6 trades that make too much sense not to happen

8:00 PM UTC

Time is getting short before the 2025 Trade Deadline arrives on Thursday at 6 p.m. ET.

While a number of deals are already complete, and rumors continue to fly fast, there is still much business left to do. But here at MLB.com, we want to make life easier for busy front offices across the Majors. Therefore, we asked six of our writers to put together compelling trade proposals -- one representing a significant buyer from each division.

2025 MLB Trade Deadline: Thursday, 6 p.m. ET
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Here is a look at these proposals and our writers’ arguments for why they make too much sense not to happen.

*All stats are entering play Tuesday

AL EAST

Yankees, Nationals take the long view

Yankees get: LHP and RHP
Nationals get: RHP (Yankees' No. 2 prospect, No. 94 overall), RHP (Yankees' No. 3 prospect, No. 95 overall), C/1B (Yankees' No. 8 prospect) and OF (Yankees' No. 15 prospect)

Why it makes sense: At this point, it's worth asking whether the Yankees should be going all-in on 2025. Acquiring Ryan McMahon, under contract through 2027, made them better without throwing resources at what may be a lost cause -- this deal would do the same, just on a more dramatic scale.

The Yankees and Nationals have already dealt with each other this month, so we know the line is open. Breakout star Gore (3.52 ERA, 11.0 K/9) is 26 years old, entering his first year of arbitration, and profiles a lot like current Yankee Carlos Rodón and perpetual trade target Dylan Cease. Finnegan (4.38 ERA, 1.28 WHIP) is a serviceable reliever as is. And from another angle, he's a guy who came up with a good fastball but never figured out how to miss bats, which is basically where the Yankees found Luke Weaver, who is now a load-bearing player on that roster.

This return, in theory, would let the Yankees keep the prospects they're unwilling to part with (No. 1 and No. 4 ) while giving the Nationals talent they can use in a future Wild Card bid; Schlittler (who debuted on July 9) and Lagrange are hard-throwing righties with the potential to stick in the rotation, although Lagrange's arsenal could work just as well in the 9th. The Nats are incredibly thin behind the plate, and Flores, although not a great defensive catcher, has done nothing but hit in the Minors. Pereira, despite his declining prospect status, is a good outfielder with raw power who could slot in immediately to fill some gaps.

-- Shanthi Sepe-Chepuru

AL CENTRAL

Tigers shore up both ends of their pitching staff

Tigers get: RHP and RHP
Pirates get: SS (Tigers' No. 3 prospect, No. 34 overall), OF (Tigers' No. 8 prospect), 2B (Tigers' No. 9 prospect) and LHP (Tigers' No. 14 prospect)

Why it makes sense: The first-place Tigers still have a huge lead in the AL Central, but all is not rosy for a team that looked like a juggernaut in the first half. Detroit recently lost 12 of 13 games and is in need of multiple upgrades to improve its chances of making a deep postseason run.

The Tigers traded for Chris Paddack on Monday to take the rotation spot vacated by the injured Reese Olson, but they need to aim higher and have the farm system to do so. Keller could slot in behind Tarik Skubal and Jack Flaherty in the Tigers’ postseason rotation, while Bednar would give the club’s late-inning relief corps some much-needed swing-and-miss potential. This may seem like an aggressive move for the Tigers, but that’s the type of mindset they need to have when Skubal is eligible for free agency after 2026. It’s also a deal that would help for multiple years, with Keller signed through 2028 and Bednar controllable through ’26.

From the Pirates’ perspective, this trade would add some promising young position players -- including MLB Pipeline’s No. 34 overall prospect Rainer -- to a franchise with a talent base that skews toward the pitching side.

-- Thomas Harrigan

AL WEST

Mariners' aggressiveness leads to multiple late-inning arms

Mariners get: RHP and RHP
Cardinals get: RHP (Mariners' No. 5 prospect, No. 59 overall), OF (Mariners' No. 11 prospect) and RHP (Mariners' No. 17 prospect)

Why it makes sense: This is Jerry Dipoto’s time to shine. The Mariners’ president of baseball operations loves to make a deal; his nickname is “Trader Jerry” for a reason. This past weekend, he said he is “dialed on” looking for bullpen upgrades.

“We will be as aggressive in that area of the market as just about anybody I would imagine,” he said.

Seattle’s bullpen is anchored by two hard-throwing right-handers with unhittable sliders: closer Andrés Muñoz and setup man Matt Brash. But there is plenty of room for improvement behind that duo, and the Mariners could turbocharge their ‘pen with a couple of rental relievers from St. Louis.

Helsley, a two-time All-Star, has been one of baseball’s best late-inning pitchers since 2022. He hasn’t been as brilliant this year, with his ERA reaching 3.00 and his strikeout rate down to 26.1%. But his high-80s slider still generates a lot of swing-and-miss. Maton doesn’t light up radar guns like Helsley, but has still registered a 30.4% K rate this year and generates soft contact like few others in the game (99th percentile hard-hit rate).

