The normal blueprint for MLB front offices is to spend the first two months of the season evaluating their team, the next two months trying to improve it — for either the short- or long-term based on those evaluations along with the actual standings — and the final two months getting ready for the postseason or next year depending on the team’s situation. When going through this process, clubs understand that some players have overachieved, and others have underachieved. They always keep in mind past outliers: The 2019 Nationals were struggling after two months but went on to win the World Series; the 2022 Phillies played so poorly early in the season, they changed managers in June and wound up in the Fall Classic.
Welcome to June. The first two months of the season are behind us and there are only 57 days until the trade deadline, so I reached out to front-office decision makers with all 30 clubs to find out how they view their respective teams and what they’ll be looking to accomplish in trade discussions between now and the July 30 deadline.
Based on their input as well as that of others in the game and my own thoughts, I’ve put the teams into three tiers — the buyers, the sellers, and the teams in between — and highlighted their trade priorities at this point. Of course, several teams will change tiers in the coming weeks, but it’s important to see where they stand now. As of today, I believe there are 17 “buyers” and six “sellers,” leaving seven teams that could go either way (or do some buying and selling). I’ve also ranked all 30 teams from best to worst as of this morning. Let’s get to it!
Buyers
Gerrit Cole is scheduled to make his first rehab start this week. After jumping out to the best record in baseball, where will the Yankees look to upgrade? (R.J. Johnston / Toronto Star via Getty Images)
1. New York Yankees
Record: 42-19, first place in AL East
Run differential: +107
The Yankees lead the major leagues in staff ERA (2.78) and are the only team in baseball with a mark under 3.00. Rookie Luis Gil has pitched like a Cy Young Award candidate, which has made the loss of Gerrit Cole to the injured list a non-factor (so far). The acquisition of Juan Soto, development of Anthony Volpe and trade for Alex Verdugo have completely changed the offense, from one of the worst on-base percentage teams in MLB last year to one of the best this year.
Early trade deadline needs: The Yankees’ right side of the infield has underperformed and if the production doesn’t improve, that will be the area of focus to upgrade via trades.
2. Philadelphia Phillies
Record: 41-19, first place in NL East
Run differential: +99
The Phillies have clearly been the best team in the National League. They have the best record and run differential in their league. They lead MLB in runs scored and rank fifth in OPS. Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber continue to lead the offense with their power while Alec Bohm is having a breakout season and leading the team with 49 RBIs. However, the best part of the Phillies’ season is the rotation, which features four starters with ERAs below 3.05, including Ranger Suárez, who leads the majors at 1.70 (not counting another, Spencer Turnbull, who is currently in the bullpen but has a 2.64 ERA in six starts and seven relief appearances).
Early trade deadline needs: The Phillies are looking to upgrade the outfield and perhaps the bullpen.
3. Baltimore Orioles
Record: 37-20, second place in AL East
Run differential: +74
The Orioles are one of the deepest and most balanced organizations in baseball. They rank fourth in the AL in runs scored and second in home runs and OPS. Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutchsman are MVP candidates, Corbin Burnes is a Cy Young Award candidate and Kyle Bradish, after spending the first month of the season on the IL, is pitching like he did last year, when he finished fourth in the Cy Young voting. The Orioles have plenty of potential trade assets in their loaded farm system to upgrade their roster between now and the deadline.
Early trade deadline needs: The Orioles will look to upgrade the closer and set-up roles in an effort to improve the depth and quality of their bullpen. They’re also searching the trade market for a right-handed-hitting outfielder.
4. Los Angeles Dodgers
Record: 38-23, first place in NL West
Run differential: +86
The top of the Dodgers’ lineup has lived up to the sky-high expectations: Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts have both hit over .315 with Ohtani delivering 14 home runs, 14 stolen bases and a .988 OPS and Betts providing nine homers, nine stolen bases and a .927 OPS. Will Smith is performing at an All-Star level once again while Teoscar Hernández has blasted 12 home runs. However, the bottom of the lineup has struggled. Meanwhile, Tyler Glasnow is 6-3 with a 3.04 ERA, Yoshinobu Yamamoto is 6-2 with a 3.32 ERA, and Gavin Stone and James Paxton have been solid behind them with similar ERAs. Evan Phillips owns a 0.61 ERA and has converted all nine of his save opportunities.
Early trade deadline needs: The Dodgers will focus on upgrading the depth and quality of their bullpen while also looking to improve in the outfield.
