With the 2025 MLB Trade Deadline less than two months away, teams have begun exploring potential swaps. Rumors have surrounded many big name players, including White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr. (pictured), Orioles center fielder Cedric Mullins and Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette. Who will actually be traded, though? Here are six trades that could realistically occur before the July 31 deadline.
Cleveland Guardians receive Josh H. Smith and Chris Martin
Texas Rangers receive Alfonsin Rosario, Austin Peterson and Joey Cantillo
A utility infielder, Smith would provide the Guardians, who’ll likely end up competing for a wildcard spot in the playoffs, with an above-average hitter and fielder. Since 2024, Smith holds a .731 OPS, 0.2 points above average, with an average of 15 steals per 162 games. This season, he’s also been above average defensively in both arm strength and range. Smith would likely start most games at shortstop, replacing Gabriel Arias, a well below-average hitter.
Smith would likely start most games at shortstop for Cleveland. (Source: MLB)
Coming off of an elbow injury, Chris Martin would be yet another high-leverage bullpen arm for second-year manager Stephen Vogt’s pitching staff. A 39-year-old with a 2.11 ERA since 2023, Martin would compete with Emmanuel Clase, Cade Smith and Tim Herrin for late-inning work.
A 20-year-old outfielder and the Guardians’ 25-ranked prospect, Alfonsin Rosario has shown his raw talent (24 home runs and 32 steals in 159 career minor league games), but he still needs major development to limit his strikeouts (201 in 159 games).
Austin Peterson, the Guardians’ 29-ranked prospect, hasn’t had an opportunity to prove himself at Triple-A yet. However, the 25-year-old starting pitcher out of UConn has maintained a sub-three ERA in his 38 Double-A starts over the past two seasons. With Texas, he could develop and potentially be major-league-ready by the start of 2026.
Joey Cantillo reached the majors last season, but hasn’t had success yet, often struggling with control. The southpaw has shown potential, striking out 10.7 batters per nine innings in his first 67 career innings. The Rangers, who’ll likely find themselves out of the playoff race by August, should give him a rotation spot and let him find his way.
Seattle Mariners receive Yoán Moncada
Los Angeles Angels receive Emerson Hancock and Ashton Izzi
Like Cleveland, the Mariners should find themselves fighting for a wildcard spot late in the season, and Moncada, a career .254 hitter with a .332 OBP and 21 home runs per 162 games, would give the Mariners stability that they lack. Rookie Ben Williamson has started the most games for Seattle at third base this season, and he’s hit to a .575 OPS, 1.36 points below average. Though Williamson definitely deserves a shot to prove himself in the majors, this is not the year.
A former first-round pick out of Georgia, Emerson Hancock hasn’t panned out as the Mariners expected; he’s pitched to a 4.90 ERA with an astonishingly low 6.1 strikeouts per nine innings over his first 25 starts. That being said, the Angels need starting pitching—now and in the future. Hancock could start regularly and maybe become the pitcher that the Mariners thought they’d drafted.
21-year-old starting pitcher Ashton Izzi has taken a slight step back this year, but still predicts to have success. The Mariners’ 18-ranked prospect, Izzi has a fastball that reaches 97 MPH, and he’s used it to record strikeouts on nearly 50% of his outs at High-A this season.
New York Yankees receive Brandon Lowe and Zack Littell
Tampa Bay Rays receive Rafael Flores, Brendan Jones and Allan Winans
Second baseman Brandon Lowe could be a huge addition to a Yankees team seeking another World Series run. The Yankees have many reasons to add a second baseman at the deadline: they recently lost utility player Oswaldo Cabrera to a broken ankle; veteran infielder D.J. Lemahieu hasn’t been productive offensively and healthy since 2020; at the time of this article, primary second baseman Oswald Peraza has an atrocious OPS of .581. Even though 2024 trade acquisition Jazz Chisholm Jr. recently returned from the injured list, the Yankees have indicated that he’ll play mostly third base. Despite recent injury problems, a now-healthy Lowe seems to be the perfect addition for the Yankees. The 30-year-old averages 33 home runs per 162 games to go along with a .806 career OPS. And the Yankees could keep Peraza in the starting lineup against lefties, given Lowe’s splits (.833 OPS against righties, .714 against lefties).
