The MLB trade deadline is now under two weeks away. While everybody is focused on the big names who could be moved, like Tarik Skubal or Mason Miller, it can often be most beneficial to think about the players who remain and still wind up benefiting from the trade. In this article, I'm going to look at players who could see their fantasy value improve actionably at the deadline, whether they are the ones traded away or the ones who find themselves filling a vacated role.
For this article, I'm only going to focus on trades that seem likely. So I know that Shea Langeliers and Hunter Goodman are being floated in trade rumors, but I don't think either one of them is going to be moved, so we're not going to discuss which catchers could step into starting roles in two offensive-friendly environments. I will admit that left us with a list that doesn't include a lot of "league winners," but that's also the nature of the expanded playoff format. There are a lot of teams that still find themselves in contention, so we may not see as many impact hitters be traded away, which means there might be fewer openings in lineups.
With that preamble out of the way, let's get to the names.
Players Who Should Gain the Most Value at the Trade Deadline
Cole Carrigg - OF, Rockies: Carrigg has hit well in his rookie season, slashing .287/.367/.519 in 34 games with four home runs, 27 runs scored, and 23 RBI. He has slightly below-average barrel rates and hard-hit rates, so he's not tearing the cover off of the ball, but he has good bat speed and is making better-than-league-average zone contact, which is a nice profile in Coors Field. Yet, despite being a switch hitter, Carrigg seems to be splitting playing time with Tyler Freeman. A trade of one or both of Jake McCarthy and Mickey Moniak would open up an everyday role for Carrigg, who wouldn't be a MUST ADD, but would be a nice depth outfield piece in a great home park.
Victor Bericoto - OF, Giants: Bericoto is currently on the injured list with a strained oblique, but by the time the trade deadline rolls around, he will have already missed a month, which means he could be returning shortly thereafter. The rookie has slashed .293/.305/.552 in 59 plate appearances with four home runs, nine RBI, and one steal. He has a 46.5% hard-hit rate and also posted a 50.4% hard-hit rate in Triple-A while posting elite bat speed numbers, so the power production could be very real. He does have some swing and miss in his game because he is an aggressive hitter, but he also has league-average zone contact rates in the minors and a 91.5% rate in his limited MLB sample, so he might make enough contact to make the power work. The Giants are currently shopping Jung Hoo Lee, which could open up a regular outfield spot for Bericoto when he's back from injury.
Lane Thomas - OF, Royals: Thomas has emerged as an everyday player for the Royals and, over the last 40 games, is hitting .257/.333/.493 with seven home runs, 19 runs scored, and 20 RBI. That comes with a 9.7% barrel rate and 50.5% hard-hit rate, the latter of which would be a career high. Thomas' exit velocities are the highest they've been since 2021, and he's making more consistent contact than he ever has. We've seen Thomas be a solid source of power and steals before, and he's doing this now in a pitcher-friendly park. If Thomas were to get traded to a contender or simply a team in a better offensive environment, he could be an impactful bat in deeper fantasy leagues down the stretch.
Matthew Lugo - OF, Royals: The flip side to that is that trading away Thomas could open up playing time for Matthew Lugo, who was acquired from the Angels this season. The 25-year-old is slashing .268/.363/.471 in 81 Triple-A games this season with 11 home runs, 56 RBI, and 14 steals. He would be more of a deeper league add, but he has a 9% barrel rate in Triple-A for the Royals and flashed 73.4 mph bat speed last year in a brief MLB run with the Angels.
Yohendrick Pinango - OF, Blue Jays: Pinango has been up a few times and has been serviceable, hitting .267/.313/.413 in 160 plate appearances with five home runs and 20 RBI. His 7.1% barrel rate and 45.1% hard-hit rate, plus his 75.7 mph bat speed, suggest that there could be more in the tank here. With the Blue Jays looking like sellers at the deadline, Pinango could get regular playing time through the end of the season.
Alan Roden - OF, Twins: Roden is another player we've seen in a small sample size, but he hit .285/.424/.540 in 38 games at Triple-A this year with nine home runs and three steals. In a part-time role since June 1st, Roden has a 50% hard-hit rate and an 11.1% barrel rate that has put his xBA of .267 way above his actual .190 batting average. Roden was an intriguing prospect for the Blue Jays last year, and it might be worth seeing what he can do in a full-time role.