5. Cleveland Guardians
Record: 39-20, first place in AL Central
Run differential: +78
One of the biggest surprises in baseball, the Guardians rank second in the AL in runs scored and are tied for third in on-base percentage. On the pitching side, they’re tied for fourth in the AL in team ERA. José Ramírez and Josh Naylor have carried the offense, belting a combined 31 home runs. David Fry had a scorching May and is hitting .355 with a 1.129 OPS in 140 plate appearances this season. Tanner Bibee and Triston McKenzie have led the rotation while closer Emmanuel Clase has converted 18 of 21 save opportunities.
Early trade deadline needs: The Guardians’ trade targets include a starting pitcher and a bat, probably in the outfield.
6. Kansas City Royals
Record: 36-25, second place in AL Central
Run differential: +74
The Royals have been another one of the surprise teams thanks to a pitching staff that ranks sixth in the league in staff ERA and an offense that is third in the league in runs scored. Superstars Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez have led the way, both reaching base more than 36 percent of the time while combining for 19 home runs and 83 RBIs. On the pitching side, the trio of Seth Lugo, Cole Ragans and Brady Singer have been the difference-makers. Lugo leads the AL with a 1.72 ERA in 12 starts.
Early trade deadline needs: The Royals are looking for back-end relief help and a corner outfield bat.
7. Atlanta Braves
Record: 33-24, second place in NL East
Run differential: +40
The Braves will try to overcome the losses of two of the sport’s best after ace Spencer Strider and reigning NL MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. suffered season-ending injuries. They have fallen 6 1/2 games behind the Phillies in the division but sit atop the NL wild-card standings. To get back to the playoffs, they will need the trio of Ozzie Albies, Matt Olson and Austin Riley to step up in the lineup and their starting pitchers to stay healthy and deliver. Remember, the Braves lost Acuña to season-ending ACL surgery three years ago and twon the World Series, so it’s still possible.
Early trade deadline needs: The Braves will look to acquire a fourth outfielder type to mix and match on the corners with Adam Duvall and Jarred Kelenic. They’ll also look to trade for a starting pitcher if Spencer Schwellenbach, AJ Smith-Shawver (IL), Ian Anderson (minors) and/or Hurston Waldrep (minors) can’t take the fifth spot by the end of July.
8. Milwaukee Brewers
Record: 36-23, first place in NL Central
Run differential: +63
The Brewers have topped the NL Central for most of the season, led by catcher William Contreras, who’s been the best all-around catcher in the league. They have nine hitters who have five or more home runs in what has become a balanced and deep lineup. Freddy Peralta has pitched like an ace and rookie lefty Robert Gasser has made his mark with a 2.57 ERA over 28 innings in his first five major-league starts.
Early trade deadline needs: Their primary needs are starting and relief pitching depth.
9. Seattle Mariners
Record: 34-27, first place in AL West
Run differential: +7
The Mariners have the best starting rotation, one to five (Luis Castillo, Logan Gilbert, Bryce Miller, George Kirby, Bryan Woo), in baseball. However, offensively they rank 26th in runs scored and 24th in team OPS. Their best player, Julio Rodríguez, has a .655 OPS and just four home runs. They don’t have a single player with an on-base percentage of .350 or better. The Mariners can pitch and play defense well enough to make the playoffs, but will have to improve the offense if they want to pop Champagne in October.
Early trade deadline needs: The Mariners will spend the next two months trying to acquire a corner bat and a bullpen arm. In addition, they’ll try to increase their team contact rate and reduce strikeouts, which have been a huge problem as they lead the majors.
10. Boston Red Sox
Record: 30-30, third place in AL East
Run differential: +22
Most analysts believed the Red Sox were again headed for last place entering the season, but they’ve been another surprise team, playing .500 ball. Starting pitching has been the key as Kutter Crawford, Tanner Houck, Brayan Bello, Cooper Criswell and Nick Pivetta have kept them in most games while closer Kenley Jansen has converted nine of 10 save opportunities. Offensively, Rafael Devers has likely secured another All-Star appearance by reaching base at a .376 clip with 12 doubles and 11 home runs, while Tyler O’Neill provided 11 home runs before going on the IL for the second time this season.
Early trade deadline needs: The Red Sox are looking to add more starting pitching depth. They’re eagerly awaiting the return of first baseman Triston Casas, who has been out since April 20 with a rib injury. They’re getting very little production from that position and badly miss his bat in the lineup.
