July 21 update! Ranking top 2026 MLB trade deadline candidates

---

Chance of being traded: 10%
Rest-of-season impact: Game-changing
Years of control: Two more years after 2026, at a little over $15 million per year

The buzz: Buxton told reporters “I’m a Twin” on June 18, and Twins general manager Jeremy Zoll followed up by saying “it’s not something we’re exploring. It’s not something we plan to explore.” So, while we’ve dropped the odds from unlikely (30%) to extremely unlikely (10%), removing Buxton from the board altogether discounts the possibility of a team blowing away Minnesota with an offer that’s too good to refuse.

The scouting report: The report on Buxton is still pretty similar to when he went No. 2 in the 2012 draft: elite runner and defender with loud bat speed. The difference is the bat speed in high school turned into regular in-game power by his mid-20s and now, in his early 30s, he is hitting some of the high-end projections for 30-plus homer potential more than a decade later. Basically everything you dreamed of with Buxton has come true, with injuries/durability being the only negative.

Best fits: Phillies, Padres, Diamondbacks, Braves, Rays, Cardinals, Yankees, Rangers.

---

3. Joe Ryan, RHP, Minnesota Twins

Chance of being traded: 35%
Rest-of-season impact: High
Years of control: One more year after 2026

The buzz: Ryan was one of the lone survivors after the Twins’ teardown last deadline — and Minnesota was deep into discussions on deals involving him, as well. So, a move would surprise nobody, particularly considering that Ryan looks better than ever this season.

Here are the pitchers with better K-BB% this year: Jacob Misiorowski, Paul Skenes, Jacob deGrom and Cristopher Sanchez. That’s it. Calling him a front-line starter is not just Minnesota Nice. It’s a reality, and contenders — even ones with good rotations — will be lining up the moment the Twins declare Ryan available.

The scouting report: Ryan is doing the thing a lot of teams are hunting for in the draft as one of the most valuable ways of throwing the baseball: utilizing huge extension, lower slot and solid lift to his fastball with good command.

It was called an “invisiball” early in his pro career, and it is along the same lines as the biggest advantages that Bryan Woo or Spencer Strider have, among others. Ryan gets a strong separation of his arsenal — four-seamer, two-seamer, splitter, slider, sweeper and curve — covering basically all of the possible spots on a pitch movement graph. This is the highest evolution of a pitcher combining deception/angles/deep pitch mix.

Best fits: Cubs, Padres, A’s, Diamondbacks, Braves, White Sox, Nationals, Blue Jays, Cardinals.

---

Chance of being traded: 40%
Rest-of-season impact: High
Years of control: Three more years after 2026

The buzz: Less than a year after giving up one of the top prospects in baseball in shortstop Leo De Vries to acquire Miller, the Padres are considering moving him. They would love to attach Xander Bogaerts’ onerous contract to any trade, but that would severely limit their return and, frankly, nobody’s going to take it. That leaves the Padres in a position to dangle the best reliever in baseball and see what kind of bites they get. There will be plenty. Miller is a true game changer, the king of the ninth, and with even the best teams always in need of another lockdown reliever, Miller’s status will run parallel with the Padres’. If they don’t turn things around soon, he could be an ex-Padre by Aug. 3.

The scouting report: If you’ve watched baseball this year, you’re aware of Miller’s incredible performance (near the top of historical lists in ERA, ERA estimators, WAR, strikeout rate, etc.) and have a pretty good idea why what he does is working. The basic version is he throws really hard (101.3 mph on average for his four-seam fastball) and that arm speed makes his power sweeper even harder to hit.

That’s true, but also, both are helped by Miller’s big extension (80th percentile in baseball at 6.8 feet, which helps his fastball shape), his supinator bias (i.e. he naturally cuts all of his pitches) and his command (strong given his outlier velocity). Add all of those traits together with being a late bloomer from a small college, and you have the model teams are following now as they look for hidden gems outside of the top few rounds of the draft.

Best fits: Yankees, Mariners, Phillies, Brewers, Pirates, Rays

---

Chance of being traded: 10%
Rest-of-season impact: High
Years of control: Two more years after 2026

The buzz: The A’s are always going to listen, but they have told teams that they have zero desire to trade Langeliers, who is arguably the best catcher in the big leagues. He’s on the list anyway because the A’s pitching has dragged them out of playoff contention, and moving Langeliers with multiple years of control would bring back a whale of a package and the sorts of arms they could use. Still, between his power and presence behind the plate, the 28-year-old has established himself as one of the central parts of a future A’s resurgence. And if they want to go to Las Vegas in 2028 with a wrecking-crew offense they have hoped to build, Langeliers figures to find himself right in the middle of it. The prospect of a contract extension, with agent Scott Boras guiding the talks, is less likely.

