7 players who could take advantage of Trade Deadline deals

With the eventful 2025 Trade Deadline behind us, the dust has settled and we can look forward to how the flurry of activity will impact the pennant race.

While much of the focus tends to be on the teams who were buyers -- we’re looking at you, San Diego -- the flip side of the equation can present some fascinating situations and opportunities for players to receive more playing time. Whether that’s a top prospect who was moved in a trade or a quality player who stayed in his organization but has a path to playing time following a big move, there are plenty of players who benefitted at the Deadline.

With this in mind, here are seven players who could take advantage of a Deadline Deal.

The following numbers are entering Thursday's games.

RHP Mick Abel, Twins
One of the two headlining prospects (along with Eduardo Tait) in the Jhoan Duran trade, Abel -- MLB Pipeline’s No. 91 overall prospect -- finds himself in a much better position to immediately get MLB starts. While Abel got a taste of MLB action earlier this season -- he had a 5.04 ERA in six starts -- the Phillies rotation is the best in baseball and boasts a plethora of quality options. For a Minnesota team that sold a lot of its roster and will likely enter a rebuilding or retooling phase, Abel will get ample chances in the Majors.

RHP Bubba Chandler, Pirates
You can argue that there was already a spot for Chandler in the Pirates rotation, but trading Bailey Falter to the Royals has opened significant innings for Pittsburgh’s top pitching prospect. Chandler -- the Pirates’ No. 2 prospect and No. 5 overall -- has a 3.22 ERA and 113 strikeouts in 92 2/3 innings this season with Triple-A Indianapolis. The 46 walks and 11.4 percent walk rate signal that he still needs to iron out his command, but Chandler’s ability to miss bats and durability -- he cleared 110 innings in 2023 and ‘24 -- could make him an immediate impact starter.

1B Tyler Locklear, D-backs
Locklear was the best of three prospects sent to the D-backs in the Eugenio Suárez deal. Locklear -- ranked as Pipeline’s No. 6 D-backs prospect -- was immediately promoted to the Majors following the trade after spending his entire season with Seattle’s Triple-A Tacoma (he posted a .536 OPS in 16 games last season with the Mariners). Locklear can really hit, evidenced by his career .895 OPS in 325 Minor League games, and he’ll get ample time at first base for the D-backs which, funny enough, is due to Arizona’s other trade with the Mariners involving Josh Naylor. Locklear has been batting fifth or sixth in the lineup since his promotion, posting a .710 OPS with a home run in six games with Arizona.

1B Bryce Eldridge, Giants
Of all the players included on this list, Eldridge seems like the least likely to appear in the Majors the rest of the season. The 20-year-old Eldridge -- Pipeline’s No. 1 Giants prospect and No. 17 overall -- is knocking on the door of the Majors and has produced an .871 OPS and 11 home runs in 33 games since joining Triple-A Sacramento. Even with the Giants selling at the Deadline and opening up space for someone like Eldridge to get an extended MLB run, will San Francisco actually promote him? While Rafael Devers is manning first base now, Eldridge could still receive plenty of playing time at designated hitter with some first base mixed in. The more likely scenario is Eldridge is penciled into the 2026 plans for the Giants, but don't count out a potential taste of the Majors come September.

INF Curtis Mead, White Sox
Mead might have graduated from “post-hype prospect” but he’s still intriguing enough to warrant another long look in the Majors. Acquired in the Adrian Houser deal, Mead is still just 24 years old, has a career .878 OPS in the Minors and was recently viewed as a highly-touted prospect, ranking as Pipeline’s No. 33 overall prospect before the 2023 season and No. 55 prospect before ‘24. Now with the White Sox, he joins a talented group of young position players and could get a long leash to prove his worth. That's even more true with primary first baseman Miguel Vargas on the shelf with an oblique strain, opening everyday at-bats for Mead.

RHP Cade Cavalli, Nationals
It's been quite the journey for Cavalli, the Nationals first-round pick (No. 22 overall) in the 2020 Draft. Ranked as a top 100 prospect in three straight years from 2021-23, Cavalli dealt with command issues in the Minors, underwent Tommy John surgery in March 2023 and made just one MLB appearance in 2022 before he made his most recent start against the A's on Wednesday. Despite being 26 years old, we saw the flashes of why Cavalli has been on the radar for so long, as the right-hander threw 4 1/3 innings and struck out six A's hitters on Wednesday, while inducing 19 whiffs, sitting 97.3 mph on the fastball and showing nasty secondary stuff.

RHP Luis Morales, A’s
The A’s traded high-octane closer Mason Miller at the Deadline, landing them Leo De Vries, the No. 3 overall prospect in baseball. Likely not a coincidence, the A’s quickly promoted Morales -- the club’s No. 3 prospect and No. 80 overall -- shortly after the trade was finalized. After trying to develop Morales as a starter, the A’s moved him to the bullpen for his last nine games in Triple-A before his promotion and are using him in a relief role in the Majors. Morales could find himself pitching high-leverage innings in short order with the stuff he possesses.