Every MLB team has played at least 81 games, which means we’ve crossed the midpoint of the regular season, and the trade deadline is less than five weeks away. Front offices have gathered plenty of data about the quality of both their clubs and their competition, but the crowded standings — especially in the American League — continue to cloud which teams will be buyers vs. sellers leading up to 6 p.m. ET on Aug. 3.
Our latest power rankings explore the upcoming trade deadline from both sides of the competitive spectrum, looking at which parts of the roster need upgrading for contenders and which big leaguers could be dealt away by teams focused on the future. And for the many clubs in the muddled middle, it’s a little bit of both.
Jump to a team by clicking on the links below:
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1. Los Angeles Dodgers (55-30)
A fully healthy Dodgers team does not have much room for upgrades among the position-player group, particularly with the versatile Tommy Edman back in the fold and able to cover multiple spots on the diamond. Perhaps another left-handed bat on the bench could be a worthwhile target. More likely, look for the Dodgers to flex their farm system strength to acquire pitching, though it’s a bit too early to tell whether they have the appetite to pursue an impact arm such as Tarik Skubal or will be satisfied adding a capable contributor or two.
2. Milwaukee Brewers (51-31)
The Brewers have the requisite farm system to compete for any of the top names available on the trade market, but we haven’t seen them act as aggressive buyers in a long time, so it’s difficult to tell how far they’ll be willing to go to outbid front offices that are more adept at splurging. As usual, Milwaukee has been brilliant on the mound this season — albeit injured enough to warrant adding an arm or two — but could use some more thump in the lineup. The left side of the infield is the most glaring area of need from an offensive standpoint.
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3. Tampa Bay Rays (48-33)
Another small-market behemoth with plenty of prospects to trade, the Rays are always the leading candidates to blend buying and selling, rather than shipping out hoards of minor leaguers for short-term fixes. Despite Junior Caminero’s best efforts, Tampa Bay ranks 29th in home runs, so the Rays could stand to bring in some slugging support at the deadline. And it feels weird to say, but the Rays could use some bullpen help as well; their relievers rank 22nd in ERA (4.40).
Atlanta’s pitching has been outstanding across the board to this point, but injuries have continued to haunt this staff and threaten its ability to sustain its elite effectiveness. There’s room for improvement in both the rotation and the bullpen as long as Spencer Strider and Robert Suarez are both out due to elbow trouble. In the lineup, another capable right-handed bat would be welcome, as Ronald Acuña Jr.’s absence due to injury and Austin Riley’s regression have left Atlanta’s lineup notably thin from that side of the plate.
5. Philadelphia Phillies (47-38)
It’s no secret that president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski will leave no stone unturned in pursuing upgrades at the deadline, and even with the Phillies surging over the past month, their roster has plenty of weak spots to address. Right field in Philly is as gigantic of a hole as any single position on any contender league-wide, and both the rotation and bullpen are concerningly shallow beyond the big dogs at the top. How much he can add remains to be seen, but Dombrowski will be busy over the next month.
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6. New York Yankees (48-36)
The Yankees’ annual June swoon has upped the urgency in the Bronx after they coasted through the first couple of months as the clear best team in the American League. New York might still be able to claim that status, but the roster could use some patchwork. Aaron Judge’s absence has made the weaker bottom of the lineup much more noticeable, and the bullpen has been far shakier than its 3.18 ERA (second in MLB) would indicate. Look for Brian Cashman to add a reliever or two, and perhaps more will be in store if the recent struggles sustain into July.
7. Chicago Cubs (47-38)
Pitching, pitching, pitching. No contender has as obvious of a need as the Cubs, given how decimated they have been by injuries on the mound, and that puts Chicago in an unenviable position leverage-wise. The Cubs already jumped at the chance to add one major-league rotation piece via trade in David Peterson, and they’ll need to stay aggressive in the coming weeks to keep pace in the National League race; waiting until closer to the deadline might not be an option considering the beleaguered state of their pitching staff. But if potential trade partners sense that desperation, it’ll spike the acquisition cost. President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer has his work cut out for him.
