Buying? Selling? How each team will navigate Trade Deadline day

The countdown is on. The clock is ticking. The Trade Deadline is upon us. Teams have until 6 p.m. ET Monday to work out any deals they hope can help them down the stretch this season or in future seasons.

We've already seen one blockbuster -- Tarik Skubal to the Dodgers -- plus some smaller but still-significant moves, such as Freddy Peralta to the Rays and Luis Castillo to the White Sox. But these and other teams still could have trades in the works.

With the help of MLB.com's beat writers, here's a look at each team's outlook heading into Deadline day.

Jump to: AL East | AL Central | AL West | NL East | NL Central | NL West

AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST

Blue Jays: The Blue Jays are sellers, with the wrinkle that they could still “buy” some long-term pieces to get a jump on their offseason. This season has been a letdown from the World Series run of 2026, so expiring contracts such as Shane Bieber, George Springer, Daulton Varsho and potentially even Max Scherzer could be on the move. Kevin Gausman was first to go in a deal with the Cubs on Sunday night. The Blue Jays could be one of baseball’s busiest clubs at the Deadline. -- Keegan Matheson

Orioles: There may be no team that does a heavier mixture of both buying and selling than Baltimore. President of baseball operations Mike Elias said the club isn’t fully in either “bucket.” The O’s could add pieces to help them make a run this season, but they also don’t want to fully go that route and ignore trade offers that could improve the long-term health of the franchise. So, more players could be dealt from the MLB roster -- like right-hander Dean Kremer was on Friday, when he was traded to the Twins -- but big leaguers could be acquired as well. -- Jake Rill

Rays: They’re buyers, and their status as the best team in the AL is pushing them to “trade a little bit of later for now,” as president of baseball operations Erik Neander said in a recent radio interview. The Rays made a win-now move for a starter on Sunday, acquiring rental right-hander Freddy Peralta from the Mets. They could also use another proven hitter, with Luis Arraez viewed as an ideal fit, and have room to improve at catcher and shortstop. Some bullpen depth would help, too, but they are in a position to think big. -- Adam Berry

Red Sox: After ripping off a 21-4 record in July, good for a franchise-record .840 winning percentage, the Red Sox are firmly in the buyers' lane after a season-altering turnaround which puts them in the thick of the AL postseason race. Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow is casting a wide net, with the priority being more offense, but he’s also looking to add to his already strong stable of arms. Catcher, both middle infield spots and DH are areas another productive bat or two could nicely fortify the team down the stretch. -- Ian Browne

Yankees: The Yankees are clear buyers, prioritizing high-leverage relievers, a right-handed hitting catcher and another outfield bat, needing to withstand the absences of Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger and Giancarlo Stanton. They are reluctant to move top prospect George Lombard, Jr., but infielder Dax Kilby is drawing interest and could help anchor a package. Brian Cashman also seems willing to deal from rotation depth, suggesting Ryan Weathers or Will Warren could be on the move. -- Bryan Hoch

AL CENTRAL

Guardians: The Guardians traded catcher Bo Naylor and reliever Codi Heuer to the Brewers on Saturday for reliever Craig Yoho and outfielder Blake Perkins. Cleveland is not done, as president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti noted after that deal the club wants to improve its offense. The Guardians entered Sunday last in the Majors in runs per game (3.94). An addition who can help in 2026 and beyond could make a lot of sense. -- Tim Stebbins

Royals: They’re sellers, but it’s not a selloff. The Royals want to keep their core intact for next year, so their focus is trading players on expiring contracts. They dealt one such player, outfielder Lane Thomas, on Saturday to the Braves. Starling Marte and reliever John Schreiber could be the next to go. The targets will be upper-level Minor League depth. However, they’ll be open-minded about the rest of their roster and, while it will take a lot, at least listen on players who are under control next year. -- Anne Rogers

Tigers: They’re selling. After an extended midseason run to climb back towards contention, a 3-4 homestand against the last-place Royals and Wild Card-contending Orioles made it clear this team’s postseason chances aren’t strong enough. It won’t be a complete teardown, but by trading soon-to-be free agents Tarik Skubal (dealt to the Dodgers on Saturday) and Casey Mize, along with potentially closer Kenley Jansen and second baseman Gleyber Torres, the hope is that the Tigers can bring in MLB-ready pitching help to reload for next season while fortifying a farm system that has graduated a lot of its top talent to the big leagues this year. -- Jason Beck

