Major League Baseball’s annual transaction bazaar is nearly here. And for fans of less-dominant teams, the concept of “selling” at the trade deadline holds some appeal.
It might indicate their favorite franchise is showing some semblance of direction, that the hope of the unknown remains preferable to the drudgery of the present. But in this era of deadline gridlock thanks to extra wild card berths and clubs clutching their best prospects ever closer to them, the gifts that arrive at the end of July are more suitable for a white elephant exchange than an actual holiday.
And for clubs hovering around or just below .500, selling means kicking the can down the road again, at least in part because internal “playoff odds” might not suggest earnestly competing is the best choice.
So just what did last year bring, and are the sellers better off?
Not a lot: Of the 83 prospects acquired, three have become replacement-level big league regulars, and one – Marlins slugger Kyle Stowers – an All-Star. Two more are platoon players.
Yet just two traded prospects cracked the top five of the acquiring team’s most recent prospects list as rated by Baseball America, while 17 others are currently in an organizational top 30. And not a single current top 100 overall prospect changed organizations.
Just call the following an exercise in managing expectations.
USA TODAY Sports examined the biggest deals in the last week leading up to the 2024 deadline, excluding trades that didn’t involve obvious buyers and sellers, blatant cash dumps, those involving players designated for assignment and similarly minor moves.
As that seven-day window opens for 2025, is it worth it for clubs to get ‘something’ instead of nothing? Let’s see:
The biggest deals
Dodgers get: INF/OF Tommy Edman, RHP Michael Kopech, RHP Oliver Gonzalez
Cardinals get: RHP Erick Fedde, OF Tommy Pham
White Sox get: INF Miguel Vargas, INF Jeral Perez, INF Alexander Albertus
Outcome: Dodgers win World Series; Cardinals finish 83-79; White Sox finish 41-121
Aftermath: The two Dodger blockbusters certainly pushed them over the top to a World Series title and they even convinced Edman to stick around a while. Kopech was a regular season and playoff savior, posting eight scoreless outings in 10 postseason games, although he’s been injured almost all this year. The Cardinals failed to make the postseason and Fedde, though solid down the 2024 stretch, was designated for assignment last week. For all those moving parts, the White Sox got little assurance of a future cornerstone. Vargas flourished momentarily with a long runway for big league at-bats but now has a .221/.304/.402 line with 12 homers. Perez, 20, is ranked 22nd in the Sox system and has a .296 OBP at high A while Albertus has played just 19 career games outside of complex league ball.
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Dodgers get: RHP Jack Flaherty
Tigers get: SS Trey Sweeney, C Thayron Liranzo
Outcome: Tigers win wild-card series, lose in AL Division Series
Aftermath: The trade that broke all conventions. The Dodgers snagged the most significant starting pitcher upgrade just before the deadline and Flaherty started three of the Dodgers’ 11 postseason victories. Meanwhile, the Tigers regrouped behind a “pitching chaos” plan, gained an everyday shortstop in Sweeney, reached the playoffs – and re-signed Flaherty in the off-season. Kids, don’t try this at home. Something about the exception that proves the rule.
As for assets? Check back. After solidifying shortstop last season, Sweeney has produced negative WAR and a 63 adjusted OPS this season, which included a brief trip to Class AAA. Liranzo, 22, is No. 4 in Baseball America’s midseason re-rank of the Tigers’ system, with a .748 OPS at Class AA.
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Padres get: LHP Tanner Scott, RHP Bryan Hoeing
Marlins get: LHP Robby Snelling, RHP Adam Mazur, LHP Jay Beshears, INF Graham Paulling
Outcome: Padres win wild-card series, lose in NL Division Series; Marlins finish 62-100
Aftermath: San Diego won the stakes for the top reliever on the market and gave the Dodgers their toughest fight of October, losing a five-game NLDS thriller. Scott left as a free agent; Hoeing remains a member of the Padres’ bullpen.
