Featured in this week’s MLB Power Rankings, we’ll take a look at each team’s potential approach as the August 3 trade deadline approaches.
While the expanded playoff structure means that more teams can conceivably make the case to contend, rumors usually shift into overdrive after the All-Star break. We’ll try to get a jump on it here.
As a reminder, this article is a combination of current performance and long-term outlook.
Let’s get into it!
How young starting pitchers at the All-Star game got there so quickly and don’t plan on leaving anytime soon.
Note: Rankings are from the morning of Tuesday, July 14
1) Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers are right where we thought they’d be at the start of the season. However, they’ve gotten there without key pieces like Edwin Díaz, Blake Snell, and Tyler Glasnow. Their returns should provide a boost, though obviously the Dodgers can’t be ruled out as a potential destination for Tigers ace Tarik Skubal. Do they need him? Not necessarily. Would you be surprised if they did it anyway? Not at all.
2) Milwaukee Brewers
Credit to the Brewers for silencing doubters with an amazing first half, but they still have areas of need. A late-inning arm to complement Abner Uribe and Trevor Megill seems like an obvious place to start, though securing some rotation help (Kyle Harrison, Brandon Woodruff injured) and third base depth figures to be on the agenda as well. The farm system is one of the best, so they are in a strong position to do whatever they want.
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3) Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays have exceeded all expectations so far, so the question is whether they’ll go all-in or make moves around the margins. Only needing to pay him for less than half of the season, making a play for Tarik Skubal would be a game-changing deal that could vault them to legitimate World Series contender status. Otherwise, a move to lengthen the lineup would be helpful, as Junior Caminero, Yandy Díaz, and Jonathan Aranda are doing most of the heavy-lifting. Second base and catcher could be spots they’ll look to improve.
4) Atlanta Braves
As the Braves cling to a two-game lead in the National League East, rotation help should be at the top of the shopping list in the coming days. Many have speculated on Sonny Gray as a fit, but the Red Sox might have played themselves back into contention. While the Tigers have the jewel of the trade deadline in Tarik Skubal, don’t forget about his teammate Casey Mize, also an impending free agent.
5) New York Yankees
Yankees catchers have combined to hit .176/.251/.270 this season. Even if Ryan Jeffers isn’t coming through that door, they need to do something behind the plate. The same can be said for their bullpen, as Jake Bird and Camilo Doval haven’t performed as hoped after coming over at last year’s trade deadline. Granted, it might the definition of insanity to once again be aggressive in the fickle relief pitcher market.
6) Chicago Cubs
Starting pitching, starting pitcher, and oh, more starting pitching. That will be the primary focus for the Cubs, who have already made a deal for David Peterson. Look for them to add a bigger name, potentially in another deal with the Mets (Freddy Peralta? Clay Holmes?).
7) Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies have rebounded after an awful start to the season, but nothing has changed from the way most people saw them at the start of the year. How many more bites at the apple will this aging core get? Dave Dombrowski figures to go for it, even with a weak farm system to deal from. The Phillies should be on the lookout for relief help and perhaps a right-handed hitting outfielder with Adolís García done for the season.
8) Miami Marlins
Back in April, the Marlins looked like a team who would be selling, with Sandy Alcantara as the most logical name to be dealt. However, they have been one of the hottest teams in the majors for a long stretch now. It’s unlikely they’ll make any major moves and jeopardize their future, but it would be surprising if they didn’t improve around the margins. It would be a great message to send to the fanbase and the clubhouse.
9) Chicago White Sox
We’ll most likely see a similar approach here with the White Sox, who have arrived ahead of schedule in a mediocre American League Central. They have a real chance to win this division, with starting pitching being the clear area of need. The big question is if they’ll target controllable pitching as opposed to pure rentals.
