Every team's likely Trade Deadline strategy

It’s nearly decision time. The July 31 Trade Deadline is less than two weeks away, and while some teams are still figuring out where they stand, we have a good idea of how most clubs plan to play it.

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From clear-cut buyers to full-on sellers and everyone in between, here’s a look at each team’s likely Trade Deadline strategy.

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AL EAST

Blue Jays: Aggressive buyers
If not now, then when? The AL is wide open and the Blue Jays will have every opportunity to win the division, which is a conversation we haven’t had in Toronto in nearly a decade. This lineup is deep, stretching down into Triple-A, so the Blue Jays’ don’t just need to add big leaguers, they need to add star power. Even in the rotation, while some more depth would help, the Blue Jays need to be thinking like World Series contenders here. If they’re looking at a starter at the Trade Deadline, could that pitcher realistically start in the first three games of the ALDS? If not, aim higher. -- Keegan Matheson

Orioles: Probable seller
There isn’t much the O’s can do to prevent a sale at this point. They’re in a tough spot, as it would take a two-week tear to have them in a potential buying position by July 31. Instead, the club is more likely to deal away players on expiring contracts -- such as All-Star DH Ryan O’Hearn, center fielder Cedric Mullins and a handful of pitchers -- to get a return for them before retooling the roster for 2026. -- Jake Rill

Rays: Flexible buyers
The Rays’ early trade for reliever Bryan Baker addressed their biggest need. The question might be whether they need another reliever to shore up a relief corps that limped into the All-Star break. Otherwise, there aren’t a lot of obvious deficiencies to address. The rotation is deep and talented. They could add another bat, but at what position? It’s possible they could get creative and deal from their surplus of starting pitching (Zack Littell? Taj Bradley?) while still approaching the Deadline as a club that expects to contend. As usual, their level of aggressiveness will depend on how far out of the division race they stand. -- Adam Berry

Red Sox: Targeted buyers
Find an impact starting pitcher to put behind Garret Crochet. Following the Rafael Devers trade, the Red Sox have financial flexibility to bring in a stud pitcher by trading from their impressive pool of outfield depth. Jarren Duran continues to come up in trade rumors and his skillset is obviously one that is desirable to many contenders. The Sox will also try to find a more permanent salutation at first base to stop the mixing and matching that has gone on since Triston Casas went down for the season in early May. -- Ian Browne

Yankees: “Going to town”
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has a hefty shopping list heading into the Deadline. His top priority: pitching. Ideally, they would acquire one starting pitcher and at least two relievers. Easier said than done. They’ve already lost Gerrit Cole to Tommy John surgery, then saw Clarke Schmidt go down with the same in July. The front office is also eyeing an infielder, seeking an upgrade over the third base tandem of Oswald Peraza and Jorbit Vivas. -- Bryan Hoch

AL CENTRAL

Guardians: Staying nimble
The Guardians entered the break in a gray area, riding a strong stretch but still on the outside of the postseason picture. If they keep their momentum rolling, do they look to bolster their playoff chances this season? Is there a move that could help now, and also in 2026 and beyond? If they sell, do they do so to open opportunities for young players or prospects? The next few weeks will only provide clarity. -- Tim Stebbins

Royals: Thread the needle
The Royals want to be buyers. And don’t expect them to tear it all down and be full sellers. Ownership and the front office still believe in the 2025 squad, and they fully intend to contend in ‘26. That means building around the core pieces they currently have, with hopes of finding pieces that can complement and help them this year and beyond. The Royals will be searching for ways to upgrade their Majors-worst outfield. Whether they find someone who fits -- and a willing trade partner -- remains to be seen. -- Anne Rogers

Tigers: Strategic buyers
The Tigers have a deep farm system and clear opportunities to upgrade their roster ahead of the postseason, from a deeper bullpen -- not necessarily a traditional closer, but definitely more strikeouts -- to another starter and maybe a veteran situational hitter. All contenders look for pitching at the Trade Deadline, but the Tigers have a lot to offer and a front office that can get creative to find what they need. -- Jason Beck

Twins: Still figuring it out
They’re not likely to make huge moves, and it’s conceivable that they could make both small additions and small subtractions. They could probably use a left-handed reliever and a corner bat. They also could move some of their impending free agents, a list that includes Chris Paddack, Willi Castro, Christian Vázquez, Danny Coulombe and Ty France. There’s interest in their back-end relievers but that type of sell seems unlikely. -- Matthew Leach

White Sox: Sellers
Luis Robert Jr., the team’s toolsy center fielder, has been the focus of trade talks/rumors since the 2024 Trade Deadline. The White Sox figure to move him, with teams interested in his Gold Glove-caliber defense and baserunning. The Sox are hoping a contending team will take a chance on his slumping offense, banking on Robert benefitting from being one of the many key cogs in the lineup instead of being counted on as the key cog. Right-hander Adrian Houser, who has been one of the game’s best starting pitchers since joining the rotation on May 20, will draw interest, and general manager Chris Getz could package another player with Houser to raise the return. -- Scott Merkin

