The 10 players most likely to be dealt by the deadline

It's MLB commercialized deadline day!

General managers haven't slept successful days, and they've astir apt developed carpal passageway from texting truthful much. Every subordinate traded is guaranteed to marque a large interaction and each imaginable looks similar a aboriginal prima ... right?

OK, possibly not. But a mates of the trades that hap Thursday mightiness determine a part contention oregon clinch a playoff berth oregon possibly adjacent cardinal a World Series run. One of the no-name prospects might, indeed, crook into an All-Star.

As always, determination are immoderate intriguing names being floated successful commercialized rumors. But this is simply a database of the biggest names astir likely to beryllium traded Thursday, truthful it won't see the pursuing players (who could still move):

• Sandy Alcantara (still possible, particularly aft yet delivering a bully commencement Tuesday)

• Zac Gallen (Diamondbacks could support him and springiness him a qualifying offer)

• Mitch Keller (signed done 2028 and those controllable starters are ne'er traded astatine the deadline)

• Dylan Cease and Robert Suarez (the Padres are unpredictable, truthful you ne'er know)

• Jarren Duran (the Duran-for-Keller rumors won't spell away)

• Brandon Lowe (Mets?)

• Steven Kwan (that would beryllium ace fun)

• MacKenzie Gore (expensive)

• Joe Ryan (more expensive)

• Brent Rooker (signed done 2029, truthful seems unlikely)

• Edward Cabrera (Marlins person played good for 2 months and Cabrera is nether power done 2028)

Hopefully, we volition get a astonishment commercialized -- oregon 3 -- involving immoderate of the supra players. But arsenic the 6 p.m. ET deadline approaches, present are the apical 10 names to watch.

(Note: Unless mentioned, each players volition beryllium escaped agents astatine season's end.)

1. Merrill Kelly, RHP, Arizona Diamondbacks

Best fits: Chicago Cubs, Houston Astros, Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers

Kelly mightiness beryllium viewed arsenic much of a grind-it-out innings eater, but that feels similar a spot of a disservice to his ability, particularly since he's pitching good with a 2.56 ERA implicit his past 10 starts, lowering his play ERA to 3.22. After getting knocked retired aboriginal successful his 2nd commencement of the season, helium has gone astatine slightest 5 innings successful each commencement since then, usually going six oregon seven.

His superlative enactment successful the 2023 postseason (2.25 ERA crossed 4 starts) is different crushed he's a acceptable with immoderate contender. The Cubs could surely usage a starter to spell with Matthew Boyd and Shota Imanaga, the Astros likewise could usage a 3rd beardown starter to travel their 2 aces successful Framber Valdez and Hunter Brown. And portion the Tigers already acquired Chris Paddack, they mightiness request different starter with Reese Olson retired for the season.

2. Ryan O'Hearn, 1B/OF, Baltimore Orioles

Best fits: Texas Rangers, Astros, San Francisco Giants, Milwaukee Brewers, Red Sox

O'Hearn's versatility to play archetypal basal oregon a country outfield slot is simply a large plus, though the Orioles person mostly utilized him successful a platoon role, which is simply a negative. He was hitting .333 with a .961 OPS done the extremity of May but hasn't done overmuch since past (.224 with 4 location runs). The Rangers person the worst OPS from their DHs successful the majors, truthful O'Hearn fits there, and the Astros person been vocal astir wanting a left-handed batter. The Brewers person popped up precocious successful the crippled arsenic a imaginable destination, though archetypal baseman Andrew Vaughn has been red-hot filling successful for the injured Rhys Hoskins.

3. David Bednar/Dennis Santana, RHPs, Pittsburgh Pirates

Best fits: Tigers, Rangers, Blue Jays, Los Angeles Dodgers, Yankees, Seattle Mariners, Cubs

Bednar is absorbing for a mates of reasons: He's having an fantabulous bounce-back play aft a unsmooth 2024, posting vocation bests successful strikeout and locomotion rate, and he's nether squad power done 2026. Santana is likewise nether power done 2026 and has a minuscule 1.36 ERA, though helium has a below-average strikeout complaint and has relied connected a debased BABIP that could regress astatine immoderate time.

As you tin spot from the database above, determination are nary shortages of teams successful request of high-leverage relief, with immoderate of those clubs viewing Bednar arsenic a person and others arsenic a setup guy. The Tigers' bullpen has struggled for a mates of months arsenic has the Mets' speech from person Edwin Diaz. The Rangers person surged of precocious but person had fewer prevention opportunities, with the past mates having gone to journeyman Robert Garcia. The Blue Jays acquired Seranthony Dominguez but privation different reliever, and the Dodgers mightiness privation an upgrade connected Tanner Scott arsenic their closer.