Twins: They’ve signaled their intentions with an early move, adding lefty A.J. Minter from the Mets. They’re probably not done. Minnesota could add at least one right-handed reliever and possibly a starter as well. And after not dipping into their top 20 prospects to get Minter, they still have the pieces to get more done. -- Matthew Leach

White Sox: General manager Chris Getz already added right-hander Luis Castillo from Seattle to the starting rotation and told the media Sunday morning he expected to trade for a catcher before the Deadline. Getz will be aggressive in trying to add to a 2026 team earning such support, a team as good any other in the American League, but he won’t deal from his Top 100 prospects or from the active roster, especially for rentals. So buyers, in a practical way. -- Scott Merkin

AL WEST

Angels: The Angels are sellers and already sent catcher Logan O’Hoppe and reliever Chase Silseth to the Rangers for Minor League infielder Angel Arredondo on Wednesday. Interim general manager John Mozeliak is listening on shortstop Zach Neto and starting pitchers Reid Detmers and José Soriano, who are their top trade chips and under team control beyond this year. -- Rhett Bollinger

Astros: There’s no question the Astros will at least try to be buyers after reeling off nine wins in their last 10 games in July to take over first place in the American League West. Whether they’re able to get a deal done remains to be seen. They don’t want to take too much from the Major League roster, and they have some untouchable prospects, so they’ll have to walk that line. Their needs are clear: a left-handed outfield bat, relief pitcher and starting pitcher. -- Brian McTaggart

Athletics: Given their freefall in the standings over the past month, the A’s are categorized as sellers. But as general manager David Forst stated earlier this week, don’t expect any pieces from the A’s young core to go anywhere. Speaking about their approach to the Aug. 3 Deadline, Forst said, “I’m not looking to break the team up. Just because we’re not in a playoff race doesn’t mean you’re selling off pieces.” -- Martín Gallegos

Mariners: Despite their summer-long spiral, they are firm buyers -- primarily because of the wide-open and lackluster environment across the AL and a fanbase that is so starved for that elusive World Series appearance. They helped their bullpen by getting Seranthony Domínguez in the Luis Castillo swap. The Mariners also need a right-handed bat. That said, it’s also clear that the roster’s floor -- and ceiling -- must largely be elevated from their current core. -- Daniel Kramer

Rangers: The Rangers have already acquired reliever Chase Silseth and Logan O’Hoppe from the Angels in return for Minor League infielder Angel Arredondo. But they’ve also lost their slim lead atop the American League West with a loss to the Astros on Friday night. Each of the three teams atop the division -- the Rangers, Astros and Mariners -- will conceivably all be buyers come Monday. -- Kennedi Landry

NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST

Braves: Atlanta has already been busy, trading with the Royals for outfielder Lane Thomas and adding right-handed starter Tyler Mahle from the Giants. But don’t be surprised to see the Braves also add a couple relievers before Monday’s deadline. The bullpen has been taxed by short starts, and there’s some uncertainty about when top setup man Robert Suarez might return from the injured list. -- Mark Bowman

Marlins: Simply put: The Marlins believe 2027 will be their first true shot at a deep postseason run, when their starting pitchers have moved past monitored workloads, their top pitching prospects (Thomas White and Robby Snelling) are healthy for additional depth and recent position-player Draft picks are making a case for a big league callup. Some moves made at this Deadline could lead to short-term loss but work for this long-term vision. -- Christina De Nicola

Mets: The Mets are one of the only pure sellers in this year's market. They've already traded away pitchers Freddy Peralta, David Peterson and A.J. Minter. Clay Holmes and Brooks Raley are sure to follow, as is outfielder Tyrone Taylor on the offensive side. Beyond that, several others under team control beyond this season could also go. -- Anthony DiComo

Nationals: For the first time in recent years, the Nationals are not definitively in sell mode. I expect them to both buy and sell at the Deadline. As Wild Card contenders, they can add pieces (particularly, the bullpen) to help make their first playoff push since 2019. At the same time, they are still building toward their future. (They already acquired rookie Connelly Early.) After dealing Luis García Jr. to the Yankees, left-hander Foster Griffin remains as their top trade candidate. -- Jessica Camerato

