Brian Cashman stated the obvious this week when he said the Yankees will be looking for pitching upgrades this month. Given the injuries sustained by New York’s pitching staff this season, the Yankees’ general manager will spend the next three weeks searching for rotation help.
Contenders around the league will be seeking a number of things between now and the July 31 Trade Deadline, but starting pitching will top the list for many of those clubs. Entering Thursday, the Major League average ERA was 4.08, a figure lower than a half-dozen contenders, including the first-place Dodgers and Blue Jays.
Here’s a look at 23 starters (with their fWAR as of Thursday) who could be available this month.
Tyler Anderson, LHP, Angels (0.6 fWAR)
Kyle Hendricks, RHP, Angels (0.8 fWAR)
The Angels remain in the AL Wild Card mix despite a sub-.500 record, but both Anderson and Hendricks are going to be free agents after the season, making them potential trade chips for Los Angeles. Anderson is owed about $6 million for the rest of the season, while Hendricks is owed roughly $1 million — a difference that would seemingly make Anderson more difficult to deal. The Angels won’t get a huge return for either pitcher, so their place in the standings later this month should determine whether either is dealt.
Luis Severino, RHP, Athletics (1.2 fWAR)
Jeffrey Springs, LHP, Athletics (0.7 fWAR)
The two most expensive players on the Athletics’ roster, Severino and Springs were supposed to be a part of the team’s improvement this season. Severino has struggled at home, posting a 7.04 ERA compared to a 3.04 mark on the road, while his contract — he’s in the first year of a three-year, $67 million deal that will pay him $25 million in 2026 and $22 million in ’27 (unless he opts out of that final season) — might make him difficult to move. Springs is set to earn $10.5 million in 2026 and has a $15 million club option for ’27, making him a solid controllable arm that could bring back a good return.
Freddy Peralta, RHP, Brewers (2.0 fWAR)
Jose Quintana, LHP, Brewers (0.6 fWAR)
Milwaukee currently occupies one of the NL’s Wild Card spots, so why would the Brewers trade away pieces of their highly effective rotation? Because that’s how the Brewers do business. Peralta is making $8 million this season and has an $8 million club option for 2026, making him a very attractive addition for several clubs. Quintana is owed less than $2 million for the rest of 2025, making him the ideal rental candidate for clubs seeking a rotation upgrade without adding substantial payroll. The Brewers have a starting-pitching surplus, especially now that Jacob Misiorowski has taken the league by storm, so moving a starter to address another area of need could be the best approach for Milwaukee.
Zac Gallen, RHP, Diamondbacks (0.1 fWAR)
Merrill Kelly, RHP, Diamondbacks (2.0 fWAR)
The Diamondbacks remain in the NL Wild Card race, but with a half-dozen teams ahead of them in the battle for three spots, Arizona will need to play well for the rest of July to justify holding on to Kelly and Gallen, each of whom are slated to become free agents after the season. Kelly has been the better pitcher in 2025 (3.41 ERA in 19 starts), though Gallen (5.15 ERA in 19 starts) has been more effective in recent years. If Arizona opts to sell, both of these pitchers could be on the move.
Sandy Alcantara, RHP, Marlins (0.5 fWAR)
Alcantara has been one of the most obvious trade candidates this season, but his woeful start to 2025 raised concerns for many clubs as he worked his way back from Tommy John surgery. The 2022 NL Cy Young Award winner opened June with a four-start stretch that saw him post a 2.74 ERA, but he’s reverted over his past three outings, pitching to a 9.53 ERA. Unless the Marlins get an offer they like, Miami could wait and try to trade Alcantara — who has a $17 million salary in 2026 and a $21 million club option for ’27 — in the offseason.
Edward Cabrera, RHP, Marlins (1.0 fWAR)
Cabrera got off to a rocky start in April (7.23 ERA in four starts), but the right-hander owns a 2.11 ERA in 11 starts since May 4. The 27-year-old is earning $1.95 million this season and is arbitration-eligible for three more years, making him an appealing candidate for a number of clubs.
Zach Eflin, RHP, Orioles (-0.4 fWAR)
Charlie Morton, RHP, Orioles (0.5 fWAR)
Tomoyuki Sugano, RHP, Orioles (0.1 fWAR)
It’s starting to get late for the Orioles, who remain on the outskirts of the Wild Card race despite having the third-worst record in the AL. If Baltimore decides to sell, Eflin, Morton and Sugano — all of whom are headed for free agency after the season — could be dealt. None of these starters are having stellar seasons, but all three have the potential to be mid-rotation difference-makers.
