The Trade Deadline arrives next Thursday evening, and with a little more than one week to go, five of the six division leaders hold leads of five or fewer games.
The National League races are particularly tight; the Dodgers’ 3 1/2-game lead on the Padres is the largest of the three first-place clubs, setting up the potential for a wild pennant race.
Let’s take a look at the potential Trade Deadline approach for the six division leaders and the teams within six games of the division lead trying to chase them down.
Blue Jays (59-42)
Toronto should be one of the most aggressive buyers this year; if the Blue Jays are not going to go for it now, when will they? They were four games behind the Yankees on June 22, but an 18-6 run — which included five straight wins over the Yankees before New York’s win on Tuesday — has helped them flip the standings.
Toronto will likely look to add a starting pitcher — preferably one that can join José Berríos, Kevin Gausman and Chris Bassitt in a playoff rotation — as well as another relief arm to insert into the late-inning mix. Bassitt and Max Scherzer are free agents at the end of the season, while Gausman’s contract expires after 2026, so a controllable starter would be the ideal addition for Toronto.
Yankees (56-45, 3 games back)
Remember when the Yankees held a seven-game lead in the AL East? That was right around Memorial Day, but New York is 21-25 since then, wasting that early-season momentum. GM Brian Cashman is never shy about adding what he needs at the Trade Deadline, recently saying the Yankees are “going to town” in an effort to bolster the roster between now and July 31. The No. 1 priority would seem to be a third baseman — Eugenio Suárez tops the wish list — though adding a starting pitcher and a reliever or two would also help. Maybe kill two birds with one stone by pulling a deal with Arizona for Suárez and either Zac Gallen or Merrill Kelly?
If the Yankees miss out on Suárez, could they turn to Ke’Bryan Hayes? Hayes’ hitting has been poor for the past two seasons, but he’s one of the best defensive third basemen in the game and he’s hit in the past — and Pittsburgh could potentially fill other holes in a bigger deal that includes a starter (Mitch Keller/Andrew Heaney) and/or a reliever (David Bednar/Dennis Santana).
Red Sox (54-49, 6 games back)
Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow recently called his team’s needs “a little bit fluid,” but adding a starting pitcher to pair with Garrett Crochet atop the rotation appears to be Boston’s biggest priority. The Sox stumbled in the immediate aftermath of last month’s Rafael Devers trade, but they’re 14-6 since June 28, surging into one of the AL Wild Card spots.
Whether they can catch the Blue Jays remains to be seen — the two clubs have only three games remaining against each other in the penultimate series of the season — but if the Red Sox can add a starter and a first baseman, they’ll be a dangerous team over the final two months.
Tigers (60-42)
The only division with a double-digit spread between first and second place, the AL Central is all but over. The Tigers entered Thave uesday with a nine-game lead over the Guardians, with the Twins (10 1/2 games back) and Royals (11 games back) also trying to salvage their seasons. Detroit will likely look for some bullpen reinforcements — preferably swing-and-miss arms — and could be in the market for a closer.
Third base is also a spot the Tigers can upgrade, with Eugenio Suárez representing the most obvious candidate to reinforce Detroit’s lineup. A right-handed situational bat would also make sense for the lefty-heavy Tigers, but Detroit is in pretty good shape offensively. President of baseball operations Scott Harris has a deep farm system from which to deal, so he can try to get creative to give the Tigers their best shot at a deep postseason run.
Astros (59-42)
Houston is in good position in the AL West despite the loss of Hayden Wesneski and Ronel Blanco for the season to elbow surgeries and Spencer Arrighetti to a prolonged stay on the injured list. The Astros don’t have a deep farm system from which to deal, so if he’s not comfortable simply waiting for Arrighetti, Cristian Javier and/or Luis Garcia to get healthy, general manager Dana Brown might have to focus on mid-rotation rental starters such as Heaney, Zach Eflin or Charlie Morton. The idea of Houston having enough to get one of the better, controllable starters on the trade market seems unlikely.
Adding another left-handed bat — preferably at second base — might be the bigger need as the Astros continue their pursuit of another division title. Brandon Lowe would be the ideal candidate, though it remains to be seen whether the Rays buy, sell or stand pat.
Mariners (54-47, 5 games back)
Like two other AL contenders listed above (Yankees and Tigers), the Mariners are looking for an upgrade at third base, with old friend Eugenio Suárez leading Seattle’s wish list. The Mariners have a deep farm system, so finding the prospects to make a deal shouldn’t be difficult, but with plenty of competition for Suárez, they might have to look elsewhere if president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto deems the price tag to be too steep.
