The Boston Red Sox and San Francisco Giants pulled off an all-time stunner with the Rafael Devers deal, so even though we’ll need to wait weeks for more clarity on the market, trade season is officially here. I say, let’s keep the deals coming!
The July 31 trade deadline is six weeks away, so let’s look at some trade possibilities I’d like to see happen. To be clear, none of these specific trade proposals have been discussed between the listed teams, at least to my knowledge. These are simply trade ideas that I think would make sense for both sides to consider.
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It’s also important to state that I’ve included several teams, such as the Arizona Diamondbacks, Baltimore Orioles and Los Angeles Angels, that, as of today, say they have no interest in being “sellers.” However, that could all change by the deadline depending on how each of them fares in the coming weeks.
Part of the fun of this time of year is all the trade rumors, speculation and ideas — from people in front offices, media members and fans — so let’s embrace it. In the comments section, please get creative and share trade scenarios and concepts that you’d like to see come to fruition.
Here are six trade ideas to ponder. Would you do these deals?
1. Marlins trade RHP Sandy Alcantara to Cubs for RHP Cade Horton, OF Owen Caissie, OF Kelvin Alcántara and SS Ronny Cruz
Sandy Alcantara has pitched much better of late, allowing two runs or fewer in each of his last three starts. He has a 6.88 ERA on the season, but if he shows he’s making even more progress toward rediscovering his Cy Young Award-winning form, what an acquisition he would be. In that scenario, adding an ace like Alcantara to their starting rotation would solidify the Cubs’ chances to not only win the NL Central, but also vastly improve their postseason odds and chances of advancing to the World Series.
In return, the Marlins would receive Horton, 23, to replace Sandy Alcantara in their rotation, and two corner outfielders, Caissie and Kevin Alcántara, who should be major-league-ready by next year; that would allow Miami to trade either outfielder Jesús Sánchez or outfielder Kyle Stowers at this year’s deadline for more talent. Caissie, 22, has an .879 OPS this season at Triple A, while his Iowa Cubs teammate Alcántara, 22, is batting .239/.322/.400 with seven homers and nine steals. Cruz, an 18-year-old who is currently in Rookie ball, would be the final piece to make the deal work for Miami.
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Sandy Alcantara is signed through 2026 with a $21 million team option for 2027, so this trade would bolster Chicago now and in the coming years. Sure, this package would be a stiff price for the Cubs to pay, but given their position player depth in the majors, it’s a risk worth taking.
2. Orioles trade RHP Félix Bautista and CF Cedric Mullins to Phillies for RHP Mick Abel
The Phillies’ two biggest needs are closer and center field, and this scenario would hit both in one swap, even though it would come at a significant price. Bautista is one of the premier closers in baseball and is under team control through 2027. Mullins is an elite defensive center fielder who hits homers and steals bases, but he will be a free agent at season’s end. Bautista has logged a 3.04 ERA, 14 saves, and 31 strikeouts in 23 2/3 innings in his first season since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2023. Mullins is batting .233/.319/.450 with 11 homers and eight stolen bases.
The Orioles would address their key need, young controllable starting pitching, in acquiring Abel, a 23-year-old who has a chance to become an ace if he continues to develop and his command and control improve. After a rough 2024 season, he has impressed this year, posting a 2.21 ERA with 17 strikeouts and only four walks in four starts with the Phillies, while logging a 2.21 ERA over 10 starts at Triple A. It would be tough for the Phillies to lose Abel, their first-round pick in 2020, but with a strong rotation and top prospect Andrew Painter, a future ace, on track to debut this summer, they might be willing to do this deal if they think Bautista and Mullins are the final pieces needed to win the World Series.
3. Diamondbacks trade 3B Eugenio Suárez to Tigers for RHP Jaden Hamm and 2B Max Anderson
The Tigers need to lengthen their lineup by adding another power bat and Suárez, who began his career with Detroit, would be the perfect fit. Suárez is having a great season, already smacking 21 homers and 13 doubles. And the Diamondbacks have one of the best prospects in baseball, Jordan Lawlar, who could immediately replace Suárez at the hot corner. Lawlar is tearing up Triple A as he waits his turn, batting .324/.405/.583 with nine homers, 18 doubles, four triples and 16 steals.