4. Griffin Jax, RHP, Minnesota Twins

Best fits: Dodgers, Yankees, Rangers, Tigers, Blue Jays

The Twins already traded Jhoan Duran, truthful they mightiness beryllium understandably reluctant to commercialized different high-leverage reliever, particularly 1 with the fifth-highest strikeout complaint successful the majors among pitchers with astatine slightest 40 innings. But the commercialized returns for relievers person been precocious truthful acold and Jax, similar Duran, is controllable for an further 2 seasons, adding to his value. If the Twins tin get a bundle akin to what they received for Duran, it mightiness beryllium hard to accidental nary -- and determination are respective contenders inactive successful request of bullpen help.

5. Marcell Ozuna, DH, Atlanta Braves

Best fits: Rangers, San Diego Padres, Giants, Reds

Ozuna's commercialized worth is diminished since he's strictly a DH and has struggled for 2 months aft posting a .426 OBP and .883 OPS done the extremity of May. Since then, helium has deed .176 with a .600 OPS and has mislaid immoderate of his DH at-bats to rookie catcher Drake Baldwin. But there's nary crushed for the Braves to support him, and the Rangers and Padres hap to person the worst DH accumulation successful the majors and could instrumentality a accidental connected an Ozuna blistery streak. He did so homer Monday and Tuesday, truthful possibly 1 is coming.

6. Charlie Morton, RHP, Baltimore Orioles

Best fits: Blue Jays, Cubs, Astros, Tigers, Red Sox, Padres, New York Mets

Morton, 41, was arguably the worst starter successful the majors the archetypal period of the season, erstwhile helium had a 10.36 ERA done his archetypal six outings, losing each six. He rediscovered the consciousness for his curveball during a stint successful the bullpen, and since rejoining the rotation successful precocious May, helium is 7-1 with a 3.66 ERA. His peripheral stats aren't rather arsenic awesome arsenic the ERA suggests but helium has fixed up 3 oregon less runs successful 10 of 12 starts. His playoff acquisition doesn't wounded either. How astir a instrumentality to Houston, wherever helium was the winning pitcher successful Game 7 of the 2017 World Series?

7. Cedric Mullins, CF, Baltimore Orioles

Best fits: Philadelphia Phillies, Mets, Astros, Padres

Mullins is different from the agelong database of Orioles escaped agents. The question for teams that mightiness request a halfway fielder, specified arsenic the Phillies and Mets: How bully is helium connected defense? Statcast metrics accidental helium has been beauteous good, with a 77th percentile successful outs supra mean (although with 1 of the worst arms successful the majors, which does wounded his wide antiaircraft value); but successful presumption of antiaircraft runs saved, helium is the worst halfway fielder successful the majors astatine minus-17 DRS. Which metric to believe? Given the Orioles person the second-worst BABIP allowed successful the majors, helium mightiness beryllium a amended acceptable successful near tract oregon disconnected the seat (or arsenic a imaginable DH enactment for the Padres).

8. Adrian Houser, RHP, Chicago White Sox

Best fits: Pretty overmuch immoderate contender

One of the much intriguing pitcher popups of 2025, Houser began the play successful Triple-A with the Rangers, wherever helium had a 5.03 ERA, but past landed with the White Sox, wherever helium has a 2.10 ERA successful 11 starts, 9 of those ranking arsenic prime starts. That's retired of quality with the remainder of his career, but helium is throwing harder. Plus, his curveball has been much effectual than successful the past -- thus, helium has utilizing it much often. He could evidently beryllium a campaigner for a playoff rotation, if helium keeps pitching this way, oregon a invaluable multi-inning reliever.

9. Mike Tauchman, OF, Chicago White Sox

Best fits: Phillies, Astros, Reds, Padres, Rangers, Blue Jays

Luis Robert Jr. is the bigger sanction the White Sox mightiness trade, and possibly the Phillies oregon Mets instrumentality a accidental connected him to play halfway field, but Tauchman has deed overmuch amended than Robert -- his OPS is astir 200 points higher -- and would request a lesser instrumentality to acquire, frankincense making Tauchman much apt to beryllium traded. He's not an enactment for halfway field, though the Phillies could play him successful near implicit the struggling Max Kepler, but helium would beryllium a bully DH enactment for the Padres oregon Rangers.

10. Ramon Laureano, OF, Baltimore Orioles

Best fits: Phillies, Padres, Mariners, Dodgers, Padres, Rangers

Laureano does person a tenable $6.5 cardinal nine enactment for 2026 and fixed the fantabulous numbers he's enactment up -- .290/.355/.529 -- he'll beryllium successful demand, but could besides instrumentality to the Orioles. He's a right-handed alternate to the left-handed outfielders, truthful could enactment for a squad that needs a righty bat similar the Mariners oregon instrumentality implicit successful near tract for the likes of the Phillies (Max Kepler hasn't been good) oregon Dodgers (Michael Conforto has been adjacent worse). The Rangers could usage him arsenic a DH.