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8. Chicago White Sox (44-39)
One of the most pleasant surprises of the season, the White Sox are in first place as June draws to a close. I repeat: The White Sox are in first place. And while the dismal AL Central is contributing to its place in the standings, Chicago’s roster quality indicates this is no fluke; it’s a solid ballclub taking advantage of underperforming competition. Does that make the Sox bona fide buyers come deadline time? Probably not. But if the front office wants to reward its burgeoning young core with some additional support rather than subtracting veterans on expiring contracts, they could spend some prospect capital on adding pitching that can help beyond this season.
Whether the Tigers will trade Tarik Skubal is the question of the summer.
(Bruno Rouby/Yahoo Sports)
Like their midwest counterparts in Milwaukee, the Guardians have a deep farm system but perhaps not the aggressive mentality required to win a bidding war for a top deadline target. Could that change this season? Even with Detroit and Kansas City drastically disappointing, Chicago’s resurgence means the Guardians won’t be able to coast to a division title. Arguably no team boasts as many exciting rookie hitters as Cleveland right now, yet runs have still been hard to come by. The bullpen could also use a boost. With a ton of upper-level prospect depth to deal from, the Guardians should be active at the deadline, but I’ll believe it when I see it.
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Five straight road victories have propelled Texas into first in the AL West, despite a negative run differential (-5). As has been the case in the mediocre years since the Rangers won it all, their competence on the mound has kept them competitive while the offense continues to lag, despite the gaudy résumés of the hitters in the lineup. As such, adding a bat or two would go a long way, even if it’s of the platoon variety. The rotation could also use one more steady option beyond Texas’ big three of Jacob deGrom, MacKenzie Gore and Nathan Eovaldi, especially considering that trio’s collective injury history.
11. St. Louis Cardinals (43-38)
No player will inform the Cardinals’ trade deadline strategy more than outfielder Lars Nootbaar. After the worst season of his career last year, Nootbaar underwent surgery on both heels in October, which delayed the start to his 2026 campaign. But since rejoining the St. Louis lineup in early June, he has been outstanding, posting an .866 OPS with elite underlying batted-ball and plate-discipline data while mostly manning left field. Under contract through next season, Nootbaar might’ve been traded this past offseason had he not been recovering from surgery. Instead, he stayed put long enough to rejoin a surprisingly competitive Cardinals team. Even so, in a season that was expected to be more about building for the future than contending — and with so few premium position players expected to be available at the deadline — St. Louis might cash in now with Nootbaar healthy and playing well. That would be an awfully tough move to make if the Cardinals are in a playoff spot come early August, but if they start to slip, keep an eye on Nootbaar.
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12. Seattle Mariners (43-43)
A wicked cocktail of injuries and underperformance has made Seattle’s offense as disjointed and disappointing as any across the league. Free-agent addition Rob Refsnyder has flopped to an unthinkable degree, meaning the Mariners still need another right-handed bat to balance out their lineup. They aren’t alone in that regard, however, so finding such an upgrade won’t be easy this summer. More achievable — and also high on the to-do list — will be adding to the bullpen, which has been exposed as lacking, especially as Seattle has refused to move away from its six-man rotation (in piggyback form or otherwise).
We all know president of baseball operations AJ Preller is going to be working the phones in the coming weeks, so it’s just a matter of him scrounging together enough prospects from his depleted farm system to execute a deal. It’ll be interesting to see which part of the roster Preller prioritizes. San Diego’s woeful offensive output — it ranks 30th in a host of batting categories — seems like the place to start, but given the personnel involved, you could argue the rotation is what needs even more upgrading if the Padres want to even have a fighting chance come October.
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The Marlins are in a similar position to the White Sox as a young team playing above expectations, but with one big major difference: They’re in the National League. As such, it’s much harder to envision a path to the postseason — Miami’s playoff odds per FanGraphs are 26%, compared to 40% for Chicago — which could force president of baseball operations Peter Bendix to make some tough choices even if the Marlins’ record reflects that of a contending team. Sandy Alcantara is the name to watch here, and how Miami plays in July will determine how challenging it’ll be to unload him without alienating both the fans and the clubhouse.