Second baseman Brandon Lowe could be a huge addition to a Yankees team seeking another World Series run. (Source: MLB)
Starting pitcher Zack Littell could act basically as a better Carlos Carrasco for the Yankees, starting games whenever a spot appears. With starters Luis Gil and Gerrit Cole out for the foreseeable future, and Marcus Stroman and Will Warren struggling mightily, the Yankees have periodically called up veteran Carlos Carrasco to eat innings. He, too, has struggled, with a 5.91 ERA in 32 innings. This season, Littell ranks high on the leaderboard of innings pitched per start, with 6.18. He also has an above-average ERA (3.68) and WHIP (1.09).
Catcher and first baseman Rafael Flores ranks 15 among Yankees prospects and has progressed rapidly from rookie ball to Double-A. This season in Somerset, he’s hit .277 with 11 home runs and five steals through 53 games. With this trade, he could be the Rays starting catcher on Opening Day in 2026.
Brendan Jones has been somewhat underwhelming for the Yankees. The Yankees drafted the outfielder out of Kansas State University after a senior season in which he hit .303 with nine home runs and 40 steals in 61 games. The speed has remained; the Yankees’ 29-ranked prospect already has 23 steals this season. However, he’s hit just .227 with four home runs.
Originally drafted by the Mets in 2018, Allan Winans pitched with the Braves in 2023 and 2024. Despite a Triple-A ERA of 2.89, Winans struggled in the majors, pitching to an ERA of 7.20 in 40 innings. Like many past pitchers, Winans seems like another pitcher that obviously has the talent, but only Tampa Bay can figure out how to use it (see Drew Rasmussen).
Detroit Tigers receive Ryan O’Hearn
Baltimore Orioles receive Jake Miller and Jaden Hamm
Once again surprising everyone, the Tigers sit at the top of the AL (not the AL Central), and look to make a deep playoff run in 2025. This season, Spencer Torkelson maintained the first base job after struggling deeply in 2024. He has been much better this year, with a .825 OPS compared to last year’s of .669, but he’s only batting .212 against righty pitchers. In the last year of his contract, Ryan O’Hearn is hitting .329 with nine home runs against righties. O’Hearn and Torkelson platooning at first could be the decision that propels the Tigers to their first World Series since 2012.
Despite a down year, the Orioles still have the talent to be a good team; they just need pitching—and a lot of it. With the third-worst team ERA in the league, 5.10, the Orioles must add pitching at the deadline. The Tigers’ Jake Miller and Jaden Hamm work perfectly. After a High-A season in 2024 with a 2.64 ERA and 11.1 strikeouts per nine innings, Jaden Hamm has struggled a bit in Double-A with giving up the long ball. That being said, his 96-MPH fastball paired with a deadly 12-6 curveball makes him a candidate for a middle spot in the Orioles’ rotation for next season.
Southpaw Jake Miller transitioned to become a full-time starter in the minors this season, and the Tigers’ decision to do this has paid off significantly. Throwing four-seam and two-seam fastballs, two variations of a slider and a changeup, the 23-year-old drafted out of Valparaiso holds a 2.12 ERA with just 0.5 home runs allowed per nine innings and an impressive 2.1 walks per nine. While his strikeout rate isn’t as impressive, 8.5 per nine innings, the ground ball pitcher has the immaculate command and control that most aces have.
Philadelphia Phillies receive Luis Robert Jr. and Davis Martin
That’s the big one. White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr. has had a down season, with a sub-.200 average and just five home runs through 55 games. That said, his three-year-stretch from 2021 to 2023, in which he batted .287 with 33 home runs and 19 steals per 162 games and an OPS of .842, continues to attract teams (and fantasy owners). The Phillies are poised for a deep playoff run, but center field seems to be their achilles heel. Brandon Marsh has received most of the playing time, but batted just .215 with two home runs and a .638 OPS. Furthermore, in their NLDS loss to the Mets in 2024, Marsh played most of the center field and got just one hit. Robert has MVP-talent, and even if he never returns to his 2021 to 2023 self, he’s still an elite baserunner and glove in center field.