The scouting report: Langeliers is third in baseball in catcher WAR this season (behind Dillon Dingler and Gabriel Moreno). He’s a solid defensive catcher who stands out more for his arm than his framing and blocking, but the selling point here is the bat.

He already has hit 22 homers in 89 games this year, making this his fourth straight season with at least 22 homers; he’s second only to Cal Raleigh in homers among catchers in that span. This year and last include basically all of his career bests, and he is on pace to land right near last year’s 4.0 WAR total that was third among catchers last season.

Best fits: Rays, Yankees, Red Sox, Rangers, Phillies

---

Chance of being traded: 30%
Rest-of-season impact: High
Years of control: Three more years after 2026

The buzz: The Angels are at very least listening, which is more than they’ve done at past deadlines, and the 25-year-old Neto is an awfully intriguing option when Jeremy Pena’s and CJ Abrams’ availability at shortstop is in question.

The biggest curiosity in the industry right now is just how much Angels owner Arte Moreno will allow interim general manager John Mozeliak to maneuver — and if the full rebuild the team needs can start to happen under a temporary employee. Mozeliak is a veteran of trade-deadline navigation and the winner of a World Series in St. Louis, so he’s capable of executing any deal. And the return on Neto would be enormous. Four-win shortstops are not easy to come by, and Neto has consistently proved himself just that — with room to grow.

The scouting report: Neto has been quietly very productive, the ninth-best hitting shortstop in the league over the past three seasons (15% above average at the plate), while ranking fifth in homers (68) and stealing 69 bases.

He’s a solid runner with a good arm but comes up a bit short in defensive metrics for his range, especially going up the middle (minus-16 runs in that area over the past three seasons).

Neto’s spot on the power/contact spectrum and his range up the middle are the only two questions for teams to think about when acquiring him for his three-plus remaining control years.

Best fits: Boston, Atlanta, Toronto, Minnesota, Tampa Bay, New York Yankees

---

Chance of being traded: 35%
Rest-of-season impact: High
Years of control: One more year after 2026

The buzz: After nearly signing a contract extension last year, Peña hired agent Scott Boras and put the kibosh on the deal. Now, Houston finds itself in a pickle: always wanting to contend, lacking the roster to do it.

Replenishing a bad farm system with few players close to the big leagues takes a move like trading Peña, and the only question at this point is whether it will be before Aug. 3 or before the Dec. 1 lockout. No longer are the Astros in the position they were when they held onto George Springer, Carlos Correa and Alex Bregman all the way to free agency. This is a Kyle Tucker situation — only now the Astros aren’t good, either, which could precipitate moving their shortstop before the deadline. The one potential drawback from Houston’s perspective: There aren’t a whole lot of contenders in the market for a shortstop, and it might make more sense to wait until the winter.

The scouting report: Peña has always been a plus defender at shortstop with a strong power/speed combo, but his feel for hitting and pitch selection comes and goes. He made the most of Daikin Park’s Crawford Boxes by leaning into power and pull/lift, and his 2025 baseball card stats ran hot with better-than-you’d-expect outcomes on balls in play fueling a 5.7 WAR season. Expect more years in line with his other WAR figures (2.7 to 3.3) for the next few seasons.

Best fits: Braves, Rays, Yankees, Blue Jays, Red Sox.

---

Chance of being traded: 15%
Rest-of-season impact: High
Years of control: Three more years after 2026

The buzz: Goodman was never even a top-10 prospect for the Rockies, lurking underneath the radar with his powerful right-handed stroke and enough chops to remain at catcher even as there were calls for him to move to first base. He has evolved into one of the best power hitters in baseball, following his 31-homer breakout last season with 30 pumps through the Rockies’ first 101 games.

As much as the Rockies have waited years for another homegrown star, they are in such a dire pitching situation that Goodman at least offers them an opportunity to land high-ceiling arms. Colorado is not looking to deal him, but should the right suitor call, new president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta certainly won’t hang up.

The scouting report: Goodman’s scouting report that pushed him to the fourth round in the 2021 draft out of Memphis was pretty simple: big power/bat speed, iffy contact, iffy pitch selection, iffy defense behind the plate. That’s still largely the report, though he has improved a lot behind the plate to be basically average now.