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Pittsburgh’s +32 run differential is the sixth-best mark in MLB, but its play over the past two months has only occasionally inspired confidence that the Pirates are one of the best handful of clubs in the league. That said, as owners of the National League’s longest playoff drought, the Pirates shouldn’t hesitate to be aggressive in adding ahead of the deadline. Pittsburgh succeeded in overhauling its offense over the winter, but the bullpen remains undermanned to a troubling degree. This team should be calling about all flavors of relievers in the coming weeks.
16. Houston Astros (42-45)
The Astros have recovered from a miserable 20-31 start, and they’ve benefitted immensely from their division rivals failing to build much of a lead in the early going. Houston is within striking distance of a postseason spot and playing well, though injuries continue to create roster holes that could be addressed ahead of the deadline. This team needs arms aplenty, and adding to the outfield mix should also be a priority. General manager Dana Brown doesn’t have an especially deep group of prospects to deal from, but the urgency to return to October should be high after last season’s rare miss. Look for the Astros to add rather than subtract unless things go totally off the rails in July.
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The Nationals’ dynamic, young offense has kept them competitive all season despite an ill-equipped pitching staff, which could make it harder for new president of baseball operations Paul Toboni to trade away veterans. That said, with the new front office’s focus on building a sustainable future rather than chasing present victories, look for left-hander Foster Griffin to be a popular target for teams seeking rotation help. It might be harder to part with infield mashers CJ Abrams and Luis Garcia Jr. at this stage, but you can be sure teams will be calling Toboni to gauge availability.
18. Arizona Diamondbacks (42-42)
The Snakes’ struggles to score this year have been wildly uncharacteristic, especially with so many of the same position-player personnel in place. But if Arizona is to add ahead of the deadline, upgrading on the mound should be the priority, as the pitching staff is still waiting on key arms to return from injury, many of whose timelines remain unclear. The D-backs were major offloaders at last season’s deadline, but a more calculated approach as buyers appears likely this time around.
It has been a frustrating encore to last October’s magical postseason run for the Blue Jays, but the meager American League competition offers hope that another push to the playoffs could still be in store. And even if Toronto’s record remains unimpressive, this is not a franchise in position to go backward, so look for this front office to get creative in addressing this roster’s shortcomings, even with a shallow farm system. Adding offense should be the priority.
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The Twins have played just well enough to avoid being labeled no-doubt sellers, but they have so many enticing trade chips that they’d be wise to seize the upcoming opportunity to restock their farm system rather than chase the third wild card. Even if Byron Buxton refuses to waive his no-trade clause, Minnesota has plenty to offer. Joe Ryan could net a similar trade return as Skubal, considering he has an additional year of team control. Ryan Jeffers could be one of the best bats available if he returns from his hamate injury before the deadline and resumes raking. Trevor Larnach could improve several contenders’ left-field situations. Look for all of those guys to be bandied about leading up to Aug. 3.
21. Cincinnati Reds (39-44)
Only the A’s (-59), Royals (-70) and Rockies (-92) have worse run differentials than the Reds (-53), and Cincinnati is 30th in total fWAR accumulated by a large margin. In other words: This is not a good baseball team, and even if the standings suggest they’re on the periphery of the wild-card race, selling is the most prudent course of action for this club. JJ Bleday has been a revelation in the middle of the lineup and could be a fixture moving forward, or the Reds could cash in on his resurgence and flip him in a market light on impact bats. Plus, Brady Singer and Brock Burke are two arms on expiring contracts who could help contending clubs.
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22. Baltimore Orioles (39-47)
President of baseball operations Mike Elias insisted over the weekend that the Orioles are planning on acting as buyers, but he acknowledged that the standings could push them in a different direction by the time the deadline arrives. Should Baltimore choose to sell, Taylor Ward would immediately become one of the most attractive bats available, and lefty Trevor Rogers — like Ward, slated to hit free agency this winter — could be a nice second-tier rotation target for teams unwilling to swim in the Skubal/Ryan waters.