Sugano’s first 12 starts were solid (3.04 ERA), but he posted an 8.87 ERA over his next five outings. Morton’s season has been the opposite; the 41-year-old was knocked around early and often but was 5-0 with a 2.97 ERA in seven starts since rejoining the rotation in late May. Eflin, who has shown flashes of effectiveness this season, is on the injured list with a strained back but is expected to return shortly after the All-Star break.
Andrew Heaney, LHP, Pirates (0.6 fWAR)
After pitching to a 3.33 ERA in his first 14 starts, Heaney — who is on a one-year, $5.25 million deal — looked to be a prime candidate for the Pirates to move. But the 34-year-old has a 9.17 ERA over his past four starts, including a pair of clunkers against the Tigers and Brewers, which might give contenders some concern about acquiring him for the stretch run. Heaney is likely to be traded, though how he pitches in his next two or three starts could decide what type of return Pittsburgh might expect.
Mitch Keller, RHP, Pirates (2.4 fWAR)
Keller is hardly a lock to be traded this month, but the dearth of controllable pitching means that Pittsburgh will likely get a number of calls about the 29-year-old right-hander. Keller is signed through 2028, earning $54.5 million over the next three seasons, a reasonable number for a pitcher of his caliber. Keller has a 3.58 ERA in 19 starts this season, and while he’s not likely to step in as a No. 1 or No. 2 starter for most contenders, he would be a solid No. 3 for a number of clubs. The Pirates have quality young pitching, so moving Keller for some offensive help would make sense.
Zack Littell, RHP, Rays (0.5 fWAR)
The Rays have a wealth of starting pitching depth, and with Littell approaching free agency this offseason, he’s the type of candidate Tampa Bay typically looks to move. If the Rays want to get really aggressive, they could look to deal Taj Bradley, who is under club control through 2029 and would likely require a far bigger return. Thursday’s trade for reliever Bryan Baker is proof the Rays are looking to improve the roster with an eye on October, but this is a club that has not historically operated in the same binary, buy-or-sell mode as most teams. The rotation surplus — in addition to Littell and Bradley, they have Drew Rasmussen, Ryan Pepiot, Shane Baz and Joe Boyle, with Shane McClanahan nearing a return from the IL — should give the Rays a chance to move one starter to address another area of need.
Nick Martinez, RHP, Reds (1.5 fWAR)
Martinez is playing on a one-year, $21.05 million deal after accepting the qualifying offer last winter, so the Reds won’t be able to receive Draft-pick compensation if he departs via free agency this offseason. The right-hander had a solid nine-start stretch from April 22 through June 7 (2.82 ERA), but he’s posted a 7.71 ERA over his past seven outings, including a five-inning, 10-run shellacking against the Marlins in his last start. Only two starts earlier, Martinez flirted with a no-hitter against the Padres, showing the broad spectrum of what he’s capable of doing. Martinez’s experience pitching out of the bullpen could also intrigue some clubs, though he’s owed roughly $10 million over the remainder of the season, a high price tag for a pitcher having an uneven year.
Germán Márquez, RHP, Rockies (1.1 fWAR)
Márquez had turned around his season prior to his most recent start, posting a 2.70 ERA during an eight-start stretch between May 22-June 29. The right-hander allowed six runs over six innings on July 5, but he’s owed less than $5 million for the remainder of the season and can provide some stability at the back end of a rotation at an affordable price.
Kris Bubic, LHP, Royals (3.1 fWAR)
Michael Lorenzen, RHP, Royals (0.8 fWAR)
Seth Lugo, RHP, Royals (1.0 fWAR)
Kansas City is in the thick of the AL Wild Card race, but with a sub-.500 record, the Royals are one bad week away from being potential sellers. Bubic and Lugo are both having stellar seasons, and while Bubic is arbitration-eligible for a fourth and final time next year, Lugo has a $15 million player option. The Royals are open to listening to offers, but there’s a good chance they’ll hold on to both starters rather than dealing from a Major League strength if they’re still in the postseason picture, as the organization’s rotation depth is thin. Lorenzen has a $12 million mutual option ($1.5 million buyout) that will likely send him to free agency this winter, though he won’t bring back as strong a return as the other two.
Aaron Civale, White Sox (0.0 fWAR)
Adrian Houser, White Sox (1.6 fWAR)
The White Sox acquired Civale from the Brewers last month with the hopes of flipping him at the Deadline, so teams seeking mid-rotation help won’t likely need to part with a top prospect to land the 30-year-old. Ditto for Houser, who signed with Chicago in late-May after being released by the Rangers and has pitched very well for the Sox. Both pitchers are slated to become free agents at the end of the season, leaving the White Sox in position to bring back a what-the-heck prospect in return for those expiring contracts.
