Ranking the 25 top prospects traded ahead of the Deadline

Breathe in, breathe out.

The 2025 Trade Deadline certainly kept everyone across baseball on their toes, and we at MLB Pipeline are no different. There were industry-shaking blockbusters. There were expected moves. There were trades for relievers (and more trades for relievers and more trades for relievers). There were the Padres … being the Padres.

In the end, 63 players ranked among their previous organization’s Top 30 prospects changed organizations between last Friday and the end of the Deadline at 6 p.m. ET on Thursday, including three on our Top 100 overall list.

Here’s a ranking of the 25 best prospects to switch clubs in late July, including scouting reports and notes on each member of the top 10:

1. Leo De Vries, SS, Athletics (No. 1/MLB No. 3)
Acquired from the Padres in the Mason Miller/JP Sears trade

De Vries would typically be an off-limits prospect, but San Diego general manager A.J. Preller -- ever in his pursuit of a World Series title -- decided to go big to bring in one of the game’s best relievers in Miller, who won’t be a free agent until after the 2029 season. A $4.2 million signee in January 2024, De Vries has accelerated to High-A at just 18 years old and continues to build on his reputation as a potential five-tool shortstop. He shows good bat speed from both sides of the plate as a switch-hitter and is still finding his power stroke as he navigates the Minors at the same age as many American high school seniors. He has enough range to handle shortstop, even arm strength to play anywhere on the dirt and a point guard background that speaks to his athleticism. Imagining an A’s infield with him and rookie sensations Nick Kurtz and Jacob Wilson -- albeit years away -- should bring hope to those in green and gold.

2. Eduardo Tait, C, Twins (No. 4/MLB No. 56)
Acquired from the Phillies in the Jhoan Duran trade

Like Preller, Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski isn’t afraid to move prospects in search of pennants, and Tait is the big name this time around. Still only 18 for another month, the catcher hits absolute rockets from the left of the side of the plate and has the promise of perhaps even more power to come as he ages. It’s that pop that Minnesotans should be dreaming on. Tait remains a work in progress behind the plate -- what 18-year-old catcher isn’t? -- but his receiving has improved on the pro side plenty already. He’s the best catching prospect in the Twins pipeline by miles, even if it’ll take a few years for him to see the Twin Cities.

3. Mick Abel, RHP, Twins (No. 6/MLB No. 91)
Acquired from the Phillies in the Jhoan Duran trade

The 15th overall pick in the 2020 Draft, Abel’s stock has ridden a roller coaster in the past five years, but it ticked up plenty in 2025 as he brought his average fastball velocity back up to 96 mph and continued to hone his overall command. His low-80s curveball and mid-80s slider both have times when they look like at least above-average pitches in terms of generating whiffs. Abel made six Major League starts for the Phillies before the trade, including one on May 18 in which he outdueled Paul Skenes with six scoreless innings, and finding consistency in The Show will be his final step toward becoming a potential midrotation arm.

4. Khal Stephen, RHP, Guardians (No. 7)
Acquired from the Blue Jays in the Shane Bieber trade

A second-round pick last year out Mississippi State, Stephen was one of the best (of many) pitching success stories in the Blue Jays' system before his move to Cleveland for a former Cy Young winner. The 6-foot-4 right-hander generates around 20 inches of ride on his 92-94 mph fastball, and he can kill spin with an 83-85 mph changeup to keep hitters off balance. Throw in an above-average slider and solid curve, along with good control (18 walks in 91⅔ innings this season), and there’s a lot of upside for the Guardians to play with here. Stephen just reached Double-A and will need a little more polish before bringing his talents to Lake Erie’s shores.

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5. Tyler Locklear, 1B, D-backs (No. 6)
Acquired from the Mariners in the Eugenio Suárez trade

By trading away its star third baseman, Arizona may have found a long-term solution at the opposite infield corner. Locklear was hitting .316/.401/.542 with 19 homers in 70 games for Triple-A Tacoma at the time of his move and that power was no Pacific Coast League mirage, as evidenced by his 107.2 mph 90th-percentile exit velocity (roughly the same mark as Bryce Harper, Roman Anthony and Gunnar Henderson in the Majors). Locklear was blocked at the cold corner by Josh Naylor’s arrival in Seattle but has a much clearer lane to playing time in the desert.

6. Kendry Rojas, LHP, Twins (No. 7)
Acquired from the Blue Jays in the Louis Varland/Ty France trade

After missing the start of the season with an abdominal strain, Rojas was really starting to hit his stride in the Jays' system, reaching Triple-A at just 22 years old, when he headed to Minnesota on Deadline Day. His fastball has been ticking up to the 94-95 mph range, and his slider (now 86-87) gives him a second above-average offering from the left side. His upper-80s changeup rounds out the arsenal, and it all works with some deception in his delivery. Staying healthy will be crucial to meeting his ceiling as Rojas hasn’t thrown more than 84 innings in any of his five Minor League seasons to date.

