MLB Trade Deadline Big Board: The top 50 players who could be dealt

The trade deadline is when teams tell you what they really think.

The optimistic palaver of the offseason has faded, replaced by real talk: Are we in or are we out?

With Major League Baseball’s trade deadline looming on July 30, here is The Athletic’s Trade Deadline Big Board — 50 players who may change teams in the next week-plus and change destinies come October. Two of the last six World Series MVPs, after all, were deadline acquisitions.

We’ve decided to be liberal with our inclusions here, thinking it better to include a big name who isn’t traded than to overlook one who is. Scan the sport’s recent history and you’ll find plenty of players who were certain to stay put on July 22 instead wearing a new uniform by the start of August. The deadline forces teams to be decisive and creative, which is one of the reasons we love it so much. It’s a time of year that actually merits so many bold predictions.

The context of this specific deadline amplifies that uncertainty. The National League wild-card picture is a muddle, with six teams owning postseason odds between 20 percent and 50 percent, according to FanGraphs. The American League isn’t that much more settled, with a wide-open AL West and a couple of surprising teams right in the thick of the wild-card hunt. The next week should — should — offer some clarity for those teams to make the in-or-out decision.

Some bookkeeping: The player’s listed age is how old he was on June 30, the stats are updated through the All-Star break, the WAR is from FanGraphs, the contract info from Baseball Prospectus, the likelihood of being dealt is a best-guess projection (from red to yellow to green) and the rankings are beyond reproach.

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1. Tarik Skubal, LHP, Tigers

Positional ranking: No. 1 SP
Age: 27
Contract status: Owed $900,000 in 2024, then arbitration eligible through 2026
First-half stats: 10-3, 2.41 ERA, 30.8 K%, 4.6 BB%, 3.4 WAR
Likelihood of being dealt: 🟡

Tarik Skubal got healthy and broke through as one of the best handful of pitchers in baseball, leading the majors in ERA and ranking third in strikeout rate since the beginning of last season by pounding the zone with high-octane, bat-missing raw stuff. With two more years of team control remaining, the questions are how likely the Tigers think contending in 2025 and 2026 will be and whether they have any shot of extending him. Skubal would fetch a massive trade haul, but at 27 he’s also precisely the type of Cy Young-Award-level stud any team should be trying to build around.

2. Garrett Crochet, LHP, White Sox

Positional ranking: No. 2 SP
Age: 25
Contract status: Owed $533,000 in 2024, then arbitration eligible through 2026
First-half stats: 6-6, 3.08 ERA, 35.2 K%, 5.4 BB%, 3.9 WAR
Likelihood of being dealt: 🟢

Garrett Crochet was an eye-opening pick to be the Opening Day starter for the White Sox, given that, well, he’d never started any major-league game before. But in the months since, he’s emerged as one of the AL’s best left-handed pitchers and easily the best thing happening on the South Side of Chicago. Naturally, that makes him a prime candidate to be moved for a team with the worst record in baseball. Crochet’s relative inexperience complicates the picture a bit: He’s under team control for less time than you’d think, and it’s unclear how his arm will hold up into August and September, let alone October.

3. Isaac Paredes, 3B/1B, Rays

Positional ranking: No. 1 Bat
Age: 25
Contract status: Owed $1.1 million in 2024, then arbitration eligible through 2027
First-half stats: .261/.364/.459/.823, 15 HR, 50 RBI, 3.0 WAR
Likelihood of being dealt: 🔴

Would the Rays trade a 25-year-old All-Star under team control through 2027? It’s going to take a gigantic prospect package to even get the conversation going, but if history is any indication, Tampa Bay is always open for business if the price is right, and Isaac Paredes’ salary will rise substantially beginning in 2025. His inclusion on this list is perhaps a moot point, but if Paredes were made available he’d be the market’s top combination of present value and future team-controlled upside as a right-handed slugger around whom lineups can be built.

4. Bo Bichette, SS, Blue Jays

Positional ranking: No. 2 Bat
Age: 26
Contract status: Owed $20.2 million through 2025
First-half stats: .221/.274/.320/.595, 4 HR, 30 RBI, 0.2 WAR
Likelihood of being dealt: 🟡

It’s not an ideal time for the Blue Jays to shop Bo Bichette given his poor first half, repeated calf injuries and recent trip to the injured list, but he has an established track record of star-caliber play and interested teams know they’d have him signed for 2025 as well. He’d be an especially intriguing target for a team that believes it could sign the 26-year-old to a long-term extension as an infield building block, particularly if the Blue Jays are insisting on a huge return to part with their starting shortstop since 2019.

5. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 1B, Blue Jays

Positional ranking: No. 3 Bat
Age: 25
Contract status: Owed $6.6 million in 2024, then arbitration eligible through 2025
First-half stats: .288/.361/.456/.816, 14 HR, 55 RBI, 1.5 WAR
Likelihood of being dealt: 🔴

As with Bichette, Toronto can happily hold on to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and try again next year. Or the Jays can dive headfirst into a rebuild by landing a haul of prospects for a four-time All-Star who’s still only 25. While Guerrero hasn’t repeated the 2021 numbers that garnered him an MVP runner-up, he looked close to that version of himself in May and June. He’s a game-changing bat with a chunk of his prime still to go.

6. Luis Robert Jr., CF, White Sox

Positional ranking: No. 4 Bat
Age: 26
Contract status: Owed $21.2 million through 2025 with club options for 2026 and 2027
First-half stats: .236/.313/.491/.804, 11 HR, 23 RBI, 1.2 WAR
Likelihood of being dealt: 🟡

When healthy, Luis Robert Jr. has been one of the best all-around center fielders in baseball, posting an .825 career OPS with power, speed and strong defense through age 26. However, he’s missed about 40 percent of Chicago’s games since 2021 and the White Sox might still be rebuilding in 2027, his final year of team control. Any team willing to give up a sizable prospect haul for Robert would need to view him as a legit star given his $15 million salary in 2025 and $20 million team options for 2026 and 2027. He’s a risk, but few available players have more long-term upside.

7. Mason Miller, RHP, Athletics

Positional ranking: No. 1 RP
Age: 25
Contract status: Owed $200,000 in 2024, then controllable through 2029
First-half stats: 2.27 ERA, 46.7 K%, 9.3 BB%, 150 Stuff+, 1.8 WAR
Likelihood of being dealt: 🔴

It’s almost unheard of for a 25-year-old All-Star pitcher under team control through 2029 to even be considered a potential trade chip, but given the A’s uniquely weird situation, they could be tempted to sell high and stockpile assets. Mason Miller is a spectacularly talented arm, overpowering hitters with a 101 mph fastball and filthy slider, but a great closer can be wasted on a rebuilding team and the A’s need all sorts of long-term help. Miller’s trade value is a fascinating test case with very little precedent.

8. Randy Arozarena, LF, Rays

Positional ranking: No. 5 Bat
Age: 29
Contract status: Owed $2.7 million in 2024, then arbitration eligible through 2026
First-half stats: .202/.309/.362/.671, 12 HR, 31 RBI, 0.4 WAR
Likelihood of being dealt: 🟡

His season totals are underwhelming thanks to an awful first six weeks, but Randy Arozarena has been fairly close to his usual self since mid-May. He’s got 20-homer power and 20-steal speed, supplements a low batting average by drawing walks and has been one of this era’s best October performers, slugging .690 with 11 homers in 33 career playoff games. He has two more seasons of team control left, but Tampa Bay could be looking to move on with his salary set to top $10 million in 2025.

9. Max Scherzer, RHP, Rangers

Positional ranking: No. 3 SP
Age: 39
Contract status: Owed $4.2 million in 2024, then a free agent
First-half stats: 1-2, 2.96 ERA, 21.7 K%, 3.8 BB%, 0.4 WAR
Likelihood of being dealt: 🔴

Recently returned from the back injury that knocked him out for nearly the first three months, Max Scherzer had looked pretty sharp for the Rangers before a dud over the weekend. There’s an obvious risk/reward calculus baked into trading for a surefire Hall of Famer who turns 40 this week. There are also multiple obstacles in the way of a trade: Texas has to decide to sell, and Scherzer would have to again waive a no-trade clause.

10. Pete Alonso, 1B, Mets

Positional ranking: No. 6 Bat
Age: 29
Contract status: Owed $6.5 million in 2024, then a free agent
First-half stats: .240/.319/.454/.772, 19 HR, 51 RBI, 1.1 WAR
Likelihood of being dealt: 🔴

At the end of May, Pete Alonso stood a good chance of being the biggest name on the move this deadline. Now, with the Mets back in the wild-card hunt, trading the face of the franchise is a lot less palatable for president of baseball operations David Stearns. In the event things go suddenly and significantly south for New York, well, Alonso could still fetch a nice return in his walk year. It hasn’t been a vintage season for the first baseman; after averaging 44 homers and 111 RBIs in his first five years, he’s on pace for 32 dingers and 86 driven in.

