Tracking Buyers and Sellers at the 2025 MLB Trade Deadline

This year’s MLB trade deadline is shaping up to be one of the most unpredictable in recent memory.

For one thing, it’s not clear who the top trade chips will be. The two most talked-about trade candidates, Luis Robert Jr. and Sandy Alcantara, are both playing shockingly poorly. Ryan Helsley, expected to be the top reliever on the trade block, is also off to an uncharacteristically poor start, and it’s unclear if the Cardinals will shop him at all.

Indeed, there are only a handful of teams in each league sure to be sellers, and there’s a reason for that – they don’t have much to sell. Meanwhile, several clubs will have to wait and see how the next few weeks play out before deciding whether to buy or sell. A few more are likely to take a mixed approach at the deadline, shopping some of their veterans on expiring contracts but still looking to contend.

Without a clear sense of which players will be dealt – or which teams will look to acquire them – it can be hard to know what to expect from trade deadline season. Thankfully, Just Baseball has you covered with this buyer/seller tracker. We’ve grouped all 30 teams into four categories, and we’ll be updating this post regularly as the trade deadline approaches.

Last updated on June 18, 2025.

These Teams Will Be Buying

American League Buyers

• Detroit Tigers
• New York Yankees
• Houston Astros
• Toronto Blue Jays

The first three teams on this list require little explanation. The Yankees and Astros are perennial contenders, and they sit atop their respective divisions.

The Tigers boast the best record in the league and a comfortable lead in the AL Central. After refusing to go all in for either of the last two seasons, the Tigers have absolutely no reason not to push their chips into the middle of the table this summer.

Finally, the Blue Jays would be facing a tougher decision if they hadn’t extended Vladimir Guerrero Jr.. But they did, and with the young star leading their offense, the Jays have as good a chance as anyone to secure a wild card berth. They could try to trade Bo Bichette, but they’d be smarter to make (at least) one more run with Guerrero and Bichette at the top of their lineup.

National League Buyers

• Los Angeles Dodgers
• Chicago Cubs
• New York Mets
• Philadelphia Phillies
• San Francisco Giants
• San Diego Padres

The Dodgers, Cubs, Mets, and Phillies are the cream of the crop in the National League. They’re all off to strong starts, but they all have holes to fill. They’ll be buying.

The Giants, meanwhile, have been surprisingly competitive this year. Still, if I were writing this last week, I’d have put them in the “wait and see” category, because it’s hard to decide if their success is sustainable. However, their aggressive acquisition of Rafael Devers makes it clear that Buster Posey’s Giants are in it to win it.

As for the Padres, I wondered whether or not to put them in the “a bit of both” category. After all, just this past offseason, they were rumored to be shopping (or at least taking calls on) several key players, including Dylan Cease, Michael King, and Luis Arraez.

Ultimately, however, the Padres need all hands on deck – and then some – to compete in the National League, and I think A.J. Preller knows that.

These Teams Will Be Selling

American League Sellers

• Los Angeles Angels
• Chicago White Sox
• Athletics

The White Sox and Athletics are already buried deep below .500. The A’s would need a miracle to make the playoffs, and the White Sox would need three miracles and some magic beans. It’s not happening.

The Angels are always unpredictable, and they’re only a few games back of a Wild Card berth. Yet, considering the makeup of their roster and the superior quality of the many teams ahead of them in the standings, the Angels shouldn’t kid themselves. They need to look toward the future and sell whatever they can.

National League Sellers

• Washington Nationals
• Miami Marlins
• Pittsburgh Pirates
• Colorado Rockies

None of these teams is even within sniffing distance of a .500 record or a Wild Card berth. The Rockies could very well be the worst team in modern baseball history, while the Nationals, Marlins, and Pirates are merely bad teams with too many serious contenders ahead of them.

It Depends on How the Next Month Plays Out

American League

• Boston Red Sox
• Baltimore Orioles
• Minnesota Twins
• Cleveland Guardians
• Kansas City Royals
• Texas Rangers
• Seattle Mariners

Wow, that’s a long list. Let’s start with the teams in the AL Central and AL West. Their records are middling, and if the season ended today, only the Mariners would make the playoffs. That said, they all came into the year with plans of contending, and each one of them has the talent to surge ahead in the standings before the deadline.

The Red Sox should be buyers, but after they traded Devers, it’s hard to know what to expect next. They are without a doubt a worse team without their best hitter, and their starting rotation has a lot of question marks behind ace Garrett Crochet.

Then there are the Orioles. Taking into account preseason expectations, you could argue that no team is off to a more disappointing start.

Combine their low postseason odds with the number of great trade chips at their disposal, and it might seem like a no-brainer for the O’s to sell. On the other hand, it feels foolish to count out the team of Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman in mid-June.

National League

• Arizona Diamondbacks
• St. Louis Cardinals
• Cincinnati Reds

After missing the playoffs due to a lost tiebreaker last season, the Diamondbacks were aggressive in the offseason, signing Corbin Burnes and trading for Josh Naylor. Those two were expected to complement a strong pitching staff and a powerful offensive core.

Yet, while Arizona’s lineup has lived up to expectations, the pitching staff has not. With Burnes and Justin Martinez now lost for the season, the D-backs just might not have the arms to contend. That said, they’re hanging on around .500. It’s way too soon to suggest that the 2023 NL champs throw in the towel.

On paper, neither the Cardinals nor the Reds should be as competitive as the D-backs. Yet, their current win-loss records and run differentials say otherwise.

I can’t in good conscience suggest that either of them sell while their records are above .500, but I also wouldn’t be shocked to see either club go on a long losing streak sometime in the next six weeks that convinces them they aren’t ready to contend.

A Bit of both?

• Tampa Bay Rays
• Milwaukee Brewers
• Atlanta Braves

The Rays and Brewers are both strong postseason contenders, but these teams operate under strict payroll limitations. They have shown a willingness to trade core contributors at the deadline, even amidst a winning season.

As for the Braves, their record suggests they should consider selling, but this roster is simply too talented for me to think they’ll ever give up. I could see them trying to trade a few veterans on expiring contracts (like Marcell Ozuna and Raisel Iglesias) while still looking for ways to improve in other areas.