas can pry a reliever with closing experience away from the Dodgers' stockpile of such pitchers.