11. Nathan Eovaldi, RHP, Rangers

Positional ranking: No. 4 SP
Age: 34
Contract status: Owed $5.3 million in 2024 with vesting player option for 2025
First-half stats: 6-3, 2.97 ERA, 24.5 K%, 6.9 BB%, 1.7 WAR
Likelihood of being dealt: 🟡

Nathan Eovaldi has aged remarkably well, pitching as well as ever at 34, and his extensive, excellent playoff track record could make him especially attractive. Of course, it’s also why the Rangers may be hesitant to trade him if they haven’t totally given up on their title defense. Further complicating things is his contract, which adds a $20 million player option for 2025 if he throws at least 160 innings this season, although he’s pitched well enough to possibly turn that down anyway.

12. Jack Flaherty, RHP, Tigers

Positional ranking: No. 5 SP
Age: 28
Contract status: Owed $4.7 million in 2024, then a free agent
First-half stats: 6-5, 3.13 ERA, 32.1 K%, 4.3 BB%, 2.1 WAR
Likelihood of being dealt: 🟢

Far less complicated than the Skubal decision, trading Jack Flaherty should come down to the Tigers being offered more than the draft pick compensation they’d get if he leaves as a free agent. He’s been a brilliant one-year signing, resurrecting his career and looking every bit as good as he did as a young phenom in St. Louis. Even with some injury question marks, Flaherty will be one of the most sought-after pitching rentals on the market.

13. Yandy Díaz, 1B, Rays

Positional ranking: No. 7 Bat
Age: 32
Contract status: Owed $12.7 million through 2025 with club option for 2026
First-half stats: .273/.329/.396/.726, 8 HR, 46 RBI, 0.8 WAR
Likelihood of being dealt: 🟡

Yandy Díaz isn’t a prototypical slugging first baseman, but he’s produced a 130 OPS+ in six seasons with the Rays, including winning the batting title in 2023. His first-half numbers were down, a possible concern with a 32-year-old owed $10 million in 2025, but Díaz is an underrated player who crushes left-handed pitching and has the flexibility to bounce over to third base in a pinch if needed.

14. Jesús Luzardo, LHP, Marlins

Positional ranking: No. 6 SP
Age: 26
Contract status: Owed $1.8 million in 2024, then arbitration eligible through 2026
First-half stats: 3-6, 5.00 ERA, 21.2 K%, 8.0 BB%, 0.6 WAR
Likelihood of being dealt: 🟡

After his full-season breakout in 2023, Jesús Luzardo’s year has been, like everything for the 2024 Marlins, a disappointment. He’s made just a dozen uneven starts, and he’s currently on the 60-day IL with a back issue. Nevertheless, Luzardo, 26, has top-of-the-rotation stuff and is under team control for two seasons beyond this one.

15. Christian Walker, 1B, Diamondbacks

Positional ranking: No. 8 Bat
Age: 33
Contract status: Owed $3.6 million in 2024, then a free agent
First-half stats: .264/.373/.495/.837, 22 HR, 66 RBI, 2.9 WAR
Likelihood of being dealt: 🟡

Few players in the game have been as overlooked in the last few years as Christian Walker, who ranks fourth in WAR at first base dating to 2020. He brings power at the plate and a slick glove at first. He’s a guy who can help deepen the middle of most any order from the right side. Like more than half the National League, the Diamondbacks currently straddle the buy/sell line.

16. Jazz Chisholm Jr., CF/2B, Marlins

Positional ranking: No. 9 Bat
Age: 26
Contract status: Owed $900,000 in 2024, then arbitration eligible through 2026
First-half stats: .249/.321/.407/.727, 12 HR, 42 RBI, 1.4 WAR
Likelihood of being dealt: 🟢

The Marlins appear poised for a deeper rebuild, and Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s positional versatility — he can help a team at second base or in center field — should make him an appealing target. The 26-year-old hasn’t backed up his breakout 2022 season in either of the last two years, loitering around the league average as a hitter. Chisholm’s OPS this season is almost 100 points better away from Miami.

