5 storylines to track on Trade Deadline day

For much of the past week, executives around the league were waiting for the dam to break. Asking prices for available players were, in their own words, “astronomical,” “comical,” “ridiculous” and “prohibitive.”

Based on what we saw Wednesday, it appears that some of those prices have come down. Rather than asking for the moon and the stars, sellers began to settle for one or the other, sparking a flurry of activity that continued through the evening and into the early morning hours.

With a number of impact players still there for the taking, Thursday promises to be a busy day for buyers and sellers alike.

With time ticking away toward the 6 p.m. ET Trade Deadline, MLB.com looks at some of the most intriguing storylines that will play out in the hours ahead.

Will the Diamondbacks and Orioles control the Deadline?

The two teams with the most noteworthy expiring contracts, Arizona and Baltimore, have already been active in the lead-up to the Deadline.

The Diamondbacks dealt Josh Naylor to the Mariners and Randal Grichuk to the Royals, while the Orioles moved a trio of relievers, trading Gregory Soto to the Mets, Seranthony Dominguez to the Blue Jays and Andrew Kittredge to the Cubs.

Then came the big move late Wednesday night, when Arizona dealt Eugenio Suárez – the biggest power bat on the market – to Seattle, finishing off the Mariners’ corner-infield makeover.

Arizona’s remaining trade chips include Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly, two starting pitchers generating plenty of interest around the league. Both starters are set to become free agents at the end of the season.

Baltimore’s group is led by Ryan O’Hearn, who made his first All-Star team this summer and appears to be a solid fit for a number of contenders, including the Red Sox, Brewers and Rangers. Cedric Mullins is having a subpar year, but the center fielder showed what he can still do over the past five games, going 8-for-16 with two home runs, four doubles and seven RBIs along with some highlight-reel catches.

Ramon Laureano is another outfielder drawing interest, while the Orioles also have multiple starting pitchers in the final year before free agency: Charlie Morton, Zach Eflin and Tomoyuki Sugano.

Will the AL East be the most active division?

The first-place Blue Jays dealt for Seranthony Dominguez to bolster the bullpen, while the AL Wild Card-leading Yankees have already added three bats (Ryan McMahon, Amed Rosario, Austin Slater) and the Red Sox pulled a late-night deal with the Cardinals for Steven Matz. All three teams are currently in postseason position, while another (the Rays) is only a few games out; in other words, the AL East could be a busy place on Deadline day.

The Yankees are still looking to add a reliever or two and possibly a starter – preferably a controllable one. Having already added Dominguez, the Blue Jays will try to add another big bullpen arm, while the Red Sox could attempt to land both a starter and reliever, even after dealing for Matz.

The Rays may be the most interesting team, as it’s still unclear whether Tampa Bay will buy, sell or stand pat. President of baseball operations Erik Neander recently said the Rays are walking a “tightrope act,” evidenced by a pair of trades this week that saw them trade a catcher on an expiring contract (Danny Jansen) while acquiring another cheaper, more controllable backstop (Nick Fortes) shortly thereafter.

Wednesday night’s extra-inning loss to the Yankees – their eighth defeat in the past 10 games – dropped the Rays to 54-55, and while they remain within striking distance of the third AL Wild Card spot, they may have tipped their hand on how they’ll proceed.

Shortly after the loss, Tampa Bay traded Zack Littell as part of a three-team deal with the Reds and Dodgers. As one of the few remaining bubble teams, the Rays will have some big decisions to make on Thursday, as players including Pete Fairbanks, Yandy Diaz and Brandon Lowe will generate plenty of interest if they’re made available.

How many more relievers will be traded?

Relief pitchers were moving at a fast and furious pace on Wednesday, with nearly a dozen bullpen arms changing uniforms.

Jhoan Duran was the headliner, as the Twins traded their controllable closer to the Phillies for a pair of Top 100 prospects. The Cardinals dealt Ryan Helsley to the Mets for three prospects, while the Mets also sent three players to the Giants for Tyler Rogers.

Other relievers traded Wednesday included Caleb Ferguson (Pirates to Mariners), Taylor Rogers (Reds to Pirates), Tyler Kinley (Rockies to Braves), Rafael Montero (Braves to Tigers), Andrew Kittredge (Orioles to Cubs), Andrew Chafin and Luis Garcia (Nationals to Angels).

Expect more of the same on Thursday.

Relievers are always the most popular players at the Deadline, as every contending team can always use another good one. Pittsburgh’s David Bednar (and teammate Dennis Santana) are near locks to move, while Washington’s Kyle Finnegan, Miami’s Anthony Bender, Atlanta’s Raisel Iglesias, Minnesota’s Danny Coulombe, San Francisco's Camilo Doval and St. Louis’ Phil Maton are all likely to be dealt. Bednar is under control through 2026, making his price tag higher than some of the rentals on the market.

Some prominent controllable relievers are also in play, though it’s far from certain that any of them get moved. After trading Duran to the Phillies, Minnesota still has a coveted arm in Griffin Jax. Although it’s less likely that Minnesota will move Jax after trading Duran, sources said the Twins are prepared to listen to any interested teams, so never say never. Other controllable relievers include the Rays’ Pete Fairbanks and the Athletics’ Mason Miller, the latter of whom is en route to the Padres in a blockbuster, per a source on Friday.

Will Robert be the center of attention?

While a number of infielders have already been traded (Suárez, Naylor, Ryan McMahon, Ke’Bryan Hayes, Ramón Urías) this month, the only outfielders moved have been Grichuk and Austin Slater, who was dealt to the Yankees on Wednesday.

That could change Thursday, as three center fielders – Luis Robert Jr., Cedric Mullins and Harrison Bader – could all be on the move.

Robert has been connected to a number of clubs, though the Mets and Phillies have been seen as frontrunners for the soon-to-be 28-year-old (his birthday is Sunday). According to a source, the Phillies are also looking hard at Bader, whose cost might be more reasonable than Robert, who has a pair of $20 million club options for 2026-2027 that are complicating things.

The Mets could pivot to Mullins if the price tag for Robert proves to be more than they’re willing to pay, while the Padres are also lurking as they look to add an outfield bat.

Cease? Alcantara? Which starters will be moved?

Zack Littell became the most prominent starting pitcher traded as of Wednesday night, as the Rays sent him to the Reds as part of a three-team deal involving the Dodgers. Michael Soroka (Nationals to Cubs) and Steven Matz (Cardinals to Red Sox) were also dealt, but the big-name starters on the market hadn’t been traded by the time the calendar flipped to July 31.

Dylan Cease could be the first one off the board, as a source said the Astros had made the Padres’ right-hander their “main target.” Cease is slated to become a free agent at the end of the season, putting him in the same rental category as Arizona’s Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly.

Other rental starters include Adrian Houser (White Sox), Andrew Heaney (Pirates), Jose Quintana (Brewers), Charlie Morton, Tomoyuki Sugano and Zach Eflin (Orioles).

As for controllable starters, the Marlins have a pair that could bring back strong returns: Sandy Alcantara and Edward Cabrera. The Athletics are open to moving Luis Severino and Jeffrey Springs, and while Mitch Keller’s name has been out there as a trade candidate, it will likely take an enormous return to pry him away from the Pirates.