The Marlins fortified their system, getting their current No. 4 (Snelling), No. 7 (Mazur) and No. 22 (Paulling) prospects, though only Snelling – having a nice bounceback year at Class AA and AAA – projects as a potential impact player.
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Blue Jays get: INF/OF Will Wagner, INF/OF Joey Loperfido, RHP Jake Bloss
Outcome: Astros lose AL wild card series; Blue Jays finish 74-88
Aftermath: A pretty good ol’ fashioned deadline deal here, even as there’s no carrying potential star in the return. Kikuchi pitched great in Houston (5-1, 2.70 ERA) yet somehow did not start a playoff game before the Astros went two-and-out. Wagner and Loperfido have played in 33 and 10 games respectively for the Jays, each sitting on 0.0 WAR (and if that’s not the perfect illustration for the modern trade deadline return…). Bloss, now the Blue Jays’ No. 13 ranked prospect, underwent Tommy John surgery in May after six rocky outings at Class AAA.
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Yankees get: INF Jazz Chisholm
Marlins get: C Agustin Ramírez, INF Jared Serna, INF Abrahan Ramírez
Outcome: Yankees advance to World Series
Aftermath: Chisholm was a key immediate and future piece for the Yankees, producing an .825 OPS and 11 regular season homers and filling a massive hole at third, sometimes with difficulty defensively. He’s their everyday All-Star second baseman this year.
It looked like a strong return for the Marlins after Agustin Ramírez debuted April 21 and slugged six homers with a .923 OPS in his first 23 games. He’s hit eight more homers but with just a .674 OPS and 19% K rate in the 54 games since. Abrahan Ramírez is their No. 22 prospect but at 20 is still in the Florida complex league; Serna, 23, is on the 40-man roster but has a .569 OPS at Class AA.
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Orioles get: LHP Trevor Rogers
Marlins get: OF Kyle Stowers, INF Connor Norby
Outcome: Orioles lose in AL wild card series
Aftermath: Like the Flaherty trade above, this one went haywire from the jump. Rogers was bad and injured for a very good Orioles team down the stretch; he’s now very good for a bad Orioles team this season. Meanwhile, the Orioles made a potentially crushing mistake in choosing Stowers to deal from their surplus of outfielders. After three years on the Baltimore-AAA shuttle, he’s an All-Star and possible superstar in Miami, with 22 homers, a .295 average and .937 OPS. Norby started out hot in Miami but has cooled, with a .291 OBP and 13 homers in 108 games as a Marlin. Still, he’s a useful big league piece and if there’s anything we learned from this deadline, it’s this: The Marlins seem to know what they’re doing.
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Orioles get: RHP Zach Eflin and cash
Rays get: INF Mac Horvath, RHP Jackson Baumeister, OF Matthew Etzel
Outcome: Rays finish 80-82
Aftermath: Eflin served his purpose, delivering a 2.60 ERA in 10 starts and a representative playoff outing; he’s been injured and inconsistent in 2025 and, having just returned from the IL, is a likely candidate to get traded again this week. The modern front office is unafraid to trade within divisions and the Orioles appeared to pull this deal off without getting burnt by the savvy Rays.
Baumeister, a second-round pick and the highest-drafted pitcher in the Mike Elias era, fell out of the Rays’ top 30 and is on the 60-day IL in Class AA after a 6.86 ERA in 10 Class AA starts. Horvath (23, .765 OPS at high A) and Etzel (23, .707 at AA) don’t appear to be impact players.
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Phillies get: RHP Carlos Estévez
Angels get: LHP Samuel Aldegheri, RHP George Klassen
Outcome: Phillies lose in NLDS; Angels finish 63-99
Aftermath: Kind of the platonic ideal deal for both franchises. The Phillies burn trade capital to try and win now under Dave Dombrowski, who’s ultimately undercut by his bullpen. And the Angels acquire OK talent that’s, in Aldegheri’s case, rushed to the majors with uninspired results. Aldegheri posted a 4.85 ERA in three starts last year and two relief appearances this year; he has a 4.75 ERA at Class AA and is ranked No. 8 in the system. Klassen, 23, has a bit more upside, ranked No. 4 in the system and a Futures Game pick this year thanks to what Baseball America calls “mid-rotation upside.” But his command remains iffy, with a 5.86 ERA and 28 walks in 58 ⅓ Class AA innings.
