Naylor to Mariners? Who lands Suarez? MLB trade deadline dominoes for the 10 biggest names on the market

We're down to crunch clip arsenic the July 31 commercialized deadline approaches.

This deadline mightiness deficiency immoderate of the imaginable pizzazz of erstwhile years, but retrieve that the biggest sanction past twelvemonth -- Garrett Crochet -- ended up not getting traded until the offseason. But this adjacent week should inactive beryllium interesting, particularly if the Arizona Diamondbacks spell all-in connected trading immoderate of their cardinal players heading into escaped agency.

Using ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan's trade deadline preview arsenic a guide, let's behaviour a small exercise: instrumentality 10 of the biggest names who could determination and spot however the dominoes mightiness fall. It's one-third prediction, one-third subject and one-third entertainment. Last year, we nailed lone 1 of the 10 names correctly (Jack Flaherty to the Los Angeles Dodgers), though seven of the players listed were successful information traded.

Let's commencement with perchance the astir coveted subordinate of this year's deadline -- going to 1 of the sport's biggest giants.

1. Diamondbacks commercialized Eugenio Suarez to Yankees

Suarez is not lone the hottest hitter who mightiness beryllium traded -- helium has 36 location runs if you haven't been paying attraction -- but looks similar the champion subordinate available, barring a blockbuster woody for a pitcher specified arsenic Joe Ryan oregon MacKenzie Gore. Let's commencement the dominoes with Suarez, particularly since respective contenders could usage an upgrade astatine 3rd base:

• With Jazz Chisholm Jr. moving to 2nd base, the Yankees are faking 3rd basal with the likes of Oswald Peraza and Jorbit Vivas.

• The Seattle Mariners person rookie Ben Williamson, a bully defender who has deed 1 location tally successful 78 games and has a sub-.300 OBP.

• Cubs 3rd basemen -- that's mostly rookie Matt Shaw -- person 3 location runs each play and the lowest OPS successful the majors.

• The Detroit Tigers are adjacent the bottommost of the majors successful violative accumulation astatine third, though Zach McKinstry has been playing determination of precocious and was an All-Star. In the bigger picture, the Tigers' discourtesy has slumped severely successful July aft astir everyone overperformed successful the archetypal half, truthful the beforehand bureau mightiness beryllium looking to adhd an interaction bat specified arsenic Suarez and instrumentality McKinstry to a inferior role.

• The Milwaukee Brewers churned done 3rd basemen early, but Caleb Durbin has played good of late.

And if you privation a acheronian horse, see the New York Mets, wherever Mark Vientos hasn't replicated his large numbers from 2024 and Brett Baty and Ronny Mauricio person played much lately, though they haven't deed overmuch either. Indeed, with Francisco Lindor struggling the past month, the Mets mightiness request different hitter.

So, who gets Suarez? The Tigers and Cubs are astir apt much focused connected pitching help. The Mariners person an fantabulous workplace strategy with 9 top-100 prospects and cognize Suarez good aft helium played determination successful 2022 and '23, but their discourtesy does pb the majors successful roadworthy OPS. Given the mode they operate, they mightiness not beryllium consenting to commercialized 1 of those apical prospects for a half-a-season subordinate -- and there's a tenable statement that the lone mode they're going to drawback the Houston Astros anyhow is for their rotation to commencement pitching better.

That leaves the Yankees. General manager Brian Cashman has said the Yankees are "going to spell to town" astatine the commercialized deadline, suggesting they request a starting pitcher, bullpen assistance and an infielder. The discourtesy has been amended again successful July aft scuffling successful June, but Aaron Judge could inactive usage immoderate help. There is an aerial of desperation arsenic good with the Yankees, arsenic the Toronto Blue Jays passed them successful the standings, and Suarez is intelligibly a cleanable acceptable for their gaping spread astatine third.

2. Diamondbacks commercialized Josh Naylor to Mariners

Naylor is different of Arizona's pending escaped agents and he'll outgo a batch little than Suarez. Heck, if the Mariners are consenting to instrumentality connected the salaries -- unlikely, though if they connection a beardown bundle of prospects, possibly Arizona kicks successful immoderate currency -- they could get some Naylor and Suarez and physique a lethal lineup with Suarez hitting down Cal Raleigh.

Absent that fanciful thinking, Naylor inactive makes consciousness arsenic a coagulated interaction hitter for a squad that ranks successful the bottommost 10 of the majors successful strikeout rate. Luke Raley tin descent to close tract oregon a seat role. The Mariners besides request immoderate bullpen extent and possibly a right-handed bat that would supply an upgrade implicit Dylan Moore oregon Donovan Solano, but Naylor would beryllium a bully addition, nonetheless.

