Impact Players with Control Who Could Get Dealt at the MLB Trade Deadline

The biggest trade of the 2025 MLB season may have already taken place, as it will be very hard for anyone to top the Rafael Devers blockbuster that sent a Silver Slugger from the Boston Red Sox to the San Francisco Giants, in a move that will surely shake up the NL playoff race.

Players of Devers’ magnitude are rarely moved, especially when they are signed to long-term deals. The pieces that are always easily moved at the deadline are the rentals, with sellers looking to cash in on expiring assets, and buyers looking to avoid giving up the steep prospect returns required for players with years of control.

It is often the best deals, however, that include players who have years of control, as they help you win now and into the future. In these trades, teams are typically willing to part with more assets since they get so much more future value if the player coming back will stick around for multiple playoff runs.

After exploring all the top rentals that could be on the move at the trade deadline earlier this week, we now shift our focus to the players who could be moved with team control.

All the players we are about to dive into have some form of team control beyond the 2025 season. Which makes them some of the more valuable trade chips on the block at this year’s deadline.

Impact Players with Control Who Will Be Shopped

Will the Red Sox Sell Another Star?

The Red Sox trading Devers seems to be a lot more about them moving on from a disgruntled player rather than them waving the white flag to be sellers. The Red Sox still have plenty of time to make a run in what is a wide-open American League right now.

One of the problems they were going to have to clear up at the deadline may be fixed now that they have moved Devers, as the promotion of top prospect Roman Anthony gave them four outfielders for three spots in the starting lineup.

Anthony replaced Wilyer Abreu on the roster when Abreu went on the IL, but his stint was short-lived as he is already being activated. With Abreu, Anthony, center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela, and left fielder Jarren Duran, the Red Sox outfield was too crowded.

Now they have a DH spot to funnel those guys through and get everyone playing time.

With all of that said, if the Red Sox continue to fall out of the race and they want to be opportunistic at the deadline, they could still listen to offers on Duran and see what kind of value they could get back.

Duran played a great center field last year, and in some ways has seen his value mitigated a bit by playing in front of the Green Monster at Fenway instead of getting to roam center with all of his athleticism.

A new team would likely be looking to plug Duran in center field, where he would provide them with an above-average starter with three more years of control beyond 2025. The Red Sox don’t need to take the hit of trading another fan favorite, so they likely don’t move Duran, but they would be foolish not to at least listen to offers.

If Anthony, Rafaela, and Abreu are your outfield of the future, and the offer for Duran is game-changing for your roster in other ways, trading from an area of strength is not the worst idea.

Could a Big-Name American League Closer With Control Get Moved?

With Ryan Helsley and Aroldis Chapman being the only true closers who could be on the trade market as rentals, there may be an opportunity for teams to shop their closers with control beyond 2025, as these are the arm who could fetch a true haul at the deadline.

The Detroit Tigers are currently running away with the AL Central, which makes the path to the playoffs much tougher for the Guardians, Royals, and Twins. Each of those teams play in small markets, and they all have closers that would generate buzz at the deadline.

Jhoan Duran, Minnesota Twins: One of the nastiest relievers in baseball, few closers have been better over the last few years than Duran. This year, he’s pitching to a 1.64 ERA across his first 33 innings pitched with 10 saves.

Having just hit arbitration, Duran still has two years of team control beyond this season, making him extremely valuable to any contender, as you can afford to trade more for a reliever knowing you have them for multiple playoff runs.

Felix Bautista, Baltimore Orioles: When it comes to team control, Bautista is sitting in the exact same spot as Duran, with two years of arbitration left beyond this season.

After missing last year recovering from Tommy John surgery, Bautista is right back to being one of the top closers in the game. His walks are up this year, but he’s still pitching to a sub-3.00 ERA and is striking out over 30% of the batters he has faced. With upside to be even better, Bautista should garner real interest at the deadline.

Carlos Estevez, Kansas City Royals: The Royals signed Estevez to a two-year, $22.2 million deal this offseason, which also carries a $13 million club option for 2027. So far, Estevez has delivered as the Royals’ closer, locking down the ninth inning with a 2.05 ERA through his first 30 appearances. They likely want to hang onto him, considering their struggles with solidifying the ninth inning in the past, but the Royals should at least listen on Estevez.

Emmanuel Clase, Cleveland Guardians: Maybe the least likely of the bunch to get dealt, as Clase comes with so much control for the Guardians.

Signed to a five-year, $20 million deal back in 2022 that carried two additional $10 million club options, Clase is signed to one of the best deals in all of baseball. The 27-year-old is making $4.9 million this year and will make $6.4 million in 2026. Then the two options kick in.

Cleveland can just continue to take advantage of that, as they have an affordable closer, but they also could attempt to shop him and see what kind of return they could get.