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Padres get: RHP Jason Adam
Rays get: RHP Dylan Lesko, OF Homer Bush Jr., C J.D. Gonzalez
Aftermath: Padres first-rounders are drafted to be traded and in two years Lesko went from 15th overall pick to the Rays’ system, as Adam was a stalwart in ’24 and an All-Star this year for the ever-contending Padres. The cost? Not much. Lesko, 21, made just four starts this year at high A before he was shut down. Bush is ranked No. 24 in the Rays’ system and has speed (33 steals at Class AA) but zero power. Gonzalez, 19, is on the 60-day IL at high A rehabbing an injured elbow and has slipped out of the organizational top 30.
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Royals get: RHP Lucas Erceg
Athletics get: RHP Mason Barnett, RHP Will Klein, OF Jared Dickey
Outcome: Royals win AL wild card series, lose in ALDS: Athletics finish 69-93
Aftermath: A great pickup for Kansas City, giving it a stout bullpen for the playoff drive and a controllable relief arm; in fact, Erceg may be flipped this year as the Royals hover near the buy-sell line. The A’s landed their now-No. 4 prospect in Barnett, who shined at Class AA before a mixed stint at AAA this year. Klein was sold to Seattle in January.
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Mariners get: OF Randy Arozarena
Rays get: RHP Brody Hopkins, OF Aidan Smith and a player to be named
Outcome: Mariners finish 85-77
Aftermath: The Rays have built mini-empires off trading with Jerry Dipoto, though this one was pretty symbiotic. Seattle missed the playoffs last year but Arozarena is still producing at an All-Star level this year, even as Tampa Bay has largely readjusted its offense without him. Hopkins, a Futures Game selection, has made gains in the Rays pitching program and is now their No. 5 prospect, with 99 strikeouts in 81 innings and a 3.32 ERA in 18 Class AA starts. Smith, who turned 21 July 23, is No. 12 in the Rays’ system and trending well at Class AA, his 10 homers and 26 steals auguring a versatile offensive profile.
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Guardians get: OF Lane Thomas
Nationals get: LHP Alex Clemmey, INF Rafael Ramirez Jr., INF Jose Tena
Outcome: Guardians win AL Central, lose in AL Championship Series; Nationals finish 71-91
Aftermath: Thomas hit an epic postseason home run in Cleveland, though his overall production tailed off switching leagues in the trade. The Nationals hit on Clemmey, a Futures Game participant who’s now their No. 5 prospect, but still has a long climb ahead from A ball. Tena has shown no power or speed and league-average hit ability in major league stints, while Ramirez has spent all season on the Class A injured list.
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Guardians get: RHP Alex Cobb
Giants get: LHP Jacob Bresnahan and player to be named (INF Nate Furman)
Outcome: Guardians win AL Central, lose in AL Championship Series; Giants finish 80-82
Aftermath: Cobb didn’t pitch for the Giants in ’24 due to injury but made three effective starts down the stretch and started two playoff games for the Guardians, who won his ALDS outing against Detroit before he was injured again in the ALCS.
Bresnahan, 20, is ranked 16th in the Giants system and having a decent year in low A; Furman has yet to play in their system due to injury.
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Royals get: RHP Michael Lorenzen
Rangers get: LHP Walter Pennington
Outcome: Rangers finish 78-84
Aftermath: In a weird buy-sell deadline for the Rangers, the Royals got the veteran arm they needed for a playoff drive as Lorenzen posted a 1.57 ERA down the stretch, joined the playoff bullpen and re-signed in K.C. Pennington made a one-game debut with the Rangers but was placed on waivers in April and claimed by Baltimore.