17. Yusei Kikuchi, LHP, Blue Jays

Positional ranking: No. 7 SP
Age: 33
Contract status: Owed $3.3 million in 2024, then a free agent
First-half stats: 4-8, 4.42 ERA, 26.0 K%, 5.8 BB%, 2.0 WAR
Likelihood of being dealt: 🟢

Yusei Kikuchi has been good rather than great in three seasons with the Blue Jays, putting together dominant stretches only to struggle for weeks at a time. Still, his high strikeout rate and demonstrated ability to pitch like an All-Star for stretches is likely enough to make him one of the most sought-after rental starters available. He would fit nicely in the No. 3 or No. 4 spot of most contending rotations, but might not appeal to every team as a reliable playoff rotation option against righty-heavy lineups.

18. Cody Bellinger, CF/1B/RF, Cubs

Positional ranking: No. 10 Bat
Age: 28
Contract status: Owed $9.2 million in 2024 with player options for 2025 and 2026
First-half stats: .269/.331/.410/.742, 9 HR, 37 RBI, 1.1 WAR
Likelihood of being dealt: 🔴

One of the sport’s toughest evaluations is thus one of its toughest trade targets: Which version of Cody Bellinger do you most believe in? How healthy will he be following a broken finger? Just how many games of Bellinger might you be trading for? All those factors, combined with the Cubs’ still-beating chances in the NL, conspire against a deal involving the one-time MVP. Desperate teams, however, have made crazier moves.

19. Brent Rooker, DH/OF, Athletics

Positional ranking: No. 11 Bat
Age: 29
Contract status: Owed $300,000 in 2024, then arbitration eligible through 2027
First-half stats: .291/.369/.573/.942, 21 HR, 62 RBI, 3.0 WAR
Likelihood of being dealt: 🟢

No one has ever doubted Brent Rooker’s raw power, and he finally got an extended chance in Oakland, where he’s performed at an All-Star level for two seasons. He’s strictly a designated hitter, but plenty of lineups could find room for a righty bat with 30-homer power and, because of his lack of early opportunities, he’s under team control for three more seasons. He could be one of the most underrated hitters on the move this deadline.

20. Tanner Scott, LHP, Marlins

Positional ranking: No. 2 RP
Age: 29
Contract status: Owed $1.9 million in 2024, then a free agent
First-half stats: 1.34 ERA, 27.6 K%, 15.3 BB%, 143 Stuff+, 0.6 WAR
Likelihood of being dealt: 🟢

By FanGraphs’ WAR, the best reliever in baseball since the start of the 2023 season? That would be Tanner Scott, with an ERA hovering around 2.00 in that time and a strikeout rate approaching one-third of opposing hitters. The lefty’s stuff has never been in doubt; it’s always been about how many free passes he’d hand out along the way. He suppressed those walks better last year than this year, his rate climbing close to 15 percent again.

21. Erick Fedde, RHP, White Sox

Positional ranking: No. 8 SP
Age: 31
Contract status: Owed $10 million through 2025
First-half stats: 7-3, 2.99 ERA, 21.6 K%, 6.6 BB%, 2.7 WAR
Likelihood of being dealt: 🟢

Erick Fedde reinvented himself in South Korea, winning MVP honors and then returning to MLB on a two-year, $15 million deal that now has the last-place White Sox primed to get some real value in exchange. While not quite a front-line arm, this version of Fedde looks like a solid mid-rotation starter and next year’s $7.5 million salary is a bargain even if he regresses a bit.

22. Paul Sewald, RHP, Diamondbacks

Positional ranking: No. 3 RP
Age: 34
Contract status: Owed $2.4 million in 2024, then a free agent
First-half stats: 3.38 ERA, 24.4 K%, 4.9 BB%, 111 Stuff+, 0.1 WAR
Likelihood of being dealt: 🟡

Added to the Arizona bullpen last July, Paul Sewald was a stalwart in October for the Snakes. He’s been more pedestrian so far this season, with a lower strikeout rate and an issue keeping the ball in the yard. On the other hand, his WHIP still starts with a decimal point thanks to a slashed walk rate.

23. Ryan McMahon, 3B, Rockies

Positional ranking: No. 12 Bat
Age: 29
Contract status: Owed $48 million through 2027
First-half stats: .272/.350/.447/.797, 14 HR, 45 RBI, 2.2 WAR
Likelihood of being dealt: 🟡

Ryan McMahon is in the midst of his finest major-league season, earning his first All-Star nod by delivering above-average offense to accompany his sparkling defense at the hot corner. He’s going to swing-and-miss and he’s going to strike out more than you’d like, but McMahon’s long history of hitting the ball with authority is finally paying off in tangible results.

