MLB Trade Deadline Blueprints for Top World Series Contenders amid Latest Rumors
With just one week remaining until Major League Baseball's 2025 trade deadline, it sure is shaping up to be a year in which a whole lot of buyers are fighting over the few assets the sellers have to offer.
There are still a handful of teams on the buy/sell bubble who could teeter in either direction, impacting the pool of talent up for grabs.
As things stand, though, Eugenio Suárez, Mitch Keller and buy-low hopes of Sandy Alcantara's former greatness are the big-ticket items the World Series contenders are eying up.
For each of the 10 favorites to win it all in a few months, let's take a look at the biggest needs and the players to target in order to knock it out of the park ahead of the deadline.
Teams are presented in descending order of World Series odds, per DraftKings as of Wednesday morning.
Los Angeles Dodgers
1 of 10
World Series Odds: +280
Biggest Needs: Left Field and Bullpen
It is almost unfathomable that the Dodgers need relievers, considering they entered the season with six pitchers who had recorded at least 10 saves in their career, and subsequently added Lou Trivino and Alexis Díaz in May.
What they ought to have is the greatest "closer by committee" situation ever assembled. What they actually have is the seventh-worst bullpen ERA in the majors and a big unknown at closer now that saves leader Tanner Scott—who wasn't faring well in the first place—is on the IL with elbow inflammation.
In addition to addressing those run-prevention shortcomings in the latter innings, let's reiterate for about the 1,000th time this season that Michael Conforto isn't the answer in left field. He is at least batting north of .200 in July after landing below the Mendoza Line in each of the previous three months, but he has been the least valuable of MLB's 23 left fielders with at least 300 plate appearances.
Deadline Blueprint: A Shopping Spree in Miami
As disappointing as Conforto has been, that's how impressive LF Kyle Stowers has been for the Marlins, entering Wednesday with 22 home runs and the second-best batting average among qualified NL hitters. With four years of team control, he won't come cheap, but the Dodgers have four outfield prospects who rank in MLB.com's top 100 to help grease the wheels on a deal.
While they're in South Florida, they could go "two birds, one stone" to also add RHP Anthony Bender (1.91 ERA). He has two years of arbitration eligibility remaining, but they shouldn't have to add too much to the Stowers offer in order to get Bender, too.
New York Yankees
2 of 10
World Series Odds: +700
Biggest Needs: Third Base and Starting Pitcher(s)
Since Jazz Chisholm Jr. shifted from third base back to second base a couple weeks ago, the Yankees have been deploying an Oswald Peraza and Jorbit Vivas platoon at the hot corner. The former is batting .149 and the latter .167 for the year, so not exactly "problem solved."
As far as the starting pitching is concerned, 2024 AL ROY Luis Gil reasonably could be one more rehab start away from making his season debut, which would be huge. Still, we're talking about a rotation that is slated to roll with Will Warren (4.91 ERA), Marcus Stroman (5.64 ERA) and Cam Schlittler (4.35 ERA in 10.1 career IP in MLB) this weekend against the Phillies.
Assuming they make the postseason, a shorter rotation of Gil, Max Fried and Carlos Rodón might be just about enough. But they'd better address the back of the rotation in order to actually make it to October.
Deadline Blueprint: Keep an open line of communication with the Diamondbacks
As is the case with the Dodgers in Miami, New York could check both of the biggest items off its to-do list with one stop.
3B Eugenio Suárez and his 36 home runs for the sub-.500 Arizona Diamondbacks have become the biggest "actually likely to be traded" chip on this year's block, and the Yankees figure to be all-in on bringing him to the Bronx. But Arizona also has both RHP Merrill Kelly and RHP Zac Gallen as impending free agents, the former with a 3.32 ERA this season while the latter is a major buy-low trade candidate.
Trade talks involving outfield prospect and 2022 first-round pick Spencer Jones have been immediate deal-breakers for the Yankees in the past, and he is mashing in the minors this season with a 1.095 OPS, averaging one home run for every 9.5 ABs. But if they could get two premier rentals for one prospect, maybe they do it?
Detroit Tigers
3 of 10
World Series Odds: +750
Biggest Needs: Bullpen Arms and Another Bat
Thanks to the defensive versatility of Zack McKinstry, Javier Báez and Colt Keith, the bat could go just about anywhere, including DH. But let's just say that playing Trey Sweeney (.581 OPS, -0.2 bWAR) at shortstop and Parker Meadows (.550 OPS, -0.1 bWAR) in center on a regular basis hasn't been a ringing endorsement for the Tigers to supplant the Yankees as the betting favorite in the American League.