But Goodman also has plus-plus power and gets to it in games with a modern, pull-heavy approach; he’s on pace for at least 40 bombs this year.

There’s risk that any further regression in contact ability, pitch selection, bat speed, health or swing mechanics could make him one-dimensional, but park isn’t a concern here: Both this year and in his pro career, his wRC+ is better on the road.

Best fits: Yankees, Red Sox, Phillies, Rangers, Rays

---

Chance of being traded: 25%
Rest-of-season impact: High
Years of control: Two more years after 2026

The buzz: For all of teams’ reticence regarding Abrams — particularly with his propensity to have bonanza first halves and wither after the All-Star break — his performance this season is undeniable. He hits for average. He hits for power. He steals bases. He drives in runs. All of that plus two years of control and he plays up the middle? Why isn’t he higher? Evaluators simply don’t think he’s a good shortstop. Defensive metrics firmly agree. And among the limited number of teams looking to fill that position, the exceptional return that president of baseball operations Paul Toboni would seek and the Nationals still firmly in contention right now, it’s probably not the time for Abrams to move.

The scouting report: Abrams is on pace for career highs across the board in his age-25 season, but as noted above, his defense and familiar patterns still make you wonder if this is the year it all comes together. He’s an easy plus runner with strong bat speed/raw power and, like Pena, has leaned into the pull/lift elements (to the biggest degree this season) to get to his power in games. Is the solution to move him to second or third base or maybe even to center field? Can he keep this up all season? If he solves these questions, he might be on the road to becoming the star some envisioned in the 2019 draft.

Best fits: Braves, Rays, Yankees, Blue Jays.

---

Chance of being traded: 95%
Rest-of-season impact: High
Years of control: Just the rest of 2026

The buzz: Arraez has done more to improve himself in the eyes of teams than perhaps anyone on this list. His second-base defense this year is among the best in the league. Teams also understand how valuable putting the ball in play can be in the postseason, and nobody is better at that than Arraez, who is going to lead MLB in strikeout rate for the fifth consecutive season. With experience at first base, as well, Arraez’s versatility expands his market, positioning him to join his fifth team in five years.

The scouting report: Among the least expected things to happen this season is Arraez going from one of the worst defensive second basemen in the league in 2023 to a below-average every-day first baseman in 2024-25 to a plus defensive second baseman in 2026. Behold the power of infield defense whisperer Ron Washington, the Giants’ infield coach.

This improvement changes the outlook for Arraez, as slipping down the defensive spectrum is a big reason his free agent market was tepid. Now, his MLB-best contact ability combined with real defensive value means his lack of power and speed shouldn’t keep him from posting a 3-win or even a 4-win season. The question is how long this new version will hold up, but he turned 29 in April, so presumably a few more years, at least.

Best fits: Rays, Nationals, Dodgers, Yankees, Blue Jays, Diamondbacks, Guardians, Pirates.

---

Chance of being traded: 30%
Rest-of-season impact: High
Years of control: Two more years after 2026

The buzz: Detmers has the fourth-most strikeouts in the big leagues behind Misiorowski, Cristopher Sanchez and Dylan Cease, isn’t walking hitters or giving up home runs, and is a metric darling on top of that. Complement all that with an additional two years of club control on top of the season and his value has skyrocketed this year, giving the Angels a genuine opportunity to start a long-needed rebuild the proper way. Of course, it’s the Angels, so executives are skeptical that it will happen.

The Angels also fired GM Perry Minasian at the end of June and replaced him with former Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak, so how much leeway owner Arte Moreno will give Mozeliak to potentially deal Detmers and others with multiple years of club control remains unclear at the moment.

The scouting report: Because it’s the Angels, after taking Detmers with the 10th pick in the 2020 draft and seeming to be on the verge of becoming a strong third-starter type, they moved him to the bullpen for a year in 2025 only to just put him right back where he was in the rotation in 2024. The knock earlier in Detmers’ career was that his breaking stuff wasn’t crisp enough. But to his credit, he has steadily improved the velo/movement of his slider over the years while moving his softer curveball to be more of a sometimes pitch and adding velo to his now plus fastball.

Best fits: Cubs, Padres, A’s, Mets, Cardinals, Orioles, Diamondbacks, Braves, White Sox, Rays, Nationals, Blue Jays.

---

Chance of being traded: 15%
Rest-of-season impact: High
Years of control: Five more years after 2026, at $32 million a year

The buzz: Like many on this list in front of him, Lindor is not likely to go anywhere at the deadline. Given the size of his contract — larger than any other available and desirable player’s — his age (33 in November) and his full no-trade protection, Lindor isn’t exactly an easy deal to pull off. That doesn’t mean it won’t happen. It’s just likelier, if the Mets really are on board with moving him, to happen in the winter.