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7. Braden Nett, RHP, Athletics (No. 5)
Acquired from the Padres in the Mason Miller/JP Sears trade

The second headliner in the Miller blockbuster, Nett knows a thing or two himself about proving he can stay on the mound after battling shoulder and elbow problems in previous years. But in 2025, he established himself as arguably San Diego’s top arm before the trade thanks to a 95-97 mph fastball, tight 81-84 mph slider and much-improved upper-80s kick change that he’s added to the mix this season. He posted a 3.39 ERA with 86 strikeouts in a career-high 74⅓ innings for Double-A San Antonio before Thursday’s move.

8. James Tibbs III, OF, Dodgers (No. 7)
Acquired from the Red Sox in the Dustin May trade

Well, this should be a familiar feeling for the former Florida State star. Tibbs had already been dealt last month from the Giants to the Red Sox as part of the return for Rafael Devers. Now he heads back to the NL West in a straight-up swap for May. Last year’s 13th overall pick married good swing decisions with hard contact in school and carried that with him to High-A in his first full season. He backslid a bit at Double-A after the first trade, striking out 27.6 percent of the time in 29 games, and cutting down on those K’s will be a point of emphasis in Dodger blue. Limited to the corners defensively, Tibbs will need to let the bat do the talking in his third professional organization.

9. Sammy Stafura, SS, Pirates (No. 7)
Acquired from the Reds in the Ke’Bryan Hayes trade

A second-round pick in 2023, Stafura stays in the NL Central Division as he heads from Cincinnati to Pittsburgh. The 20-year-old shortstop is repeating Single-A in his second full season, but this is still a long-term play by the Bucs. Stafura is a borderline plus-plus runner and uses that athleticism well on the dirt and the basepaths. The batter’s box remains a work in progress; Stafura can be selective at the plate but is below average at in-zone contact at this stage. His upside could be worth the wait and the work for the Pirates.

10. Jesus Baez, INF, Cardinals (No. 6)
Acquired from the Mets in the Ryan Helsley trade

Baez's stock made a massive jump in 2024 as he married good contact rates with loud exit velocities as a 19-year-old in the Single-A Florida State League, only for a torn meniscus in his right knee to end his season early. His results at High-A Brooklyn weren’t quite of the same flavor (.242/.334/.390, 10 homers in 70 games). But there are still the flashes of the overall bat that made Baez such an interesting prospect in the Mets' system in the first place, like his 16.7 percent K rate. With plus arm strength, the 5-foot-10 infielder is likely best suited for third base long term in his new system, though he’s seen time at shortstop and second too -- giving him the versatility that St. Louis typically craves.

11. Boston Bateman, LHP, Orioles (No. 6)
Acquired from the Padres in the Ryan O’Hearn/Ramon Laureano trade

12. Kohl Drake, LHP, D-backs (No. 7)
Acquired from the Rangers in the Merrill Kelly trade

13. Griffin Herring, LHP, Rockies (No. 5)
Acquired from the Yankees in the Ryan McMahon trade

14. Rafael Flores, C, Pirates (No. 11)
Acquired from the Yankees in the David Bednar trade

15. Ryan Bergert, RHP, Royals (No. 7)
Acquired from the Royals in the Freddy Fermin trade

16. Juaron Watts-Brown, RHP, Orioles (No. 9)
Acquired from the Blue Jays in the Seranthony Domínguez trade

17. Adam Serwinowski, LHP, Dodgers (No. 14)
Acquired from the Rays (via the Reds) in the Hunter Feduccia trade

18. Blade Tidwell, RHP, Giants (No. 12)
Acquired from the Mets in the Tyler Rogers trade

19. Henry Baez, RHP, Athletics (No. 9)
Acquired from the Padres in the Mason Miller/J.P. Sears trade

20. Mitch Bratt, LHP, D-backs (No. 10)
Acquired from the Rangers in the Merrill Kelly trade

21. Drew Gilbert, OF, Giants (No. 13)
Acquired from the Mets in the Tyler Rogers trade

22. Sean Paul Liñan, RHP, Nationals (No. 10)
Acquired from the Dodgers in the Alex Call trade

23. Christian Franklin, OF, Nationals (No. 11)
Acquired from the Cubs in the Michael Soroka trade

24. David Hagaman, RHP, D-backs (No. 14)
Acquired from the Rangers in the Merrill Kelly trade

25. Ashton Izzi, RHP, D-backs (No. 15)
Acquired from the Mariners in the Josh Naylor trade