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Marlins get: INF Deyvison De Los Santos, OF Andrew Pintar
Outcome: Diamondbacks finish 89-73, miss playoffs on tiebreaker
Aftermath: Puk pitched splendidly down the stretch for Arizona, but underwent an internal brace elbow reconstruction in June; he should recover to pitch in the 2026 second half before hitting free agency. Whle De Los Santos, now the Marlins’ No. 18 prospect, led all the minor leagues with 40 homers in 2025, his strikeout rate – 27% this year, with 11 homers – has long diminished his stature as a prospect. Pintar, 25, has reached Class AAA but is not on the 40-man roster.
The middling middle
Mariners get: DH/INF Justin Turner
Blue Jays get: OF RJ Schreck
Aftermath: Turner was solid (.363 OBP, .766 OPS) in 48 games with the Mariners and while they didn’t make the playoffs, his lasting impact was as hitting counselor for franchise player Cal Raleigh. Schreck, 24, is Toronto’s No. 16 prospect and has reached Class AA (.941 OPS in 41 games).
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Mariners get: RHP Yimi Garcia
Blue Jays get: OF Jonatan Clase, C Jacob Sharp
Aftermath: Garcia was a decent high-leverage relief prize (2.70 ERA) at the deadline but didn’t pitch nearly as well (6.00) in 10 games with Seattle. For that, the Blue Jays got a utility guy who produced a 64 adjusted OPS in 112 plate appearances this year before heading to the minors, and a 23-year-old Class AA catcher with a .195 slugging percentage.
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Brewers get: RHP Nick Mears
Rockies get: RHP Bradley Blalock, RHP Yujanyer Herrera
Outcome: Brewers lose in NL wild card; Rockies finish 61-101
Aftermath: Mears is still paying dividends for the ever-contending Brewers, with a 0.85 WHIP this year. Blalock has a 7.18 ERA in 14 games, 11 starts, for Colorado the past two years and has an 8.32 ERA at Class AAA. Herrera, 21, underwent Tommy John surgery in October.
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Mets get: OF Jesse Winker
Nationals get: RHP Tyler Stuart
Outcome: Mets lose in NLCS
Aftermath: The vibes were good enough for Winker in New York, who goes back to childhood in Orlando with Francisco Lindor, that they re-upped him in the winter, and he’s produced at replacement level for a calendar year. Stuart, who turns 26 in October, is the Nationals’ No. 18 prospect but is out for the year with an elbow injury that’s limited him to 10 appearances.
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Rangers get: C Carson Kelly
Tigers get: RHP Tyler Owens, C Liam Hicks
Aftermath: Kelly’s star turn wouldn’t come until he joined the Cubs this year; he provided an 84 adjusted OPS to Texas’ futile playoff run. Owens, 24, is Detroit’s 16th-ranked prospect and made three relief appearances this season, but has been hit hard in Class AAA Toledo’s pen.
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Padres get: LHP Martín Pérez
Pirates get: LHP Ronaldys Jimenez
Outcome: Pirates finish 76-86
Aftermath: Pérez was a near-ideal deadline stopgap, pitching to a 3.46 ERA in 10 starts, though he did not make San Diego’s postseason rosters. Jimenez, 19, has a 4.28 ERA as a reliever for the Pirates’ Florida complex team.
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Brewers get: RHP Frankie Montas
Reds get: RHP Jakob Junis, OF Joey Wiemer, cash
Outcome: Reds finish 77-85
Aftermath: The fifth trade of Montas’s career, he made 11 starts for the Brewers and one playoff start, his 3 ⅔ innings apparently convincing the Mets to give him an ill-advised contract last winter. Junis was on an expiring contract, while Wiemer played in two games for the Reds and was a throw-in in the winter deal sending Jonathan India to Kansas City for pitcher Brady Singer. He’s spent all season in Class AAA.
