The 2025 MLB trade deadline is just around the corner, with contending teams deciding what they need to add before 6 p.m. ET on Thursday, July 31.

Could Jarren Duran be on the move from the Boston Red Sox? Will the Arizona Diamondbacks deal Eugenio Suarez and Zac Gallen to contenders? And who among the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers and Philadelphia Phillies will go all-in to boost their 2025 World Series hopes?

Whether your favorite club is looking to add or deal away — or stands somewhere in between — here’s the freshest intel we’re hearing, reaction to completed deals and what to know for every team as trade season unfolds.

More: Top 50 trade candidates | Passan’s deadline preview

Jump to: Trending names | Latest intel

MLB trade deadline trending names

1. Eugenio Suarez: The Arizona Diamondbacks star is No. 1 in our updated MLB trade deadline candidate rankings and could be the most impactful player to move this month. On pace to hit more than 50 home runs, the 2025 All-Star is on the wish list of every contender in need of third-base help.

2. Sandy Alcantara: The 2022 Cy Young winner has had a rough 2025, but may have helped his trade deadline stock with a strong performance against the Padres on Wednesday. His ERA is now down to 6.66 for the Miami Marlins after being over 7.00 for much of the season, and some contenders believe he could regain form in a new home.

3. Jhoan Duran: This deadline is suddenly teeming with high-end relievers who will at the very least be in the rumor mill during the coming days. If the Minnesota Twins opt to move their closer — and his devastating splinker — Duran might be the best of the bunch.

MLB trade deadline buzz

July 23 updates

Houston is in the market for a third baseman: Add the Astros to the list of contenders looking for a third baseman. With All-Star Isaac Paredes expected to miss significant time because of what manager Joe Espada described as a “pretty serious” right hamstring strain, the Astros have begun poking around for available third basemen. One of them is the Rockies’ Ryan McMahon, who also has drawn interest from a few other clubs.

The 30-year-old represents a solid veteran option. McMahon is slashing .217/.314/.403 with 16 home runs, and the metrics indicate he has been one of the top defensive third basemen in the majors this season. He is under contract over the next two seasons for $32 million, so he wouldn’t be just a rental, which should raise the Rockies’ asking price. — Jorge Castillo

A big addition to the available deadline starting pitching options? A surprise name has emerged in the starting pitcher market: Dylan Cease, who will be eligible for free agency at year’s end. Perception of other teams is that the Padres are intent on making a push for the playoffs and would use Cease to help fill other roster needs. Mets, AL East teams, Cubs among teams that have talked about him. — Buster Olney

How Cubs are approaching deadline: The Cubs are looking for a starting pitcher first and foremost, but won’t part with any top prospects for rentals. They would be willing to trade a young hitter for a cost-controlled pitcher or one already under contract past this season. They are desperate to add an arm who can help while Jameson Taillon recovers from a calf injury. Bullpen games in Taillon’s place haven’t gone well. — Jesse Rogers

Will Twins trade top pitchers? Several high-profile teams are in need of bullpen help ahead of the trade deadline — including the Mets, Yankees, Phillies and Dodgers — and the Twins have two of the best available in Griffin Jax and Jhoan Duran. The sense is that at least one of them will be traded, but those who are looking for relief help expect the asking price to be very high, partly because both of them are controllable through 2027 and partly because the Twins’ uncertain ownership situation has clouded the approach with those who are not pending free agents.

The Twins are widely expected to trade outfielder Harrison Bader, super-utility player Willi Castro, starter Chris Paddack and lefty reliever Danny Coulombe. But Jax, Duran and young starter Joe Ryan are the ones who would bring back the biggest return. The Twins are said to be listening on everyone. But the team being up for sale since October, and in limbo ever since prospective buyer Justin Ishbia increased his ownership stake in the White Sox in early June, has complicated matters with longer-term players. — Alden Gonzalez

July 22 updates

An Orioles starting pitcher to watch: It seems very likely that Charlie Morton (3.47 ERA last 12 appearances) will be traded, within a relatively thin starting pitching market with a lot of teams looking for rotation help — the Padres, Yankees, maybe the Mets or Astros; a number of teams have expressed interest. In the past, Morton has had a preference to pitch for a team closer to the East Coast and his Florida home, but he doesn’t control that. O’s GM Mike Elias does. — Buster Olney

Will Cleveland deal All-Star outfielder? The player asked about the most on the Guardians’ roster is Steven Kwan, but given that he is two and a half years away from free agency, it’s unlikely he’ll be traded, according to sources. Kwan’s slash line this year: .288/.352/.398. He also has 11 stolen bases and has made consecutive All-Star appearances. — Olney