It doesn’t help that Lindor is putting up the worst numbers of his career. Or that in the past 20 years, only twice has a shortstop age 35 or older put up a three-win season — and whoever acquires Lindor would have his ages 35, 36 and 37 seasons at premium rates. Still, Lindor is Lindor, on a potential Hall of Fame track, and his résumé alone could convince someone to pony up.

The scouting report: Lindor is 32 and is off to a slower start this season, but most of that is hit luck as his expected wOBA last year and this year are almost identical; he is 2 points better this season. His raw tools aren’t the selling point, either: His arm strength, sprint speed and bat speed are all average to below and have been for a couple of years.

The ability to be good at everything while playing an elite shortstop has been the key to his career, and those things are still alive, even if a bit diminished so far this year. It’s very likely we’ll see positive regression from the rest of the season, and I’m not even worried about the next few years, but mapping his career out until 2031 is a different question altogether.

Best fits: Blue Jays, Yankees, Red Sox, Braves

---

Chance of being traded: 20%
Rest-of-season impact: High
Years of control: A 2027 mutual option for $30 million with a $10 million buyout

The buzz: Like with Willson Contreras, there are complications. Gray also has a no-trade clause. And then there’s the financial matter: On top of the $10 million or so he’d be owed in salary for the final two months — around the same as Skubal — Gray’s restructured contract after his trade from St. Louis to Boston includes a $10 million buyout on a $30 million mutual option for 2027. Considering mutual options don’t get picked up, that is a pricey deadline acquisition. Beyond that, the Red Sox are looking to add, making a Gray deal even less likely.

The scouting report: Gray, somewhat uniquely, throws a cutter-shaped fastball as his primary pitch, and it moves more toward lefties than righties. His sinker and slider both work off of tunneling with that primary cut-fastball, while his sweeper, curveball and changeup move even more off of that starting point. He always has limited walks with above-average control and command, but his deep arsenal, somewhat unique movement profile and four distinct pitches that cut away from righties give Gray lots of ways to beat you, even as his fastball velocity tails off later in his career.

Best fits: Braves, Padres, Cubs, Brewers, White Sox.

---

Chance of being traded: 20%
Rest-of-season impact: High
Years of control: One year after 2026 (for $17 million), with a $20 million club option for 2028 that has a $7.5 million buyout

The buzz: Contreras has been highly productive in Boston, thriving at Fenway Park — where he has an OPS over 1.000 — and mashing on the road. Even before the Red Sox started winning, trading Contreras gave them pause. Compound that with Contreras’ no-trade clause and the feeling of other teams is that anything short of a massive overpay will make Contreras difficult to land.

The scouting report: Contreras has top-end bat speed/raw power and barrels the ball up at among the highest rates in baseball, often to the pull side. This approach would work in any stadium but especially at Fenway, which is helping to put Contreras on pace for a career year in his age-34 season but not explaining why.

He obviously has a history of catching but is now two years removed from doing that, so you’re looking at a hitter who can probably be an emergency option behind the plate. This is similar to the Eugenio Suarez pursuit at last year’s deadline, but Contreras isn’t a rental.

Best fits: Diamondbacks, Guardians, Rangers, Marlins, Pirates, Padres.

---

Chance of being traded: 30%
Rest-of-season impact: High
Years of control: One more year after 2026

The Buzz: The Orioles aren’t exactly looking to trade Rutschman, but they are certainly listening on the former No. 1 pick. Rutschman’s renaissance this season has come at a great time for Baltimore: He’s a free agent after next season, Baltimore has Samuel Basallo locked up long term, and there’s almost no chance of the sides coming together on a long-term deal. This wouldn’t necessarily be a deal for prospects. Baltimore could find some under-control arms and flip from a position of depth to get there. While it makes plenty of sense, one potential impediment is that the teams most in need of catching are in Baltimore’s division. Even so, Rutschman is good enough — and the catching position important enough — that if the Orioles become motivated to move him, they’ll do very, very well.

The scouting report: Similar to Lindor, the sales pitch with Rutschman hasn’t been footspeed or bat speed for a while; it’s elite defense, makeup and being good at almost everything in the batter’s box. Given the rigors of catching and Rutschman’s own durability issues, his offensive variance dips a bit lower than you’d like, but his expected wOBA is now second best in his career, behind only his 5.5 WAR season in 2023.Rutschman is also on pace for the best defensive season in his career, above average at all three measured elements.

