The MLB trade deadline is less than a month away, and while we’re waiting for the ice to break on the market, it’s a good time to go through some team needs ahead of the deadline and see which players could help fill those needs.
Here are some of the top priorities for this year’s contenders ahead of the deadline.
Starting pitching
Chicago Cubs
The Cubs have looked like one of the best teams in baseball this season, and much of that has to do with their monster offense, which currently ranks second in MLB in runs scored. But the thing that could stop the Cubs from making a run in the postseason is their rotation. Once Justin Steele underwent Tommy John surgery in April, we knew the Cubs would be depending on production from other pieces in their rotation. Then Shota Imanaga went down for an extended period due to a hamstring injury, which further exposed the team’s rotational flaws.
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Now Imanaga is back, and left-hander Matthew Boyd is pitching well, but over the past month, starters Cade Horton, Colin Rea, Ben Brown and Jamison Taillon each have an ERA over 5. The Cubs need a starter in the worst way, and with no true ace available outside of underperforming former Cy Young winner Sandy Alcántara, they will have to attempt to make do with what is on the market.
Potential targets: Sandy Alcántara (Marlins), Tyler Mahle (Rangers), Merrill Kelly, (D-backs), Luis Severino (A’s)
New York Mets
Through the first half of the season, the Mets’ starting rotation looked like their biggest strength. As the team’s offense searched for its footing, it was the rotation that carried them. But now that narrative seems to be shifting, as New York is all of a sudden in desperate need of starting pitching help.
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Injuries have played a major role. Kodai Senga (7-3, 1.47 ERA) has missed extended time, left-hander Sean Manaea hasn’t pitched yet this season, and reclamation project Griffin Canning, who was in the midst of a breakout campaign, ruptured his left Achilles tendon last week, ending his season.
Left-hander David Peterson has been strong for the Mets this season. And while Senga and Manaea are nearing returns, the Mets, who dropped 13 of 16 games before this week’s series vs. Milwaukee, are likely in need of not one but two starters to supplement their rotation.
Potential targets: Mahle, Kelly, Severino, Andrew Heaney (Pirates)
Los Angeles Dodgers
Given how much the Dodgers have spent on pitching over the past few years, you might think the last thing they’d need is another starter. You’d be wrong.
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If there’s one thing L.A. has not been able to do in the recent past, it’s keep starters healthy. On paper, L.A.’s rotation should be dominant, with a combination of Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Clayton Kershaw, Tony Gonsolin, Dustin May and, of course, Shohei Ohtani — not to mention Roki Sasaki, who signed as an international free agent over the offseason. Unfortunately, every one of those starters except May has been on the IL (or, in Ohtani’s case, DH-ing only) for an extended period of time this season. Snell, Glasnow, Gonsolin and Sasaki remain on the shelf.
While getting Ohtani and Kershaw throwing in the big leagues again is a big deal for the Dodgers, Ohtani is pitching just one inning at a time, and expecting Kershaw to carry a rotation at 37 years old is unrealistic.
While L.A. might not need a frontline starter like other contenders, depth is something they could really use as they try to keep the Giants and Padres at bay in the NL West.
Potential targets: Heaney, Kelly
Eugenio Suarez, Sandy Alcantara, David Bednar and Ryan O’Hearn are among the players who could be on the move to help a contender next month. (James Pawelczyk/Yahoo Sports)
(James Pawelczyk/Yahoo Sports)
Bullpen
Philadelphia Phillies
It feels like the Phillies have been looking for bullpen help for several seasons now, and that hasn’t changed in 2025. Philadelphia could be in the final year of a closing window, and even with the team now playing its best baseball of the first half, their need for high-leverage arms is still there.
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The current situation in the Phillies’ bullpen isn’t great. Left-hander Jose Alvarado was suspended for PEDs, and the Jordan Romano experiment has not worked out. While the recent iteration of the Phillies has not been a team to have an assigned closer, now might be the time to adjust that philosophy and get one.
The Phillies have been in the postseason enough in recent years to know that bullpens win in October, and if they hope to make this season count, high-leverage arms should be at the top of their July shopping list.
Potential targets: Emmanuel Clase (Guardians), David Bednar (Pirates), Carlos Estevez (Royals), Aroldis Chapman (Red Sox)
First base/DH
San Francisco Giants
The Giants already started their trade deadline maneuvers, acquiring Rafael Devers from the Boston Red Sox to be the team’s slugger of the present and future. While Devers is likely to play first base soon, that shouldn’t stop the Giants from looking for other options to man the position, as Devers can be the left-handed complement to Wilmer Flores at DH.