Adding a bat — third base or otherwise — will be Dipoto’s top priority. It could be a first baseman (Josh Naylor? Ryan O’Hearn?) or an outfielder (Jarren Duran? Cedric Mullins?), but bolstering the lineup should be the goal as the Mariners look to chase down the Astros.
Phillies (58-43)
Philadelphia began to address its bullpen need with the signing of free agent David Robertson, but the Phillies will likely look to add at least one more relief pitcher by the Deadline. Philly’s 4.27 bullpen ERA ranks 11th in the NL, with Jordan Romano (6.88) and Joe Ross (5.31) battling inconsistency this season.
The Phillies are also in the market for an outfield bat as they continue to seek offense in both left and center field, where they rank 12th and 10th in OPS, respectively. With J.T. Realmuto also struggling at the plate, the Phillies’ lineup has been top heavy, so adding a productive bat into the mix should be a goal.
Mets (58-44, half-game back)
Like the team they’re chasing, the Mets will be looking to stock their bullpen with more quality options between now and July 31. The left side will be the focus: The Mets currently have only one southpaw — Brooks Raley — in the bullpen. The Pirates have a pair of right-handed relievers (David Bednar and Dennis Santana) who would slot in nicely for the Mets, while controllable closers such as Emmanuel Clase, Jhoan Duran and Félix Bautista could also become available for the right return.
The lefty relief market isn’t particularly deep, so beefing up the bullpen with more righties might be the team’s best option to help get the ball to closer Edwin Díaz. Center field could be another area for president of baseball operations David Stearns to target — the club’s .606 OPS at the position ranks 13th in the NL.
The Brewers are loaded with starting pitching, especially now that Jacob Misiorowski has taken the league by storm. Milwaukee could look to use one of its other starters to help fill another hole, with shortstop and/or third base standing out as potential upgrades. The Brewers could make a play for Eugenio Suárez, or possibly try to pry the controllable Ryan McMahon away from the Rockies.
Cubs (60-41, tied for first)
After leading the division for most of the season, the Cubs now find themselves locked in a battle with the Brewers for NL Central supremacy. Chicago will try to add a starting pitcher before the end of the month, with impending free agents such as Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, Charlie Morton and Zach Eflin among those in play.
The bullpen could also use a lift, so expect the Cubs to be in the conversation on most notable relievers. Whether it’s a closer to help Daniel Palencia with ninth-inning duties or a reliable arm to help get him the ball, Chicago will likely do something to bolster the bullpen. The Cubs are also part of the cluster of clubs seeking a third-base upgrade, so look for Chicago to be part of the Eugenio Suárez sweepstakes. Ryan McMahon could also be on the Cubs’ radar.
Dodgers (59-43)
Tanner Scott’s forearm injury has the Dodgers even more focused on bullpen additions than they were before, with a late-inning option needed more now than ever. The Dodgers have four other relievers on the injured list (Blake Treinen, Michael Kopech, Brusdar Graterol and Evan Phillips), and while Treinen should be back soon, Kopech isn’t eligible to return until late August, Graterol is likely out until September and Phillips is done for the season. Kirby Yates has been inconsistent but should slot into the closer’s role for now, so adding a trusted veteran — Ryan Helsley, perhaps? — could be a priority.
Elsewhere, the Dodgers will likely look for a left-handed bat, with left field (.657 OPS, 11th in the NL) standing out as a logical spot to upgrade. They could also simply look for a versatile utility/bench bat to help an offense that ranks 14th in OPS in the NL this month and has scored two or fewer runs in seven of its past 14 games.
Padres (55-46, 3 1/2 games back)
San Diego has a number of needs to address, though left field and catcher stand out above the rest. Catching can be difficult to find at this time of year, but adding a left fielder should be a realistic goal for the Padres, whose .608 OPS at the position ranks 13th in the NL this season. With a thin farm system to work with, can president of baseball operations A.J. Preller get creative enough to land a player such as Steven Kwan, Jarren Duran or Cedric Mullins?
Yu Darvish is back in the rotation, but the Padres need Dylan Cease to be more consistent and Michael King to get healthy. Both Cease and King are headed for free agency after the season, so Preller could look to flip one of them — more likely Cease, given that he’s healthy — to fill another spot on the roster. Preller recently said his goal is to add “a bat or two” as San Diego looks to lengthen its top-heavy lineup.