Braves not looking to move Murphy: Sean Murphy‘s name has been tossed around in trade speculation, but according to sources, he will not be available. Atlanta’s catcher is playing well this year and will be playing under a high-value contract for the next three seasons — $15 million per year from 2026 to 2028, plus a team option in ’29. And the Braves are set up well with the right-handed-hitting Murphy and left-handed-hitting Drake Baldwin perhaps sharing the catching and DH spots into the future. — Olney

Why the 2022 Cy Young winner isn’t the most in-demand Marlins starter: Edward Cabrera has become more coveted than Sandy Alcantara, who teams believe might take an offseason to fix. Alcantara’s strikeout-to-walk ratio is scary low — just 1.9 — and his ERA is 7.14. Cabrera, on the other hand, is striking out more than a batter per inning and his ERA sits at 3.61. The 27-year-old right-hander will come at a heavy cost for opposing teams. — Jesse Rogers

How Kansas City is approaching the trade deadline: The Royals have signaled a willingness to trade, but with an eye toward competing again next year — meaning they aren’t willing to part with the core of their pitching staff. Other teams say Kansas City is (unsurprisingly) looking to upgrade its future offense in whatever it does.

Right-handed starter Seth Lugo will be the most-watched Royal before the deadline, since he holds a $15 million player option for 2026 “that you’d assume he’s going to turn down,” said one rival staffer. That’ll make it more difficult for other teams to place a trade value on him: The Royals could want to market him as more than a mere rental, while other teams figure he’ll go into free agency in the fall when he turns down his option. — Olney

What the Dodgers need at the deadline: The Dodgers’ offense has been a source of consternation lately, with Max Muncy out, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman slumping, and key hitters tasked with lengthening out the lineup — Teoscar Hernandez, Tommy Edman and Michael Conforto — also struggling.

But the Dodgers’ focus ahead of the deadline is still clearly the bullpen, specifically a high-leverage, right-handed reliever. Dodgers relievers lead the major leagues in innings pitched by a wide margin. Blake Treinen will be back soon, and Michael Kopech and Brusdar Graterol are expected to join him later in the season. But the Dodgers need at least one other trusted arm late in games.

It’s a stunning development, considering they returned the core of a bullpen that played a big role in last year’s championship run, then added Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates in free agency. But Scott and Yates have had their struggles, and there are enough injury concerns with several others that it’s a need. — Alden Gonzalez

Which D-backs starter is most coveted? The Diamondbacks are getting as many calls — if not more — about Zac Gallen as they are for Merrill Kelly, even though the latter starting pitcher is having the better season. Teams interested in adding to their rotations still have more faith in the 29-year-old Gallen than the 36-year-old Kelly. — Rogers

Who are the White Sox looking to deal? Chicago’s Adrian Houser seems likely to move, as a second-tier starter who has performed well this season. The 32-year-old right-hander was released by the Rangers in May but has been very effective since joining the White Sox rotation, giving up only two homers in 57⅔ innings and generating an ERA+ of 226. Nobody is taking those numbers at face value, but evaluators do view him as a market option. The White Sox also have some relievers worth considering.

But it seems unlikely that Luis Robert Jr. — once projected as a centerpiece of this deadline — will be dealt, unless a team makes a big bet on a player who has either underperformed or been hurt this year. The White Sox could continue to wait on Robert’s talent to manifest and his trade value to be restored by picking up his $20 million option for next year, which is hardly out of the question for a team with little future payroll obligation. — Olney

Why Rockies infielder could be popular deadline option: Colorado’s Ryan McMahon is the consolation prize for teams that miss out on Eugenio Suarez — if he’s traded at all. The Cubs could have interest and would pair him with Matt Shaw as a lefty/righty combo at third base. — Rogers

Does San Diego have enough to offer to make a big deal? The Padres have multiple needs ahead of the trade deadline — a left fielder, a catcher, a back-end starter. How adequately they can address them remains to be seen. The upper levels of their farm system have thinned out in recent years, and their budget might be tight.

The Padres dipped under MLB’s luxury-tax threshold last year, resetting the penalties. But FanGraphs projects their competitive balance tax payroll to finish at $263 million this year, easily clearing the 2025 threshold and just barely putting them into the second tier, triggering a 12% surcharge.