Matt Shaw - INF, Cubs: Much like with Bericoto, Shaw is currently on the injured list with a sprained hand, but could return shortly after the trade deadline. The Cubs remain in the thick of the playoff hunt and could be looking for non-starters to trade away to acquire pieces to help them win this year. Shaw was already the focus of some rumors in the offseason, and now Pedro Ramirez has emerged as a utility infielder, which might make Shaw more disposable. The 24-year-old has slashed just .231/.302/.400 in his 584 MLB plate appearances, but he was a former top prospect who some team could want to give regular playing time to.
Ronny Mauricio - INF, Mets: It seems like the Mets could trade everybody at the deadline, well, almost everybody, which means many infield jobs could be open. If either of Bo Bichette or Marcus Semien are dealt, there might be an infield spot open. Mauricio is hitting .286/.336/.520 in 25 games at Triple-A with seven home runs, 21 RBI, and seven steals. Injuries have impacted his season, but he probably deserves a longer look to see if he can be part of the Mets' future. If the Mets trade away outfielders, they will just use Juan Soto, Carson Benge, and AJ Ewing out there every day, so nobody will really gain playing time and fantasy value from that.
Andres Chaparro or Abimelec Ortiz - 1B, Nationals: The Nationals are apparently engaging in trade talks for Luis Garcia Jr. despite being in playoff contention, and that makes some sense. Garcia Jr. has one year of team control left through arbitration and may make around $7-8 million next year. He's having a breakout offensive season but doesn't really have a defensive home. The Nationals could capitalize on his hot stretch and trade him now for pieces that could still help their contention window with James Wood and CJ Abrams (this team could really use some pitching). If they do, either Chaparro or Ortiz (currently at Triple-A) could slide in as the regular first baseman for the Nationals. Chaparro has a 58% hard-hit rate and 19.4% barrel rate in a small sample size playing mainly against lefties, but it might be interesting to see what he could do in a larger role.
Hao-Yu Lee - INF, Tigers: It's unclear if the Tigers want to be sellers or not. They probably should since it's highly unlikely they can bring Tarik Skubal back on a free agent deal. If the Tigers did start to sell, they could look to move Gleyber Torres, who will also be a free agent at the end of the season. In his playing time this season, Lee has hit .256/.287/.384 with four home runs and 17 RBI in 172 plate appearances. He's another guy that would be a deeper league play, but he went 12/16 in 2024 in the minors and 14/22 last season, so there is some modest power and speed upside here. He doesn't swing and miss often and had a 51.2% hard-hit rate at Triple-A this season.
Reid Detmers - SP, Angels: Detmers is having a decent season, so his value increase here would simply be in leaving the Angels. I have never been a big fan of the Angels' pitching development, and I think Detmers is a talented pitcher who could take another step if he got to a team that could improve his breaking ball consistency or comes up with a better strategy to hide his fairly average four-seam fastball.
Casey Mize - SP, Tigers: Mize is one of the few pending free agents for the Tigers, so he could be on the move. I'm not sure he'd actually have more value than he currently has because he's pitching well, but he might get some more wins or land in an organization that can help him add even more value or consistency to his slider.
Jeffrey Springs - SP, Athletics: The A's are certainly not contending, and Springs has a $15 million club option for 2027 that they may not be inclined to pick up. The left-hander has not been good this season, but he was an impactful starter over four injury-plagued seasons with the Rays from 2021-24. Some team could take a chance on him as a back-of-the-rotation starter, and Springs has provided fantasy value outside of Sacramento before.
Michael Petersen - RP, Marlins: To be frank, the Marlins may simply cut Pete Fairbanks because he has been so bad, but there is a chance they see if a contender wants to add him to their late-inning mix. That would free up the closer job for a decent team. This season, Petersen leads the Marlins in Win Probability Added and has pitched in the second-highest leverage innings of any reliever. I believe he would get the first crack at the closer's role.