24. Jason Adam, RHP, Rays

Positional ranking: No. 4 RP
Age: 32
Contract status: Owed $900,000 in 2024, then arbitration eligible through 2026
First-half stats: 1.67 ERA, 27.5 K%, 8.8 BB%, 130 Stuff+

Likelihood of being dealt: 🟡

Jason Adam is the latest in a long line of journeyman pitchers to find success in the Rays’ bullpen. And, like many of those before him, he could become trade bait now that he’s 32 and starting to get costly. Adam’s strikeout rate is down a bit this season, but he’s throwing harder than ever and his ERA is under 2.00 for the second time in three years with Tampa Bay.

25. Luis Rengifo, 3B/2B, Angels

Positional ranking: No. 13 Bat
Age: 27
Contract status: Owed $1.5 million in 2024, then arbitration eligible through 2025
First-half stats: .315/.358/.442/.800, 6 HR, 25 RBI, 1.5 WAR

Likelihood of being dealt: 🟡

Assuming he returns from a wrist injury before the deadline, Luis Rengifo could be one of the more undervalued hitters on the move. He’s a switch hitter who can play anywhere in the infield and he’s batted .275 with a .762 OPS since 2022. He’d be a quality regular or an exceptional utility player, and he’s under control in 2025.

26. Zach Eflin, RHP, Rays

Positional ranking: No. 9 SP
Age: 30
Contract status: Owed $22.7 million through 2025
First-half stats: 5-6, 3.99 ERA, 18.9 K%. 2.2 BB%, 1.6 WAR
Likelihood of being dealt: 🟡

As usual in Tampa Bay, money could be a factor with Zach Eflin set to make $18 million in 2025. In fact, it’s possible the Rays backloaded his three-year contract with the intention of shopping him before then, not unlike what they did with Tyler Glasnow. Teams with decent-sized payrolls could simply see Eflin as a solid, strike-throwing mid-rotation starter with a market-rate contract, making him enticing.

27. Pete Fairbanks, RHP, Rays

Positional ranking: No. 5 RP
Age: 30
Contract status: Owed $5.9 million through 2025 with a club option for 2026
First-half stats: 3.21 ERA, 23.0 K%, 10.8 BB%, 124 Stuff+, 0.5 WAR
Likelihood of being dealt: 🟡

Another product of Tampa Bay’s reliever factory, Pete Fairbanks has served as the Rays’ primary closer for the past two-plus seasons. His durability has been an issue and his strikeout rate has declined sharply this season along with a 2 mph drop in fastball velocity. Even if he’s more of a setup-caliber reliever at this point, his $3.7 million salary for 2025 and $7 million team option for 2026 would be attractive.

28. Danny Jansen, C, Blue Jays

Positional ranking: No. 14 Bat
Age: 29
Contract status: Owed $1.7 million in 2024, then a free agent
First-half stats: .223/.316/.391/.707, 6 HR, 17 RBI, 0.9 WAR
Likelihood of being dealt: 🟢

Upgrading behind the plate can be nearly impossible at the deadline, and Danny Jansen figures to be the clear-cut best catcher available. His weak arm could scare off some teams, but he’s a solid pitch framer and has posted an average-or-better OPS in four straight seasons. Compared to the household-name big bats, he’s not exciting, but compared to the bleak catcher market he could be a relatively hot commodity. And the Blue Jays will want to get what they can for the impending free agent.

29. J.D. Martinez, DH, Mets

Positional ranking: No. 15 Bat
Age: 36
Contract status: Owed $3.2 million in 2024, then a free agent
First-half stats: .263/.349/.457/.806, 10 HR, 38 RBI, 1.2 WAR
Likelihood of being dealt: 🟡

While his slugging numbers are down from his 30-homer season with the Dodgers in 2023, J.D. Martinez remains a valuable and vital middle-of-the-order presence for the Mets. He’s once again been lauded for what he brings to hitters’ meetings and pregame prep, and thus Martinez will only hit the block if New York sputters between now and July 30.

30. Chris Bassitt, RHP, Blue Jays

Positional ranking: No. 10 SP
Age: 35
Contract status: Owed $30 million through 2025
First-half stats: 8-7, 3.52 ERA, 21.3 K%, 9.6 BB%, 1.0 WAR
Likelihood of being dealt: 🟡

Assuming the Blue Jays decide to deal away more than just impending free agents, the 35-year-old Chris Bassitt, who has a limited no-trade clause, is a no-brainer to cash in. This is his seventh straight year with a sub-3.85 ERA, and next season’s $22 million salary is roughly the going rate for a second or third starter in free agency, without requiring a long commitment.