Padres general manager A.J. Preller might have to get creative in order to address his needs. One way he can do that is by buying and selling simultaneously. The Padres have several high-profile players who can hit the market this offseason — Dylan Cease, Michael King, Robert Suarez, Luis Arraez — and a few others who can hit the open market after 2026. Don’t be surprised to see Preller leverage at least one of those players, and their salaries, to help fill multiple needs. — Gonzalez

Which Orioles could be on the move? Not surprisingly, Baltimore is perceived as a dealer and is expected by other teams to move center fielder Cedric Mullins, first baseman/designated hitter Ryan O’Hearn and some relievers. — Olney

We’re down to crunch time as the July 31 trade deadline approaches.

This deadline might lack some of the potential pizzazz of previous years, but remember that the biggest name last year — Garrett Crochet — ended up not getting traded until the offseason. But this next week should still be interesting, especially if the Arizona Diamondbacks go all-in on trading some of their key players heading into free agency.

Using ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan’s trade deadline preview as a guide, let’s conduct a little exercise: take 10 of the biggest names who could move and see how the dominoes might fall. It’s one-third prediction, one-third science and one-third entertainment. Last year, we nailed only one of the 10 names correctly (Jack Flaherty to the Los Angeles Dodgers), although seven of the players listed were in fact traded.

Let’s start with potentially the most coveted player of this year’s deadline — going to one of the sport’s biggest giants.

Suarez is not only the hottest hitter who might be traded — he has 36 home runs if you haven’t been paying attention — but looks like the best player available, barring a blockbuster deal for a pitcher such as Joe Ryan or MacKenzie Gore. Let’s start the dominoes with Suarez, especially since several contenders could use an upgrade at third base:

• With Jazz Chisholm Jr. moving to second base, the Yankees are faking third base with the likes of Oswald Peraza and Jorbit Vivas.

• The Seattle Mariners have rookie Ben Williamson, a good defender who has hit one home run in 78 games and has a sub-.300 OBP.

• Cubs third basemen — that’s mostly rookie Matt Shaw — have three home runs all season and the lowest OPS in the majors.

• The Detroit Tigers are near the bottom of the majors in offensive production at third, although Zach McKinstry has been playing there of late and was an All-Star. In the bigger picture, the Tigers’ offense has slumped badly in July after nearly everyone overperformed in the first half, so the front office might be looking to add an impact bat such as Suarez and return McKinstry to a utility role.

• The Milwaukee Brewers churned through third basemen early, but Caleb Durbin has played well of late.

And if you want a dark horse, consider the New York Mets, where Mark Vientos hasn’t replicated his big numbers from 2024 and Brett Baty and Ronny Mauricio have played more lately, although they haven’t hit much either. Indeed, with Francisco Lindor struggling the past month, the Mets might need another hitter.

So, who gets Suarez? The Tigers and Cubs are probably more focused on pitching help. The Mariners have an excellent farm system with nine top-100 prospects and know Suarez well after he played there in 2022 and ’23, but their offense does lead the majors in road OPS. Given the way they operate, they might not be willing to trade one of those top prospects for a half-a-season player — and there’s a reasonable argument that the only way they’re going to catch the Houston Astros is for their rotation to start pitching better.

That leaves the Yankees. General manager Brian Cashman has said the Yankees are “going to go to town” at the trade deadline, suggesting they need a starting pitcher, bullpen help and an infielder. The offense has been better again in July after scuffling in June, but Aaron Judge could still use some help. There is an air of desperation as well with the Yankees, as the Toronto Blue Jays passed them in the standings, and Suarez is clearly a perfect fit for their gaping hole at third.

2. Diamondbacks trade Josh Naylor to Mariners

Naylor is another of Arizona’s pending free agents and he’ll cost a lot less than Suarez. Heck, if the Mariners are willing to take on the salaries — unlikely, although if they offer a strong package of prospects, maybe Arizona kicks in some cash — they could acquire both Naylor and Suarez and build a lethal lineup with Suarez hitting behind Cal Raleigh.

Absent that fanciful thinking, Naylor still makes sense as a solid contact hitter for a team that ranks in the bottom 10 of the majors in strikeout rate. Luke Raley can slide to right field or a bench role. The Mariners also need some bullpen depth and perhaps a right-handed bat that would provide an upgrade over Dylan Moore or Donovan Solano, but Naylor would be a nice addition, nonetheless.

One key reason not to rule out Suarez to Detroit: History suggests the teams making the biggest deals at the trade deadline aren’t the ones chasing a playoff spot or simply trying to hold on to a wild-card berth, but those teams already in first place. The Tigers know they’re going to the postseason; they want to make their team better for October. A team that isn’t guaranteed a playoff spot is risking future value for a playoff run that might not exist.

