Teams and Players That Should be Moving at the Deadline
Chicago White Sox
The White Sox are tearing it down — again. This is shaping up to be a complete reset on the South Side, with nearly every name available for the right price.
Luis Robert Jr. remains the biggest name, but he’s in a weird spot. The raw tools are still there — 95 career steals and 30+ HR pop — but his .206 average and high K rate are scaring off aggressive suitors. Still, with club control through 2028, one big swing from a buyer isn’t out of the question. The Mets are reportedly interested in potentially acquiring Robert.
Veteran righty Adrian Houser has quietly become a target. He’s thrown to a 1.89 ERA and is on a $1.35M deal, making him one of the more affordable rotation rentals in play. He'll have the opportunity to up his trade stock in a start against cross-town rivals, the Chicago Cubs, tonight. Plenty of playoff teams could use that kind of value down the stretch.
Miami Marlins
It’s deadline season in South Beach, and that familiar feeling is back: the Marlins are open for business. Hovering below .500 and fading from the race, Miami looks ready to move real talent — and the interest is already heating up.
Edward Cabrera might be the most intriguing piece. The right-hander has been locked in lately, rolling into the break with a 1.64 ERA over his last eight starts. Add three full years of arbitration control, and you’ve got a non-rental arm with upside — the kind that gets calls from every contender with a rotation hole.
Then there’s Sandy Alcantara, still capable of turning a playoff race on its head. The former Cy Young winner spun seven shutout innings against the San Diego Padres on Wednesday — possibly his last in a Marlins uniform — and looked every bit the ace. He’s under contract through 2028 and won’t come cheap, but the market is flush with buyers willing to pay for control. The Cubs and Phillies are circling.
Meanwhile, Jesus Sanchez profiles as a classic lefty bat with power and team control — a solid secondary piece for teams looking to bolster the bench or fill a corner outfield need.
Athletics
Don’t look now, but the A’s might be more active than anyone expected. Vegas-bound and sitting at 43-62, Oakland has shifted into full sell mode — and a few names are quietly building value.
Jeffrey Springs is expected to move. He’s turned in a string of solid outings, including a 3.57 ERA over his last nine before his previous start, and comes with just one year of control left. If he tosses a solid outing against the Houston Astros tonight, it will only increase his value.
Luis Severino could be on the way out, too. With two years left on his deal, he’s been inconsistent, but had a strong showing against Houston last night. The former Met went seven strong, striking out eight in a quality start to earn the win, which may have pushed him back onto contender boards.
And then there’s JP Sears. The lefty just helped his stock with a standout performance on Wednesday against Texas — five innings, one earned run, seven punchouts. With his low cost and expiring deal, Sears is on several radars as a depth add.
No blockbusters expected, but Oakland has enough to stay busy — and maybe pull off a few surprise moves as the deadline clock winds down.
Colorado Rockies
The Rockies are heading toward another 90-loss campaign, and this time, they’re actually pulling the trigger. The biggest domino already fell — Ryan McMahon is headed to the New York Yankees, ending weeks of speculation. That closes the book on Colorado’s long-time infield cornerstone, and it signals a fundamental shift in approach from a front office that’s been reluctant to reset.
With McMahon gone, attention turns to the arms. German Marquez. He was pitching well, logging a 2.78 ERA across his final six starts before the break, before landing back on the IL this week. On an expiring deal, he could still be a value target for clubs seeking stability at the back of the rotation, if healthy.
Also generating buzz: Seth Halvorsen, the high-octane reliever who’s lighting up radar guns and has racked up nine saves. He’s young, controllable through 2029, and rising fast. If Colorado leans in, he’s a piece that could headline a deal.
