The MLB trade deadline is a little over three months away as teams will position themselves to upgrade their ballclubs before July 31. Here are the 10 players who will most likely switch teams at the deadline.
**Statistics as of Sunday, April 20**
Sandy Alcantara: Florida Marlins pitcher
Miami Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara will be the No. 1 pitcher on the market once the team begins their deadline sell-off. Alcantara is still finding his form after missing all of last season following Tommy John surgery. Through four starts, he’s given up 14 earned runs in 17⅓ innings for a 7.27 ERA. Even if he’s not the pitcher he once was, teams will still be calling. He’s making $17.3 million this season and next and has a $21 million club option for 2027.
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Luis Robert Jr.: Chicago White Sox center fielder
Center fielder Luis Robert Jr. likely won’t be on the Chicago White Sox roster after July 31. With Robert’s poor play last year and the start of 2025, the question is what the White Sox can get for the former All-Star who has been injury plagued during his career. In 100 games in 2024, Robert hit .224 with a .657 OPS and 14 home runs. In 18 games this season, he’s batting .145 with a .518 OPS and just two home runs. He’s making $15 million in 2025 and has club options for 2026 and 2027 at $20 million each.
Ryan Helsley: St. Louis Cardinals reliever
Relievers are always a high commodity at the trade deadline, and with the St. Louis Cardinals looking to acquire young talent, closer Ryan Helsley will likely be on the move since he will be a free agent after the season. The two-time All-Star led baseball in saves in 2024 with 49. Helsley is making $8.2 million and would command a premium.
Erick Fedde: St. Louis Cardinals pitcher
Another pitcher the Cardinals will be looking to move is starter Erick Fedde. The 32-year-old made a successful return to the majors last year after spending 2023 in South Korea’s KBO League. In 31 starts between the White Sox and Cardinals, Fedde threw a career-high 177⅓ innings with a 3.30 ERA, 125 ERA+, and 154 strikeouts. Through four starts this year, he has a 3.43 ERA, striking out 10 while walking 11 in 21 innings. He’s making $7.5 million and will be a free agent after the season.
Sonny Gray: St. Louis Cardinals pitcher
The third Cardinals pitcher that will likely be on the move is veteran starter Sonny Gray. His name was floated in trade rumors just one season after St. Louis signed him to a three-year, $75 million deal. Gray, a three-time All-Star, would be a solid middle-of-the-rotation piece for a contending team. He has a career 3.50 ERA and 120 ERA+. If the Cards do move him, they will have to help pay down his contract. Gray makes $25 million this year and $35 million in 2026. He also has a $30 million club option for 2027.
Kyle Finnegan: Washington Nationals reliever
Despite recording 38 saves last year for the Washington Nationals and earning his first All-Star selection, closer Kyle Finnegan was non-tendered but eventually returned on a one-year, $6 million deal. He struggled in the second half of 2024, giving up 15 earned runs in 23⅓ innings for a 5.79 ERA. Last July, he posted a 7.59 ERA for the month. This season, he’s appeared in eight games, recording seven saves with a 2.08 ERA and striking out 11 in 8⅔ innings. If he continues his All-Star form, he will find a new team at the deadline.
Josh Bell: Washington Nationals first baseman/designated hitter
It wouldn’t be a trade deadline without first baseman/designated hitter Josh Bell being on the move. Bell has been traded at the deadline for three consecutive years. The 32-year-old signed a one-year, $6 million deal with the Nationals before the season, and there’s a 99.9% chance he won’t be with them the whole year. Any team looking for a left-handed power bat will be knocking on Washington’s door for Bell.
Randy Arozarena: Seattle Mariners outfielder
If the Seattle Mariners are out of playoff contention when the trade deadline arrives, expect to hear Randy Arozarena’s name in trade talks. The Mariners acquired the former All-Star and 2021 AL Rookie of the Year at the 2024 trade deadline from the Tampa Bay Rays. He’s hit 20 or more home runs in his first four full seasons and transforms into Babe Ruth during the postseason. In 33 playoff games, he has a .336 average, 1.104 OPS, and 11 home runs — with 10 of those blasts coming during Tampa Bay’s 2020 World Series run. Arozarena is making $11.3 million in 2025 and is arbitration eligible next season.
Luis Castillo: Seattle Mariners pitcher
Another Mariners name who will be popular at the deadline if Seattle falls in the standings is three-time All-Star pitcher Luis Castillo. His name circulated during the offseason, but the Mariners never pulled the trigger on any deals and kept their elite rotation intact. If a team acquires Castillo, they would have him for at least two additional seasons. He’s owed $24.15 million in both 2026 and 2027 and has a $25 million vesting option for 2028 if he pitches 170 innings the year prior.
German Marquez: Colorado Rockies starter
Colorado Rockies starter German Marquez will be on the move at the deadline as he’s in the last year of a two-year, $20 million deal. The 2021 All-Star only made five starts combined in 2023 and 2024 after undergoing Tommy John surgery, then suffering right elbow inflammation and a stress reaction to the same elbow. It’s been a rough start to 2025 for Marquez, posting an 8.27 ERA in three starts, giving up 15 earned runs and 22 hits in 16⅓ innings. If he can get back on track, the Rockies could get a low-level prospect in return.