AL WEST

Angels: Too early to tell
It’s still too early to say what the Angels will do, as the next two weeks will be critical for them. If they play well, they could look to add an outfielder or relief help, but if they fall off, they could move veterans such as impending free agents Kenley Jansen, Tyler Anderson, Kyle Hendricks, Yoán Moncada, Luis Rengifo and possibly even Taylor Ward, who is under team control for one more year. -- Rhett Bollinger

Astros: Buyer
The Astros are in contention, so they’re not going to stand pat, especially considering they have some needs. GM Dana Brown has made it clear he’d like to add a left-handed bat, even if slugger Yordan Alvarez comes back at some point. The Astros have the fewest at-bats in the big leagues from the left side of the plate. Don’t rule out Houston adding a starting pitcher they could put after aces Hunter Brown and Framber Valdez in the rotation. -- Brian McTaggart

Athletics: Light sellers
The A’s are not ready to completely dismiss the playoffs yet, but an ugly 1-20 stretch earlier this season likely zapped those chances. Still, even as potential sellers, they have no plans of breaking up the talented young core they have currently growing at the big league level. Instead, they would likely move veterans on one-year deals such as Luis Urías, Gio Urshela and Miguel Andujar. Jeffrey Springs is perhaps another possibility, depending on what teams are offering in return. -- Martín Gallegos

Mariners: Be as bold as the market will allow
Sources have said that the Mariners will have financial backing to increase payroll for the final two months of the season, though by how much remains unclear. They will also have a strong farm system -- ranked No. 5 in the sport by MLB Pipeline -- to deal from. Both factors could position the club to be one of the most aggressive ahead of the July 31 Deadline, but it could also be handcuffed to what’s available. Outside the 12 teams currently occupying a playoff spot, including Seattle, there are nine teams within five games of the final Wild Card spots in each league. Clarity should come, but most in the industry have forecasted it to be a seller’s market. -- Daniel Kramer

Rangers: Stay put, offload pieces if possible
The big three -- Corey Seager, Marcus Semien and Jacob deGrom -- aren’t going anywhere. But unless things go really good or really bad over these last two weeks until the Trade Deadline, the Rangers are just one of many AL teams with a chance at that final Wild Card spot. There’s not much to sell off, especially with Tyler Mahle and his expiring contract shut down until August, and a player like Adolis García may not have much value outside the organization. If it needs to be blown up, Texas likely won’t do that until the offseason. -- Kennedi Landry

NL EAST

Braves: Sell to gain organizational depth
The Braves have said they won’t trade any players controlled beyond this year. This opens the door to move pending free agents Marcell Ozuna and Raisel Iglesias. The club should also listen to offers for both Ozzie Albies and Pierce Johnson, who both have an option for 2026. None of these players will garner a significant return. But there is a need to add organizational depth in both the position-player and starting-pitching departments. -- Mark Bowman

Marlins: Sellers
Miami finds itself in the unique situation of fielding an entire roster (outside of veteran righty Cal Quantrill) under club control for multiple years, so the organization doesn't need to make trades unless the returns strike its fancy. It would come as a surprise if the Marlins executed as many deals as last Deadline. Names that have been the subject of rumors include right-handers Edward Cabrera (recently underwent an MRI on his elbow), Sandy Alcantara and Anthony Bender, among others. -- Christina De Nicola

Mets: Strategically add pitching (and maybe a bat)
The Mets haven’t featured a fully loaded bullpen since left-handers A.J. Minter and Danny Young suffered season-ending injuries in late April. They absolutely could stand to add a lockdown lefty, and it couldn’t hurt to tack on some starting pitching, too, after their rotation depth was severely tested during the first half. Offensively, the Mets have been waiting for a team-wide breakout, which hasn’t quite happened. It may be time for them to splurge on an upgrade at DH or in center field. In any event, the Mets will be buying. -- Anthony DiComo

Nationals: Continue to be sellers
The Nationals have been sellers since 2021, and they could continue to grow their organizational depth through that strategy this season. Right-handed closer Kyle Finnegan is, once again, a top trade chip for the Nats. He is on an expiring $6 million deal with 18 saves on the season. It will be interesting to see if the Nationals also explore deals for first baseman Nathaniel Lowe, who has another year left on his contract. Last season, the Nats traded Lane Thomas in a similar situation to the Guardians for a package of prospects. -- Jessica Camerato

Phillies: Buy, buy, buy
But how much? And at what cost? The Phillies need a stud, late-inning reliever, preferably right-handed. But they could use two relievers to help a shaky bullpen. Are the Phils willing to trade one or more of their top prospects to make it happen? The Phillies could use a right-handed-hitting outfielder, too, unless they believe Otto Kemp is the answer. Of course, a big trade doesn’t guarantee anything and that’s a risk the Phils’ front office must weigh: Mortgage the future for something that’s far from guaranteed or not? -- Todd Zolecki