The former No. 1 pick is now 28 years old and is controllable for this year and next as he seems to be regaining his old form. That timetable and the lowered expectations after a mixed 2024 and 2025 may serve the O’s with a strong market while also clearing the way for Basallo to take the reins from another former top prospect.

Best fits: Rangers, Phillies, Reds, Pirates, Twins, Padres, Yankees, Red Sox

---

16. Casey Mize, RHP, Detroit Tigers

Chance of being traded: 60%
Rest-of-season impact: High if it continues to click
Years of control: Just the rest of 2026

The buzz: While Mize has twice hit the injured list with a strained groin, his most recent start illustrates why he’ll be in high demand if Detroit decides to punt. He threw seven scoreless innings and allowed one hit while striking out 10 Yankees. Mize isn’t popping any models with his stuff, but he’s striking out more than a batter an inning, he’s allowing less than a baserunner an inning, and his contract will be barely $2 million for the remainder of the season.

The scouting report: When Mize was taken with the No. 1 pick in the 2018 draft, some thought the only thing that could derail him from becoming a front-line starter was injuries — and those certainly have derailed him a bit, but he could be breaking through now in his late 20s.

His fastball velocity is the lowest of his big league career, but he has four above-average pitches (fastball, cutter, sweeper, splitter) that are all performing (via runs value) as at least average pitches. The improvement this year was limiting damage on his fastball/splitter (by staying on the fringes of the zone) and juicing whiffs on the cutter (by tunneling with the fastball).

Best fits: Braves, Padres, Cubs, Brewers, White Sox, A’s, Cardinals, Rays, Diamondbacks, Blue Jays.

---

17. Clay Holmes, RHP, New York Mets

Chance of being traded: 90%
Rest-of-season impact: High
Years of control: Probably just 2026, with an opt-out after the season

The buzz: Holmes is set to make his first rehab start Thursday after missing two months with a broken leg, and he should be in the big leagues for his next start after that. He has shot up this list because teams’ interest in him runs deep — and the only reason he’s not higher than 90% to go is due to the possibility of him remaining in New York on a contract extension. If he does move, Holmes is a playoff-caliber starter for all of the teams with interest, a groundball machine whose minuscule home run rate would play especially well in the postseason. Before he got hurt, Holmes’ 2.39 ERA was one of the bright spots in an eclipse of a Mets season.

The scouting report: Holmes is, in many ways, a modern pitcher. He has the seam-shifted sinker, the kick changeup and the sweeper: the last three trendy pitches in the pitch design-crazed sport. He has an outlier ground ball rate and was a relief-to-starter conversion in pro ball with a supination movement bias (i.e. cuts the ball naturally); those are three more things teams are constantly on the lookout for. All of these buzzwords and trends add up to third starter performance in Holmes’ case, and he has thrown over 70 innings only one time, but a savvy team might see a slight discount due to that shorter starter track record and contract commitment.

Best fits: Cubs, White Sox, Brewers, Orioles, Dodgers, Braves, Rays.

---

Chance of being traded: 40%
Rest-of-season impact: Moderate
Years of control: Three more years after 2026, at $21 million per year

The buzz: While the Giants’ desire to dump their high-profile players with high-priced contracts will run into plenty of resistance, they should be able to cobble together a market if they really are interested in moving Lee. The 27-year-old ranks sixth in MLB in batting average and strikeout rate, and considering while his slugging numbers have gone down recently, Lee would fetch a strong return if the Giants indeed moved him.

The scouting report: Lee is a high-contact hitter with the fourth-best in-zone contact rate in the majors. He can play all three outfield spots but isn’t a standout defender or baserunner, closer to average. He hits the ball on the screws often but has below-average raw power, so you’re looking at eight to 12 homers a year with an elite batting average. That’s a solid everyday player but not a star.

Best fits: Phillies, Braves, Guardians, Padres, Diamondbacks, Rangers, Padres, Rays.

---

Chance of being traded: 35%
Rest-of-season impact: High
Years of control: Just the rest of 2026

The buzz: While the Blue Jays have given no indication they plan to deal Gausman, facts are facts. He’s an impending free agent. They now find themselves with the fourth-worst record in the AL. And the combination of those two make it increasingly likely that, short of a Red Sox-like run, Toronto will have to entertain unloading Gausman and center fielder Daulton Varsho, another free-agent-to-be. As much as Toronto doesn’t want to chase its pennant run with a deadline sale, good organizations recognize that sometimes it’s not just your season, and it’s best to salvage what you can. By no means is this a fait accompli, but Gausman would be a tantalizing get for any of the various playoff contenders that want a ready-made October starter.