31. Carlos Estévez, RHP, Angels

Positional ranking: No. 6 RP
Age: 31
Contract status: Owed $2.3 million in 2024, then a free agent
First-half stats: 2.61 ERA, 27.2 K%, 3.5 BB%, 108 Stuff+, 0.9 WAR
Likelihood of being dealt: 🟢

As a reliable late-inning reliever and impending free agent closing for an obvious seller, Carlos Estévez is one of the safer bets to be on the move. He’d probably fit better as a setup man on a contender, but Estévez has sliced his walk rate at age 31 and he can be used in key spots versus both righties and lefties.

32. Joc Pederson, DH, Diamondbacks

Positional ranking: No. 16 Bat
Age: 32
Contract status: Owed $6.2 million through 2024, then a mutual option for 2025
First-half stats: .273/.374/.498/.871, 13 HR, 39 RBI, 1.7 WAR
Likelihood of being dealt: 🟡

Joc Pederson is running back his 2022 season, when he was an All-Star for San Francisco. You can’t expect to play him in the field much, and under no circumstances should he bat against a left-handed pitcher. But stick him in the right role, and he mashes.

33. Blake Snell, LHP, Giants

Positional ranking: No. 11 SP
Age: 31
Contract status: Owed $5 million in 2024, then a player option for 2025
First-half stats: 0-3, 6.31 ERA, 26.6 K%, 10.8 BB%, 0.5 WAR
Likelihood of being dealt: 🔴

All offseason, teams balked at Snell’s asking price off a Cy Young Award-winning season, forcing him to accept a less-than-expected offer from the Giants. After he posted an ERA above 6.00 in the first half, why would anyone decide he’s now worth the contract? Well, Snell does have an established track record of pitching much better after the All-Star break each year, and the deadline inspires some creative — read: desperate — machinations.

34. Frankie Montas, RHP, Reds

Positional ranking: No. 12 SP
Age: 31
Contract status: Owed $6.7 million through 2024, then a mutual option for 2025
First-half stats: 4-7, 4.38 ERA, 19.1 K%, 9.7 BB%, 0.8 WAR
Likelihood of being dealt: 🟡

A deadline prize for the Yankees in 2022 before a shoulder injury, Frankie Montas’ return to a regular rotation role this season has been fine. While he hasn’t rekindled his form from his days with Oakland, he’s been a serviceable arm for Cincinnati (albeit in losses, often) and could help stabilize someone else’s rotation.

35. Luis Severino, RHP, Mets

Positional ranking: No. 13 SP
Age: 30
Contract status: Owed $4.3 million in 2024, then a free agent
First-half stats: 6-3, 3.78 ERA, 17.8 K%, 8.1 BB%, 1.0 WAR
Likelihood of being dealt: 🟡

While the Mets’ resurgence likely prevents them from a full-scale selloff of bigger pieces like Alonso, there is a narrow pathway — I don’t know, like the eye of a needle, where the thread goes — for New York to stay a contender despite dealing from a surplus of starters. That’s where Luis Severino fits in. His embrace of earlier contact to last deeper into games has necessarily lowered his strikeout rate — a shift in approach that could give some teams pause.

36. John Brebbia, RHP, White Sox

Positional ranking: No. 7 RP
Age: 34
Contract status: Owed $3.3 million through 2024 with a mutual option for 2025
First-half stats: 4.50 ERA, 30.0 K%, 5.6 BB%, 105 Stuff+, 0.8 WAR
Likelihood of being dealt: 🟢

From June 1 through the All-Star break, John Brebbia could lay claim to being the sport’s best reliever. He owns MLB’s best WAR out of the bullpen, and his strikeout rate for the season has now reached the 30-percent threshold. So look past that pedestrian ERA the way some enterprising team will in the next week and change.

37. Lucas Erceg, RHP, Athletics

Positional ranking: No. 8 RP
Age: 29
Contract status: Owed $300,000 in 2024, then controllable through 2029
First-half stats: 2.94 ERA, 26.8 K%, 8.5 BB%, 111 Stuff+, 0.3 WAR
Likelihood of being dealt: 🟡

Based on his remaining team control, the A’s shouldn’t be motivated to trade Lucas Erceg, but the converted infielder is already 29 years old and Oakland selling on an ascending reliever would make plenty of sense. Erceg has electric raw stuff, led by a triple-digit sinker, and he’s made big strides with control in his first full season as a big-league reliever.