11. San Diego Padres
Record: 32-30, second place in NL West
Run differential: +11
The Padres have held their own considering they’ve lost Xander Bogaerts (fractured shoulder) for an extended period and have endured injuries to the rotation and slow starts to the season from Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. Offensively, left fielder Jurickson Profar, first baseman Jake Cronenworth and rookie center fielder Jackson Merrill have been the main reasons the Padres are in the thick of the wild-card race. In terms of pitching, their rotation has been strong, led by Dylan Cease and Yu Darvish, but will be tested after Joe Musgrove and Darvish went back on the IL last week. Closer Robert Suarez has converted all 17 of his save opportunities. New manager Mike Shildt has really brought the clubhouse together and gotten everyone on the same page.
Early trade deadline needs: The Padres are looking to add a right-handed reliever and a bench bat, and will keep their eyes wide open if an elite starter such as Jesús Luzardo of the Marlins becomes available.
12. Minnesota Twins
Record: 33-26, third place in AL Central
Run differential: +6
The Twins have dealt with a plethora of injuries to start the year but have been able to hang in there, putting together several strong stretches. They’re getting third baseman Royce Lewis, their best overall player, back soon, which should give the team a huge lift. Their starting pitching and bullpen have been solid. Ryan Jeffers has led the offense with 12 home runs and 36 RBIs, but they haven’t gotten enough from the rest of the lineup.
Early trade deadline needs: The Twins are looking for a right-handed-hitting corner outfielder to improve their left-field production. They also are targeting overall pitching depth.
13. Texas Rangers
Record: 29-30, second place in AL West
Run differential: +8
The defending World Series champions have not been healthy all year and believe when they get to full strength they’ll be a threat to win the AL West and the American League overall, and I agree on both counts. Corey Seager got off to a slow start but has belted 13 home runs in 209 at-bats and Adolis García has matched him with 13 homers. Third baseman Josh Jung played only four games before going on the IL with a wrist fracture and the Rangers have gotten little production from rookie outfielders Wyatt Langford and Evan Carter. On the pitching side, Jon Gray posted a 2.21 ERA in 11 outings before going on the IL with a groin injury while Nathan Eovaldi and Michael Lorenzen have been solid. Kirby Yates has been a lock-down closer with a 0.89 ERA and eight saves in as many opportunities. The Rangers are just waiting for starters Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer, Tyler Mahle, Gray and Cody Bradford to get healthy; when they do, watch out — Texas will go on a run.
Early trade deadline needs: The Rangers believe getting their injured players healthy will solve a lot of problems, but they’re also expected to improve their middle relief and add another bench bat, at a minimum, before the deadline.
14. Houston Astros
Record: 26-34, third place in AL West
Run differential: -7
The Astros have been the most disappointing team in MLB and their streak of seven consecutive years in the postseason is at risk. But I still believe in this team, as long as it can get the starting pitching figured out. The Astros’ lineup remains solid with a strong core of Kyle Tucker, Yordan Alvarez, Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman. They are still an above-average defensive team. However, first baseman José Abreu, who recently returned after a demotion to the minors, is in serious decline, and their other first baseman, Jon Singleton, profiles more as a role player. Josh Hader has converted eight of nine save opportunities and settled in after a rough start. Starting pitching has been the main problem as the trio of Hunter Brown, Spencer Arrighetti and J.P. France have combined to go 4-13 with an ERA north of 6.35. Take those starts away and the Astros would be at or near the top of the division. Framber Valdez, Justin Verlander and Ronel Blanco have been solid, but the injuries to Cristian Javier, Luis Garcia, Lance McCullers Jr. and José Urquidy have taken a toll and there’s no promise of when any of them will be back.
Early trade deadline needs: The Astros are targeting a good starting pitcher, a first base bat and a reliever. This year they’re going to have to trade their way to the playoffs, especially in the starting pitching department.
15. Arizona Diamondbacks
Record: 27-32, fourth place in NL West
Run differential: +0
The defending NL champions have gotten off to a slow start as their rookie sensation from last year, Corbin Carroll, is hitting under .200 with only two home runs, offseason acquisition Eugenio Suárez is batting .205 with four homers and catcher Gabriel Moreno is hitting .234 with one homer. Ketel Marte and Christian Walker, who both have 12 home runs, have led the way for an underperforming offense. On the pitching side, Zac Gallen has posted a 3.12 ERA over 11 starts while Merrill Kelly had a 2.19 ERA in four starts before going on the IL with a shoulder injury. The rest of the rotation has been somewhere between mediocre and bad. The Diamondbacks certainly don’t look like the dynamic team from the postseason last year and have a lot of work to do if they’re going to get back in contention.