The bullpen is the bigger concern, though. Will Vest has been solid as the primary closer, boasting a 2.23 ERA and 2.44 FIP. The rest of the bullpen has been a "Who's who?" of replacement level arms, worth a combined total of negative-0.2 fWAR.
Deadline Blueprint: Pilfer Atlanta's Rentals
Let's keep the "one fell swoop" theme going by recommending the Tigers refortify their World Series quest via the Atlanta Braves.
DH Marcell Ozuna isn't hitting nearly as well this season (.751 OPS, 13 HR) as he did over the past two years (.916 OPS, 79 HR), and he has really struggled over the past two months (.590 OPS). But that just means much less of a bidding war than there would be for Eugenio Suárez, for a right-handed slugger who could turn things around and be every bit as valuable down the stretch.
Speaking of "not as good as he used to be," RHP Raisel Iglesias entered this season with a 2.65 ERA and 224 saves over the past nine years, but he has a 5.12 ERA this season. Prior to imploding in a non-save situation against the Yankees last weekend, though, he had gone 15 consecutive appearances without allowing a run.
Philadelphia Phillies
4 of 10
World Series Odds: +850
Biggest Needs: Bullpen Arms, More Bullpen Arms and Another Power Bat
In their current state, the Phillies profile as a slightly better version of last year's Kansas City Royals. Instead of three Cy Young-caliber starting pitchers, Bobby Witt Jr. and a decent tandem of Salvador Perez and Freddy Fermin, Philadelphia has three Cy Young-caliber starting pitchers, Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper and Trea Turner.
Beyond that sextet, though? Yikes.
The bullpen is a disaster. Formerly elite offensive catcher JT Realmuto isn't nearly as productive as he used to be. Bryson Stott has been the definition of replacement level this season. And each of the Phillies' three primary outfielders have amounted to a negative bWAR.
Nevertheless, they've more than scraped by with what they've got and could both run away with the NL East and make a run to a World Series if they do enough to fix their 'pen.
Deadline Blueprint: Feast on the AL Central's Offerings
There has been a lot of scuttlebutt about Cleveland's RHP Emmanuel Clase and RHP Cade Smith as trade candidates. However, the Guardians have won 10 of 12 to get back to within 2.5 games in the wild-card chase, and they merely face Baltimore, Kansas City and Colorado between now and the deadline. They're probably not selling.
Minnesota might sell, though, and the Phillies could gorge on what FanGraphs rates as the best bullpen in baseball this season. Closer RHP Jhoan Durán definitely wouldn't come cheap with two years of arbitration eligibility remaining, but what a deadline prize that would be for the Phillies. RHP Louis Varland, LHP Danny Coulombe, RHP Brock Stewart and RHP Griffin Jax could also be big helps.
Kansas City also could be facing a slight fire sale. And while most of the focus there has been on starting pitchers Seth Lugo and Kris Bubic, the Royals have a quintet of relievers with at least 38 innings of work and a sub-3.00 ERA, including closer and Philadelphia reunion candidate RHP Carlos Estévez.
Go ahead and buy low on CF Luis Robert Jr. while shopping in the AL Central, too.
Houston Astros
5 of 10
World Series Odds: +900
Biggest Needs: Healthy Bodies, Especially Bats
Isaac Paredes recently landing on the IL with a "significant" hamstring injury might be the straw that finally breaks Houston's back.
At this point, five of the nine players who were in the Astros' Opening Day lineup—Paredes, DH Yordan Alvarez, SS Jeremy Peña, CF Jake Meyers and 2B Brendan Rodgers—are on the IL, not to mention starting pitchers Spencer Arrighetti, Lance McCullers Jr., Luis Garcia, Cristian Javier, Ronel Blanco and Hayden Wesneski.
They've somehow powered through it, still hold a five-game lead in the AL West and expect most of those players (except Blanco and Wesneski) back at some point in the next two months, but "once they get healthy" sentiments start to ring hollow at this time of year.
Deadline Blueprint: Add a Shiny, New, Lefty-Hitting Kyle to the Outfield
Even if we assume they can get back to full strength, left field is a problem area for the Astros—unless you're all-in on Brice Matthews as the everyday second baseman six games into his MLB career, in which case Jose Altuve in left is more than fine.
More than just left field, the Astros are lacking in left-handed bats, which has become clear with Alvarez unavailable. Only the Royals have had a worse "as LHH vs. RHP" OPS split than Houston's .644 mark.