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Offense has been hard to come by for the Giants over the past month; they rank 27th in runs scored in that span. There’s a need for some thump wherever the Giants can find it.
Potential targets: Ryan O’Hearn (Orioles), Josh Naylor (D-backs)
Second base
New York Mets
The Mets could use a lot of help right now, and while starting pitching is the main concern at this point, when you lose 13 of 16 games, there are many areas to improve. Despite a huge month from Juan Soto, the Mets’ offense has been pretty average thus far, and one of the biggest holes in their lineup is at second base.
While Ronnie Mauricio and Luisangel Acuña are talented, neither has been able to take hold of the position. And with Jeff McNeil playing multiple places around the diamond, having someone who can play second on days McNeil is in the outfield or at third would be helpful.
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The silver lining for the Mets is that between Soto, Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso, their offense can get by. But after a stretch like they had to close the month of June, it’s difficult to hide their flaws.
Potential targets: Luis Rengifo (Angels), Gavin Lux (Reds), Jonathan India (Royals)
Third base
New York Yankees
The Yankees went into the 2025 season having addressed most of their lineup needs by signing Paul Goldschmidt to play first and trading for Cody Bellinger to play center, allowing Aaron Judge to move back to his natural position in right and Jazz Chisholm Jr. to fill the need at third base.
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However, once Chisholm came off the injured list at the beginning of June, the Yankees moved him to second base, where he’s an above-average defender, and his bat has thanked them, as Chisholm has been one of the best hitters in baseball over the past month.
Which underscores the fact that New York has been looking for someone to fill the void at third for a while, and at this point, having tried all the internal options, the fix is going to have to come from outside the organization.
Potential targets: Nolan Arenado (Cardinals), Eugenio Suarez (D-backs), Ryan McMahon (Rockies)
Detroit Tigers
The Tigers are rolling. They’re the best team in the American League, and they’ve been the most consistent team in baseball through the first half. With a powerful offense that has hit its stride in the month of June, their only area of need is one that was almost addressed before the season began.
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Just how differently would we be talking about Detroit if they had this same roster plus Alex Bregman hitting in the middle of it? We’d be talking about not only the best team in the AL but also a team the National League would have trouble matching in the World Series.
At this point, it’s unknown if the Tigers would be able to land the Red Sox’s third baseman or if Boston will even decide to sell. But given the way the Red Sox have been playing, they probably should, and Detroit should be there ready to bring Bregman in. It could mean the difference between the Tigers reaching the ALCS and having a real chance to win the World Series.
Potential targets: Alex Bregman (Red Sox), Suarez, McMahon
Chicago Cubs
Like the Tigers, the Cubs had their eye on Bregman before the season started, but they also had a solid backup plan in top prospect Matt Shaw. So far in his first season in the big leagues, Shaw has struggled to start the year, been demoted to Triple-A, returned to the majors, enjoyed a hot streak and cooled off again, meaning third base remains a need for Chicago.
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The Cubs are in their window to win right now, and with superstar right fielder Kyle Tucker a free agent after this season, the clock is ticking for Chicago. Shaw will be a big part of the team’s future, but the front office needs to acquire an answer at third base for right now.
Potential targets: Suarez, McMahon
Left field
Los Angeles Dodgers
There aren’t many areas of weakness in the Dodgers’ lineup, but L.A. has struggled to find production in left field this season. Longtime outfielder Michael Conforto was supposed to fill that need after a strong 2024 season, but that success has not followed him to L.A., as Conforto is slashing just .176/.298/.300 with six homers and 75 wRC+ this season.
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Starting pitching should be the Dodgers’ main concern ahead of the trade deadline, but acquiring an additional outfielder who could replace Conforto or allow Teoscar Hernández to move back to left field should also be a target.
Potential targets: Bryan Reynolds (Pirates), Cedric Mullins (Orioles), Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (D-backs), Willi Castro (Twins)
San Diego Padres
The Padres have been in an almost identical position to the Dodgers this season when it comes to left field. With Jackson Merrill roaming center and Fernando Tatis Jr. in right, San Diego has two-thirds of its outfield very well covered. But left field has been a revolving door featuring the likes of Jason Heyward, Connor Joe, Tyler Wade, Brandon Lockridge and Gavin Sheets.
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There’s no doubt that the Padres have the top-tier talent to be a problem if they make it back to the postseason. But their lineup as currently constructed lacks depth, and their inability to find stability in left since the departure of Jurickson Profar is something they need to remedy in July.
Potential targets: Mullins, Reynolds, Castro, Jesús Sanchez (Marlins)