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10) St. Louis Cardinals
Like the Marlins and White Sox above, the Cardinals will try to thread the needle between contending now and building for the long-term. Controllable starting pitching should be a priority for this team. The Angels’ Reid Detmers and José Soriano fit the bill and they make for an interesting match with longtime Cardinals executive John Mozeliak now overseeing things for Arte Moreno’s team.
11) Cleveland Guardians
The Guardians will have José Ramirez and Angel Martínez coming back soon, but landing a bat still feels like the way to go. They will also be on the hunt for a left-handed reliever, and the Mets have two pretty good ones in Brooks Raley and A.J. Minter.
12) Pittsburgh Pirates
Now we’re getting into the truly tough calls. With a hot or cold streak, a handful of teams could be headed in wildly different directions by August 3. One thing we know for sure is that Konnor Griffin is set to miss extended time with a torn tendon in his finger. The Pirates just acquired Jacob Gonzalez from the White Sox to help fill the void and Esmerlyn Valdez has been great since his call-up, so the offense could be fine. The Pirates also landed left-handed reliever Brandon Eisert in the Gonzalez trade, but they will likely keep looking for bullpen help.
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13) Texas Rangers
The Rangers have spent the entire season around the .500 mark, so while it’s been frustrating for fans, they’ve shown some staying power despite Corey Seager and Wyatt Langford missing time due to injury. The AL West is very winnable, so Chris Young should be inclined to buy.
14) Arizona Diamondbacks
The D-Backs were one of the big sellers at last year’s deadline, but they find themselves caught in the middle at the moment. Zac Gallen hit the IL over the weekend, joining Michael Soroka and Ryne Nelson. The returns of Corbin Burnes and A.J. Puk have been delayed and Jordan Lawlar has only appeared in 12 games this season. Arizona could use rotation help right now, as well as a more stable option at first base, but they might just wait to see how their injured players progress.
15) San Diego Padres
The Padres have struggled to hit all year and they’ve faded in recent weeks by losing 11 out of their last 16, so they are more likely to be sellers at this year’s deadline. After acquiring Mason Miller from the A’s at last year’s trade deadline, could A.J. Preller decide to deal the dominant closer? The interest would be off the charts, so it’s worth listening.
16) Seattle Mariners
While most contenders could use another starting pitcher, that’s not the case for the Mariners. George Kirby, Logan Gilbert, Bryce Miller, Bryan Woo, Luis Castillo, and Emerson Hancock currently occupy the rotation while top prospects like Kade Anderson and Ryan Sloan aren’t far off from the majors. If they truly wanted to make a run at a difference-making hitter, they could dangle a pitcher to get it done.
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17) Minnesota Twins
The Twins were aggressive in moving players at last year’s deadline, but it’s unlikely we’ll see a repeat this time around. For one, they’ve somehow managed to stick around in the AL Central, quieting the speculation regarding Byron Buxton, Ryan Jeffers, and Joe Ryan. We’ll likely see them function as opportunistic buyers and sellers.
18) Boston Red Sox
It wasn’t too long ago that the Red Sox looked like an obvious sellers, but here they are winners of nine in a row and just a half-game back for the final Wild Card spot. It’s a tough spot, with more to be determined in the next couple of weeks. Maybe the Red Sox don’t turn out to be sellers, but they probably won’t be big buyers either as they wait for some of their big names (Garrett Crochet, Roman Anthony among them) to return.
19) Washington Nationals
The Nationals have lost six out of their last eight, casting doubt on their ability to stay in contention. The offense has been one of the league’s best this season, but pitching has been a different animal entirely. Odds are they’ll be tactical aimed at the long-term. All-Star Foster Griffin only signed a one-year contract in his return stateside, so the Nationals would be smart to capitalize on his success.
20) Houston Astros
The Astros are within range in both the AL West and the Wild Card race, so they should fall into the camp of buyers. General manager Dana Brown, who is in a contract year, has said that he’d like to target a left-handed hitting outfielder. The Rockies have a pair of interesting ones in Jake McCarthy and Mickey Moniak and the Twins could be willing to part with Trevor Larnach given the outfield prospects they have on the way.