Phillies: The Phillies have one of the highest payrolls in baseball, so despite their flaws, they’re buyers. But they need a lot of help. They need an outfielder, preferably one who hits right-handed; they need a No. 5 starter; and they need bullpen help. Is it possible the Phillies find one of each? Yes, despite a farm system that outside evaluators consider in the bottom third in baseball. -- Todd Zolecki

NL CENTRAL

Brewers: They want to go big, as in Mason Miller big, or even a surprise move for a hitter, big. That’s a change from recent seasons, when the Brewers have stockpiled their prospects and instead made moves around the edges to help the Major League club. But with baseball’s top-ranked farm system and second-best run differential, this could be the year to dip into that prospect pool in the interest of adding a high-impact player to help get past the Dodgers. -- Adam McCalvy

Cardinals: Even though they have been a pleasant surprise for most of the season, the Cardinals are still in rebuilding mode. So don’t be surprised if veterans, such as outfielder Lars Nootbaar and right-hander Dustin May, are traded to fortify the farm system. One NL scout went so far as to say that St. Louis is willing to trade first baseman Alec Burleson as long as it gets the right players in return. Burleson is second on the team in RBIs behind Jordan Walker. -- Bill Ladson

Cubs: The Cubs are looking to buy, and pitching is the priority, starting with a deal for Kevin Gausman on Sunday night. While Chicago is in the market for late-inning bullpen help, adding to the rotation is the No. 1 goal. The Cubs were rumored to have at least inquired about Tarik Skubal, so that shows Chicago is willing to swing big. The Cubs have a farm system heavy on position players, but there is enough depth there to pull off a few trades to solve the need for pitching reinforcements. -- Jordan Bastian

Pirates: The Pirates will be buyers before Monday at 6 p.m. ET despite their recent cold streak at the plate and losses against some important NL Wild Card foes. Expect Pittsburgh to use its farm system capital to upgrade its bullpen, going after at least one arm with the possibility of two. -- Aiden Stepansky

Reds: Cincinnati will be a seller, but how much it sells remains in doubt. There are seven players with expiring contracts -- namely starting pitcher Brady Singer and catcher Tyler Stephenson -- who could be moved, plus interest in a big trade chip in elite starter Hunter Greene, who is under contract through 2028. With its core young talent, the club isn't looking to tear it all down and rebuild but retool and try to contend in 2027. -- Mark Sheldon

NL WEST

D-backs: The Diamondbacks are going to buy, but it likely will not be splashy moves. GM Mike Hazen has to watch the budget as the team is getting closer to the first luxury tax threshold. So look for the D-backs to get some help at first base and possibly an arm that can help while they wait for injured pitchers to return. -- Steve Gilbert

Dodgers: The Dodgers saw an opportunity to move the needle in their three-peat bid, acquiring two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal on Saturday. As for what’s next, it would also be unsurprising to see them sell off some pieces. They could part with some of their depth that has become superfluous with the team getting healthier, such as veteran left-hander Eric Lauer and outfielder Alex Call. -- Sonja Chen

Giants: The fourth-place Giants are clear sellers, though it remains to be seen whether they’ll engage in a full teardown or simply move pending free agents such as Luis Arraez and Robbie Ray after dealing Tyler Mahle to the Braves on Sunday night. President of baseball operations Buster Posey has said three-time All-Star Logan Webb is off limits, but the Giants could weigh offers for other core pieces such as Rafael Devers, Willy Adames, Matt Chapman, Heliot Ramos and Jung Hoo Lee. -- Maria Guardado

Padres: Three weeks ago, the Padres’ path was anyone’s guess. Now? It’s pretty clear. They’ve since leapfrogged most of the National League Wild Card contenders, and general manager A.J. Preller is back where he loves to be: in position to buy at the Deadline. Preller probably won’t go all-in like he has at past Deadlines. (But come on, it’s Preller -- would you rule it out?) The Padres need a couple starters and perhaps a bat. We’ll find out soon what Preller has up his sleeve. -- AJ Cassavell

Rockies: There is a simple assignment: Improve the talent level of a young roster to the point that a 90-win season is possible in the near future. One of the first trades by new president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta brought in first baseman TJ Rumfield, whose path to the Majors with the Yankees was blocked. If they bring in more talent that's under club control for future seasons, the Rockies can feed dreams of contending. Adding quality starting pitching could quicken that pace. -- Thomas Harding