23. Athletics (40-45)
The Athletics have tumbled down the standings after a promising April, but they still have an outside shot at a playoff spot because of the weak American League. They’re also in a tricky position considering that their veteran trade candidates — Jeffrey Springs, Aaron Civale, Jeff McNeil, Luis Severino — are all either performing poorly or injured, making it tough to identify whom the team could offload for a worthwhile prospect package. Perhaps a controllable reliever could be on the move (Justin Sterner, Hogan Harris, Luis Medina), or maybe the A’s will stand pat and play it out.
24. Boston Red Sox (37-46)
A four-game sweep of the Yankees had Fenway Park buzzing over the weekend, but it’s still quite the mountain for the Red Sox to climb to get their record back to respectable. What’s more, they’re running out of time to do so, and if they return to their losing ways in July, expect veterans Aroldis Chapman, Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras to be asked about aggressively at the deadline, not to mention the perpetual trade rumors surrounding Jarren Duran. If you thought president of baseball operations Craig Breslow was a hot-button topic before, we might just be getting started.
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Not sure if you’ve heard, but Tarik Skubal is going to be a free agent this offseason, and the Tigers have played a lot of bad baseball. There’s no need to overcomplicate it: Whether Skubal stays or goes will be the biggest story of the next five weeks. And how he pitches during that window as he continues to ease back in after his unprecedented elbow surgery is also worth monitoring; teams might be less willing to pay full freight if he looks merely very good, as opposed to like the best pitcher on the planet.
26. New York Mets (35-50)
No team with a payroll this large should ever arrive at a deadline contemplating selling, but such is life in Queens in 2026. Salvaging this season might not be possible, but president of baseball operations David Stearns will have some interesting trade chips to move if the Mets are willing to wave the white flag. Virtually every veteran pitcher on the roster should be available — Freddy Peralta chief among them — and maybe the Mets could find a taker for some of their younger position players who no longer fit in the team’s plans.
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This is the seller to watch. Luis Arraez and Robbie Ray are both pending free agents performing well, and nothing about the Giants’ play suggests they’re about to rally into postseason position. Whether a sell-off includes more expensive pieces such as Matt Chapman remains to be seen, but you can expect president of baseball operations Buster Posey’s strategy for these trades and the direction of the franchise to be a juicy topic of conversation in the weeks to come.
The arrival of veteran front office leader John Mozeliak as interim general manager — and his stated intention to evaluate all levels of the organization — has changed the tenor in Anaheim significantly. Under Perry Minasian, the Angels repeatedly acted as if they were far closer to contending than they actually were, leading to misguided acquisitions that failed to accomplish much of anything. If Mozeliak takes a more patient, big-picture approach, the Angels could suddenly become aggressive sellers with a focus on replenishing a barren farm system. Reid Detmers and Jose Soriano — both under contract through 2028 — could be particularly valuable to deal to rotation-needy teams with prospects to move.
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The Royals have two veteran starters in Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo who could appeal to teams seeking rotation reinforcements, though Wacha would seem to be more alluring than Lugo, based on his superior performance and lesser contractual obligations. Both are under contract through next season, but Lugo is slated to make $21.5 million, compared to just $14 million for Wacha, who is also a year-and-a-half younger. Most importantly, Wacha has performed more like a pitcher worth acquiring. He leads all American League arms in innings pitched and continues to quiet opposing batters (3.31 ERA) with a balanced six-pitch mix headlined by an elite changeup.
30. Colorado Rockies (33-52)
Reluctant to participate in the trade market under the previous regime, the Rockies have new leadership in place that should not hesitate to make the sensible move as a last-place team at the deadline and deal away veterans for longer-term assets. That could include outfield slugger Mickey Moniak or one of Colorado’s experienced starting pitchers (Michael Lorenzen, Tomoyuki Sugano), but the most exciting trade chips are found in the bullpen, where the Rockies have a bevy of hard throwers (Antonio Senzatela, Seth Halvorsen, Juan Mejia, among others) with the kind of big-time stuff that rival teams covet.
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