Luke Weaver - RP, Mets: Weaver is one of the few relievers who could get traded INTO a closer's role. The 32-year-old has been great for the Mets with a 2.03 ERA and 28% strikeout rate in 40 innings. He is signed for $11 million next year, which is not a total burden for a team to take on. Weaver could very likely be traded into a setup role on another team, but he also seems like a low-cost addition for a team on the periphery of playoff contention like the White Sox or Pirates to gamble on in the hopes of stabilizing their bullpen (provided the White Sox prefer to keep Grant Taylor in that "fireman" role).
Other Starting Pitchers Who May Earn Rotation Spots
Sawyer Gipson-Long - Tigers: If the Tigers trade Skubal and/or Mize, it would open up a spot in the rotation. I think Jackson Jobe will claim one of those eventually, but likely not until late August. Gipson-Long has battled injuries this season and hasn't been great, but he flashed some intriguing ability in 2023 before injuries, so perhaps we could get back to that level.
Carson Whisenhunt - Giants: I'm not a major believer in Whisenhunt, but he would likely get a shot in the rotation after the deadline (and might now anyway with the Trevor McDonald injury). The left-hander is pitching to a 4.15 ERA in 82.1 innings at Triple-A, but that's an improvement for him, and he has shown some minor league strikeout upside before. He would be more of a deeper league streamer, but he may get a shot.
Kade Anderson - Mariners: We all want Kade Anderson to get a look in the Mariners' rotation, but it will be hard. Even if Seattle trades Luis Castillo, as rumored, Anderson would just be their sixth starter. Still, there are some innings concerns with Emerson Hancock, and health concerns with Bryce Miller, so it's not out of the question that Anderson would get a shot. He'd be the biggest starting pitcher add currently on waivers.
George Klassen - Angels: I just said above that I don't trust the Angels' pitching development, and that stands. However, I did like Klassen as a pitcher when he was back in the Phillies' system. There remains a chance that he could become an impactful starter if he can harness his command. If the Angels trade one or both of Detmers or Jose Soriano, then Klassen may get a long look in the rotation to end the season.
Prospects Who Should Get Called Up
Joshua Baez - OF, Cardinals: We've long been waiting for Baez to be called up. He's hit 29 home runs and stolen 15 bases in 86 games at Triple-A, and while his .244/.318/.561 slash line doesn't look great, he has been much better over the summer. The Cardinals are contending, so it's unclear if they will trade away a veteran like Lars Nootbaar, but they should make space for Baez regardless.
Walker Jenkins - OF, Twins: The oft-injured Jenkins is one of the top prospects in baseball and is hitting .277/.385/.453 in 43 games at Triple-A with four home runs and nine steals. He has elite plate discipline and posted a 15.4% barrel rate at Triple-A last year in a 23-game sample. If the Twins were to ship away a few pieces at the deadline, he could find himself getting his first taste of MLB playing time.
Charlie Condon - 1B/OF, Rockies: We mentioned above with Carrigg that the Rockies could be active at the deadline. They do seem to like TJ Rumfield at first base, and understandably so, so the DH or corner outfield spot would need to be cleared for Condon, who is their top prospect. The 6'5" Condon is hitting .289/.408/.568 in 83 games at Triple-A this season with 20 home runs and six steals. He would be just behind Baez in terms of most impactful minor league hitter called up to finish the season.
Parks Harber - 3B and Bo Davidson - OF, Giants: See above about Victor Bericoto benefiting from the Giants' trade deadline. If Bericoto is not healthy enough to return, it could be Davidson getting a shot, even though he was just recently promoted to Triple-A. Similarly, the Giants could be trading away Matt Chapman at the deadline, which would open up the third base job, and Harber, who was also recently promoted to Triple-A, could get a crack at it.
Hector Rodriguez - OF, Reds: The Reds are not contending and could move several pieces at the deadline. If they were to trade away JJ Bleday and/or Spencer Steer, that might open up some outfield at-bats for Rodriguez, who is hitting .277/.355/.537 in 94 games at Triple-A with 24 home runs, 61 RBI, and six steals. He has a 10% barrel rate and a league-average zone contact rate, which could make him an intriguing hitter in Great American Ballpark.
D.J. Short
