These 20 players will likely be wearing new unis after Trade Deadline

In most seasons, we would have a firmer grasp on which teams are planning to sell with less than two weeks remaining until the Aug. 3 Trade Deadline.

Of course, 2026 isn’t most seasons.

An improbable 24 teams entered Thursday within 6 1/2 games of a postseason spot -- a reasonable striking distance -- and although some of those clubs will surely decide to sell based on how the next 10 days go, only six teams -- the Angels, Athletics, Giants, Mets, Rockies and Royals -- are currently in position to be considered near-certain sellers.

So while plenty of big stars may wind up on the trade block as we inch closer to the Deadline, it’s too soon to tell which ones may be wearing new uniforms by Aug. 4.

Which players can we confidently predict will be traded by the Deadline? Here’s a list of 20 names from those six likely sellers that should be on new teams in the next two weeks. They may not have the star power of Tarik Skubal, Joe Ryan or CJ Abrams, but each of these players can help contenders as they make their respective playoff pushes over the next two months.

(Players are listed alphabetically; all stats/records are through Wednesday’s games)

Luis Arraez, 2B, Giants
After hitting a career-low .292 last season, Arraez has looked like his vintage self during his first year with the Giants, hitting .320 with an .805 OPS in 96 games. He’s also shown vast improvement at second base, with his 10 outs above average ranking second at the position behind JJ Wetherholt. Arraez has said he will not move positions, but there are a number of clubs seeking middle-infield help, so the impending free agent is a near-lock to be traded.

Brennan Bernardino, LHP, Rockies
Bernardino opened the season with an 0.71 ERA in his first 14 appearances, and after coming back to earth over the next five weeks, the southpaw has not allowed an earned run over his past 19 outings. At 34, Bernardino isn’t part of the Rockies’ long-term plans, though he’s arbitration-eligible for three more years, offering a cost-controlled relief arm to a contender seeking bullpen depth.

Carlos Cortes, OF, Athletics
It may seem odd to suggest that the Athletics could deal away a controllable outfielder, but with Tyler Soderstrom, Lawrence Butler, Denzel Clarke, Henry Bolte and Colby Thomas on the roster, there is an opportunity to trade someone such as the 29-year-old Cortes to bring back some much-needed pitching depth. Cortes has seven home runs, 25 RBIs and a .787 OPS in 78 games this season, ranking in the top 11 percent of the league in strikeout rate.

Jonah Heim, C, Athletics
With so many contenders in need of catching help and some of the bigger names at the position far from certain to be traded -- including the Athletics’ Shea Langeliers -- Heim could be on the move to one of those catcher-needy clubs. The 31-year-old made the All-Star team and won a Gold Glove in 2023, helping the Rangers to a World Series title, but he’s been limited to backup duties with the Athletics, hitting eight homers with 24 RBIs and a .730 OPS in 44 games since being acquired from the Braves in early May. Heim’s postseason experience and expiring contract make him a logical trade chip given the catching needs throughout the league.

Clay Holmes, RHP, Mets
Holmes made his first rehab start on Thursday, moving closer to a return after suffering a fractured right fibula in mid-May. The right-hander was having a superb season (2.39 ERA in nine starts) before getting hit by a comebacker, and if he can show he’s healthy, Holmes -- who is widely expected to opt out of the final year and $12 million of his contract after the season -- should generate plenty of interest.

Mark Leiter Jr., RHP, Athletics
Leiter’s season-long numbers are somewhat misleading, as the 35-year-old was among the best relievers in the league since mid-May before a hip impingement landed him on the injured list for the second time in a month. Over his past 18 appearances dating back to May 12, Leiter has allowed only one run on nine hits and five walks in 18 innings, with a 0.50 ERA. He ranks in the top quarter of the league in barrel percentage (96th percentile), hard-hit percentage (89th), average exit velocity (87th), whiff percentage (83rd), chase percentage (81st) and strikeout percentage (75th), and as an impending free agent, Leiter could be a solid rental if he can get healthy.

Tyler Mahle, RHP, Giants
After posting a 6.04 ERA in his first 11 starts this season and suffering a left hamstring injury that kept him out of action for a month, it looked like Mahle’s trade value was nonexistent. Since his return, the 31-year-old impending free agent has a 3.76 ERA in five starts, and given that he pitched well for the Rangers last season (2.18 ERA in 16 starts), Mahle could be a decent gamble for clubs seeking rotation depth.

Jake McCarthy, OF, Rockies
McCarthy is one of the more interesting trade candidates this summer thanks to his breakout season in Colorado. The left-handed hitter has 10 home runs with 56 RBIs and an .859 OPS in 89 games, and with two more years of club control, McCarthy’s speed and above-average defense should help draw interest. Since June 16, McCarthy has six homers, 29 RBIs and a .989 OPS in 31 games.

A.J. Minter, LHP, Mets
A torn left lat muscle suffered last April kept Minter out of action for 13 months, but the left-hander has been excellent since making his debut on May 26. Minter has a 1.71 ERA over 21 appearances, issuing only two walks in his 21 innings of work, though his velocity is down compared to recent years. The 32-year-old, who is in the final year of his two-year, $22 million deal, is owed a little less than $4 million this season before becoming a free agent in the fall.