38. Trevor Rogers, LHP, Marlins

Positional ranking: No. 14 SP
Age: 26
Contract status: Owed $500,000 in 2024, then arbitration eligible through 2026
First-half stats: 1-9, 4.72 ERA, 18.4 K%, 10.2 BB%, 0.6 WAR
Likelihood of being dealt: 🟡

Now three years removed from his sparkling rookie season, Trevor Rogers’ upside is no longer as tantalizing as it once was. Even this year’s mediocre results have come with another dip in strikeout rate to below the league average. But, a team can still dream on his combination of a competent floor with additional years of team control in his late 20s.

39. Harrison Bader, CF, Mets

Positional ranking: No. 17 Bat
Age: 30
Contract status: Owed $3.2 million in 2024, then a free agent
First-half stats: .273/.312/.420/.733, 8 HR, 36 RBI, 1.6 WAR
Likelihood of being dealt: 🟡

Always a standout defender in center, Harrison Bader is in the midst of his best offensive season since 2021 and his healthiest season ever — he’s on pace to play in a career-high 144 games. He’s rewarded the Mets’ belief that he could be an everyday player, delivering an .800 OPS against righties that’s more than 100 points above his career mark entering the season.

40. Michael Conforto, LF/RF, Giants

Positional ranking: No. 18 Bat
Age: 31
Contract status: Owed $6 million in 2024, then a free agent
First-half stats: .237/.310/.438/.748, 10 HR, 39 RBI, 0.7 WAR
Likelihood of being dealt: 🟡

A pair of serious shoulder injuries — one to each side — now limit Michael Conforto’s ceiling; don’t go expecting the kind of 6-WAR pace he played on during the abbreviated 2020 season. Now into his 30s, he’s a professional hitter who lengthens a lineup rather than anchors it. He’s been solid this year against lefties, though that goes against his career track record.

41. Elias Díaz, C, Rockies

Positional ranking: No. 19 Bat
Age: 33
Contract status: Owed $2 million in 2024, then a free agent
First-half stats: .286/.330/.403/.733, 5 HR, 30 RBI, 0.9 WAR
Likelihood of being dealt: 🟢

The 2023 All-Star Game MVP is having another decent year at the plate, providing league-average offense at a position that lacks many such options. Always a good thrower behind the plate, Elias Díaz has made real strides with his framing, moving from the bottom 10 in baseball to a tie for 11th so far this season. Provided he can learn a new staff on the fly, he can be a weapon defensively.

42. Taylor Ward, LF, Angels

Positional ranking: No. 20 Bat
Age: 30
Contract status: Owed $1.6 million in 2024, then arbitration eligible through 2026
First-half stats: .228/.312/.401/.713, 14 HR, 44 RBI, 0.8 WAR
Likelihood of being dealt: 🟢

Something of a late bloomer, Taylor Ward has two more seasons of team control remaining despite already being 30. However, he’s been unable to repeat his 2022 breakout, with merely league-average production since then that should make most contenders view him as a high-end platoon option versus left-handers instead of an everyday asset in an outfield corner.

43. Jesse Winker, LF, Nationals

Positional ranking: No. 21 Bat
Age: 30
Contract status: Owed $700,000 in 2024, then a free agent
First-half stats: .260/.374/.432/.806, 11 HR, 43 RBI, 1.3 WAR
Likelihood of being dealt: 🟢

The Nationals have done it again, plucking a notable name off the scrap heap and turning them into decent deadline fodder. It was Kyle Schwarber two years ago, Jeimer Candelario last year, and Jesse Winker this year, hoping he pays off the bounce-back campaign as handsomely this winter as his predecessors. Like Joc Pederson, he’s best suited to a platoon and the DH spot.

44. Yimi García, RHP, Blue Jays

Positional ranking: No. 9 RP
Age: 33
Contract status: Owed $2 million in 2024, then a free agent
First-half stats: 2.57 ERA, 34.6 K%, 6.5 BB%, 119 Stuff+, 0.7 WAR
Likelihood of being dealt: 🟢

Fresh off the injured list and in the final season of a three-year deal, Yimi García is an obvious arm for the Blue Jays to move. He’s unlikely to be atop any wish lists, but García’s high-90s fastball and 3.48 ERA since 2019 would slot nicely into a setup role at what figures to be a reasonable price tag.