TL;DR, they miss Kyle Tucker. But maybe they can get LF Kyle Stowers from the Marlins to fill the void?
As noted, Stowers figures to also be a main target of the Los Angeles Dodgers, which have a much better/deeper farm system to entice Miami into a deal. That shouldn't stop Houston from trying to acquire what could be the final piece of the championship puzzle, though.
New York Mets
6 of 10
World Series Odds: +950
Biggest Needs: Middle Relief, a Legitimate Ace, Another Bat
On the offensive front, the quartet of Juan Soto, Pete Alonso, Francisco Lindor and Brandon Nimmo has been plenty solid, but a half-hearted offseason approach in center field combined with Mark Vientos' precipitous fall from 2024 grace has left the Mets with a couple of holes in the lineup.
And on the pitching front, it's hard to believe it was only six weeks ago that the Mets had both the most productive staff and the best record in the majors. A 2.83 ERA played a massive role in their 45-24 start—as has the 5.23 ERA while they have gone 13-20 since.
Edwin Díaz has done a great job at closer, and the Mets are loaded with starting pitchers who would be serviceable No. 2/great No. 3 options in a playoff rotation. But the rest of the bullpen (especially the southpaw contingent) could use an upgrade, and a more intimidating option to start Game 1 of the postseason would be swell.
Deadline Blueprint: Hello, Seth Lugo, My Old Friend
RHP Sonny Gray going from St. Louis to New York would make a whole lot of sense...if Gray hadn't already said (per USA Today's Bob Nightengale) that he would exercise his no-trade clause to block any potential deal.
But how about RHP Seth Lugo returning to Queens, where he spent the first seven seasons of his career?
The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported on Wednesday morning that the Royals would be willing to trade Lugo (who has a $15 million player option for next season that he will almost certainly decline, if healthy at the end of the year) for "controllable outfield help."
That might as well have been a public wink in Boston's direction for one of Jarren Duran or Wilyer Abreu, but could the Mets sneak in there instead with 2024 first-round pick Carson Benge? If the Royals throw LHP Daniel Lynch IV into the deal to sweeten the pot?
Calling up Pittsburgh for a combo of RHP Mitch Keller and RHP David Bednar could also be in the cards. (Although, the Mets will definitely need to look somewhere other than Kansas City or Pittsburgh to add that aforementioned bat. Maybe take a flyer on Baltimore CF Cedric Mullins.)
Chicago Cubs
7 of 10
World Series Odds: +1100
Biggest Needs: Starting Pitching, Third Base
The Chicago Cubs are tied for the best record in baseball and are in sole possession of the best run differential.
They also have the seventh-best World Series odds.
Such is life when the only pitcher you sent to the All-Star Game (Matthew Boyd) is a 34-year-old with an injury history who has already thrown 40 more innings this season than he did in any of the previous five.
With Matt Shaw batting .533 with two home runs since the All-Star break, the Cubs might be back to not worrying all that much about adding a third baseman. They'll surely do their due diligence on Eugenio Suárez, but it's probably not their top priority.
They are absolutely in the market for a starting pitcher, though, and probably several of them.
Deadline Blueprint: Pursue a Rare Same-Division Blockbuster
OK, fine, maybe "blockbuster" is a bit much for a trade with the Pirates that doesn't involve Paul Skenes or Oneil Cruz. But RHP Mitch Keller is one of the biggest names likely to be moved within the next week, and the Cubs have more than a few highly touted position-playing prospects who would be of interest to the offensively inept Pirates.
If the Pirates care enough about things like rivalries and standings to rebuff the Cubs' advances, the Cleveland Guardians are evidently open to dealing RHP Shane Bieber, who is nearing a return from Tommy John surgery. ESPN's Jeff Passan reported that news on Wednesday.
Frankly, they should go get them both. An October rotation of Boyd, Bieber, Keller and Shota Imanaga could be good enough for this loaded offense to take care of the rest.
Toronto Blue Jays
8 of 10
World Series Odds: +1600
Biggest Needs: Bullpen Depth, Home Runs
As red hot as the Blue Jays have been for the past two months, it's hard to argue they need much of anything in particular. However, standing still at the deadline might as well be moving backward, because all the other contenders will be aggressively addressing their biggest shortcomings. So, it's really just a question of where Toronto attempts to make its splashes.