The scouting report: Gausman is a classic example, relevant to teammate Trey Yesavage, of how to succeed as a frontline right-handed starter with a standout fastball/changeup combo but a breaking ball that lags well behind them. He’s in the last year of a five-year, $110 million deal where Gausman was the fourth-best pitcher in baseball in that span, posting 20.1 WAR so far, easily beating his contract in value delivered to the Jays.

His fastball is largely in the strike zone, his splitter mostly just below the zone, and the slider is mostly a chase pitch low and away to right-handed hitters. As his fastball velocity is slipping a bit, he has reduced his breaking ball usage from 15% to 10% over the years, and his performance is more in line with a No. 3 starter. He has thrown the third-most innings in baseball since 2021, making him a dependable, playoff-proven (eight career starts, 3.83 ERA) starter that almost every team can use.

Best fits: White Sox, Braves, Twins, Rays, Cubs, Brewers, Orioles

---

Chance of being traded: 30%
Rest-of-season impact: High
Years of control: Probably just 2026, with a mutual option for 2027 (that vests if he pitches 40 innings)

The buzz: Relief pitchers often are some of the most impactful deadline acquisitions, and Boston’s closer is as effective as ever. Chapman doesn’t throw as hard as he once did, but he has four distinct pitches now. And he’s still chucking his fastball in the high 90s, which is plenty of velocity when hitters need to gear up for his slider and splitter. Here’s the greatest truism of the deadline: Everyone needs a good reliever. Teams were ready to climb over each other for Chapman … until the Red Sox went from the basement of the AL to sole possession of the final wild-card spot.

The scouting report: This one has read the same for about 15 years. Chapman sits in the upper 90s and tickles triple digits throwing about 75% fastballs, now both a four-seamer and sinker. He’ll mix in enough sliders (often out of the zone) to keep hitters honest and the occasional splitter against righties. He just keeps throwing hard into his late-30s and getting people out with basically one pitch.

Best fits: Mariners, Pirates, White Sox, Dodgers, Rays, Phillies, Diamondbacks, Cubs, Guardians.

---

21. Josh Hader, LHP, Houston Astros

Chance of being traded: 30%
Rest-of-season impact: High
Years of control: Two more years after 2026, at $19 million per year

The buzz: Considering the utter lack of high-end relief pitching available at the deadline, Astros general manager Dana Brown would be smart to explore trading Hader, even as Houston mounts a run toward a wild-card spot. Franchise stewardship entails understanding markets and using them to your advantage, and with teams packed so closely and in need of a differentiator, a lockdown ninth-inning arm is quite a way to differentiate. The one potential fly in the ointment: Plenty of teams are fundamentally against paying $19 million per year for a one-inning reliever.

The scouting report: Hader is one of the best examples of why so many teams are chasing pitchers with big extension and lower arm slots who can still get “lift” on their fastballs: The angle at which his pitch approaches the plate (very flat) makes it very hard for power hitters to get on plane. That means lots of whiffs and mishits at the top of the zone, which then also means any sort of decent or deceptive off-speed pitch will also play well as hitters gear up for the heater. Hader’s bullet slider, placed below the zone, gives hitters fits for this reason: They miss on over half of their swings on the pitch.

Best fits: Yankees, Cubs, Blue Jays, Mariners, Dodgers, White Sox, Diamondbacks.

---

Chance of being traded: 25%
Rest-of-season impact: Moderate
Years of control: Nothing guaranteed beyond 2026 but a $21 million club option (and $2 million buyout) for 2027

The buzz: Teams are far more bullish on Alcantara this deadline than they were last time around, when the gap between the Marlins’ ask and others’ willingness to give up significant talent was too large to bridge. With just this year and a club option for less than the qualifying offer remaining, the 30-year-old Alcantara throws hard, eats innings and induces ground balls. If he’s your No. 1 starter, you’re probably not going very far. If he’s your No. 3 — and right now, Max Meyer and Eury Perez look better for the Marlins — you’ve got a good playoff rotation.

The scouting report: His velocity and pitch usage are similar (he has added a couple of more breaking pitches) to when he won the Cy Young Award in 2022, but overall, it doesn’t look like that level of Alcantara is coming back.

His heavy sinker and changeup are his bread and butter, with his four-seamer and three or four different breaking pitches used to keep hitters honest, depending on batter handedness, location and count. He is now a No. 3/No. 4 starter who can eat innings and comes without a long contract commitment.

