Three Teams That Will Be Most Active at MLB Trade Deadline

The MLB trade market is on the verge of heating up, and the rumor mill will churn at rapid speed. 

The deadline is July 30, and contenders will be looking for one or two guys who can help, and bottom feeders will be selling players off for prospects.

One thing that may affect movement is the tightness of the National League wild-card race. 

Four games separate the second team from the ninth team in the current standings. Teams will have to decide within the next 13 days whether they are in that race or not.

The White Sox traded right-hander Dylan Cease to the San Diego Padres for four players (three of them prospects) on the eve of the season, so you expect them to sell everything—well, except seats. Teams will be phoning the Los Angeles Angels in hopes of landing closer Carlos Estevez, the Tampa Bay Rays on right-hander’s Zach Eflin’s availability, and the Miami Marlins for lots of players, but namely All-Star closer Tanner Scott.

Here’s a look at three teams that figure to be active:

Toronto Blue Jays Selling?

Toronto appears to be waving the white flag for the season. The Blue Jays won 89 or more games in each of the past three seasons but are eight games below .500 and in last place in the American League East.

The big decision for Toronto is acknowledging whether or not it will be able to sign four-time All-Star corner infielder Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to a long-term contract sometime before the start of the 2025 season. If the financial terms aren’t going to be receptive to the Blue Jays, then they might dangle him now while their leverage is high. Guerrero has been unable to match his gigantic 2021 season but would be in high demand.

Another guy Toronto may consider moving is two-time All-Star Bo Bichette, who has just four homers this season after hitting 20 or more in three straight seasons. His batting average (.222) has fallen off the cliff. Four-time All-Star outfielder George Springer (.225,.310,.366) is another guy the Blue Jays would surely move.

Chicago White Sox in Disarray

There is a lot of chatter that Chicago will clean house, and that goes with the territory when you possess an atrocious 27-71 record at the All-Star break. Only three other teams have won fewer than 40 games than the White Sox, who do have a few players of interest.

All-Star left-hander Garrett Crochet will be the most coveted pitcher on the trade market if Chicago decides to shop him. Age 25, making just $800,000 and leading the majors with 150 strikeouts in just 107 1/3 innings, who wouldn’t want to make a trade for him? You have to ask why the White Sox wouldn’t keep him at least through the 2025 season. Maybe they want to move him due to his past injury history.

Outfielder Luis Robert Jr., an All-Star last season, has just 11 homers—he hit 38 in 2023—but he would earn the White Sox a package of prospects. Outfielder Andrew Benintendi, shortstop Paul DeJong, right-handed starter Erick Fedde, and right-handed reliever Michael Kopech could also fetch some youngsters.

Los Angeles Dodgers Looking For Help

The wallets of the Los Angeles Dodgers never close, and there certainly are a few needs if the club is going to be a force in the postseason.

No fewer than 14 pitchers have started a game for the Dodgers, and seven have started seven or more. 

All-Star Tyler Glasnow, who is always fragile, former All-Star Walker Buehler, and high-priced offseason addition Yoshinobu Yamamoto are on the injured list, and Bobby Miller was demoted to Triple-A Oklahoma City. Three-time Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw (shoulder) hasn’t even made his season debut. Rest assured, they know they won’t advance far in the playoffs if breakthrough righty Gavin Stone is their best starter instead of their fourth or fifth.

The Dodgers like to acquire rental bats, and they could use an outfielder. Chris Taylor (.156) and James Outman (also .156) have declined. A guy Los Angeles could target is Taylor Ward of the Angels.