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21) Baltimore Orioles
The Orioles haven’t been able to put together sustained success all season, potentially setting up Mike Elias to function more as a seller than a buyer. If the Orioles were to sell, players like Taylor Ward, Trevor Rogers, and Andrew Kittredge will be worth watching.
22) Toronto Blue Jays
The Blue Jays’ World Series follow-up has been a letdown, mostly due to injuries and underperformance from key veterans, yet here they are very much alive in the playoff race. Welcome to the American League in 2026. I’m repeating myself here, but with the way this roster is built, the next couple of weeks will determine whether they look outside the organization to improve. Otherwise, they’ll mostly take their chances on a return to form down the stretch.
23) Detroit Tigers
In a way, the Tigers are the lynchpin of this trade deadline. While they’ve been one of the American League’s better teams for a few weeks now, they still find themselves 6.5 games back in the AL Central and 3.5 games back for the final Wild Card spot, with six teams in front of them. Trading Tarik Skubal appears more likely than not, and the Shohei Ohtani/Angels example from a couple of years ago should be a cautionary tale of standing pat on a star player in his walk year. As mentioned earlier, Casey Mize is also likely out the door if the Tigers decide to sell, but watch out for Gleyber Torres, Kenley Jansen, Kyle Finnegan, and Jack Flaherty as well.
24) Cincinnati Reds
The Reds will need a lot to go right to avoid being sellers in a couple of weeks. They’ll likely move impending free agents (Brady Singer, Nathaniel Lowe), though perhaps a team will be able to convince them to move someone like Spencer Steer or Nick Lodolo.
25) San Francisco Giants
Plenty of ink has already been spilled on how the Giants are expected to approach the deadline. According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Buster Posey and company are open to trading everyone outside of Logan Webb and Jung Hoo Lee. Due to the hefty contracts involved, it would be a challenge to move Matt Chapman, Willy Adames, or Rafael Devers, but Luis Arráez should be popular and Robbie Ray could find a new home if the Giants eat some of his remaining contract.
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26) Athletics
The Athletics were alive in the playoff race at one point, but they’ve lost nine straight and should at least be ruled out from any significant buys. Perhaps the A’s surprise again after dealing Mason Miller last year, but they’ll likely try to move a couple of players who are due to become free agents. We’re talking about guys like Jeffrey Springs and Jeff McNeil, so it probably won’t result in much of a return.
27) New York Mets
Things get interesting here with the Mets, who faceplanted through a miserable first half and have resigned themselves to be sellers. Freddy Peralta, even though he’s underperformed, should still fetch a nice return. Otherwise, the Mets should field plenty of interest for their bullpen arms, with impending free agents A.J. Minter and Brooks Raley locks to be dealt. It would take a bit more to get Luke Weaver or Huascar Brazobán, who are under team control for next season. Clay Holmes is one of the more interesting names on the market as he works his way back from a fractured fibula, though the Mets are reportedly interested in a contract extension.
28) Colorado Rockies
This could be an ideal time for the new front office to put their stamp on the ballclub. Even if the Rockies resist trading slugger Hunter Goodman, they have some solid trade candidates with Mickey Moniak, Jake McCarthy, and Antonio Senzatela.
29) Kansas City Royals
The Royals have reportedly put a major asking price on veteran starting pitchers Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha. Perhaps someone meets it with one of them, but failing that, this could be a quiet deadline for KC.
30) Los Angeles Angels
Normally, we’d say that the Angels could have a very interesting and fruitful deadline with Reid Detmers, Josè Soriano, and Jo Adell likely to draw interest, but how much will John Mozeliak feel compelled to do after the recent ouster of Perry Minasian? Mozeliak is more of a caretaker, so he could leave the next GM/president of baseball operations to make the decisions on players under team control beyond this year.
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