Everything you need to know about the 2025 Trade Deadline

With the 2025 Trade Deadline just one day away, here's everything you need to know.

What time is the MLB Trade Deadline?

• When is the MLB Trade Deadline? For 2025, it is this Thursday, July 31, at 6 p.m. ET.

• For many years, the Deadline was always on July 31 at 4 p.m. ET. The Commissioner's Office can now set the Deadline for any date between July 28 and Aug. 3, in an effort to avoid conflicting with games.

What is the MLB Trade Deadline?

• The Trade Deadline is the last point during the season at which players on 40-man rosters can be traded from one club to another. Those players may still be placed and claimed on outright waivers, but trades will no longer be permitted after July 31 at 6 p.m. ET. Prior to 2019, July 31 was referred to as the non-waiver Trade Deadline, and players could be traded after that date if they first cleared revocable trade waivers. The August waiver trade period was eliminated in 2019, with MLB moving to a single Deadline.

• Minor Leaguers not on 40-man rosters can still be traded after the Deadline. However, any player must be in an organization by the end of Aug. 31 (whether on the 40-man roster or not) in order to be eligible to appear in the postseason for that club.

Read more here.

Where can I follow MLB Trade Deadline news?

• News and rumors: Stay up to date on all the latest Trade Deadline rumblings here.

Who are the top trade candidates?

Here are some of the notable players who have been mentioned in trade rumors leading up to the Deadline:

• Starting Pitchers: Sandy Alcantara (Marlins), Tyler Anderson (Angels), Shane Bieber (Guardians), Edward Cabrera (Marlins), Dylan Cease (Padres), Zach Eflin (Orioles), Zac Gallen (D-backs), Andrew Heaney (Pirates), Adrian Houser (White Sox), Mitch Keller (Pirates), Merrill Kelly (D-backs), Charlie Morton (Orioles), Joe Ryan (Twins), Luis Severino (Athletics), Michael Soroka (Nationals), Tomoyuki Sugano (Orioles)

• Relief Pitchers: David Bednar (Pirates), Anthony Bender (Marlins), Jake Bird (Rockies), Danny Coulombe (Twins), Pete Fairbanks (Rays), Kyle Finnegan (Nationals), Seth Halvorsen (Rockies), Raisel Iglesias (Braves), Griffin Jax (Twins), Kenley Jansen (Angels), Andrew Kittredge (Orioles), Phil Maton (Cardinals), Mason Miller (Athletics), Dennis Santana (Pirates), Robert Suarez (Padres), Victor Vodnik (Rockies)

• Position players: Nolan Arenado (Cardinals), Harrison Bader (Twins), Josh Bell (Nationals), Willi Castro (Twins), Yandy Díaz (Rays), Jarren Duran (Red Sox), Adolis García (Rangers), Steven Kwan (Guardians), Brandon Lowe (Rays), Starling Marte (Mets), Yoán Moncada (Angels), Cedric Mullins (Orioles), Ryan O'Hearn (Orioles), Marcell Ozuna (Braves), Luis Robert Jr. (White Sox), Jesus Sanchez (Marlins), Eugenio Suárez (D-backs), Taylor Ward (Angels)

What are the key storylines to watch?

Will the D-backs move Suárez's big bat?

The D-backs have a bevy of quality players who will be free agents after this season. They traded one of them on July 24, sending first baseman Josh Naylor to the Mariners. Starting pitchers Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly are popular trade candidates, but the most impactful hitter available at this year's Deadline is another player on an expiring contract: Eugenio Suárez.

The 34-year-old has 36 homers, which would be the most home runs by a player before they were traded during the season, surpassing the 34 dingers Mark McGwire hit for the 1997 A's before he was shipped to the Cardinals. But will any team meet Arizona's reportedly high price? Suárez's prodigious power could bring back a haul for the D-backs, especially in a trade market that lacks game-changing power hitters. The Cubs and Mariners are among the clubs reportedly interested in him.

Will any team make a big splash for a starting pitcher?