Will the Rockies Cash in on Their Top Trade Chips?

The Colorado Rockies are typically in a position to be sellers at the trade deadline, but we don’t always see them take advantage of that position. Last year, they had a golden opportunity to trade then-All-Star third baseman Ryan McMahon when his value was at an all-time high. They instead decided to keep him as a veteran leader for a new young core of position players.

Here we are a year later, and the Rockies look further away from contention, and McMahon is a year older. After struggling in the second half last year, McMahon has turned in a solid season up to his point. A great defender at the hot corner, McMahon has been pretty consistent with the bat throughout his career as well.

His consistency is a slightly below-average hitter based on wRC+, but McMahon has four consecutive seasons with 20 home runs, and is well on his way to another with 11 home runs through his first 71 games. That’s as plug-and-play as it gets for a team that needs a third baseman.

Another top trade chip the Rockies have is newfound relief ace Jake Bird. The 29-year-old is having a breakout season, pitching to a 2.18 ERA across his first 41 1/3 innings pitched.

Bird comes with three more years of control, so there’s no pressure to move him. This is where the Rockies typically hold when they should sell. Colorado should have traded Daniel Bard back in 2022, and they should trade Bird now. The prospect return could be felt for years to come, and relievers are volatile. This may be the best time to capitalize on his value.

Freddy Peralta Would Be the Most Attractive Trade Chip on the Market

If the Milwaukee Brewers shopped Freddy Peralta, they might have the crown jewel of this trade deadline. A legit ace, who has pitched to a 2.60 ERA through his first 15 starts.

Even better, Peralta is making $8 million this season and has another club option next season for $8 million. This makes him affordable to every contender, regardless of their payroll constraints, and you get two playoff runs out of him, not just one.

While the Brewers certainly have a budding ace on the horizon with vaunted top prospect Jacob Misiorowski having finally made his MLB debut, they still are relying heavily on Peralta to lead their rotation right now. Without him, this team would crumble, and they are far too talented to punt the season at the deadline.

The reality is that shopping Peralta and his contract this winter will net the Brewers at least 80 cents on the dollar for what you would get dealing him at the deadline. If Peralta leads the Brewers into the playoffs and wins a game or two once they get there, he may be just as attractive as a full-year rental for teams as he would be now (the Corbin Burnes strategy).

As long as they are within striking distance, the Brewers are probably wise to hang onto Peralta. But they can at least lay the groundwork for an offseason trade, and if they get an offer they can’t refuse, you never know.

Are the Marlins Going to Sell-Low on Sandy Alcantara?

The trade deadline was supposed to run through Miami this year, as Sandy Alcantara was billed as the prize ace on the market this season. Unfortunately, we forget that finding yourself after Tommy John surgery is different for every pitcher. For Sandy, it has been a turbulent start to say the least.

Through his first 11 starts, Alcantara was pitching to an 8.47 ERA, looking a far cry from the pitcher who won the Cy Young back in 2022. Over his first three starts in June, Alcantara has started to find his footing, allowing just four runs through 17 innings pitched.

If Alcantara can string together some more quality starts over the next month, the Marlins may just get the haul of prospects they were hoping for.

However if he goes through some more stretches of bad performance, and teams are unsure if he will be able to pitch down the stretch, there is every chance the Marlins have to pick up talks in the offseason, or take a bad package to get off the contract, which is the worst case scenario long-term.

If the Marlins choose to hang onto Alcantara, there aren’t many obvious trade candidates on their roster. Last year, Peter Bendix pulled off a heist when he traded Trevor Rogers for Kyle Stowers and Connor Norby. This year, maybe he can pull another rabbit out of his hat with Edward Cabrera.

The Marlins don’t have a closer like Tanner Scott to shop at this year’s deadline, but they do have a quality reliever in Anthony Bender who still has two more years of team control after this season. Finally, Jesus Sanchez could be moved, as he has two and a half years of control, and teams may value his left-handed bat enough to send a decent prospect the Marlins’ way.

Will the Marlins Keep Sell-High on Breakouts, or Build With Them?

Now, if the Marlins are dead-set on being sellers at the trade deadline, there are two breakout players they could put on the table that could be very attractive to teams at the deadline. The thing is, both of these players have four years of control and would be just as valuable to the Marlins as potential building blocks.

Stowers will likely be the Marlins’ lone All-Star this season, which has been a huge surprise after he was considered the second-piece in the Rogers trade with Norby finding more success post-deadline. Instead, it is Stowers who has been the steady bat in the middle of the Marlins lineup, posting a 122 wRC+ through his first 67 games.

The 27-year-old has four years of team control left after this season, and could plug into any team’s corner outfield spot if they have a need. If a team needs a center fielder, they could ask the Marlins about Dane Myers, who has been a great surprise this season as well.