45. Kyle Finnegan, RHP, Nationals

Positional ranking: No. 10 RP
Age: 32
Contract status: Owed $1.7 million in 2024, then arbitration eligible through 2025
First-half stats: 2.45 ERA, 26.1 K%, 8.1 BB%, 101 Stuff+, 0.2 WAR
Likelihood of being dealt: 🟢

Kyle Finnegan earned a trip to the All-Star Game for the first time thanks to an ERA not fully supported by underlying metrics. His BABIP (batting average on balls in play) is below .220 and his strand rate above 85 percent; regression is coming. Even so, that should be regression back to just-better-than-league-average results, which would fit nicely in the seventh or eighth inning for plenty of contenders.

46. Lane Thomas, RF, Nationals

Positional ranking: No. 22 Bat
Age: 28
Contract status: Owed $700,000 in 2024, then arbitration eligible through 2025
First-half stats: .252/.318/.404/.722, 8 HR, 38 RBI, 0.6 WAR
Likelihood of being dealt: 🟢

The Nationals hung on to Lane Thomas last summer, despite a career-best season that should have boosted his value. His OPS is down 120 points from this time last year, and he comes with one fewer year of team control. So he’s not going to bring back a top-100 prospect or the like. However, Thomas does everything well enough, and he can be a nice fit for a team looking for a higher floor from a corner outfielder.

47. Michael Kopech, RHP, White Sox

Positional ranking: No. 11 RP
Age: 28
Contract status: Owed $1 million in 2024, then arbitration eligible through 2025
First-half stats: 5.05 ERA, 30.9 K%, 12.7 BB%, 143 Stuff+, -0.3 WAR
Likelihood of being dealt: 🟢

It’s just not going to happen for Michael Kopech in Chicago, but surely some team is convinced it can fix a former top-20 prospect with a triple-digit fastball and 12 strikeouts per nine innings. Whether starting or relieving, he’s been doomed by too many homers and walks, but Kopech is an obvious buy-low candidate with another full season of team control remaining.

48. Justin Turner, DH, Blue Jays

Positional ranking: No. 23 Bat
Age: 39
Contract status: Owed $4.3 million in 2024, then a free agent
First-half stats: .230/.334/.343/.678, 5 HR, 29 RBI, -0.1 WAR
Likelihood of being dealt: 🟢

It’s possible Justin Turner is cooked at age 39, but his track record and playoff experience could still be appealing for contenders in need of an inexpensive lineup boost. Toronto will be a motivated seller, and even with his overall numbers down this season Turner has continued to knock around lefties enough to be a potentially good platoon fit.

49. Tyler Anderson, LHP, Angels

Positional ranking: No. 15 SP
Age: 34
Contract status: Owed $17.3 million through 2025
First-half stats: 8-8, 2.97 ERA, 16.8 K%, 9.8 BB%, 1.2 WAR
Likelihood of being dealt: 🟢

Tyler Anderson has made an All-Star team and posted a sub-3.00 ERA in two of the past three seasons despite below-average strikeout rates and so-so underlying metrics. He shouldn’t be counted on at the top of any contender’s rotation, but the soft-tossing southpaw is a solid mid-rotation option with a reasonably priced deal through 2025 and the Angels should be motivated to get what they can for him.

50. Jordan Montgomery, LHP, Diamondbacks

Positional ranking: No. 16 SP
Age: 31
Contract status: Owed $8.3 million in 2024, then a player option for 2025
First-half stats: 6-5, 6.44 ERA, 15.1 K%, 7.7 BB%, 0.5 WAR
Likelihood of being dealt: 🔴

Like Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery’s regular season has been as much of a nightmare as his offseason. He’s still a short time removed from being a Game 1 starter for a World Series winner, and the 2025 player option that maxes out at $25 million isn’t inherently disqualifying for a player of his caliber. It’s just tough to see someone pulling this specific lever now, especially with the Diamondbacks in the hunt and Montgomery out for most of the last month with knee inflammation.

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(Top image: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic. Photos: Garrett Crochet: Jamie Sabau / Getty Images; Tarik Skubal: Griffin Quinn / MLB Photos / Getty Images; Randy Arozarena: Andrew Mordzynski / Icon Sportswire / Getty Images)