As we sit here with one week remaining in June, we know two things for certain:
- The league-wide standings are as tight as they’ve been in quite a while, with 25 of the 30 teams either holding a postseason spot or within single digits of one.
- Once the calendar flips to July next week, all eyes will be on the trade market leading up to the July 31 Trade Deadline.
With that in mind, it seemed like a good time to open up the ol’ inbox and answer your trade-related questions. You can always send me your questions and thoughts on X (@feinsand), but without further ado, let’s get started.
(Some questions have been edited for length and clarity)
More serious option for the Dodgers: Chris Sale or Sandy Alcantara?
-- @kbmamba11191
Sale’s fractured left rib cage could keep him out until August, but I doubt Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos would have moved the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner even if he was still healthy.
Alcantara, on the other hand, should be very available, though the Marlins’ asking price won’t be cheap -- especially now that the right-hander seems to have turned his season around after a brutal two-month start in his return from elbow surgery. Alcantara has a 2.74 ERA in four June starts after beating the Braves on Sunday, lowering his season ERA from 8.47 to 6.69 in the process.
Now, will the Dodgers do what it takes to acquire the 2022 Cy Young winner? That will likely depend on the status of some of their injured pitchers, specifically Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki. Los Angeles has the makings of an All-Star rotation, but if health continues to be an issue, I wouldn’t be surprised to see president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman get aggressive before the Deadline.
Can the Dodgers buy and sell (with players like Tony Gonsolin, Dustin May and Landon Knack)?
-- @aletz99
Sticking with the defending champions, it’s an interesting thought for the Dodgers to join the buy-and-sell trend that we’ve seen other clubs employ. The biggest difference, of course, is that typically we see small-to-mid-market teams take this approach, as they often need to shed payroll in order to take on other salaries.
That’s not the case with Los Angeles, though if the rotation is healthier by late-July and Friedman believes there are other holes to fill, the idea of using some of its depth in the back of the rotation to address those needs makes sense.
If everyone is healthy, it’s tough to see a path for any of those three pitchers you named playing a major role in the postseason -- assuming they even make the roster. Gonsolin is likely out until at least August, so it seems like a long shot that he will be dealt, but it’s possible that May or Knack (or even Emmet Sheehan) could be moved in the right situation.
Who are the Rockies going to trade?
-- @rockiesfan0416
One of the reasons Colorado is 18-60 is a lack of impact players, so while the Rockies are obvious sellers, finding trade candidates on their roster isn’t as easy as you might think.
That’s not to say that GM Bill Schmidt won’t draw interest in some of his guys, including reliever Seth Halvorsen, who owns a triple-digit fastball and the ability to get ground balls, and Jake Bird, who has been one of the most effective bullpen arms in the league.
The Rockies’ most interesting trade candidate may be Ryan McMahon, who is signed for $16 million in each of the next two years after 2025. McMahon has 10 home runs and a .901 OPS since the beginning of May, overcoming a sluggish start. There are teams in need of a third baseman including the Yankees and Tigers, so if the Rockies are willing to part with McMahon, they should be able to get a solid return.
Out of the D-Backs, Orioles and Red Sox, who do you think will be sellers at Deadline? And who could be moved from that team?
-- @VTwins2008
The obvious answer right now is the Orioles, as the Red Sox entered the week only a half-game out of an AL Wild Card spot and the D-Backs were only 3 1/2 games back in the NL Wild Card race.
Baltimore sits 6 1/2 games behind the final Wild Card spot, though the Orioles have the AL’s third-worst record, so they still have a big hill to climb to get themselves into true contention.
Now … a lot can happen over the next five weeks, so to say that any of these three teams will or won’t be sellers is simply premature. The Orioles and D-Backs would be the most intriguing sellers in the league, as they each have a number of expiring contracts that would help a number of contenders.
If the Orioles sell, we could see Zach Eflin, Tomoyuki Sugano, Cedric Mullins and Ryan O'Hearn among those on the move, as all are slated to become free agents after the season. For Arizona, the expiring contracts include Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, Eugenio Suárez, Josh Naylor, Shelby Miller and Jalen Beeks, all of whom would be in demand should the D-Backs ultimately become sellers.
The Red Sox are a little trickier. After trading Rafael Devers to the Giants, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow made it clear that the move was not a signal that Boston was waving a white flag on 2025. They have some money to spend now, so I would expect the Sox to be buyers rather than sellers, but there’s a long way to go before we know that for sure.
Do you think the Red Sox could acquire a really good hitter like, say, Raffy Devers?
-- @castrovince
Seems unlikely. One of these days Boston will get a guy like that, though. Thanks for checking in, Castro.
What will the Padres address at the Deadline?
-- @ItsDimitreee
San Diego’s No. 1 need is in left field, so names such as Taylor Ward, Luis Robert Jr. and Jesús Sánchez will continue to be connected to the Padres until they’re traded or the Deadline passes.
GM A.J. Preller is one of the most aggressive and creative executives in the game, so it wouldn’t shock anyone to see the Padres also play the buy-and-sell game. Dylan Cease is in his final year before free agency, so perhaps Preller will look to move him for more controllable arms. The Padres might need to add pitching regardless, though they will need some clarity on the health of Michael King and Yu Darvish before making that call.
Will the Padres trade for Sean Murphy?
-- @JasonLSwitzer
Catching would be the other primary need for San Diego, which ranks 13th in the NL with a .607 OPS from its backstops this season.
Murphy has struggled since 2023 (his first year with Atlanta), when he made the first All-Star team of his career. Murphy played in only 72 games last season, posting a .636 OPS and 76 OPS+, though he’s rebounded to some extent in 2025 (.751 OPS, 107 OPS+ in 45 games).
Murphy might be the only controllable player the Braves consider moving, as Drake Baldwin could step in as the everyday catcher right away. Atlanta needs starting pitching, though this week against the Mets and Phillies could help determine just how much of a buyer (or seller) the Braves could be next month.
I would say it’s more likely that Murphy stays with Atlanta through the season, after which the Braves could potentially shop him during the winter. It’s also possible that Murphy and Baldwin share catching and DH duties next season, with Marcell Ozuna set to become a free agent at the end of the year -- assuming he’s not traded, of course.