A package of Hamm, 22, and Anderson, 23, would be a fair return. They entered the season ranked seventh and 13th, respectively, in the Tigers’ system, according to The Athletic’s Keith Law. Hamm has a 4.73 ERA with 55 strikeouts in 51 1/3 innings this season at Double A, while Anderson has a .958 OPS in 234 plate appearances this year at the same level. The only problem with this scenario is the Diamondbacks (36-35), despite their significant pitching injuries, are still planning to be buyers at the deadline, according to president of baseball operations Mike Hazen. Therefore, Arizona would likely have to nosedive over the next six weeks for this one to be a viable option.
“We do these jobs to take shots and win.”
Mike Hazen sets the record straight and confirms that the #Dbacks are planning to buy at the trade deadline.@Dbacks
🔗https://t.co/fGPbvbj8w4 pic.twitter.com/d0xm6UndB9— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) June 15, 2025
4. White Sox trade CF Luis Robert Jr. to Padres for LHP Kash Mayfield, OF Kavares Tears and INF Cobb Hightower
The White Sox have been dangling Robert in talks with teams for a while, but after he got off to an awful start this season, interest quickly diminished. That doesn’t mean contending teams don’t understand Robert’s value, when he’s right, as he’s proven he can be a 30-home run, 20-stolen base, Gold Glove-winning player. Several teams would like to trade for him, but I like the fit with the Padres, where he could play left field alongside Jackson Merrill in center and Fernando Tatis Jr. in right. I think Robert would flourish with a change of scenery and could thrive if he joined a clubhouse with players like Manny Machado, Tatis and Jake Cronenworth. There’s certainly nowhere to go but up: Robert is batting a paltry .194/.279/.311, though he does have 21 steals.
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Perhaps a package of Mayfield, 21; Tears, 22; and Hightower, 20, could close the deal. All three are currently in Low A and rank among the top 10 prospects in the Padres’ system, according to MLB Pipeline.
5. Mariners trade C/OF Harry Ford to Diamondbacks for 1B Josh Naylor
Again, the Diamondbacks say they aren’t entertaining the thought of selling at this juncture, but that could change if they don’t play well in the coming weeks. And if that happens, they match up well with the Mariners in a trade involving Naylor, who would fill a glaring need in the middle of the Mariners’ lineup and at first base. An impending free agent, Naylor is coming off a 31-homer, 108-RBI season with the Guardians and has posted a 130 OPS+ this year with Arizona.
In return, the Diamondbacks might be able to acquire Ford, who is blocked behind Cal Raleigh, the best overall catcher in baseball, at the major-league level. Ford, 22, is slashing .315/.427/.425 this season at Triple A. He has an on-base percentage above .400 over nearly 1,900 plate appearances in the minors. This is probably too steep a price for a rental, but it’s going to be a sellers market once again, so this might be what teams have to pay for a left-handed, middle-of-the-order clutch power bat like Naylor’s.
6. Pirates trade RHP David Bednar to Tigers for OF Cris Rodriguez
The Tigers need another high-leverage reliever with closer experience. Enter Bednar, who would be a great fit to go with Tommy Kahnle and Will Vest at the back of their bullpen. Bednar, who is under team control through 2026, has a 3.36 ERA and 10 saves this season. In this scenario, the Pirates would get Rodriguez, who is only 17 and at least four years from the majors. However, he has serious upside and was one of the top international prospects in this year’s class. (Rodriguez signed with Detroit for a $3.197 million bonus, the club’s biggest ever to an international amateur.)
So, although Rodriguez is a lesser-known name now, it’s possible he someday turns into a Yordan Alvarez or a Junior Caminero or a Fernando Tatis Jr., who were all once prospects traded in situations like this. I’m not implying Rodriguez is that type of talent, but he does have scary potential, like those players did when they were traded. I think this is the type of prospect risk the Pirates have always needed to embrace more — even though, of course, it might not work out, like those three cases did for the acquiring teams.
It’s a high-risk, high-reward type of trade. What do the Pirates have to lose?
(Top photo of Sandy Alcantara: Joe Sargent / Getty Images)
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