2025 MLB trade deadline: One deal ESPN experts would make

We’re closing in on the 2025 MLB trade deadline day, and we’re still waiting for July’s first true blockbuster deal.

The action picked up late last week with the Seattle Mariners acquiring slugging first baseman Josh Naylor from the Arizona Diamondbacksand the New York Yankees adding infielder Ryan McMahon in a deal with the Colorado Rockies. But we’re hungry for more deadline action.

With that in mind, we asked our MLB experts to give us fun, outside-the-box trades they’d like to see for some of the biggest names on our top 50 trade deadline rankings.

Where do we send No. 1-ranked Eugenio Suarez? Which teams land the best available aces? And what should the teams most in need of a deal do this week? Let’s find out.

Diamondbacks trade Suarez to Marlins

The third baseman heads to Miami in exchange for starting pitching prospect Noble Meyer. Yeah, it’s a stupid trade … but you know what? The Marlins owe their fans a little stupid because they’ve had plenty of the cheap. It doesn’t seem as if anybody has noticed, but Miami has been playing good baseball for more than two months. The Marlins are still seven games back from the last National League wild-card spot, so their playoff odds barely register. But I still say go for it.

If anything, it would be a good response to Ichiro Suzuki saying at the Hall of Fame induction this past weekend that before he had signed with the Marlins, he had never heard of them. This would keep Suarez away from Ichiro’s Mariners, so, at the very least, the deal would be sweet revenge. — Bradford Doolittle

Diamondbacks trade Suarez to Reds

Suarez goes back to the Reds for Single-A starter Ty Floyd and Triple-A reliever Zach Maxwell. Suarez spent seven seasons with Cincinnati, highlighted by a 49-homer year in 2019. Great American Ballpark plays smaller and smaller during the summer months, so getting Suarez for August and September would be a power boost for the Reds, who need another bat to stay in the playoff race. Despite a down 2025 season so far, Maxwell and his nasty slider could fill a spot in the Arizona bullpen next season while Floyd works his way up the minor league ladder. The Reds could also offer major-league-ready pitcher Chase Petty in a deal.

The trade would spice up the NL Central even more than it already is, boosting the Reds’ chances of catching the Chicago Cubs or Milwaukee Brewers at the top while keeping Cincinnati in the hunt for a wild-card spot. — Jesse Rogers

This is shaping up as a Bruce Bochy special: The Rangers sneak into the postseason and then ride Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi all the way to another World Series title. But they first have to get into the playoffs, and to do that, they need to improve the offense. First base and especially designated hitter — where the Rangers are last in the majors in OPS — have been problem areas all season for a team that ranks in the bottom third of the American League in runs per game. O’Hearn can play first or DH, and Laureano can DH and start in the outfield against lefties. — David Schoenfield

The Phillies’ need for a reliever is well-documented — Jordan Romano has pitched to a 6.99 ERA and Jose Alvarado is ineligible for the postseason because of his PED suspension. Jax’s underlying metrics (40.7% chase rate, 39.7% whiff rate, 36.9% strikeout rate) are cartoonishly good and suggest his 3.91 ERA is artificially inflated.

Philadelphia’s need for another bat is likewise acute: Since May 1, second baseman Bryson Stott (60 wRC+) and left fielder Max Kepler (72 wRC+) have been among baseball’s worst regulars at the plate. Not only has Castro posted an above-average batting line in each of the past three seasons (105 OPS+ over that span) but the utility player has also logged more than 300 innings this season in both the infield and the outfield. — Paul Hembekides

Pittsburgh trades both right-handers for catcher Eduardo Tait. The Phillies are not merely one relief pitcher short. Even with David Robertson and Jose Alvarado (but not for the playoffs) on the way and rumors of a starter or two (Jesus Luzardo?) heading to relief, they need multiple additions. Bednar, a Pennsylvania native who even attended college (Lafayette) in the state, turned his season around after a rough April (and rougher 2024). Santana is a journeyman. Perhaps 18-year-old Tait is the next Carlos Ruiz (both from Panama), but this franchise cannot wait three or four years. It must act now. — Eric Karabell

The Reds have won eight of their past 12 games, putting them in the thick of the NL wild-card race. They brought in a Hall of Fame manager over the offseason in Terry Francona and got really good contributions from a starting rotation that will soon welcome back Hunter Greene. What the Reds now need is a boost to the lineup, particularly an outfielder, as their outfield has a combined OPS hovering around .700. Robert has had a bad offensive season, but he has turned it on of late and provides some much-needed upside — not to mention a big right-handed bat against lefties. — Alden Gonzalez

The Reds move left-hander Adam Serwinowski and right-hander Connor Phillips for the L.A. outfielder, which gets them an upgrade on Jake Fraley in right field for this year and next for a total of $12 million to $15 million (depending on how his arbitration plays out this winter). Ward has hit 87 homers over the past four seasons and is a steady option to fill a need.

Serwinowski, 21, fits as the headliner of the Angels’ return as a potential lefty starter who’s pitching in High-A with elevated walks, but the delivery to curtail the walks enough to stick in the rotation. He projects as a potential third/fourth starter if he can make those adjustments. If he doesn’t, he has the kind of raw stuff necessary to be a later-inning option in relief. Phillips, a 24-year-old pitching in relief in Triple-A, has some of the best raw stuff in the minors but huge walk issues. — Kiley McDaniel

Pirates trade Mitch Keller to Yankees

The Yankees want a starting pitcher, and Keller, while not the best starter seemingly available, would be a solid addition to a depleted rotation. The veteran right-hander is so far having the best season of his career, with a 3.69 ERA over 127 innings. Furthermore, he is under contract for another three seasons for a sensible $55.7 million and the Yankees strongly prefer trading for non-rental players. Last year, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Mark Leiter Jr. fell into that bucket. And last week, they acquired Ryan McMahon, who is under contract through 2027. – Jorge Castillo

Twins trade Jhoan duran to Yankees

Minnesota sends the right-hander to New York in exchange for starting pitcher Carlos Lagrange and second baseman Roc Riggio. The Yankees are sorely in need of bullpen help: Among their top five relievers from the Opening Day roster, two have underperformed expectations (Devin Williams and Luke Weaver) and two are sidelined with long-term injuries (Fernando Cruz and Mark Leiter Jr.). They rank 21st in bullpen ERA (4.25).

Acquiring Duran will be costly — Lagrange has a similarly filthy fastball to Duran’s and has been dominating in Double-A (2.35 ERA, 38.8 K% in his past six starts) — but why not go big when you’re a defending league champion in need? Duran, with his 100 mph heater, presents a nice contrast in styles to Williams’ Airbender and Weaver’s rising fastball. Remember, a dominant bullpen was critical to the Yankees’ playoff run last year — theirs had a 2.67 postseason ERA. — Tristan Cockcroft

Chicago needs to land at least one starting pitcher at this deadline, and the former AL Cy Young winner is very available. He still hasn’t pitched in the big leagues this season, but his stuff has looked crisp during his three minor league outings, according to scouts who have seen him, and the acquisition cost won’t be nearly as prohibitive as that of getting other pitchers. The ceiling, meanwhile, could be every bit as high, and while there’s inherent risk involved with a pitcher coming off Tommy John surgery — particularly one with a $16 million player option — it’s a risk a team like the Cubs should feel plenty comfortable taking. – Jeff Passan