Best fits: Cubs, Diamondbacks, Rays, Braves, White Sox, Brewers.

---

23. Isaac Paredes, 3B/1B, Houston Astros

Chance of being traded: 45%
Rest-of-season impact: Moderate
Years of control: One more year after 2026

The buzz: Paredes is only 27 years old but has been traded three times in the past four years. Houston’s long-term infield glut and Paredes’ free agency lining up with Peña’s put Paredes squarely in the sights of teams looking for a right-handed bat. Though nobody’s idea of a great hitter, he does specific things very well: pull the ball in the air and not strike out. Paredes will get on base around 34% of the time, bop you 20 home runs and can play corner-infield positions with reasonable competency. He’s not a home run trade target. But a solid double? Sure.

The scouting report: Paredes doesn’t have that much raw power, but he’s elite at pitch selection and hitting the ball just right to take advantage of a short left-field porch, a huge reason the Astros traded for him in the Kyle Tucker deal. A more normal left-field wall will turn some homers into doubles and doubles into outs, which would pull his profile from above-average regular to lower-end regular. His lack of loud raw tools and a specific skill set makes evaluators wary of long-term projection, but the rest of this year and next is a reasonable time range to jump on board.

Best fits: Guardians, Mariners, Phillies, Pirates, Brewers, Reds.

---

Chance of being traded: 15%
Rest-of-season impact: Moderate
Years of control: Just the rest of 2026

The buzz: Chicago wants to get creative to fill its pitching issues, and that means at least listening on Suzuki, who will be a free agent at the end of the season. Considering the paucity of impact outfielders available, Chicago could try to take advantage of the market and lean into its depth with Michael Conforto and Kevin Alcantara.

At the same time, dealing a hitter of Suzuki’s caliber is potentially counterproductive. The Cubs want to win this season, and Suzuki can be a big part of that.

The scouting report: Suzuki has been very consistent since coming to MLB in 2022 and is having another solid season. He has a big arm in right field, is a solid runner and defender and is on-pace for 25 homers in another above-average offensive campaign. He doesn’t have a plus-plus raw tool and is just 5-foot-11, but he’s good at everything every year.

Best fits: Rays, Mariners, Marlins, Padres, Phillies, Yankees, Diamondbacks, Cardinals.

---

25. Jose Soriano, RHP, Los Angeles Angels

Chance of being traded: 30%
Rest-of-season impact: Moderate
Years of control: Two more years after 2026

The buzz: Since starting the season by giving up one run in his first 37⅔ innings, Soriano has posted an ERA of 5.14 The. stuff still really plays, and plenty of organizations believe they can help work out the control kinks that can plague Soriano. Add to that the two years of control, and the same pitching-hungry organizations that want Detmers — contenders and teams that intend to contend in the coming years — will be interested in Soriano.

The scouting report: Since the time he entered pro ball in 2016, Soriano was more prospect than finished product until 2024 or 2025, including being a Rule 5 draft pick (and returned!) in 2021. Since late April, he has been roughly that third-/fourth-starter type that he has been in the big leagues. He’s ranked this high because of the flashes, the years of control and the plus stuff grades from scouts and analysts on his pitches. A savvy pitching development team could realize tens of millions in value from acquiring Soriano and unlocking results that match the stuff/potential/flashes.

Best fits: Cubs, Padres, A’s, Mets, Cardinals, Orioles, Diamondbacks, Braves, White Sox, Rays, Nationals, Blue Jays.

