Which teams will be buyers and sellers at the Trade Deadline?
The difference between a team buying or selling at the Trade Deadline can be a matter of just a few games in the standings. A winning streak or a losing streak in the week before the Deadline can be all it takes to push a team in one direction or another.
The trick, of course, is knowing the difference between a real shot at the postseason and mere wishful thinking. With so many teams seemingly in contention as this season’s Deadline approaches, these next two weeks become crucial for teams to know where they stand as the second half unfolds.
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Here’s how each team is expected to approach the July 30 Trade Deadline, according to MLB.com’s beat writers.
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Blue Jays: Soft sell
This could get 100 times more interesting if the Blue Jays decide to trade players with club control beyond this season. But for now, they appear to be focusing on one last pivot toward a run in 2025. Yusei Kikuchi and Yimi Garcia would be their best trade chips while Trevor Richards, Danny Jansen, Justin Turner and Kevin Kiermaier round out the group. There aren’t many opportunities to get back a legitimate, high-end prospect here, so the Blue Jays may need to get creative. If the ‘25 season is this core’s last run together, then July 30 needs to be the first step in that direction. — Keegan Matheson
Orioles: Buy aggressively
The O’s believe they can win a World Series title this year, hence why they acquired All-Star ace Corbin Burnes on Feb. 1, even though the right-hander is set to become a free agent after this season. Baltimore needs to bolster its pitching staff ahead of its push for the postseason and a potentially deep run through October. The Orioles need a frontline starter who can group with Burnes and Grayson Rodriguez in a postseason rotation, and they could also use bullpen help. General manager Mike Elias has repeatedly stated that he’s waiting for the market to develop before making a move (or moves). — Jake Rill
Rays: Buy and sell with 2025 in mind
The Rays’ relatively strong first-half finish brought them back to .500 and kept them on the periphery of the AL’s postseason picture. President of baseball operations Erik Neander often references the club’s goal to reach the postseason as often as possible, so it’s not like they’ll punt if they have a chance to play in October. But the Rays tend to take a more measured approach to the Deadline when they’re not in position to win the division. What does that mean? The Rays could capitalize on a seller’s market by moving productive but increasingly expensive veterans – Zach Eflin? Brandon Lowe? Isaac Paredes? – while retooling their roster to stay competitive down the stretch and be even more of a threat next season. — Adam Berry
Red Sox: Pick a lane — Buyers
One thing former Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom took criticism for in his final two Trade Deadlines was hedging on buying or selling at the Trade Deadline. Craig Breslow said that he will be definitive in picking a lane. And if the Red Sox keep up their current level of play, that lane will be to buy. The Red Sox could use a starting pitcher, a righty setup reliever and a right-handed bat to bolster the club for the stretch run. “I think this team has put themselves in a position where we have to take them seriously,” Breslow said recently on NESN. “We need to be thinking about opportunities for us to improve the club.” — Ian Browne
Yankees: Help wanted
The Yankees may have too many issues to fix in one Trade Deadline, but they’ll certainly try — after all, this is their only guaranteed year with Juan Soto. Even before their June slide, there was a clear need for a swing-and-miss arm in the bullpen. That remains an issue; they could deal for one or two relievers. Underperformance (Carlos Rodón, Nestor Cortes, Marcus Stroman) and injury (Clarke
Schmidt) have dinged the rotation, so New York may also try to deal for a starting pitcher. There’s also a need for an infielder, with DJ LeMahieu and Gleyber Torres both having been underwhelming. — Bryan Hoch
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Jul 17, 2024 · 1:03
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AL Central
Guardians: Buy
Maybe Cleveland needs to take away from its plentiful bullpen depth in order to secure a deal, but aside from that, the team doesn’t have many Major League trade chips it’d be willing to consider moving anyway. If the Guardians can put together a solid prospect package for a team with a decent starting pitcher who can help their Major League rotation or a Major League-ready impact bat (probably in right field or maybe shortstop), they know they need to do it. This club has already surprised the baseball world by entering the All-Star break with the best record in the American League. It doesn’t want to spoil this possibility of contention. — Mandy Bell
Royals: Buy with 2025 in mind
The Royals got started with this strategy early when they acquired reliever Hunter Harvey – who isn’t a free agent until after the ‘25 season — last week for third baseman prospect Cayden Wallace and the No. 39 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft. That’s the going rate for a controllable reliever who can pitch at the back end of games, and Harvey fits exactly what the Royals were looking for, with his power arm, 26.3% strikeout rate and 6.3% walk rate. The Royals believe their bullpen
— their biggest Deadline need – is much improved after this trade. But that doesn’t mean they’ll stop looking to upgrade. They’ll still look for pitching. They need some depth in their lineup, so a versatile position player would be helpful. With every potential deal, the Royals will look to get better this year and in the next few years, because they believe their window of contention is just opening. — Anne Rogers