NL CENTRAL

Brewers: A bit of both?
Rarely do the Brewers fit neatly onto lists of “buyers” or “sellers.” More likely they’ll aim to add talent to help them extend a stretch of six postseason appearances in the past seven years without selling the farm, like they did last year in landing Frankie Montas, Aaron Civale and Nick Mears during the month of July. The biggest question this year is whether the Brewers deal from their relative surplus of starting pitching, including All-Star right-hander Freddy Peralta, who has another club option on his contract for 2026 before reaching free agency. His value is exceedingly high right now, and while trading their best pitcher would be incredibly unpopular while the team is in postseason position, it wouldn’t be the first time the Brewers have done so in the interest of keeping the system stocked with controllable talent. (see: Corbin Burnes and Josh Hader). -- Adam McCalvy

Cardinals: Deal expiring contracts
Cardinals departing president of baseball operations John Mozeliak has said repeatedly that the club’s course of action at the Deadline -- becoming buyers, sellers or even both -- will be determined by where the club sits in the standings in late July. The club opens after the break with six road games against the D-backs and Rockies before coming home to host the Padres for a critical four-game series from July 24-27. Do well in that series and Oliver Marmol’s Cards might be able to pass Mike Shildt’s Padres. Get beaten up and the Cards could gut their roster over the final days of July. Relievers Ryan Helsley, Phil Maton and Steven Matz are the players most likely to be traded because of their expiring contracts and MLB’s dearth of quality relievers. -- John Denton

Cubs: Buying, with rotation help the top priority
With lefty Justin Steele out for the season and righty Jameson Taillon also shelved at the moment, Chicago’s top priority will be adding to the starting rotation. Landing an impact arm is the goal, but the Cubs could also benefit from added depth as well. Next on the to-do list could be targeting some bullpen help or seeing if there might be an avenue for upgrading the production at third base. -- Jordan Bastian

Pirates: Selling, and maybe aggressively
The Pirates have several players on expiring contracts who would fit in well for a contender: Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Andrew Heaney, Caleb Ferguson and the red-hot Tommy Pham. They are also one of the few teams that has controllable pitchers up for grabs. They don’t need to trade Mitch Keller, David Bednar or Dennis Santana, but if they do, they could command a haul. -- Alex Stumpf

Reds: Depends on performance out of the break
Because they are still in the hunt, along with so many other clubs, president of baseball operations Nick Krall has been taking a wait-and-see approach. If the Reds can get on a run, it's more likely they will become buyers before the July 31 Deadline with immediate needs being a run-producing right fielder and bullpen help. If Cincinnati fizzles, a sell-off is possible. Players in contract years like starter Nick Martinez, closer Emilio Pagán and outfielder Austin Hays could be among those moved. -- Mark Sheldon

NL WEST

D-backs: Light sellers
Unless something drastic changes in the week after the All-Star break, it’s hard to envision the Diamondbacks being buyers at the Trade Deadline. That doesn’t mean they will offload all their free-agents-to-be, though. They could move Zac Gallen or Merrill Kelly, but probably not both because they simply don’t have enough pitching to finish out the season without one of them. First baseman Josh Naylor could be dealt, but third baseman Eugenio Suárez will only be traded if what they get back would be of more value than the Draft-pick compensation they would get for him leaving via free agency. -- Steve Gilbert

Dodgers: Buy strategically
Although the Dodgers have a high volume of pitcher injuries, their biggest need might actually be a bat to spell the absence of Max Muncy, who's expected to be out until at least the end of August with a bone bruise in his left knee. They could also use another right-handed leverage reliever, and even though they're expecting Blake Snell back not long after the break and Roki Sasaki around late August, it never hurts to add rotation depth. -- Sonja Chen

Giants: Stay active
The Giants jumped the market by acquiring three-time All-Star Rafael Devers in a blockbuster trade with the Red Sox on June 15, but they still have some other needs they could try to address leading up to the Trade Deadline. A lefty reliever could be at the top of their list now that Erik Miller is expected to miss several weeks with a left elbow sprain, but they could also use more rotation depth and another bat, such as another right-handed-hitting outfielder who could provide better platoon protection for veteran Mike Yastrzemski. -- Maria Guardado

Padres: Buy on offense, browse on pitching
Not that there was really any question, but general manager A.J. Preller seemed to eliminate all doubt when he said the Padres would be looking at “adding a bat or two.” The top of their lineup is ferocious. But the eighth and ninth spots in the order are a black hole. Preller wouldn’t need to make a major splash to upgrade the lineup. If he added a competent left fielder and either a catcher or a bench bat (who would theoretically pinch-hit for those light-hitting catchers) it would go a long way. The Padres’ needs on the pitching side, meanwhile, will be determined largely by health. -- AJ Cassavell

Rockies: Sell, sell, sell
This is where things get difficult, since there is temptation to hope to avoid injury and try to prop up the record. But there are arguments to deal starting pitchers Germán Márquez and Austin Gomber, experienced relievers Jake Bird and Tyler Kinley, third baseman Ryan McMahon, outfielder Mickey Moniak and second baseman Thairo Estrada. The right deals could help now, and must make the future brighter. -- Thomas Harding