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Diamondbacks get: RHP Dylan Floro
Nationals get: INF Andres Chaparro
Aftermath: Floro had a 2.06 ERA when the Nationals flipped him; he posted a 9.37 mark in 15 games with Arizona. Chaparro, 26, got three hits in his major league debut with Washington but batted .186 (24-for-132) since and has a .228/.333/.465 line at Class AAA.
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Rangers get: LHP Andrew Chafin
Tigers get: RHP Joseph Montalvo, RHP Chase Lee
Aftermath: Yet another uncommon W for the Tigers, who deal a major league regular yet finish 34-19 and reach the playoffs while adding Lee, now their No. 15 prospect and a reliable (1.05 WHIP) member of their big league bullpen.
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Yankees get: RHP Mark Leiter Jr.
Cubs get: INF Ben Cowles, RHP Jack Neely
Outcome: Cubs finish 83-79
Aftermath: A classic get-us-an-arm deal, Leiter provided the Yankees a relief body and was actually better (1.98 ERA) in the postseason than the regular season (4.98). Cowles, 25, has a .233/.296/.379 line at Class AAA; Neely made six relief appearances for the Cubs last season but has a 6.91 ERA in AAA.
Smaller potatoes
Red Sox get: RHP Luis Garcia
Angels get: RHP Ryan Zeferjahn, CF Matthew Lugo, RHP Yeferson Vargas, 1B/DH Niko Kavadas
Outcome: Red Sox finish 81-81
Aftermath: A classic modern Red Sox half-measure, where they don’t really sell but also don’t buy anything of significance and leave fans wondering what the point was. Garcia logged an 8.22 ERA in 15 games; while the Red Sox basically gave the Angels a bunch of guys, Zeferjahn, Lugo and Kavadas have made their major league debuts, with Lugo a potentially useful utility player. Warm bodies, anyway, more than the Red Sox can now say about Garcia.
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Red Sox get: C Danny Jansen
Blue Jays get: SS Eddinson Paulino, INF Cutter Coffey, RHP Gilberto Batista
Aftermath: See above. Jansen capped off the worst year of his career by hitting .188 in 30 games for Boston. None of the Jays’ acquisitions rank in their top 30, and only Paulino, a 155-pound 23-year-old, is playing above A ball.
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Mets get: RHP Huascar Brazoban
Marlins get: OF Wilfredo Lara
Aftermath: Brazoban was good (2.90 ERA) for the Marlins, bad (5.14, no playoff run) for the Mets, though he’s still around as a sentient member of the Mets’ bullpen, striking out a batter an inning. Lara, 21, has a .203/.300/.326 line at high A.
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Pirates get: INF Isiah Kiner-Falefa
Blue Jays get: OF Charles McAdoo
Outcome: Pirates finish 76-86; Blue Jays finish 74-88
Aftermath: Hey, remember the time the Pirates were buyers, kind of? Yeah, we don’t, either. But Pittsburgh was 55-52 before finishing 21-34 and just two games ahead of Toronto – which added who’s now its 20th-ranked prospect in McAdoo, 23, who has a .749 OPS and 10 homers at Class AA.
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Pirates get: LHP Jalen Beeks
Rockies get: LHP Luis Peralta
Aftermath: Those swashbucklin’ Pirates were active at the deadline, though Beeks produced a 1.79 WHIP in 26 games for them. Peralta has made 24 relief appearances over two sesons with the Rockies but has a 10.72 ERA at Class AAA this year.
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Mets get: RHP Paul Blackburn
Athletics get: RHP Kade Morris
Aftermath: Blackburn was hurt before this deal and also this year but was a five-start stopgap for the NLCS finalists. Meanwhile, the A’s coached up Morris, 23, into their No. 8 overall prospect after a strong half season at Class AA.
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Diamondbacks get: 1B Josh Bell
Marlins get: Cash considerations
Aftermath: The “or player to be named later” never showed up so this was just a cash dump; Nationals fans should have similar expectations with Bell on the block once again, though he did have a .796 OPS in Arizona’s failed playoff drive.