The MLB trade deadline is closing in, and Jeff Passan’s latest read on the market points to a busy stretch ahead. According to the ESPN insider, nine teams are expected to be “adding aggressively” before the deadline, a sign that several contenders are ready to make real moves rather than just browse the aisle.
The usual heavy hitters are on the list. The Los Angeles Dodgers, who almost never sit still at this time of year, are once again positioned to chase high-end help as they push toward another World Series run. The Philadelphia Phillies also look ready to jump in, with a strong rotation already in place and room to hunt for upgrades that can make an already dangerous group even tougher.
In the National League playoff race, the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers both have plenty of reason to be active. Each club is fighting for position, and either could use another starter, bullpen reinforcement, or an impact bat.
The Atlanta Braves are in that mix too, even with injuries hanging over their season. The message from them is clear: if they get into October, they want to show up with a roster built for a deep run.
The American League side brings its own set of buyers. The New York Yankees are again expected to be one of the biggest names in the market, with Mason Miller among the elite pitchers they’ve already been linked to. They’re still looking for help in both the bullpen and the lineup, and standing pat has never really been the Yankees’ style.
The Seattle Mariners also made Passan’s list, and their path is pretty straightforward: the pitching has kept them in the race, but more offense could be what turns them from a playoff team into a real threat. Then there are the two names that stand out a little more than the rest - the Tampa Bay Rays and Chicago White Sox. Tampa Bay has a long track record of finding ways to improve despite financial limits, while Chicago’s inclusion suggests a more aggressive posture than many expected.
The full list of teams Passan identified as the most aggressive buyers is:
Milwaukee Brewers
Chicago White Sox
Chicago Cubs
Philadelphia Phillies
Los Angeles Dodgers
Atlanta Braves
New York Yankees
Tampa Bay Rays
Seattle Mariners
With so many contenders looking for help, the next few days could bring a wave of major deals. An ace, a high-end reliever, or a middle-of-the-order bat could all be on the move, and this deadline has the feel of one that could shift the playoff picture in a hurry.
In Other News...
White Sox Could Be Eyeing A Franchise-Changing Deadline Swing
The White Sox are being linked to a possible deadline swing that would fit the kind of long-view move a rebuilding club can still justify if it believes the window is opening sooner than expected. Analyst Jim Bowden has suggested Chicago should be aggressive in pursuing one of the games most dominant late-inning arms, pointing to a pitcher whose numbers have been elite and whose club control stretches well into the future.
For a team trying to stabilize its bullpen and keep building toward real contention, the appeal is obvious, even if the price would be steep. Any deal of this size would almost certainly demand a massive return, and while the fit makes sense on paper, there is still a long way to go before a move like this becomes more than an idea being floated around the deadline conversation. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Cannot Afford These Deadline Mistakes Again
With the trade deadline closing in, the White Sox are once again weighing whether to spend prospect capital on help for a roster that still needs upgrades in the rotation, bullpen and behind the plate. The names circulating are familiar enough to make sense on paper, but the bigger question is whether any of them actually move the needle enough to justify the cost.
Brady Singer is the kind of starter who can look like a tidy fit for a team searching for innings, yet the underlying numbers raise real doubts about whether he would be more than a modest add. Chicago has already lived through deadline decisions that did not pay off, and this time the front office has to be careful not to chase a familiar name simply because the market is moving. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Deadline Could Decide Whether This Run Gets Backed
A year ago, the White Sox were still trying to climb out of the kind of season that buried them in the standings. Now they sit atop the AL Central with a 54-47 record, a positive run differential and a real path to October, a turnaround that has changed the tone around a club that has spent too much recent history chasing respectability instead of first place.
Chris Getz has already signaled the front office is paying close attention to where this run is headed, and the next few days could tell the story of how aggressively the club wants to support it. The White Sox have enough in hand to justify standing pat, but they also have enough momentum to make the August 3 deadline feel like more than a routine checkpoint, especially with some underlying numbers still hinting at a tougher test ahead. [Read more 🡒]