Early trade deadline needs: The Diamondbacks’ biggest need is to get Kelly and his fellow injured starter Eduardo Rodriguez healthy and get Jordan Montgomery (5.48 ERA) pitching the way he did for the Rangers last October. In terms of trade targets, Arizona could use more offense as well as starting and relief pitching depth.
16. Chicago Cubs
Record: 29-31, third place in NL Central
Run differential: -12
The Cubs look like a .500 team, although they started the season 18-12 and then went 10-18 in May. Their starting pitching ranks third in the NL in ERA and their lineup is tied for sixth in runs. If they can make the playoffs, they could do some damage as I love the top of their rotation, led by the NL Cy Young Award and Rookie of the Year front-runner Shota Imanaga, Javier Assad and Justin Steele. With that trio of starters, they could win any short series. The Cubs have power, too, as Christopher Morel, Cody Bellinger and Michael Busch have combined for 26 home runs, but as a team they need to improve their on-base percentage to create more traffic on the bases for their bats.
Early trade deadline needs: The Cubs are looking to upgrade at catcher and in the bullpen.
17. San Francisco Giants
Record: 29-31, third place in NL West
Run differential: -29
The Giants’ injured list is loaded with three key starters sidelined (Alex Cobb, Robbie Ray, Keaton Winn) and the lineup missing LaMonte Wade Jr., Michael Conforto and Jung Hoo Lee, among others. However, they’ve still found a way to stay in the wild-card race and play around .500 baseball. The trio of Logan Webb, Kyle Harrison and Jordan Hicks have provided solid starting pitching, buying time for Blake Snell to get on track and the rest of the rotation to get healthy. The defense has been much better than last year but took a blow when center fielder Lee and shortstop Nick Ahmed went on the IL. The Giants need more power from Jorge Soler and need young outfielders Luis Matos and Heliot Ramos to continue to develop so they can contribute more going forward.
Early trade deadline needs: The Giants are focused on improving at shortstop and in center field, with the latter due to Lee’s season-ending shoulder injury.
The teams in between
Tarik Skubal has delivered, but the Tigers have ground to make up if they hope to contend. (Rick Scuteri / USA Today)
18. Detroit Tigers
Record: 29-30, fourth place in AL Central
Run differential: +2
The Tigers are off to a slow start ranking 17th in runs scored and 12th in team ERA. Riley Greene has 9 home runs but is batting .249 after hitting .288 last season. Spencer Torkelson has only four home runs to go with a .201 batting average and is reportedly being optioned to Triple A. Shortstop Javier Báez looks done. Rookie Colt Keith has been a disappointment overall but rebounded at the plate in May, as some commenters have pointed out. Tarik Skubal has been the one real bright spot, going 7-1 with a 2.01 ERA, and is among the top Cy Young Award candidates. Jack Flaherty, Casey Mize and Reese Olson have combined to win just four games despite pitching much better than that, especially Olson and Flaherty.
Early trade deadline needs: The Tigers need to improve their lineup, starting rotation and bullpen depth if they want to remain in the hunt for a playoff spot.
19. Tampa Bay Rays
Record: 29-31, fourth place in AL East
Run differential: -53
These Rays are a .500 team at best and don’t belong in the same conversation with the Yankees and Orioles in the AL East. They sorely miss their former ace, Tyler Glasnow, who is dominating with the Dodgers and their best position player, Wander Franco, who is on administrative leave and has not played since last August, when allegations surfaced about an inappropriate relationship with a minor. Isaac Paredes has been the Rays’ best offensive player, belting 11 doubles, 10 home runs and 32 RBIs while Randy Arozarena is once again on pace for at least 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases. Zack Littell and Ryan Pepiot, who was acquired in the Glasnow trade with the Dodgers, have been their best two starters.
Early trade deadline needs: The Rays need to find more offense and starting pitching depth.
20. St. Louis Cardinals
Record: 28-29, second place in NL Central
Run differential: -41
The Cardinals’ recent hot streak has put them back near .500 after a poor start. The offseason acquisitions of Sonny Gray, Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson have all paid dividends. Gray has pitched like a No. 1 starter while Lynn and Gibson have kept them in most games. Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado have been playing like age and decline are starting to catch up with them. Some of their young players they had high hopes for, like Lars Nootbaar and Jordan Walker (minors), have not lived up to expectations. Shortstop Masyn Winn has been a real bright spot on both sides of the ball.
