The Red Sox are absolutely streaking right now, while the Marlins are fading fast. But for a ton of teams sitting on the bubble, the real decisions are coming down to the wire. Every single win or loss since the All-Star break has brought a bit more clarity as front offices figure out if they’re gonna be buyers, sellers, or something stuck in between. With only one week left before the August 3rd trade deadline, this week’s power rankings drop a massive second-half question on every team.
The Great Sell-Off: Who’s Actually Moving?
Okay, let’s talk about some real dumpster fires. The Rockies’ starters are sporting an ERA over 6.00. Seriously. They’re screaming for more pitching in their system, and they’ve got a couple of outfielders, Jake McCarthy and Mickey Moniak, who could be serious trade chips to make that happen. But here’s the kicker: will they actually consider moving Hunter Goodman? Dude leads all catchers with 31 home runs and he’s under team control all the way through 2029. That’s a huge piece to give up, even if you need arms. Then you got the A’s, who just a few weeks ago looked like legit buyers. And then they lost 23 of 29 games. Oof. Now they’re obvious sellers, but with so many of their top young talents locked into long-term deals, what are they even willing to sell to get more pitching? Tough spot, no doubt.
Big Names and Tough Choices Everywhere
When you look at the top 20 or so potential MLB trade deadline candidates, Luis Arraez has to be the most likely to be gone. The guy’s just too valuable. Rental Robbie Ray is probably out the door too. But can the Giants actually use this lost season to shed some of their monster contracts? Everyone’s gonna be watching to see if Jung Hoo Lee, Matt Chapman, Willy Adames, and Rafael Devers are still Giants after the deadline. That’s a lot of talent on the move potentially. The Mets, with their huge payroll, gotta reload and contend next season. So, beyond their rentals like starter Freddy Peralta, relievers Brooks Raley and A.J. Minter, and outfielder Luis Robert Jr. (who has a team option for next season), which of their controllable players will they actually feel comfortable trading away? The Royals are in a similar boat to the Mets; playoff dreams crashed and burned, but they can’t be looking at a full rebuild. Without a ton of valuable rental arms, how many controllable pitchers are they really gonna deal? Michael Wacha is definitely gonna command a ton of attention.
The Reigning Champs? Selling! No Way!
This is the one that really caught my eye: the reigning American League champs as sellers? That seems like the most likely move after their offense completely disappeared and the rotation struggled big time behind Cy Young contender Dylan Cease. The biggest question for them is huge: where is Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s power? Can he find it in time to give Toronto any kind of late-season hope? Meanwhile, the Reds, when healthy, can totally envision a rotation with Chase Burns, Hunter Greene, and Andrew Abbott giving them a real shot in 2027. But none of that matters if they still have one of the least productive offenses in MLB. Can someone other than Elly De La Cruz and Sal Stewart actually step up and become a reliable long-term piece in that lineup? We’re all gonna find out this week if Trevor Rogers, Taylor Ward, and Andrew Kittredge help the Orioles return to the big picture. The deadline clock is ticking, and the next seven days are gonna be absolutely wild.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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