---

26. Foster Griffin, LHP, Washington Nationals
27. Matt Chapman, 3B, San Francisco Giants
28. Freddy Peralta, RHP, New York Mets
29. Adrian Morejon, LHP, San Diego Padres
30. Ryan Jeffers, C, Minnesota Twins
31. Michael Wacha, RHP, Kansas City Royals
32. Garrett Whitlock, RHP, Boston Red Sox
33. Luke Weaver, RHP, New York Mets
34. Riley O’Brien, RHP, St. Louis Cardinals
35. Jake McCarthy, OF, Colorado Rockies
36. Trevor Rogers, LHP, Baltimore Orioles
37. Robbie Ray, LHP, San Francisco Giants
38. Taylor Ward, LF, Baltimore Orioles
39. Mickey Moniak, OF, Colorado Rockies
40. Daulton Varsho, OF, Toronto Blue Jays
41. Christian Walker, 1B, Houston Astros
42. Lars Nootbaar, OF, St. Louis Cardinals
43. Gleyber Torres, 2B, Detroit Tigers
44. Trevor Larnach, LF, Minnesota Twins
45. Dustin May, RHP, St. Louis Cardinals
46. Jack Flaherty, RHP, Detroit Tigers
47. Luis Robert Jr., CF, New York Mets
48. A.J. Minter, LHP, New York Mets
49. Seth Lugo, RHP, Kansas City Royals
50. Ty France, 1B, San Diego Padres
51. Yennier Cano, RHP, Baltimore Orioles
52. Lane Thomas, OF, Kansas City Royals
53. Matt Shaw, IF, Chicago Cubs
54. Brooks Raley, LHP, New York Mets
55. Luis Castillo, RHP, Seattle Mariners
56. Daniel Lynch IV, LHP, Kansas City Royals
57. Brady Singer, RHP, Cincinnati Reds
58. Ryan Zeferjahn, RHP, Los Angeles Angels
59. Anthony Bender, RHP, Miami Marlins
60. Jo Adell, RF, Los Angeles Angels
61. Huascar Brazoban, RHP, New York Mets
62. Bryan Abreu, RHP, Houston Astros
63. Andrew Kittredge, RHP, Baltimore Orioles
64. Pete Fairbanks, RHP, Miami Marlins
65. Jarren Duran, OF, Boston Red Sox
66. Elvis Alvarado, RHP, A’s
67. Antonio Senzatela, RHP, Colorado Rockies
68. Willy Adames, SS, San Francisco Giants
69. Victor Caratini, C, Minnesota Twins
70. Lake Bachar, RHP, Miami Marlins
71. Josh Bell, 1B, Minnesota Twins
72. Patrick Sandoval, LHP, Boston Red Sox
73. Eugenio Suarez, DH, Cincinnati Reds
74. Brock Burke, LHP, Cincinnati Reds
75. John King, LHP, Miami Marlins
76. Isiah Kiner-Falefa, SS, Boston Red Sox
77. Michael Petersen, RHP, Miami Marlins
78. Brennan Bernardino, LHP, Colorado Rockies
79. Caleb Ferguson, LHP, Cincinnati Reds
80. JT Brubaker, RHP, San Francisco Giants
81. Kenley Jansen, RHP, Detroit Tigers
82. Jason Adam, RHP, San Diego Padres
83. Kris Bubic, LHP, Kansas City Royals
84. Rico Garcia, RHP, Baltimore Orioles
85. Chase Silseth, RHP, Los Angeles Angels
86. Calvin Faucher, RHP, Miami Marlins
87. Tyler Stephenson, C, Cincinnati Reds
88. Willi Castro, UT, Colorado Rockies
89. Nathaniel Lowe, 1B, Cincinnati Reds
90. Masataka Yoshida, OF, Boston Red Sox
91. Walker Buehler, RHP, San Diego Padres
92. Mark Leiter Jr., RHP, A’s
93. Jorge Soler, OF, Los Angeles Angels
94. Kirby Yates, RHP, Los Angeles Angels
95. Drew Anderson, RHP, Detroit Tigers
96. JoJo Romero, LHP, St. Louis Cardinals
97. Luis Torrens, C, New York Mets
98. Sam Bachman, RHP, Los Angeles Angels
99. Caleb Kilian, RHP, San Francisco Giants
100. Mark Vientos, 3B, New York Mets

Top players by position

Catcher: 1. Shea Langeliers, 2. Hunter Goodman, 3. Adley Rutschman, 4.Ryan Jeffers, 5. Victor Caritini

First base: 1. Willson Contreras, 2. Isaac Paredes, 3. Christian Walker, 4. Josh Bell, 5. Nathaniel Lowe,

Second base: 1. Luis Arraez, 2. Gleyber Torres, 3. Willi Castro

Third base: 1. Isaac Paredes, 2. Matt Chapman, 3. Mark Vientos

Shortstop: 1. Zach Neto 2. Jeremy Peña, 3. CJ Abrams, 4. Francisco Lindor, 5. Willy Adames

Outfield: 1. Byron Buxton, 2. Jung Hoo Lee, 3. Seiya Suzuki, 4. Jo Adell, 5. Lars Nootbar

Starting pitcher: 1. Tarik Skubal, 2. Joe Ryan, 3. Reid Detmers, 4. Casey Mize, 5. Sonny Gray

Relief pitcher: 1. Mason Miller, 2. Aroldis Chapman, 3. Josh Hader, 4. Garrett Whitlock, 4. Pete Fairbanks