Myers has posted a 141 wRC+ through 45 games, and has looked the part of a very good MLB center fielder. The 29-year-old also has four years of team control, but has dealt with a few nagging injuries so far this year.

The track records aren’t great for either Stowers or Myers, which is why the Marlins should be willing to move them, but also why they may not like the offers they are getting back. All it takes is one GM to believe that one of these guys is the missing piece to their World Series outfield for the Marlins to maybe sell-high on a pop-asset.

Will the Braves Trade Sean Murphy to Clear Playing Time for Drake Baldwin?

The Atlanta Braves have their catcher of the future with rookie Drake Baldwin, who would probably win Rookie of the Year if he just got enough at-bats. The only issue is that they have a former All-Star catcher who is in year-three of a six-year deal, which carries a club option for a seventh.

Sean Murphy could be a very attractive trade chip at the deadline because it is very rare you will find a catcher available that can help you behind the dish and in the box. Murphy can be that guy, and paying him $15 million a year is a fair price tag. This is why it makes sense to move Murphy, because he is just more valuable to other teams than he is to the Braves now that they have Baldwin.

The Braves can take the same $60 million they would pay for Murphy to be their catcher from 2026 through 2029 and give it to Baldwin in a pre-arb extension that will keep him in Atlanta for eight years instead.

If the Braves want to kick the can down the road on this decision, they can just trade Ozuna, clear up some DH at-bats for Baldwin, and roll with that for now, but it’s going to be hard to lose Ozuna’s production for a stretch run.

Atlanta can move Murphy to collect prospect, clear the door for Baldwin to play catcher as much as possible, and free up plenty of future space for other roster moves. Don’t be surprised if this becomes one of the bigger blockbusters of the deadline.

Is Trading Nolan Arenado Still the Cardinals’ Top Priority?

This winter trading Nolan Arenado was the Cardinals top priority. Where does that rank now on the priority list?

Considering his decline in production, there is almost no way the Cardinals could find a suitor who would take on the $31 million he is owed over the next two seasons beyond 2025. If they did find a suitor willing to take on the contract, it’s unlikely St. Louis will be getting meaningful prospects in return.

And let’s not forget, they had a deal lined up to send Arenado to the Astros, but he exercised his no-trade clause. That is another hurdle for the Cardinals to get a deal done.

Best-case scenario is that Arenado gets hot, a veteran team like the Yankees believes he can be a missing piece, and the Cardinals eat some money on the deal to make it happen. If they shopped Arenado as a player who was owed $21 million instead of $31 million, they might be able to get a team to make the gamble.

Does Luis Robert Jr. Have Any Trade Value Left?

Two years ago, Luis Robert Jr. looked like he was one of the best bargains in all of baseball.

At 25 years old, he had his breakout season, hitting 38 home runs with 20 stolen bases, all while playing great defense in center field. The five-tool player put up a five-WAR season, showcasing his incredible ceiling.

Unfortunately, all we have seen since is his floor, as Robert has not played good baseball over the past two seasons. Through 65 games, he is hitting .190/.275/.305, with a -0.1 fWAR. He has stolen 21 bases and plays fine defense in center field, but this hardly looks like the All-Star we once knew.

When Robert was at his peak, we would have looked at two $20 million club options for his age-28 and age-29 seasons as great value. Now, you might have to look at the deal more for his $2 million buyout, as there is no guarantee the White Sox would even pick up an option next year.

This is a player who needs a change of scenery badly. Send him to Philly and put his locker next to Bryce Harper for a stretch run and see what you get. Because he plays center field, there are enough teams that are running defense-first options in center that could take a shot at catching lightning in a bottle with Robert. They just won’t want to pay much to take that chance.

The White Sox hopes of getting a haul for Robert have all but passed. If they ate down the contract and covered the buyout for next year, there is a chance they would get a decent prospect, but financial relief may be the best they can do at this point.

Even then, if Robert does not show a little more before the deadline, the White Sox may not even find a suitor that looks their way, especially with Cedric Mullins likely on the market.

Could Taylor Ward Homer Himself Out of Anaheim?

We don’t know what will happen to Taylor Ward at the trade deadline, but we do know one thing: Ward is going to set a new career-high in homers this season.

The 31-year-old has been getting into his power more than ever this year, having hit 18 home runs already, with a few weeks left before the break. Ward’s career-high is 25, which came last season. Now, there is every chance the outfielder can push for 30 for the first time.

The only problem with Ward’s power stroke is that he is not bringing much else to the table, hitting just above .200, and getting on base at a .271 clip. With that said, if you are going to post a wRC+ of 98, post a wRC+ of 98 with 18 home runs and 49 RBIs.

Ward was drafted by the Angels in the first round back in 2015, so he has spent a decade with the same organization. Who knows if the Angels will even put him on the table because of that, but if they do, teams should call if they are looking for some pop.