Early trade deadline needs: Just like in the offseason, the Cardinals are focused on trying to acquire another veteran starting pitcher. They consider themselves “buyers” at this point, which I am not buying; in fact, I think they’ll be sellers at the trade deadline.
21. Washington Nationals
Record: 27-31, third place in NL East
Run differential: -13
The Nationals are pleased with their starting pitching, bullpen, defense and speed. However, they lack middle-of-the-order power bats. CJ Abrams has developed into a star and is on pace to challenge for the 30-home run/30-stolen base club, with nine and eight, respectively, through 53 games. Top prospect James Wood has landed on the IL with a hamstring injury at Triple-A Rochester, but if the 21-year-old outfielder can get healthy, the best move the Nationals could make would be to promote him. Wood has slashed .355/.465/.596 with 13 doubles, nine home runs, 31 RBIs and 10 stolen bases in 11 attempts this season.
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Early trade deadline needs: The Nationals are trying to improve their lineup with one or two middle-of-the-order type bats.
22. Pittsburgh Pirates
Record: 27-32, fourth place in NL Central
Run differential: -25
The Pirates promoted their top two pitching prospects, Paul Skenes and Jared Jones, and now combined with Mitch Keller have a top three starters group that can compare with any in their division for the short- and long-term. Skenes sure looks like a future Cy Young Award winner. The Pirates have a solid group of position players to build around including shortstop Oneil Cruz, third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes and left fielder Bryan Reynolds. However, they need to lengthen their lineup and be more competitive in general in the offensive side of the game. The Pirates rank 22nd in runs scored and 27th in OPS.
Early trade deadline needs: The Pirates need to focus on improving their outfield and overall lineup in future trades.
23. Cincinnati Reds
Record: 26-33, fifth place in NL Central
Run differential: -7
A promising year has gone a bit sideways for Cincinnati. The Reds lost their best position player, Matt McLain, to a shoulder injury before the season started. They lost their best rookie, Noelvi Marte, to an 80-game suspension for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs. They endured injuries to Christian Encarnacion-Strand, TJ Friedl, Jake Fraley and others, which has decimated their lineup and led to the team ranking 20th in the majors in runs scored. The good news is their young starters are having breakout type years as Hunter Greene, Andrew Abbott and Nick Lodolo have all posted ERAs under 3.45. However, their bullpen has not been good and when that is combined with the lack of offense, you can see why they’re in last place. The Reds just need to get healthy and try to finish strong to put themselves in a good position for 2025 and beyond.
Early trade deadline needs: After dealing with half of their everyday lineup on the IL for most of the first two months of the season, the Reds will look to acquire more offense between now and the deadline and will be flexible about the positions that are targeted.
24. Toronto Blue Jays
Record: 28-30, fifth place in AL East
Run differential: -31
The Blue Jays still have a solid rotation led by José Berríos, Yusei Kikuchi, Chris Bassitt and Kevin Gausman to go along with one of the best defensive teams in the league. However, they just don’t have enough offense to be a legitimate contending team. The biggest issues they face are the contract situations of their two best players, Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who are eligible for free agency after the 2025 season. The Blue Jays need to either extend them to long-term contracts now or consider trading one or both at this year’s deadline.
Early trade deadline needs: The Blue Jays need to focus their trade talks on improving their offense, specifically in left field and at third base, second base and DH.
“We believe in them, we believe in their futures and hope there’s a way they can play here for a long time.”
Ross Atkins addresses the reports that Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. could be traded:@BlueJays | #BlueJays | #TOTHECORE
🔗 https://t.co/fGPbvbjGlC pic.twitter.com/dtTbq4wPOz
— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) June 2, 2024
Sellers
Pete Alonso’s future will be a big storyline leading up to the trade deadline. (Wendell Cruz / USA Today)
25. New York Mets
Record: 24-35, fourth place in NL East
Run differential: -41
The mediocre Mets haven’t lived up to that expectation and have played more like the morbid Mets. It’s surprising they’ve been this bad considering the starting pitching trio of Luis Severino, Sean Manaea and José Butto have had ERAs under 3.30 for most of the year. Meanwhile, Pete Alonso has 13 home runs but his on-base percentage and slugging percentage are well below his career averages, and Francisco Lindor has nine homers but is hitting just .227. New York just can’t get things rolling on either side of the ball. It looks like it’ll be a long summer in Queens for Mets fans.
Early trade deadline needs: The Mets have needs all over the diamond and throughout the pitching staff. Trading for as many good young players as they can would be their best play at the deadline.
