Ten Baseball Players Most Likely To Be Traded By July 31 Deadline
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With the July 31 trade deadline approaching, contenders will seek veteran help — even from players with expiring contracts.
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July 5, 2025
12:16 PM
Forbes
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SportsMoneyTen Baseball Players Most ly To Be Traded By July 31 DeadlineByDan Schlossberg, Contributor
Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights
Dan has written 41 books and more than 25,000 baseball
AuthorJul 05, 2025, 12:16pm EDTFormer Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara has many suitors as the trade deadline apaches
More (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)Getty Images In the wake of the blockbuster trade that sent Rafael Devers across league lines from the Red Sox to the Giants, baseball general managers are working overtime with one eye on the standings and the other on the July 31 trade deadline
Pending free agents are most ly to move – even though they may turn into two-month rentals for the stretch drive
But some s who consider themselves buyers might try to acquire a big-name player with the hope of signing him before he can test free agency
Because of expanded playoffs that include six teams per league, many s close to contention think they can reach the postseason with the right move or two
At the same time, sellers may seek to slice salaries as they look toward next season
On the Move That being said, here are ten players who could be on the move by the end of the month: 1
Seth Lugo, Kansas City Royals – Plagued by injuries to their starting rotation, the New York Mets would love to bring back this solid right-hander, whom they used as a swingman when they had him last
Lugo ved them wrong last year when he second in the voting for American League Cy Young Award and continued pitching well this year, with a 2. 21 earned run average over his first 15 starts
He’s earning $15 million and has a 2026 player option for the same amount, though he’s ly to decline it and declare himself a free agent
Marcell Ozuna, Atlanta Braves – A hip injury plus advancing athletic age (34) put a big damper on the power duction of this designated hitter
Suddenly a selective hitter, he spent much of this year leading both leagues in walks
But the famous Ozuna power disappeared as his average fell
The Braves are unly to exercise the option in his contract, especially with blue-chip rookie Drake Baldwin already primed as his successor
Two young pitchers should be enough to acquire what’s left of Ozuna’s $16 million contract
MORE FOR YOU A hit on the road but a bust at, Luis Severino has been outspoken the temporary
More Sacramento of the Athletics. (Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images)Getty Images 3
Luis Severino, Athletics – After signing a surprise three-year, $72 million contract that broke the bank of this Twilight Zone team, Severino complained bitterly pitching in Sutter Health Park, the minor-league Sacramento facility that serves as a bridge between Oakland and Las Vegas
Still solid on the road, Severino would be good trade bait for either of his former teams -- the Mets or Yankees – if they’re willing to assume what remains on his inflated pact
Luis Robert, Jr. , Chicago White Sox – Another Luis ly to move has youth on his side (27) but a history of poor performance coupled with injuries
A center-fielder whose speed and defense haven’t declined as much as his hitting, Robert could be one of those guys who just needs a change of scenery – especially if he lands with a contender
The Dodgers and Mets, high-payroll s that might gamble on his $15 million contract, would meet that standard
Jarren Duran, Boston Red Sox – A 2024 All-Star feeling a squeeze from rookie Roman Anthony, he offers speed, defense, 20-r power, a left-handed bat, and the ability to play center or left field
Plus he’s earning only $3. 85 million this year and has three years of arbitration eligibility remaining
The Sox can demand a mint for Duran, especially if they include veteran starter Walker Buehler in the deal, even though his batting average is down 30 points this year
It’s bably just a blip on his radar
Zac Gallen, Arizona Diamondbacks – Even with Corbin Burnes sidelined by Tommy John surgery, this erstwhile All-Star is a durable right-handed starter with a solid resume before this season
Available only because his contract is expiring, Gallen pitched so well in 2023 that he started the All-Star Game for the National League, then helped the D’backs win the pennant
His current contract pays him $13. 5 million – a bargain price for such a talented pitcher
At 41, Charlie Morton has rebounded from a bad start with Baltimore and could be moved by the trade
More deadline. (Photo by Kevin Sousa/Getty Images)Getty Images 7
Charlie Morton, Baltimore Orioles – He started 0-7 for his new team after signing a one-year, $15 million deal at age 41 but then resurrected the ship, winning five in a row
Virtually certain to retire after this season, he’d be a great rental for a that needs a mentor for young staff as well as a back-of-the-rotation curveballer with big-game experience
He might even resurface in Atlanta, which lost Chris Sale, Spencer Schwellenbach, and Reynaldo Lopez to crippling injuries
Sandy Alcantara, Miami Marlins – Already the object of a bidding war, this stalwart right-hander is far off the form he showed when he won the National League’s Cy Young Award by unanimous vote in 2022
Still struggling after returning from Tommy John elbow surgery, he’s only 29 but has looked good only in brief spurts this season
Still, the Dodgers, Mets, and Yankees are among the teams clamoring to claim him behind the scenes
He’s cheap too: his contract calls for $17 million this season and next, ed by a $21 million option or $2 million buyout
Pete Fairbanks, Tampa Bay Rays – Perhaps the most economical buy among available pitchers is this terrific closer, a steal at $3. 82 million (with an $8 million option or $1 million buyout for next year)
A durable righty virtually certain to exceed his previous peaks of 49 appearances and 25 s, Fairbanks is more of a groundball specialist than a strikeout pitcher these days but it’s tough to argue with success (2. 45 ERA in his first 17 outings)
Plus he’d bring a lot from a contender that needs a reliable closer – maybe even the Yankees if the Rays are willing to deal with a divisional rival
Kyle Finnegan, Washington Nationals – Another closer who could help a challenger, he’s earning $6 million this year after re-signing with the Nats, who had non-tendered him
After saving 66 games in 2023-24, he established himself as a dependable under-the-radar reliever capable of closing games with regularity
Honorable Mention: Walker Buehler and Aroldis Chapman, Red Sox; Eugenio Suarez, Diamondbacks; Bryan Reynolds, Pirates; Raisel Iglesias and Ozzie Albies, Braves; Kenley Jansen, Angels; Carlos Estevez, Royals; Jeff McNeil, Mets; Cedric Mullins, Orioles; and Jake Bird, Rockies
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