The fact that both pitchers are pending free agents should make the cost to acquire them somewhat manageable. But considering that Seattle has eight of MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 Prospects, it can meet just about anyone’s asking price. This trade would fetch the Cardinals a couple of big arms in Sloan and Cranton, and the 17-year-old Bautista, who is nicknamed "La Bestia" -- The Beast.

-- Brian Murphy

NL EAST

Phillies bolster lineup with potential impact bat

Phillies get: OF
White Sox get: RHP (Phillies' No. 8 prospect) and OF (Phillies' No. 11 prospect)

Why it makes sense: The Phillies appear to be prioritizing bullpen help at the Deadline, hoping to shore up a unit that has teetered for much of the season. That’s a prudent decision, but it’s not the only area in which Philadelphia could use reinforcements.

The Phillies entered play on Tuesday with just a .611 OPS from their center fielders, the seventh-worst figure in the Majors. Brandon Marsh (.678 OPS) and Johan Rojas (.571 OPS) simply haven’t hit enough to warrant everyday reps, even with solid defense -- and Marsh’s defense has slipped; he's posting a career-low -2 Outs Above Average.

Enter Robert, who is showing significant signs of life after a woeful start to the season. He’s slashing .318/.412/.545 in 13 games since returning from the injured list on July 8, looking more like the player who received down-ballot MVP votes in 2023. Robert even homered off Cristopher Sánchez on Monday night, providing the Phillies with a preview of what they could be getting.

As for the return, the Phillies have the appropriate prospect capital to trade from, touting six of MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 prospects. But there might even be a world where the Phillies can hold onto their upper-echelon of young talent while still landing Robert. In this case, a package of Chace and the 19-year-old Burkholder provide the White Sox with two players better suited for their future plans than Robert.

-- Jared Greenspan

NL CENTRAL

Cubs acquire slugging 3B and dependable SP

Cubs get: 3B and RHP
D-backs get: OF (Cubs' No. 4 prospect, No. 76 overall), RHP (Cubs' No. 5 prospect, No. 91 overall) and 2B/OF (Cubs' No. 10 prospect)

Why it makes sense: The Cubs have received just a .574 OPS from their third basemen, tied with the Pirates for the worst mark of any team in the Majors. Their starting pitchers are roughly middle of the pack but are still one impact starter short of fielding a competitive playoff rotation. Enter Suárez and Kelly, both of whom are impending free agents.

Suárez has mashed 36 home runs with an .898 OPS and has produced at an elite level for over a year now. For a Cubs lineup that already has a strong case for the best in baseball, adding Suárez might solidify that argument. After losing Justin Steele to elbow surgery in April, the Cubs need another playoff-caliber starter, which Kelly certainly qualifies as. The 36-year-old right-hander has a 3.22 ERA and 2.2 WAR in 22 starts and has produced at a similar level in three of the last four years.

It’s a steep prospect return for the Cubs, but Suárez reportedly has no shortage of suitors, which will only drive up the price. That will benefit the D-backs, who land two Top 100 prospects in this deal, both of whom could realistically be options in the Majors the last few months of the season. Alcántara and Wiggins are both high-upside prospects with enough volatility that they make sense in a trade for two impending free agents. Triantos projects as a utility player who could likewise be in the Majors soon.

-- Brent Maguire

NL WEST

Dodgers secure much-needed relief help

Dodgers get: RHP and RHP
Twins get: OF (Dodgers' No. 2 prospect, No. 30 overall), RHP (Dodgers' No. 8 prospect), RHP (Dodgers' No. 14 prospect), LHP

Why it makes sense: A major component of the Dodgers’ recent struggles has been their bullpen, which owns a 24th-ranked 4.34 ERA on the season. While they’re still atop the NL West standings, they’d prefer a little more distance between themselves and the rest of the pack. And most importantly, in the postseason, pitching is ever so magnified -- especially in the late innings.

Enter Duran -- one of the game’s best closers -- and Jax, one of the game’s best late-inning relievers. Duran possesses a triple-digit fastball and a devastating splitter to go along with a knuckle-curve and a sweeper, a repertoire that has his ERA sitting at 2.01. And Jax is second among MLB relievers with 72 strikeouts. He also has a strikeout-to-walk ratio over 5.

With a star-studded starting rotation getting healthier and the addition of two elite relievers to the back end of the bullpen, the Dodgers would position themselves nicely for another deep October run. While the general thought surrounding the front office has been that the Dodgers would rather not deal from among the organization’s best prospects, they are aiming to become the first team to repeat as World Series champions since the Yankees a quarter century ago. And both Duran and Jax have three years of club control remaining after this season.

On the other side of the ledger, the Twins would be getting back three Major League-ready arms from one of the best farm systems in baseball, not to mention Hope, who is one of the best outfield prospects in the game.

-- Manny Randhawa