Players most likely traded: Pete Alonso, Starling Marte, Harrison Bader, Jose Quintana, Adam Ottavino, Jake Diekman
“I think you move [Pete Alonso] and try to re-sign him in the offseason.” @JimBowdenGM on the state of the #Mets ahead of the trade deadline: #LGM
🔗 https://t.co/fGPbvbjGlC pic.twitter.com/TZknRIVTf5
— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) June 2, 2024
26. Oakland A’s
Record: 24-37, fourth place in AL West
Run differential: -64
The Oakland A’s are no longer the worst team in MLB, a small step in the right direction. They’ll have a new home next year at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento, where they’re expected to play until moving into a new stadium in Las Vegas, hopefully by 2028. In the meantime, their average attendance for home games is just over 6,500, which is embarrassing for the league. Rookie Mason Miller has been a big bright spot as he’s become one of the best closers in the game with his 103 mph fastball and wipeout slider.
Early trade deadline needs: The A’s are looking to upgrade at shortstop and in their starting rotation. They have some players of value to trade at the deadline.
Most likely traded: DH Brent Rooker, RHP Lucas Erceg (IL), RHP Paul Blackburn (IL), RHP Austin Adams
27. Colorado Rockies
Record: 21-37, fifth place in NL West
Run differential: -79
The Rockies will be fighting the Marlins all year for the worst record in the NL. But they’re at least starting to put together some building blocks for the future with shortstop Ezequiel Tovar, center fielder Brenton Doyle, and outfielders Nolan Jones and Jordan Beck, even though that pair is currently on the IL. The Rockies have a strong farm system and help is on the way in terms of position players, but they need to significantly improve in the starting pitching department before they can become relevant again.
Early trade deadline needs: The Rockies are continuing to put their energy into improving their starting and relief pitching for both the short- and long-term.
Players most likely traded: C Elias Díaz, LHP Jalen Beeks
28. Los Angeles Angels
Record: 21-38, fifth place in AL West
Run differential: -55
Shohei Ohtani is a Dodger, Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon are on the IL again, and the Angels are where we all thought they’d be — in last place. Taylor Ward has been their best position player, hitting .265 with 11 home runs and 34 RBIs; he should be a strong trade chip come late July.
Early trade deadline needs: The Angels are focused on trying to acquire a middle-of-the-order impact bat and upgrade the back of their bullpen. However, in my view, they’ll be trading major-league assets for minor-league prospects at the deadline.
Players most likely traded: OF Taylor Ward, RHP Carlos Estévez, RHP Adam Cimber, RHP Hunter Strickland
29. Miami Marlins
Record: 21-39, fifth place in NL East
Run differential: -82
The Marlins didn’t do anything in the offseason to improve their lineup. They didn’t re-sign their best power hitter, Jorge Soler, and now are paying the price for it. They dealt two-time batting champ Luis Arraez to the Padres in a rare May trade, getting four players in return to help their organization long term but further weakening their current lineup, which ranks 29th in runs scored and 29th in OPS. They have a lot of work to do to improve the lineup from top to bottom. On the pitching side, they’ve been crushed by injuries. Their two best starters — Sandy Alcantara and Eury Pérez — are out for the year and Edward Cabrera is among several others who’ve been sidelined, which has made it difficult for them to compete this season. Their rotation ranks second-to-last in the NL in ERA.
Early trade deadline needs: The Marlins are trying to improve their overall offense with an emphasis on corner bats.
Players most likely traded: LHP Tanner Scott, LHP Jesús Luzardo, 1B/DH Josh Bell
30. Chicago White Sox
Record: 15-45, fifth place in AL Central
Run differential: -138
The White Sox are the worst team in MLB, ranking 30th in runs scored, home runs and OPS, and 29th in team ERA. Luis Robert Jr., their best overall player, has played in only seven games due to a hip flexor strain. The 26-year-old center fielder is their best trade asset but they’d prefer to build around him. However, if he can get healthy, their best play would be to swap him for a strong prospect package.
Early trade deadline needs: The White Sox are in rebuild mode and plan to add to their improving farm system by continuing to trade from their major-league ranks.
Players most likely traded: RHP Erick Fedde, RHP Steven Wilson, LHP Tim Hill, RHP Michael Kopech
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(Top image: John Bradford / The Athletic. Photos: Brandon Sloter / Getty Images; Tim Nwachukwu / Getty Images; John Adams / Icon Sportswire / Getty Images)