At the minimum, the Tigers will be adding to a bullpen that has been hemorrhaging runs of late. Will Vest has remained solid, but Tommy Kahnle had been their other late-game high-leverage reliever and he just had a recent run of nine runs allowed over three outings. Bednar, a two-time All-Star, has rediscovered his feel and command after a rough 2024. He also comes with an additional season of team control. The other top relievers who might be available include Emmanuel Clase of the Cleveland Guardians, and Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax of the Minnesota Twins, but don’t look for an intradivision trade there.

Where do our first three dominoes leave the Cubs? They could still upgrade third base, although the options are somewhat limited after Suarez. They would like to add a starting pitcher to a rotation that ranks just outside the top 10 in the majors in ERA but might be considered unstable beyond Matthew Boyd and Shota Imanaga. Passan has the Cubs perhaps thinking really big and going after Gore or Ryan, or the Pirates’ Mitch Keller, but we’ll play it a little more conservatively.

Of the pitchers heading to free agency, Lugo is the best combination of “good” and “likely to be traded,” and the Cubs should be the team most willing to offer what’s needed to get him. They have a championship-caliber lineup and defense, plus the bullpen has been solid. Their farm system strength is on the position player side, which also matches up with the Royals’ needs. The one potential issue here: Neither Boyd nor Imanaga average a strikeout per inning, and neither does Lugo, so there might be some concern about how that rotation plays in the postseason — hence, the “think big” idea of Gore or Ryan, even if it means emptying the farm system.

5. Twins trade Griffin Jax to Mets

One guarantee of the trade deadline: The Mets will add to the bullpen, probably with more than one trade. Though the rotation still ranks fifth in ERA, that was built off a hot start. More importantly, the only Mets starter to complete six innings since June 7 has been David Peterson. As a result, manager Carlos Mendoza has run relievers Reed Garrett, Huascar Brazoban, Jose Butto and Ryne Stanek into the ground. The bullpen had a 2.78 ERA through May, but that figure is over 5.00 since the beginning of June (ranking near the bottom of the majors).

The Twins have two high-profile relievers in Duran and Jax, both of whom are under team control through 2027, so they’ll be much more expensive than your usual short-term relievers if the Twins decide to trade one or both. Duran would be harder to deal — but bring more in return — so we’ll say Jax will go. Don’t be fooled by his 4.09 ERA: He has 68 strikeouts and 12 walks in 44 innings with a 97-mph heater. He’s an elite strikeout reliever, the type you want on the mound in October.

6. Guardians trade Steven Kwan to Dodgers

OK, now it’s time for some fun. We know the Dodgers will do something, right? They almost always do — and it’s usually something significant. It could be a reliever, since Tanner Scott has scuffled at times (and was also just put on the injured list because of left elbow inflammation, though his MRI showed no ligament damage) and Michael Kopech is injured. Not to mention their bullpen woes have been on full display lately. It could be a starter, although they’re finally trending a little healthier there. So, how about an outfielder and a leadoff hitter?

The reasoning here: Michael Conforto just hasn’t worked out. The Dodgers have given him 300 plate appearances and he’s hitting under .200, plus he’s not a good left fielder. They could also use a leadoff hitter. They just moved Mookie Betts there in front of Shohei Ohtani, looking to get Betts going, but Betts just hasn’t been an offensive force in 2025 and shouldn’t be hitting at the top of a lineup right now. Kwan would fix both issues and give them a nice OBP guy in front of Ohtani while providing a major defensive upgrade.

Would Cleveland trade Kwan? Jeff and Kiley McDaniel ranked him No. 2 on ESPN’s updated list of the top 50 trade candidates, although admittedly gave just a 20% chance that he would be traded. He’s under team control through 2027 and is making $4.1 million this season, with a big raise due next year. The Guardians also need power and the Dodgers could offer a nice package of prospects, maybe starting with catcher Dalton Rushing or a potential power-hitting outfielder such as Zyhir Hope or Eduardo Quintero. (Top prospect Josue De Paula is probably off limits.)

7. Pirates trade Mitch Keller to Red Sox

The Keller rumors keep picking up steam. He’s signed through 2028, although this type of controllable pitcher is rarely — ever? — traded at the deadline. But the Pirates might view this as their best opportunity to add some much-needed offense. As Passan wrote, the Blue Jays also make a lot of sense for Keller, with Chris Bassitt and Max Scherzer headed to free agency after this season and then Kevin Gausman after 2026.

