Predicting Buyers & Sellers at the Deadline
A Blog By Brett
Today, I took a good look at the standings and decided to predict who I ultimately think will be selling and who I think will be buying. Some of these will be no-brainers, while others might cause a stir. I am simply looking at these teams in a rational way and assessing who should be aggressive for 2025 and who should plan for years ahead, given the circumstances. Let us start with the ball clubs who should start packing it in and preparing for 2026.
Sellers:
Baltimore Orioles
The Orioles are currently eleven games back in the American League East, with a 37-48 record as we approach the Trade Deadline. This team has not looked good all year. They do not have the starting pitching to realistically win in the playoffs, even if they were to have a miraculous turnaround in the second half. Why not punt the season with all the controllable young talent on the roster and make some moves in order to compete for the next few years? The Orioles can make some good on a lost season if they get aggressive leading up to July 31st.
Trade Options:
RHP Zach Eflin
RHP Tomoyuki Sugano
1B Ryan O’Hearn
OF Cedric Mullins
RHP Seranthony Dominguez
RHP Andrew Kittredge
RHP Felix Bautista
RHP Yennier Cano
RHP Bryan Baker
1B - Ryan Mountcastle
Miami Marlins
Peter Bendix took over the role of President of Baseball Operations, fully knowing he had his hands full with an organizational-sized rebuild. Bendix was an animal at the deadline last year (see below).
2024 Deadline Deals:
7/30/24 - Miami Marlins traded LHP Tanner Scott and RHP Bryan Hoeing to San Diego Padres for RHP Adam Mazur, 2B Jay Beshears, LHP Robby Snelling, and 3B Graham Pauley.
7/30/24 - Miami Marlins traded 1B Josh Bell to Arizona Diamondbacks for Player To Be Named Later.
7/30/24 - Miami Marlins traded RHP Huascar Brazoban to New York Mets for SS Wilfredo Lara.
7/30/24 - Miami Marlins traded LHP Trevor Rogers to Baltimore Orioles for 2B Connor Norby and CF Kyle Stowers.
7/30/24 - Miami Marlins traded RHP JT Chargois to Seattle Mariners for RHP Will Schomberg.
The Marlins are fighting at 38-45, but they are most likely not making the playoffs in 2025. By “most likely”, I mean Miami is not making the playoffs. I believe Bendix will continue his mission of rebuilding the farm system by selling some of the organization’s best remaining assets to build for a promising future. Someone is going to pay handsomely for Alcantara!
Trade Options:
RHP Sandy Alcantara
OF Jesus Sanchez
RHP Edward Cabrera
RHP Anthony Bender
RHP Calvin Faucher
Arizona Diamondbacks
Let’s face it, 2025 is not Arizona’s year. With massive injuries to Corbin Burnes and Corbin Carroll, this team is struggling as it is not built on depth but star power. Don’t get me wrong, Arizona has plenty of talent, they are simply not the Dodgers, where they can replace All-Stars like it’s an assembly line. The snakes are 7th in the National League Wild Card race as of today. There is no shame in planning for the future, as they were dealt a bad hand this season.
Trade Options:
3B Eugenio Suarez
RHP Zac Gallen
RHP Merrill Kelly
1B Josh Naylor
RHP Shelby Miller
Corbin Carroll is a superstar, and he is signed through 2030. Build around Carroll and let Burnes rehabilitate for the future by moving talented veterans for controllable young talent.
Buyers:
Chicago Cubs
Not only do the Cubs lead in the National League Central at 50-35, but they have also been very impressive thus far in 2025. Pete Crow-Armstrong looks all the part of a superstar, and they will have a fighting chance at signing Kyle Tucker come free agency. Losing Justin Steele was a major blow, but the offense is humming. Chicago has some intriguing prospects to move for win-now veterans.
Trade Options:
OF - Owen Caissie (#1 Prospect in System)
C/1B - Moises Ballesteros (#2 Prospect in System)
2B/SS - Jefferson Rojas (#3 Prospect in System)
OF - Kevin Alcantara (#4 Prospect in System)
2B/OF - James Triantos (#5 Prospect in System)
The Cubs should look to acquire arms both for the rotation and the bullpen. Matthew Boyd, Jameson Taillon, Ben Brown, Shota Imanaga, Colin Rea, and Cade Horton all offer quality options, but I would love to see the Cubbies grab a front-line starter. As for the bullpen, it is not full of household names and can use an uplift.
In my opinion, I think the Cubs should go after guys like → Felix Bautista, David Bednar, Sandy Alcantara, Merrill Kelly, Zac Gallen, Zach Eflin. The payment in prospects will vary depending on how aggressively Chicago plans to be at the deadline.
Phillies
Philadelphia’s star power is starting to show its age, with a lot of contracts coming to an end across the next couple of years. The time to strike is now, as the Phillies have a loaded roster with Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, Aaron Nola, Zach Wheeler, J.T. Realmuto, Nick Castellanos, Kyle Schwarber, and many more talented pieces on the team.
Philly is a top-5 team in baseball right now and should bolster the club with bullpen talent at the deadline to make the roster as competitive as possible for a World Series run. The bullpen has been spotty in 2025 and could use some fresh arms. I think any of their prospects are movable at the right price, minus Andrew Painter. Painter is going nowhere (unless they could convince Miami to move Alcantara for a deal that included Painter), but I don’t see Miami moving Alcantara in the division.
Trade Options:
SS - Aidan Miller (#2 Prospect in System)
OF - Justin Crawford (#3 Prospect in System)
C - Eduardo Tait (#4 Prospect in System)
RHP - Mick Abel (#5 Prospect in System)
2B - Aaron Escobar (#6 Prospect in System)
The Phillies could go after relievers like Jhoan Duran (RHP), Emmanuel Clase (CLE), Felix Bautista (BAL), Pete Fairbanks (TB), Aroldis Chapman (BOS), Ryan Helsley (STL), Jake Bird (COL), and Kyle Finnegan (WAS).
Padres
San Diego is very much in the wild card race and has a very solid roster. This one is tricky, as if they start to lose multiple series heading into the deadline, they might flip to sellers as they could get a pretty penny for Dylan Cease and/or Luis Arraez. Although the Padres might go on a tear and need to bolster to prepare for the playoffs.
Trade Options:
LHP - Kash Mayfield (#3 Prospect in System)
RHP - Humberto Cruz (#4 Prospect in System)
SS/2B - Cobb Hightower (#6 Prospect in System)
OF - Kavares Tears (#7 Prospect in System)
3B - Kale Fountain (#8 Prospect in System)
The Padres could use a left fielder, another starter, maybe a bench bat? A left reliever would hurt either. Some players that could be interesting are Luis Severino (ATH), Jaren Duran (BOS), Sandy Alcantara (MIA), Seth Lugo (KCR), Aroldis Chapman (BOS), and Luis Robert Jr. (CHW).