MLB Players Most Likely Traded Before Deadline

There are a number of MLB teams in dire need of some support if their hopes of winning a World Series is to come to fruition. All of those teams are likely to be active before the MLB trade deadline. 

Teams still have about six weeks until the trade deadline on July 31. We’ve already seen one big trade with the Red Sox sending Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants. What other surprises await us?

Here is a look at players most likely to be traded – and one not to be – by the end of July.

Andrew Heaney, SP, Pittsburgh

It’s not shocking. The Pirates have dealt a number of strong starting pitchers – Gerrit Cole, Jameson Taillon, for example – to other teams. Heaney is likely the next one. If he wasn’t pitching for one of the worst lineups in baseball, he’d have a much better record than 3-6.

He had an even more impressive 3.33 ERA through 14 starts before he ran into the Detroit Tigers in his most recent start. Still, his 3.97 ERA is impressive considering who he pitches for. Heaney is a left-hander that could be a valuable addition to teams like the Tigers. The Cubs and Dodgers could also benefit from a LHP that adds depth to the middle of the starting pitching rotation.

Emmanuel Clase, RP, Cleveland

Clase was the best reliever in baseball last season. He was so good during the 2024 regular season that he placed third in the AL Cy Young voting. However, Clase had a difficult postseason the previous year, and so far, 2025 has been rough as well. In 32 games this season, the three-time All-Star is 4-1 with a 3.82 ERA.

Nevertheless, Clase seems to be moving past his difficulties. With seven saves and a 1.88 ERA over his last 15 appearances, he has more closely resembled the two-time AL Reliever of the Year. This might be the ideal moment for a contender to persuade the Guardians to trade their longtime closer if Clase’s problems are truly behind them.

The Yankees, Cubs, and Phillies would welcome the addition of a closer the caliber of Clase.

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Ryan O’Hearn, 1B/DH, Baltimore

Ryan O’Hearn has been getting better ever since he came to Baltimore. He will also be making his first appearance on the AL All-Star team this season. However, O’Hearn may be the Orioles’ most valuable trade asset at the moment, given their disappointing season and lack of postseason prospects.

The designated hitter for Baltimore has a slash line of.306/.385/.493, with 10 home runs and nine doubles. O’Hearn, 31, is the kind of rental that could help propel an already successful team to the top because he will be a free agent at the end of the current campaign.

Baltimore probably won’t trade O’Hearn to Boston, though the Red Sox would love to have him now that they lost Dever. The Mets and Giants would be possibilities as well.

Eugenio Suarez, 3B, Arizona

Since it’s difficult to find right-handed power in baseball these days, Suárez is a highly sought-after player. This season, the D-backs’ third baseman has batted .234 with 21 home runs and 58 RBI, making him one of the game’s top power threats. He has been in sixth place in MLB in terms of home runs since the 2019 season, trailing only Aaron Judge, Pete Alonso, Kyle Schwarber, Shohei Ohtani, and Matt Olson.

Suárez will be a free agent at the end of the current season. That makes him the perfect candidate for a rental. The Yankees or Tigers, for example, could use Suarez in their lineup to help push them over the top in terms of championships in 2025. Then, Suarez will be free to move on wherever he may go in 2026. Suarez is also one of the best personalities in the game and has the capacity to unite a clubhouse, which is advantageous for any team.

Ryan Helsley, RP, St. Louis Cardinals

Ryan Helsley has been the epitome of a shutdown closer since he became the Cardinals’ closer in 2022. Since then, the right-hander has made 93 saves, which ranks sixth among relievers during that time.

However, the Cardinals’ closer has had some difficulties this season, just like Clase. Despite having a 3.96 ERA and a 3-0 record, Helsley’s ERA over his last seven appearances is 5.14. The success of hitters against his fastball is a major contributing factor. Batters are hitting .400 against Helsley’s four-seam fastball, which has normally been unhittable.

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Josh Naylor, 1B, Arizona

Josh Naylor has been one of baseball’s more underappreciated first basemen for a long time. This season, the 27-year-old Naylor is hitting .302 in 70 games for the D-backs, with nine home runs, nine stolen bases, and 17 doubles. He has been in the top 10 in MLB in hits all season long. 

With several pitchers out for the season, including starters Corbin Burnes and Jordan Montgomery as well as reliever Justin Martinez, the D-backs have not had much luck with injuries this season. The lack of effective pitching has likely made Arizona a seller at the deadline.

Moving Naylor, who will also be a free agent at the end of the season, seems like the right move for a DBacks team looking to the future. San Francisco seems to be a stretch, but Naylor could end up in New York with the Mets or Yankees.

The Trade That Won’t Happen

Sometimes, the best trades are the ones that teams don’t make. Chris Sale, who won the 2024 NL Cy Young Award in his first season in Atlanta, has been rumored to be on the trading block. Sale, now 36, is in the top 10 in MLB in strikeouts and is 5-4 with a 2.52 ERA. Even though the eight-time All-Star is probably nearing the end of his career, he continues to demonstrate his ability to be one of baseball’s top starters every fifth day.

Sale would undoubtedly be the best starting pitcher available this summer if the Braves were willing to trade for him. Atlanta is probably not going to move Sale. The Braves haven’t been a contender so far this season, but they have been here before. Ronald Acuna, Jr. and Austin Riley are heating up. Spencer Strider seems to be regaining his form as well.

Team president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos has made it clear too. He has stated repeatedly that the Braves will not trade Sale. That will be one of the keys should the Braves right the ship and make the postseason.