5 Most Important Players Who Could Be Traded at the MLB Trade Deadline

The MLB All-Star break is here, which means the trade deadline is rapidly approaching. At this point, most teams have a decent grasp on whether or not they have the necessary pieces to make a postseason run.

For the teams who could look to be "sellers" at the deadline, there are quite a few intriguing names to keep an eye out for on the trade market. We've seen plenty of notable players be mentioned in trade rumors throughout the season, but this is the time of year where some of those rumors become reality.

With teams having until July 31 to conduct trades, let's take a look at the five most important players who could be dealt before the trade deadline passes.

MLB Trade Deadline Candidates

Jarren Duran, OF, Red Sox

Jarren Duran put together a career year in 2024 at 27 years old, finishing with the 23rd-best wOBA (.357), 25th-best wRC+ (130), and 7th-best WAR (6.9) in baseball while producing 21 HRs and 34 SBs. Despite Duran totaling only 8 HRs and 16 SBs across his first 438 plate appearances in 2025, he's still only 28 years old, and he's putting up career-best marks in barrel rate (9.7%), hard-hit rate (46.5%), and flyball rate (38.9%).

Before the 2025 campaign began, Duran inked a 1-year, $3.85 million contract with the Boston Red Sox that includes a club option for 2026. While the club option would void if a trade took place, any team that acquires Duran would get a head start on convincing him to sign with them for the foreseeable future before he hits free agency in the upcoming offseason.

The Red Sox are certainly entering the All-Star break on a high note, having won 10 straight games to improve to 53-45 -- which puts them only three games back of first place in the AL East -- so it remains to be seen if they're as aggressive at trading players away as many expected them to be. Duran has been connected to the San Diego Padres plenty in trade rumors, but he figures to drum up a decent amount of interest around the league in the coming weeks.

Sandy Alcantara, SP, Marlins

On the surface, Sandy Alcantara is a risky trade candidate, as the former NL Cy Young winner is sitting in the 13th percentile in xERA (4.99), 11th percentile in xBA (.283), 16th percentile in strikeout rate (17.3%), and 20th percentile in hard-hit rate (44.6%) across his first 18 starts and 91.0 innings pitched in 2025. Alcantara is also coming off missing the 2024 campaign due to undergoing Tommy John surgery, but his fastball velocity is still at 97.5 MPH this season, and he's shown glimpses of turning a corner.

There is never going to be a shortage of teams who are searching for solutions in their rotation, and there are a handful of contending teams who are going to be aggressive in adding a starter before the deadline. Meanwhile, the Miami Marlins find themselves 10.5 games back in the NL East with a 44-51 record, so there's a good chance they're willing to listen to offers for a majority of their players.

Alcantara is under contract through the 2026 season and has a club option for the 2027 season, which could incentivize teams even more to make offers for the 29-year-old hurler. The Chicago Cubs have been mentioned quite a bit as a potential landing spot for Alcantara with the deadline on the horizon.

Eugenio Suarez, 3B, Diamondbacks

The Arizona Diamondbacks got off to a solid start in 2025, but injuries and other factors have put them in a rough spot in an ultra-competitive NL West division where they are 11 games back of first place with a 47-50 record. There are recent reports that the Diamondbacks are making a handful of their players available for trade ahead of the deadline, including veteran third baseman Eugenio Suarez.

Even though Suarez is set to turn 34 years old soon, he's on pace for a career-year with career-high metrics in ISO (.319) and wRC+ (142) while entering the All-Star break with 31 HRs already. Although Suarez isn't a defensive stalwart at the corner, his immense power at the plate is going to entice plenty of contending teams at the deadline.

Arizona picked up Suarez's club option before the 2025 season began, and he's slated to become an unrestricted free agent in 2026, so he could be a rental for the rest of the 2025 campaign for whichever team acquires him. The Detroit Tigers, Seattle Mariners, and New York Yankees are all teams who make a ton of sense as suitors for Suarez.

Jhoan Duran, RP, Twins

Although the Minnesota Twins are sitting in second place in the AL Central, they are 11.5 games back of the first-place Tigers, and they are tied for only the ninth-best record (47-49) in the American League entering the All-Star break. As a result, the Twins could look to move a couple of players at the trade deadline, most notably Jhoan Duran.

Besides having a 100th percentile fastball velocity of 100.3 MPH, Duran is sporting the 17th-best SIERA (2.55) and 12th-best xFIP (2.75) while being among a group of six qualified relievers who have yet to surrender a homer in 2025. He doesn't turn 28 years old until January, and Duran is under team control for another two years, which should entice teams even further to call Minnesota.

Upon looking at the current playoff picture, there are plenty of contenders who could desperately benefit from bolstering their bullpen. While the Twins would undoubtedly be seeking a decent trade package for the talented reliever, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Philadelphia Phillies are two teams with World Series aspirations that should make a push for Duran.

Merrill Kelly, SP, Diamondbacks

Once again, the Diamondbacks could be sellers at the trade deadline given where they stand in the NL West right now, and Merrill Kelly has been a name mentioned in trade rumors recently. Despite Kelly turning 37 years old in October, the experienced right-handed hurler is registering career-bests in SIERA (3.67) and xFIP (3.52) this season, while his 24.4% strikeout rate is the second-best mark of his career.

The jump from a 21.0% strikeout rate in 2024 to a 24.4% strikeout rate in 2025 partly stems from Kelly making his changeup his primary pitch, going from throwing it 20.9% of the time a season ago to 25.9% of the time this season. Kelly also brings a six-pitch arsenal and World Series experience to the table, so contending teams with a need for rotation help would be wise to see what Arizona's asking price is.

Similar to Eugenio Suarez, Kelly is an aging veteran who is an unrestricted free agent in 2026, which should make him more obtainable. The Cubs, New York Mets, and Toronto Blue Jays are all pitcher-needy teams that would benefit from adding Kelly as a middle-of-the-rotation arm.

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