Davis Martin could be the steal of the deadline. Though he’s been a starter with the White Sox, with the suspension of Jose Alvarado, and downgraded versions of Matt Strahm and Jordan Romano (7.54 ERA), the Phillies could turn Davis Martin into an elite reliever. The 28-year-old out of Texas Tech may seem like just an average pitcher (and he is one!), but his arsenal of two fastballs, a cutter, slider and absolutely devastating kick-change could transform him into a strong setup man for Strahm or Romano.
Davis Martin could be the steal of the deadline. (Source: SI)
Chicago White Sox receive Justin Crawford, Aroon Escobar and John Spikerman
Justin Crawford (i.e. Luis Robert Jr. ‘s replacement in 2026) is the Phillies’ 3-ranked prospect, currently playing in AAA. Even though he’s only hit one home run this season, the former first round pick from Las Vegas with elite speed is only 21 years old, probably playing at a higher level than he should be. Still, he has hit .349 with 23 steals, raising his career minor league average to .322.
Venezuelan infielder Aroon Escobar is just 20-years-old and not expected in the majors until 2028, but this Phillies prospect has shown above-average contact and power. More importantly, though, he’s shown an amazing eye, with a .406 OBP in his minor league career. He’s excelled this season, batting .319 with a .416 OBP and ten home runs in 47 games in A-Ball.
Outfielder John Spikerman is a true wildcard, who could become a Gavin Cecchini but also a faster Jeff McNeil. A 3rd-round pick out of Oklahoma, the Phillies’ 16-ranked prospect has had myriad injuries, both at Oklahoma and with the Phillies. There’s not much to say, with just 21 career minor league games, but his college resume and scouting reports show that he possesses incredible bat-to-ball skills and speed.
Los Angeles Dodgers receive Sandy Alcántara
This is a simple one. The Dodgers need pitching; the Marlins need to rebuild (again). The Dodgers built a rotation of aces in the offseason, but injuries have plagued it: 80% of their Opening Day Rotation, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki, is currently on the IL. Alcántara’s contract expires next season, and the Marlins have no reason to pay it. The 2022 Cy Young Award Winner entered this season after a missed season for Tommy John Surgery, expecting to be the Marlins ace. He’s done just the opposite, as at the time of this article, he has a 7.89 ERA with a 1.60 WHIP and just 6.9 strikeouts per nine innings. The biggest difference between 2025 and 2022: the walks. Alcántara never struck out many, but his selling point was always his control; between 2020 and 2023, he averaged just 2.2 walks per nine innings. This season, he’s averaging 4.7. If the Dodgers and pitching coach Mark Prior can fix Alcántara, he could become a key in October.
Alcántara could become a key starter for the Dodgers in October. (Source: New York Post)
Miami Marlins receive Zyhir Hope and Patrick Copen
The Dodgers’ 3-ranked prospect, outfielder Zyhir Hope is just 20 years old, but has already shown that he carries every hitting skill necessary. In 126 career minor league games split between Rookie Ball, A and High-A, Hope has hit .291 (.409 OBP), with 19 homers and 17 steals.
Starter Patrick Copen, the Dodgers’ 29-ranked prospect, has less hype than Hope does, but has dominated in High-A this season. Through ten starts, the 6-6, 220-pound righty out of Marshall has a 2.25 ERA with 14.4 strikeouts per nine innings. Though he has walked 6.2 batters per nine innings, he’s only allowed 4.1 hits per nine.
Whichever players are traded at this year’s Trade Deadline, the result will be the same—one team steals a future MVP, one team doesn’t make any moves, one team (the Yankees) acquires an average hitter, and the fans treat him like the Second Coming, and one team (the Mets) acquires nothing more than a marginal reliever from the AL West.