3. Pirates commercialized David Bednar to Tigers

One cardinal crushed not to regularisation retired Suarez to Detroit: History suggests the teams making the biggest deals astatine the commercialized deadline aren't the ones chasing a playoff spot oregon simply trying to clasp connected to a wild-card berth, but those teams already successful archetypal place. The Tigers cognize they're going to the postseason; they privation to marque their squad amended for October. A squad that isn't guaranteed a playoff spot is risking aboriginal worth for a playoff tally that mightiness not exist.

At the minimum, the Tigers volition beryllium adding to a bullpen that has been hemorrhaging runs of late. Will Vest has remained solid, but Tommy Kahnle had been their different late-game high-leverage reliever and helium conscionable had a caller tally of 9 runs allowed implicit 3 outings. Bednar, a two-time All-Star, has rediscovered his consciousness and bid aft a unsmooth 2024. He besides comes with an further play of squad control. The different apical relievers who mightiness beryllium disposable see Emmanuel Clase of the Cleveland Guardians, and Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax of the Minnesota Twins, but don't look for an intradivision commercialized there.

4. Royals commercialized Seth Lugo to Cubs

Where bash our archetypal 3 dominoes permission the Cubs? They could inactive upgrade 3rd base, though the options are somewhat constricted aft Suarez. They would similar to adhd a starting pitcher to a rotation that ranks conscionable extracurricular the apical 10 successful the majors successful ERA but mightiness beryllium considered unstable beyond Matthew Boyd and Shota Imanaga. Passan has the Cubs possibly reasoning truly big and going aft Gore oregon Ryan, oregon the Pirates' Mitch Keller, but we'll play it a small much conservatively.

Of the pitchers heading to escaped agency, Lugo is the champion operation of "good" and "likely to beryllium traded," and the Cubs should beryllium the squad astir consenting to connection what's needed to get him. They person a championship-caliber lineup and defense, positive the bullpen has been solid. Their workplace strategy spot is connected the presumption subordinate side, which besides matches up with the Royals' needs. The 1 imaginable contented here: Neither Boyd nor Imanaga mean a strikeout per inning, and neither does Lugo, truthful determination mightiness beryllium immoderate interest astir however that rotation plays successful the postseason -- hence, the "think big" thought of Gore oregon Ryan, adjacent if it means emptying the workplace system.

5. Twins commercialized Griffin Jax to Mets

One warrant of the commercialized deadline: The Mets volition adhd to the bullpen, astir apt with much than 1 trade. Though the rotation inactive ranks 5th successful ERA, that was built disconnected a blistery start. More importantly, the lone Mets starter to implicit six innings since June 7 has been David Peterson. As a result, manager Carlos Mendoza has tally relievers Reed Garrett, Huascar Brazoban, Jose Butto and Ryne Stanek into the ground. The bullpen had a 2.78 ERA done May, but that fig is implicit 5.00 since the opening of June (ranking adjacent the bottommost of the majors).

The Twins person 2 high-profile relievers successful Duran and Jax, some of whom are nether squad power done 2027, truthful they'll beryllium overmuch much costly than your accustomed short-term relievers if the Twins determine to commercialized 1 oregon both. Duran would beryllium harder to woody -- but bring much successful instrumentality -- truthful we'll accidental Jax volition go. Don't beryllium fooled by his 4.09 ERA: He has 68 strikeouts and 12 walks successful 44 innings with a 97-mph heater. He's an elite strikeout reliever, the benignant you privation connected the mound successful October.

6. Guardians commercialized Steven Kwan to Dodgers

OK, present it's clip for immoderate fun. We cognize the Dodgers volition bash something, right? They astir ever bash -- and it's usually thing significant. It could beryllium a reliever, since Tanner Scott has scuffled astatine times (and was besides just enactment connected the injured database due to the fact that of near elbow inflammation, though his MRI showed nary ligament damage) and Michael Kopech is injured. Not to notation their bullpen woes person been connected afloat show lately. It could beryllium a starter, though they're yet trending a small healthier there. So, however astir an outfielder and a leadoff hitter?

The reasoning here: Michael Conforto conscionable hasn't worked out. The Dodgers person fixed him 300 sheet appearances and he's hitting nether .200, positive he's not a bully near fielder. They could besides usage a leadoff hitter. They conscionable moved Mookie Betts determination successful beforehand of Shohei Ohtani, looking to get Betts going, but Betts conscionable hasn't been an violative unit successful 2025 and shouldn't beryllium hitting astatine the apical of a lineup close now. Kwan would hole some issues and springiness them a bully OBP feline successful beforehand of Ohtani portion providing a large antiaircraft upgrade.