He also has another year of control beyond this season, so if the fit works, Ward can be a player for his new team in 2026 as well.

Rays Have a Lot to Trade if They Choose to Blow it Up

The beauty of being the Tampa Bay Rays is that no matter what the outcome is, the organization is always winning when it comes to sustainable success on the field. If the Rays are not in the race this season, they may have more trade capital than anyone to replenish their already talented farm system.

Brandon Lowe and Yandy Diaz are both veterans who are getting more expensive by the year, and closer to free agency as well. These are the types of Rays who are always on the table, and could still be moved in the right deal, although less likely if the team has a shot to make a run. (They can just trade them in the offseason instead.)

Along with two veteran bats, the Rays have a plethora of arms they could dangle. If you need a closer type, they can sell you Pete Fairbanks.

Need a lockdown lefty for your pen? Ask about Garrett Cleavinger.

Looking for an ace? Well, they have Drew Rasmussen pitching to a sub-3.00 ERA, and he comes with an $8 million club option for next season. Zack Littell is also a name to know.

If this team were out of it, they could clean house. But this just happens to be the hottest team in baseball at the moment, so it’s looking like one of those years where the Rays might just be really good, and keeping all of their pieces to make a run.

All the Pirates Have to Sell is Their Pitching

The Pittsburgh Pirates can make things easy for teams this deadline and put a sign out front of PNC Park that says “Everybody but Paul Skenes and Oneil Cruz is for sale!”.

This is a Pirates team that needs to rebuild fast around their ace, and making the most out of this deadline could be the best way to streamline that process. The Pirates lack of bats shows in how the team has played this year, and will also show with what they can sell at the deadline.

What the Pirates can sell however is their pitching, and when it comes to arms with control, the Pirates have a pair of starters and a pair of relievers they can shop.

Mitch Keller is an interesting trade candidate. He comes locked into a relatively affordable arbitration extension, signed to a five-year, $77 million deal. When you consider the cost of starting pitching on the free agent market, Keller’s deal is in line with pitchers who are getting $15-20 million per season.

Keller is an innings eater who has kept his ERA below 4.30 in each of the last four seasons. Until Skenes showed up, Keller was miscast as an ace, but really, he’s a solid middle-of-the-rotation guy.

Looking at the deal closer, Keller’s contract is back-loaded, where he will be making just over $20 million in the final season. Teams will take on the deal, but they might not give up as much of a prospect return as you would expect for a starter with so much control.

This is because teams would rather sign their own fourth starter each season for $16 million, rather than be locked into the same caliber arm with the risk of a three-year deal.

This is where Bailey Falter becomes a way more attractive trade chip for the Pirates to move at the deadline. The 28-year-old lefty was super-two eligible, so he received $2.22 million in his first year of arbitration this past winter. He still has three more years of arbitration left, and they are going to come a lot cheaper than the $55.7 million Keller will earn during the same time.

Ranger Suarez has earned just under $17 million through three years of arbitration, and Jesus Luzardo has earned just under $15 million with one year left. The two Phillies lefties are good comps for Falter, who will likely cost somewhere between $15-20 million over the next three years.

Falter is pitching to a 3.49 ERA that is nearly a run lower than his career average, so the Pirates might be selling high a bit, and teams won’t be fooled into thinking they are grabbing an ace. Falter is a quality back-end starting pitcher, but one that comes with so much affordable team control that he becomes very valuable on the market this time of year.

The Pirates should sell Falter now, and they should likely just hang onto Keller, who has spent over a decade in the organization and is likely more valuable to them than he would be on the market.

In the spirit of anything can go, the Pirates’ entire bullpen should be on the open market, but the two names that might most move the needle are David Bednar and Dennis Santana.

Bednar has been the Pirates closer for four seasons now, and has largely been one of the best in the game. Last year, Bednar struggled for the first time since coming to Pittsburgh, pitching to a 5.77 ERA. Those struggles carried over to this season, leading him to a brief demotion to Triple-A.

Optioned on April 1st, Bednar returned to a big league mound on April 19th and has been lights out ever since. Across his last 25 appearances, Bednar has pitched to a 2.35 ERA, and he is striking out 36.7% of the batters that he has faced. His 1.75 SIERA is the fourth-best mark in baseball during that time, behind Griffin Jax, Edwin Diaz, and Josh Hader.

If Bednar keeps this up, he might just be the best closer moved at the deadline. He also comes with one more year of arbitration beyond this season, making him even more attractive to contenders.

Dennis Santana’s recent altercation with a fan has his name in the news right now, but assuming that all blows over by the deadline, he could be moved. The 29-year-old is pitching to a 1.75 ERA this season, as he is attacking the zone and keeping the ball on the ground. Might not net you too much, but certainly a movable arm.