Mickey Moniak, OF, Rockies
The first overall pick of the 2016 MLB Draft, Moniak has been productive in his two seasons with the Rockies, hitting 16 home runs with 42 RBIs and an .887 OPS in 67 games this season. His ability to play all three outfield spots is attractive, and he’s arbitration-eligible for the final time next winter.

Freddy Peralta, RHP, Mets
Peralta’s season has greatly diminished his trade value, so even though he’s on an expiring contract and headed for free agency, the right-hander’s recent performance (6.67 ERA in 11 starts since May 23) will impact the type of return the Mets can expect. Still, his track record is solid, so a contender could take the chance that a change of scenery reinvigorates Peralta down the stretch.

Brooks Raley, LHP, Mets
Another impending free agent in the Mets’ bullpen, Raley has a 1.96 ERA in 41 appearances this season. Although he doesn’t throw as hard as other relievers -- Raley’s 90.1 mph average fastball ranks in the bottom four percent of the league -- his four-pitch mix often results in soft contact, evidenced by his strong numbers in barrel percentage (87th percentile) and hard-hit percentage (90th percentile). The 38-year-old lefty is owed roughly $1.6 million for the remainder of the season, after which he will be a free agent.

Robbie Ray, LHP, Giants
Ray is putting together another strong season in San Francisco, so even though he hasn’t approached his Cy Young form of 2021, the 34-year-old lefty will be a solid addition to a contender’s rotation as he heads to free agency. Ray has a 1.88 ERA over his past eight starts dating back to June 5, allowing one or zero earned runs in six of those outings.

John Schreiber, RHP, Royals
Schreiber has a 3.29 ERA in 42 appearances, putting him on track for his sixth straight season with a sub-4.00 ERA. The 32-year-old ranks in the 77th percentile of the league with a 47.4% ground-ball rate, allowing him to escape jams with runners on base. Schreiber is owed roughly $1.25 million for the remainder of the year and will be a free agent after the season.

Antonio Senzatela, RHP, Rockies
Injuries and inconsistency prompted the Rockies to move Senzatela to the bullpen, where he’s reinvented himself as a versatile late-inning option. Senzatela throws hard -- his 97 mph average fastball puts him in the top 13 percent of MLB -- and his 44.5% ground ball rate ranks in the upper half of the league. The 31-year-old is owed about $4 million this season and has a $14 million club option for 2027, making him a likely rental option.

Jorge Soler, DH/OF, Angels
Soler got off to a solid start in 2026, hitting seven home runs with 26 RBIs and an .805 OPS in his first 31 games. It’s been mostly downhill since May 4, as he’s hit four homers with 19 RBIs and a .580 OPS over his past 48 games, his most recent home run coming on June 24. But Soler has plenty of postseason experience, including a pair of championship rings and a World Series MVP Award, so a move to a contender could reinvigorate him as he prepares to head back to free agency after the season. He’s owed a little more than $4 million for the rest of the season, so the Angels may have to pay some of that down to bring back a decent prospect.

Brent Suter, LHP, Angels
At first glance, Suter’s numbers don’t suggest that teams looking for bullpen help would have much interest in the 36-year-old. Suter owns a 4.55 ERA in 36 appearances, allowing at least one earned run in seven of his past eight outings. But Suter ranks in the top quarter of the league in hard-hit percentage (96th percentile), average exit velocity (93rd), walk percentage (80th), ground-ball percentage (81st) and barrel percentage (76th), while his 3.59 FIP and .323 BABIP are signs that he’s pitched better than his numbers indicate.

Lane Thomas, OF, Royals
Thomas hasn’t come close to matching his 28-homer, 86-RBI season with the Nationals in 2023, but the 30-year-old outfielder has come on as of late, boosting his trade value to give the Royals a chip to use before the Deadline. Since June 4, Thomas has seven home runs, 22 RBIs and an .814 OPS in 40 games, turning around his season after posting a .657 OPS with only two homers in his first 48 games. Thomas, an impending free agent, is owed about $1.75 million for the rest of the season.

Luke Weaver, RHP, Mets
The third in a trio of Mets relievers who could be on the move, Weaver is the only one of the three under control for 2027. The 32-year-old is signed for $12.5 million next season, but given the eternal need for relief pitching around the league, the potential return for Weaver may be high enough for the Mets to move him. The right-hander has a 1.98 ERA in 39 appearances, striking out 43 in 41 innings. His Statcast numbers tell an even better story, as Weaver ranks in the top 20 percent of the league in hard-hit percentage (87th percentile), whiff percentage (85th), chase percentage (82nd) and strikeout percentage (81st).

Kirby Yates, RHP, Angels
Despite a lack of velocity -- his 90.8 mph average fastball ranks in the bottom five percent of the league -- the 39-year-old veteran has elite numbers when it comes to chase percentage, whiff percentage and strikeout percentage, striking out 30 batters in 22 2/3 innings this season. Yates’ 3.57 ERA is markedly better than the 5.23 he posted with the Dodgers last season, and although he blew his most recent save opportunity last week, the veteran has a 2.19 ERA over his past 14 appearances.