With two weeks remaining until the Trade Deadline, the cluster of teams contending for postseason spots remains sizeable. The perceived approach of front offices seems to change on a daily basis with every win or loss; remember when the Red Sox, Tigers and Twins felt like locks to sell? Not so fast.
That said, some teams will sell by Aug. 3, and not only the seven that are currently believed to be shopping players. So which teams and players will we be paying close attention to over the next two weeks?
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MLB.com looks at 12 players whose fates will be decided by early August and what may help determine their futures.
(All stats and records entering Sunday)
CJ Abrams, SS, Nationals
Contract status: Under club control through 2028
Foster Griffin, RHP, Nationals
Contract status: Free agent after the 2026 season
The Nationals are in a tricky spot; at 49-50 entering Sunday, they were only three games out of an NL Wild Card spot, so being a seller would be a bad sign to both the players in the clubhouse and the fan base. But first-year president of baseball operations Paul Toboni is also thinking long-term, and given the seasons both Abrams and Griffin are having, both would generate great interest if they were made available. How Washington plays over the next 10 days could be the deciding factor in the way Toboni approaches the Deadline.
Abrams has already tied his career-high in homers (20) and set a new high in RBIs (68) in only 95 games this season, making the All-Star team for the second time in two years. The Nationals could look to extend the 25-year-old shortstop to make him a core piece for years to come, but if they don’t believe such an extension is in the cards, there’s an argument to be made that this is the time to trade Abrams.
The same could be said for Griffin, who made his first career All-Star team this year after spending the past three seasons in Japan. Griffin, who turns 31 next week, will be a free agent after the season, and if he continues to pitch the way he has all year (10-2, 2.77 ERA in 19 starts), he stands to earn a healthy, multi-year contract this offseason.
Luis Arraez, 2B, Giants
Contract status: Free agent after the 2026 season
Jung Hoo Lee, OF, Giants
Contract status: Signed through 2029 (can opt-out after 2027)
Arraez has enjoyed a bounce-back season, and his move back to second base could be part of the equation. After playing mostly first base for the Padres, Arraez signed with the Giants to move back to second, where he’s had the best defensive season of his career, with his 10 Outs Above Average ranking in the 99th percentile of the league.
The 29-year-old made it clear last week that he won’t change positions for a new team, and given how well he’s played at second this season, it’s difficult to blame him. The 42-56 Giants have no incentive to keep Arraez and figure to move him by the Deadline, and while he’s not a power threat, the four-time All-Star looks like the guy who won three straight batting titles from 2022-2024, hitting .327 through his first 93 games.
The Giants figure to be sellers, and while they would love to unload one or more of their huge contracts (Rafael Devers, Willy Adames and Matt Chapman), Lee might be their best chance to free up some payroll via trade. Lee’s opt-out clause after the 2027 season could complicate a potential trade, though most expect he will forgo the opt-out and play out his contract.
Lee is owed roughly $7 million this season and will earn $22 million in 2027 and $20.5 million in both '28 and '29, totaling about $70 million through the next three-plus seasons. That’s not exactly a bargain, but Lee is hitting .304 with a .764 OPS in 90 games, ranking in the top five percent of the league in both strikeout percentage and whiff percentage. He also ranks in the bottom five percent in walk percentage, forcing him to rely on contact to make things happen.
Reid Detmers, LHP, Angels
Contract status: Under club control through 2028
José Soriano, RHP, Angels
Contract status: Under club control through 2028
The Angels are one of those seven teams we mentioned earlier, their 38-61 record putting them at the bottom of the entire league. Los Angeles is highly unlikely to trade Mike Trout, but there are some players that interim GM John Mozeliak can shop around to help spark a rebuild -- with the two starters topping that list.
Detmers and Soriano are both arbitration-eligible for two more seasons, and nothing gets buyers more excited than controllable pitching. The Angels have been hesitant sellers in recent years, but if Mozeliak can convince owner Arte Moreno that selling is the right move, these two arms would be highly coveted and should bring back solid returns.