Upgrading the bullpen is a near certainty. Jeff Hoffman, Yariel Rodríguez and Brandon Little have fared well as the primary trio protecting close leads, but adding at least one more somewhat trustworthy arm would be huge—if only to lessen the burden on those three for the next two months.
And though the Blue Jays lead the majors with a .260 batting average, they could benefit from more pop in the heart of the order. Anthony Santander was supposed to be that big bopper, but that has not gone according to plan.
Deadline Blueprint: Stay Ahead of the Yankees by Snagging Their Primary Target
Between Ernie Clement, Addison Barger and Will Wagner, the Blue Jays have more than held their own at the hot corner this season. Only a handful of home runs, but good enough defense and batting average that it doesn't jump out as a position they need to upgrade.
But 3B Eugenio Suárez has hit more than twice as many home runs (36) as Toronto's leader (George Springer at 17) and would be the slugging source the Blue Jays have been lacking.
Almost just as importantly, though, acquiring Suárez keeps the Yankees from doing so. New York could still go get Nolan Arenado or Ryan McMahon, but neither of those veterans is likely to be anywhere near the offensive upgrade that Geno would be, and that just might be the difference that decides the AL East.
(As far as the bullpen goes, nothing too complicated. Middle-relief rentals like Minnesota LHP Danny Coulombe or Baltimore LHP Gregory Soto would be good targets.)
Milwaukee Brewers
9 of 10
World Series Odds: +1600
Biggest Needs: Slugging Prowess
As with the Blue Jays, there's an inescapable "Careful not to mess up a good thing" feeling when it comes to suggesting changes for a team that has been operating at a 115-win pace for more than two months—39-16 in last 55 games entering Wednesday.
Even the one glaring hole that jumps out when you look at Milwaukee's full-season stats hasn't been too shabby as of late. Joey Ortiz has a negative-0.4 bWAR for the year, but he had a .441 OPS through 50 team games and has been a dramatically more respectable .720 OPS since.
That said, Milwaukee ranks 23rd in slugging percentage (.382) and 24th in home runs (96) and has all the markings of a team that glides into October only to get immediately eliminated by a couple of shutouts.
At any rate, it's hardly a stretch to think we could end up with NL No. 5 Milwaukee at NL No. 4 Philadelphia in the Wild Card Round for some serious pitchers duels.
Deadline Blueprint: Swing Big for Suárez
Yes, we're recommending 3B Eugenio Suárez for the third (and not final) time in this article, but he's at the top of all the big boards for a reason. Not only are guys with 30-plus HR historically almost never available at this time of year, but it's a pretty steep drop to the next-best power bats on the market.
If and when the Brewers are unable to win a bidding war with the likes of the Yankees, Cubs and Blue Jays, though, Baltimore's 1B/OF/DH Ryan O'Hearn could be a solid, versatile Plan B. He has dropped off a cliff over the past two months, posting a .645 OPS since putting up a .985 mark through the O's first 54 games. Maybe he could turn things back around, though.
Seattle Mariners
10 of 10
World Series Odds: +1700
Biggest Needs: At Least One More Bat, Bullpen Depth
George Kirby has a 3.51 ERA since the beginning of June, and Logan Gilbert has a mark of 2.08 thus far in July.
Couple them with Bryan Woo and Luis Castillo at a combined ERA just north of 3.00 for the year and a few stout bullpen arms in Andrés Muñoz, Matt Brash and Gabe Speier and there's no denying Seattle has the pitching prowess to be a contender. (Though, adding another left-handed reliever would be swell, so it's not Speier or bust the rest of the way.)
For the year, though, the Mariners are 18th in fWAR at second base, 19th at third base, 21st at first base and 27th in right field.
That's an awful lot of bleh that could be upgraded, lest they run the risk of repeating San Francisco's embarrassing feat of missing the postseason in 2001 while Barry Bonds clubbed 73 home runs.
Deadline Blueprint: Reunite with Eugenio Suárez (and Grab Josh Naylor, Too)
There he is again. Our old friend 3B Eugenio Suárez. He's Seattle's old friend, too, as he hit 53 home runs for the Mariners from 2022-23 before they shipped him to Arizona in what was a thinly veiled salary dump.
But now the M's could really use him back, for what could be a fun race between rekindled teammates for the MLB lead in home runs this season.
Might as well make 1B Josh Naylor part of the deal, too, if they're going to give up some legitimate prospect(s) to bring in a rental.
Should they get both of Arizona's corner infielders, what is currently just an OK lineup overall becomes quite the championship-caliber force.
