These 10 MLB players, who are available to some degree, could be dealt before the trade deadline and change the course of the 2025 season.
We’re just over a week until Major League Baseball‘s trade deadline, the annual final date for contending teams to improve from external sources for the remainder of the season. The expanded Wild Card round has altered the equation during trade season, as 21 of the 30 teams are in playoff position or within five games of a final Wild Card berth, following Tuesday’s games.
Teams like the Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Guardians, Minnesota Twins, Kansas City Royals, Texas Rangers, St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds, and San Francisco Giants are in this range, yet have playoff probabilities under 50 percent, per FanGraphs, and for nearly all these teams, an under-30 percent probability of making the postseason. Are they going to trade future assets to raise their current odds, or punt on this season in the hopes of obtaining assets for later?
These 10 MLB players who are available to some degree — five on expiring contracts and five under multi-year team control — could change the course of the 2025 season and improve any acquiring teams’ World Series odds.
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Players on Expiring Contracts
Eugenio Suárez, third baseman, Arizona Diamondbacks
The National League All-Star leads the league in both home runs and RBIs, and has slugged five dingers in his last three games since his 34th birthday on Friday. Despite some suspect defense, he’s second in WAR among third basemen and could provide a huge boost to any team in need of an infusion of offense. The New York Yankees have reported interest, and San Francisco and Detroit are in the bottom 10 in runs scored since July 1.
Seth Lugo, starting pitcher, Kansas City Royals
Last year’s AL Cy Young Award runner-up still has a sub-3 ERA this year, performing well enough that there’s a decent chance the 35-year-old elects free agency instead of opting in to his 2026 $15 million player option. Could Lugo be a headlining starter deep into October? He’s earned the right to be traded to a team ready to make that leap.
Sandy Alcántara, starting pitcher, Miami Marlins
After winning the NL Cy Young in 2023, he’s been brutally awful since missing the 2024 season following Tommy John surgery. His 7.14 ERA is the highest in baseball among pitchers with at least 70 innings pitched, yet he had shown some hope with a 4.34 ERA in June before slipping to 7.94 in July. Cincinnati and Toronto are two of the bottom 10 clubs in starters’ ERA since June 1, and could take a flyer on a formerly proven ace looking to regain his form going into free agency.
Merrill Kelly, starting pitcher, Arizona Diamondbacks
Kelly’s 3.22 ERA has stood out for a Dbacks team with the sixth-worst ERA in MLB, excelling while tied for the league lead in games started. The 36-year-old, going after one last big payday, still has plenty left in the tank for a contender as Arizona looks to offload players on expiring contracts. He registered a 2.25 ERA across four starts as the Snakes improbably reached the 2023 World Series.
Ryan O’Hearn, first baseman/designated hitter, Baltimore Orioles
The 31-year-old was an All-Star for the first time this year and boasts a strong .825 OPS for a disappointing Orioles team. But for a team looking at an impact bat that probably wouldn’t cost that much in terms of assets, O’Hearn can really help a team looking for depth on offense as a rental.
Players Under Team Control
Steven Kwan, outfielder, Cleveland Guardians
An All-Star for the second straight season and one of the best defenders in the game, it would take a lot for Cleveland to part with a 27-year-old who still has two more years of low-cost arbitration left on his contract. But if the Guardians, currently 2.5 games outside the final playoff spot after winning eight of 10, elect to sell big at the deadline, teams would be lining up to bid for Kwan’s services.
Jhoan Durán, relief pitcher, Minnesota Twins
Only three closers with at least 15 saves have an ERA lower than Durán’s 1.62, and all were named All-Stars this season. At 27 years old with a four-seam fastball that averages 100.3 miles per hour, a team trading for him — if Minnesota decides to sell at the deadline — would get a flamethrower in his prime with two more years of team control in arbitration.
Emmanuel Clase, relief pitcher, Cleveland Guardians
Clase led MLB in each of the last three seasons in saves and games finished, but has fallen back to mere mortal status in 2025 with a 2.86 ERA. Last year, the 27-year-old Dominican had an all-time great relief season with a 0.61 ERA in 74.1 innings while finishing third in AL Cy Young voting. With three years and $26.4 million left on his contract, Cleveland would have to really be thinking about rebuilding to trade one of its franchise cornerstones.
Kris Bubic, starting pitcher, Kansas City Royals
A first-time All-Star this year, the 27-year-old lefty would fetch even more than Lugo would with one more arbitration year left under contract. In 10 starts away from Kauffman Stadium this year, Bubic has a 1.95 ERA that would ideally translate for any acquiring contender.
Mitch Keller & David Bednar, starting pitcher & relief pitcher, Pittsburgh Pirates: Both of these players should be available for trade over the next week-plus. Pittsburgh’s laughably feeble offense has provided Keller with just three wins this season despite an above-average 3.48 ERA and an affordable three years and $55.7 million left on his contract. And Bednar is a quality reliever who ranks in the 95th percentile in strikeout rate, with one more year remaining on his contract, who can easily slide into a high-impact role in a contender’s bullpen.
As the rumors heat up and teams seriously look at upgrading their rosters before the end of the month, watch out for these players to be on the move in contenders’ championship pursuits.
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