Hunter Goodman, C, Rockies
Contract status: Under club control through 2029
Antonio Senzatela, RHP, Rockies
Contract status: Under club control through 2027
Why would the Rockies trade their 26-year-old All-Star catcher with three years of club control remaining? In all likelihood, they won’t. But that doesn’t mean some teams won’t try to pry Goodman away from Colorado, and given the state of the Rockies’ rebuild under new president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta, it’s impossible to rule anything out.
The Yankees are in need of catching help; what if New York overwhelmed Colorado with an offer? Goodman will probably still be wearing a Rockies uniform after the Trade Deadline passes, but with 27 home runs in the first half -- only four shy of his career-high, set last season -- the catcher’s trade value may never be higher, especially with a club like the Yankees looming as a potential suitor. Just something to keep an eye on in the next two weeks.
Senzatela never panned out as the starter the Rockies hoped he would, but the 31-year-old has reinvented himself in the bullpen this season. The right-hander has a 3.31 ERA in 30 appearances, throwing 49 innings for Colorado while averaging 97 mph on his fastball (87th percentile).
Senzatela is earning $12 million this season, so an acquiring team would be on the hook for roughly $4 million over the final two months. There is also a $14 million club option for 2027, giving a new team the option of bringing him back for another season. In a year when so many teams are on the buy/sell bubble, Senzatela may be one of the better relievers nearly certain to be moved.
Casey Mize, RHP, Tigers
Contract status: Free agent after the 2026 season
Tarik Skubal, LHP, Tigers
Contract status: Free agent after the 2026 season
No trade candidate has been written and talked about this season as much as Skubal, the two-time defending American League Cy Young Award winner. Skubal missed six weeks following minor elbow surgery, but he’s been back for a month and has shown that he’s healthy, posting a 2.97 ERA in seven starts.
The Tigers were 16 games under .500 at the end of May, setting the Skubal trade talk in motion in a major way, but Detroit is an AL-best 24-14 since June 1, pulling within 3 1/2 games of a Wild Card spot. If the Tigers keep trending in that direction, they could wind up as buyers, trying to take advantage of Skubal’s presence before he hits the free-agent market after the season.
Like Skubal, Mize is slated to become a free agent at the end of the season, and while he doesn’t have the same track record as his decorated teammate, the 29-year-old is in the midst of the best season of his career. Mize has a 2.79 ERA in 14 starts (77 1/3 innings), ranking in the top 30 percent of the league in both strikeout and walk percentage. And while Skubal is owed roughly $10 million over the final two months, an acquiring team would only be on the hook for approximately $2 million of Mize’s $6.15 million salary.
Freddy Peralta, RHP, Mets
Contract status: Free agent after the 2026 season
The Mets have let it be known that they are ready to sell, reportedly telling rival executives that anyone other than Nolan McLean, Carson Benge, A.J. Ewing, Christian Scott and Juan Soto are available at the right price. We’re not holding our breath for deals involving Francisco Lindor, Bo Bichette or Marcus Semien, but New York’s impending free agents will almost certainly be moved. The real question is: how much will those players bring back in return?
A.J. Minter and Brooks Raley will draw interest as most relievers often do, but while Peralta would typically be a coveted arm around the Deadline, the right-hander has been consistently inconsistent all season. Peralta was 5-8 with a 4.66 ERA entering Sunday, posting a 6.05 ERA over his past 10 starts. Yes, one of those was a 10-run implosion against the Phillies on June 20, but Peralta hadn’t completed six innings in a start in more than a month and may not be viewed as a frontline starter by contenders.
Taylor Ward, OF, Orioles
Contract status: Free agent after the 2026 season
The Orioles are in the thick of the AL Wild Card race after winning six in a row entering Sunday, sitting only two games out of the final spot. But Baltimore remains under .500 at 48-51, so while president of baseball operations Mike Elias may look to add to the roster in an effort to get back to the postseason after missing out last season, the next two weeks will go a long way in making that decision.
Ward was acquired during the offseason with the hope of adding an impact bat to the lineup. After hitting 36 home runs with 103 RBIs for the Angels in 2025, Ward’s production has fallen off this season; he has only seven home runs and 27 RBIs in 98 games, though his league-leading 77 walks have helped him post a career-high .386 on-base percentage. Ward is owed roughly $4 million over the rest of the season as he heads for free agency, a very reasonable figure for a player who has shown he can be a difference-maker.