Would Cleveland commercialized Kwan? Jeff and Kiley McDaniel ranked him No. 2 connected ESPN's updated database of the apical 50 commercialized candidates, though admittedly gave conscionable a 20% accidental that helium would beryllium traded. He's nether squad power done 2027 and is making $4.1 cardinal this season, with a large rise owed adjacent year. The Guardians besides request powerfulness and the Dodgers could connection a bully bundle of prospects, possibly starting with catcher Dalton Rushing oregon a imaginable power-hitting outfielder specified arsenic Zyhir Hope oregon Eduardo Quintero (top imaginable Josue De Paula is astir apt disconnected limits).

7. Pirates commercialized Mitch Keller to Red Sox

The Keller rumors support picking up steam. He's signed done 2028, though this benignant of controllable pitcher is seldom -- ever? -- traded astatine the deadline. But the Pirates mightiness presumption this arsenic their champion accidental to adhd immoderate much-needed offense. As Passan wrote, the Blue Jays besides marque a batch of consciousness for Keller, with Chris Bassitt and Max Scherzer headed to escaped bureau aft this play and past Kevin Gausman aft 2026.

But the Red Sox person a surplus of outfielders already successful the majors and much hitting prospects successful the minors, truthful they enactment up arsenic a imaginable lucifer with Pittsburgh. This could beryllium an old-fashioned situation commercialized with the Red Sox offering Jarren Duran, who matches Keller successful being nether squad power done 2028. Or possibly the Pirates would privation aggregate players -- Kristian Campbell has been squeezed retired of a spot successful the Boston lineup, for example, and High-A infielder Franklin Arias would beryllium different option.

It's admittedly much apt the Red Sox bash thing smaller, not wishing to interruption up their existent momentum. Manager Alex Cora has managed to support everyone active, including starting Ceddanne Rafaela astatine 2nd basal a mates of times precocious (although you hatred taking his mitt retired of halfway field). Or don't regularisation retired adding a archetypal baseman, specified arsenic Naylor oregon Ryan O'Hearn. Abraham Toro has done OK filling successful for injured Triston Casas, but his way grounds suggests helium could regress astatine immoderate moment.

8. Orioles commercialized Ryan O'Hearn to Astros

Speaking of O'Hearn, he's 1 of respective players the Orioles volition look to commercialized -- and mightiness beryllium the 1 who volition make the astir interest. The Astros inactive clasp a six-game pb successful the AL West, continuing to play good done a agelong database of injuries, but wide manager Dana Brown has talked astir the request to adhd a left-handed hitter. O'Hearn could play near tract for the Astros, who person been utilizing Cooper Hummel, Taylor Trammell and antiaircraft liability Jose Altuve successful the outfield lately. Even if the injured Yordan Alvarez makes it back, Altuve could past descent backmost to 2nd base.

9. Braves commercialized Marcell Ozuna to Padres

The Padres are 1 of the imaginable landing spots for O'Hearn arsenic they look to boost an discourtesy that ranks successful the bottommost 3rd of the NL successful runs scored. Since we person O'Hearn going to the Astros, the domino falls to Ozuna going to the Padres to capable their DH spread (they don't person a regular there). His $16 cardinal wage -- oregon astir $5.4 cardinal implicit the last 2 months -- mightiness beryllium a small steep for the Padres, but we cognize that wide manager A.J. Preller volition bash something. He ever does. Ozuna's powerfulness numbers are down this season, positive helium has been unspeakable the past 2 months, truthful determination is immoderate hazard here, but helium had an OBP implicit .400 successful April and May.

10. Diamondbacks commercialized Merrill Kelly to Blue Jays

The Blue Jays conscionable support winning, contempt a rotation that ranks successful the bottommost 3rd successful the majors successful ERA (Eric Lauer has been their champion starter of late). We person them missing retired connected Lugo and Keller, successful portion due to the fact that their workplace strategy isn't considered peculiarly strong, truthful the last domino connected our database is Kelly going to Toronto. Passan had bully reasoning arsenic to why the Diamondbacks would beryllium much apt to commercialized Kelly than Gallen. Both are escaped agents, but Arizona could look to re-sign the older (and frankincense little expensive) Kelly successful the offseason portion keeping Gallen and giving him a qualifying connection to recoup a draught prime if helium leaves arsenic a escaped agent.

A fig of contenders didn't onshore 1 of the 10 biggest names successful our workout but could surely inactive beryllium progressive successful the commercialized market. The Philadelphia Phillies, who conscionable signed David Robertson for the bullpen, could inactive adhd different reliever and possibly an outfielder. The Texas Rangers haven't gone distant and could beryllium successful that O'Hearn/Naylor premix for a archetypal baseman (and the alleviation marketplace arsenic well). The San Francisco Giants could adhd a starting pitcher -- Zack Littell would beryllium a semi-big splash, with Charlie Morton and Zach Eflin 2 much Orioles who could beryllium traded.

That's it for our crippled of dominoes. Now, it's clip for the enactment to begin.