Zac Gallen, Mitch Keller and Sandy Alcantara (more on him in a bit) are among the starters whose names appear most often in trade rumors. Those are certainly useful arms, but Gallen and Alcantara have not been at their best this year, and Keller has been just slightly above league average since the start of 2022, posting a 105 ERA+.

So, it seems unlikely that a bona fide ace will be traded this summer. But ... maybe there is still a chance. Keep an eye on a couple of 2025 All-Stars: the Twins' Joe Ryan and the Nationals' MacKenzie Gore. Both hurlers are in their prime and under club control through 2027, so they won't come cheap. However, their respective clubs are reportedly considering offers.

Ryan owns a 2.82 ERA and the fourth-best strikeout-minus-walk rate in MLB this year (23.8%). Gore's K rate is at a personal-best 29.4%, which ranks seventh among qualified starters. A trade involving either of them could end up being this Deadline's headline move.

Who will be the next impact reliever on the move?

The bullpen market got active in a hurry on Wednesday as the Phillies acquired Twins closer Jhoan Duran, and the Mets responded by trading for Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley. Many other marquee names could be dealt soon, too.

The A's are reportedly listening to offers for Mason Miller. The Pirates have a couple of late-inning arms on the block (David Bednar and Dennis Santana). There's Padres closer Robert Suarez, Angels closer Kenley Jansen, Rays closer Pete Fairbanks, Braves closer Raisel Iglesias, and myriad middle relievers who can build the bridge to those pitchers in the ninth.

Every contender is on the hunt for bullpen help leading up to every Trade Deadline. There are plenty of good options available for those teams this year.

What’s next for the Red Sox after trading Devers?

The Red Sox stunned the baseball world on June 15, sending All-Star slugger Rafael Devers to the Giants for a package headlined by Jordan Hicks and Kyle Harrison. While the tension between Devers and the club had sparked speculation about a possible trade down the line, few expected it to happen in June -- and certainly not with Boston fresh off a sweep of the Yankees.

The trade sparked numerous questions, perhaps none bigger than what it signaled about the Red Sox’s direction this season and how they would approach the Trade Deadline. It appeared the deal might lead to the club being sellers, but after ripping off a 10-game win streak prior to the All-Star break, Boston now holds a Wild Card spot and looks like Deadline buyers.

Will Sandy actually stay in Miami?

Alcantara's name has been bandied about in trade rumors since the spring. It was widely presumed that he would be one of the top pitchers traded prior to this year's Deadline, if not the No. 1 starter. Then this season began.

The 2022 National League Cy Young Award winner has had a very rough first year back from Tommy John surgery, with his strikeout rate at an all-time low and his walk rate at a four-year high. His ERA has pushed past 6.00. Now what seemed like a foregone conclusion -- Alcantara playing for some other team by Aug. 1 -- appears to be in doubt.

The Marlins have another starter in 27-year-old Edward Cabrera, who is reportedly the more coveted pitcher of the two. Cabrera is having a stellar season and is arbitration-eligible for three more years after 2025. Alcantara is owed about $24 million through 2026 and carries a $21 million club option for ‘27.

How much will the Orioles sell?

No one in Baltimore expected this. After back-to-back playoff appearances and 192 wins over the past two seasons, the Orioles have plummeted into the cellar of the AL East. They dismissed manager Brandon Hyde in May and have been hamstrung all year long by a pitching staff that ranks among the worst in the Majors.

Baltimore has a bunch of veterans on expiring contracts who could be on the move soon. That group includes starting pitchers Zach Eflin, Charlie Morton and Tomoyuki Sugano, All-Star first baseman/designated hitter Ryan O'Hearn and outfielder Cedric Mullins. The Orioles have already traded three relievers this month: Bryan Baker (to the Rays), Gregory Soto (to the Mets) and Seranthony Domínguez (to the Blue Jays).

What happened at the 2024 Trade Deadline?

Jazz Chisholm Jr., Jack Flaherty, Tommy Edman and Tanner Scott were some of the best players traded last year. If you would like a full refresher on what went down ahead of the 2024 Deadline, click here.