But the Red Sox have a surplus of outfielders already in the majors and more hitting prospects in the minors, so they line up as a potential match with Pittsburgh. This could be an old-fashioned challenge trade with the Red Sox offering Jarren Duran, who matches Keller in being under team control through 2028. Or maybe the Pirates would want multiple players — Kristian Campbell has been squeezed out of a spot in the Boston lineup, for example, and High-A infielder Franklin Arias would be another option.

It’s admittedly more likely the Red Sox do something smaller, not wishing to break up their momentum. Manager Alex Cora has managed to keep everyone active, including starting Ceddanne Rafaela at second base a couple of times recently (although you hate taking his glove out of center field). Or don’t rule out adding a first baseman, such as Naylor or Ryan O’Hearn. Abraham Toro has done OK filling in for injured Triston Casas, but his track record suggests he could regress at any moment.

8. Orioles trade Ryan O’Hearn to Astros

Speaking of O’Hearn, he’s one of several players the Orioles will look to trade — and might be the one who will generate the most interest. The Astros still hold a six-game lead in the AL West, continuing to play well through a long list of injuries, but general manager Dana Brown has talked about the need to add a left-handed hitter. O’Hearn could play left field for the Astros, who have been using Cooper Hummel, Taylor Trammell and defensive liability Jose Altuve in the outfield lately. Even if the injured Yordan Alvarez makes it back, Altuve could then slide back to second base.

The Padres are one of the potential landing spots for O’Hearn as they look to boost an offense that ranks in the bottom third of the NL in runs scored. Since we have O’Hearn going to the Astros, the domino falls to Ozuna going to the Padres to fill their DH hole. (They don’t have a regular there.) His $16 million salary — or about $5.4 million over the final two months — might be a little steep for the Padres, but we know that general manager A.J. Preller will do something. He always does. Ozuna’s power numbers are down this season, plus he has been terrible the past two months, so there is some risk here, but he had an OBP over .400 in April and May.

10. Diamondbacks trade Merrill Kelly to Blue Jays

The Blue Jays just keep winning, despite a rotation that ranks in the bottom third in the majors in ERA (Eric Lauer has been their best starter of late). We have them missing out on Lugo and Keller, in part because their farm system isn’t considered particularly strong, so the final domino on our list is Kelly going to Toronto. Passan had good reasoning as to why the Diamondbacks would be more likely to trade Kelly than Gallen. Both are free agents, but Arizona could look to re-sign the older (and thus less expensive) Kelly in the offseason while keeping Gallen and giving him a qualifying offer to recoup a draft pick if he leaves as a free agent.

A number of contenders didn’t land one of the 10 biggest names in our exercise but could certainly still be involved in the trade market. The Philadelphia Phillies, who just signed David Robertson for the bullpen, could still add another reliever and maybe an outfielder. The Texas Rangers haven’t gone away and could be in that O’Hearn/Naylor mix for a first baseman (and the relief market as well). The San Francisco Giants could add a starting pitcher — Zack Littell would be a semi-big splash, with Charlie Morton and Zach Eflin two more Orioles who could be traded.

That’s it for our game of dominoes. Now, it’s time for the action to begin.

LAS VEGAS — Since going 11-2 and finishing No. 10 nationally in 2019, Minnesota has been a consistent bowl team — and champion — but hasn’t legitimately challenged for the College Football Playoff.

Coach P.J. Fleck thinks that’s about to change.

The Gophers are coming off an 8-5 season in which four losses came by seven points or fewer, including a 26-25 home setback to Penn State, who went on to reach the Big Ten championship game and the CFP semifinals. In 2019, Minnesota won each of its first four games by seven points or fewer and finished 6-1 in one-score games.

“If we were 6-1 in the seven one-possession games [in 2024], we would have won 11 games,” Fleck told ESPN on Wednesday. “We’re not far. We’re right there. This isn’t a pipe dream.”

The 12-team CFP has created more opportunities for teams like Minnesota, which hasn’t won a Big Ten championship since 1967. That season, it shared the title with Indiana, which made a historic run to the CFP last fall.

“We’re not as far off as maybe what our brand and logo and name think we are, what people perceive that as,” Fleck said. “The reason you stay at a program is to change people’s thoughts, perceptions and ideas of the brand you’re in. That’s why you stay.”

Earlier this month, Fleck and Minnesota agreed to a contract extension through the 2030 season, which includes annual retention bonuses beginning at $1 million and increasing each year. Fleck, 44, is 56-39 as Minnesota’s coach with a 6-0 mark in bowls.

“Eight years is a long time, but it’s not an eternity,” he said. “We’ve still got a lot of years in this thing, and that’s why we signed a new contract in year nine, is to make sure that we get to be able to see that as we keep moving forward.”