The trade deadline is five weeks away, meaning MLB teams are doing daily evaluations about whether they should be buyers and sellers as the days until the Aug. 3 cut-off dwindle.
For those interested in upgrading their big-league clubs, a big part of the process is internal evaluation of the farm system to identify which prospects could be expendable and which should be off-limits in trade talks. On the flip side, for teams trading major-league pieces with an eye toward the future, this is a prime opportunity to target minor-league talent in other organizations that could become a fixture for their teams down the road.
With that in mind, here’s a look at six prospects on teams expected to be buyers who could be on the move in the coming weeks, given their place in the organizational depth chart and their value industry-wide.
OF Kevin Alcantara, Chicago Cubs
The Cubs already unloaded one outfield prospect, Owen Caissie, in the deal for right-hander Edward Cabrera. Alcantara represents another tantalizing trade chip that Chicago could use to address its injury-ravaged rotation (Cabrera, predictably, included). Alcantara is the classic case of a prospect performing in the upper levels but completely blocked by a superstar player at his primary position. In this case, that’s Pete Crow-Armstrong, who not only is leading all position players in fWAR but also recently signed a six-year, $115 million extension that ensures he’ll be patrolling center field on the North Side for the foreseeable future.
Meanwhile, the 23-year-old Alcantara — acquired from the Yankees in the Anthony Rizzo trade at the 2021 deadline — is crushing the ball in Triple-A. His 30.5% strikeout rate remains a red flag, but Alcantara is registering elite hard-hit and barrel rates, and he has already matched his home run total from last season (17) in roughly half as many games. Between his Triple-A production and the PCA-sized obstacle in front of him on the Cubs’ depth chart — and as one of the top prospects in an otherwise shallow farm system — Alcantara checks the boxes of an ideal trade chip for a team in Chicago’s position, pushing aggressively for a postseason spot with clear roster holes to fill.
At the same time, if the Cubs believe Alcantara can iron out his contact issues and get to his power in the majors someday, there’s an argument for holding onto him: While PCA isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki are both slated to hit free agency this winter, so Alcantara could be part of Chicago’s internal succession plan at either corner outfield spot. If not, his best chance to make a mark in the majors will likely come with his third organization.
OF Zyhir Hope, Los Angeles Dodgers
From a current Cubs outfielder to a former one — Hope was drafted by the Cubs in the 11th round in 2023 before being dealt to Los Angeles in the Michael Busch trade — Hope is just one intriguing name among a comical abundance of Dodgers outfield prospects: Hope, Josue De Paula, Mike Sirota, Eduardo Quintero, James Tibbs III and Charles Davalan have all appeared on at least one prominent top-100 prospect list over the past year. As such, that position of immense strength and depth in the farm system is the place to look when assessing whom president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman might be willing to trade at the deadline in pursuit of upgrading a big-league team seeking its third consecutive World Series title.
Why is Hope the one most likely to be dealt? It’s not necessarily that he’s the weakest of the bunch but that he has enough questions relative to his outfield peers to make him less of a must-keep. De Paula might be a future first baseman or DH, but his bat has the highest floor and ceiling of this group. Tibbs is already mashing in Triple-A, while Hope is still in Double-A. Sirota is an on-base machine who can handle center field. Quintero is younger than Hope and offers more speed and defense. Davalan makes more contact and was just drafted last summer, so the Dodgers might be less inclined to part with him so quickly.
All of that might make Hope more expendable within the Dodgers system at the present moment, but there’s also a lot to like about his profile, so other teams are surely calling about his availability. This is a talented hitter with serious juice from the left side and a knack for elevating the ball in games. Hope’s .803 OPS is sixth among players in Double-A age-21 or younger, with the top of that leaderboard featuring elite prospects such as De Paula and Red Sox shortstop Franklin Arias. Hope is also lauded for his makeup and work ethic, so there’s no reason to bet against his ability to maximize his skill set, even if he has some developmental hurdles to overcome to actualize his potential in the majors. Having already been traded once, he could find himself in new threads again this summer.
RHP Elmer Rodriguez, New York Yankees
Another prospect who has been traded once before — Rodriguez arrived from the Red Sox in the December 2024 trade for catcher Carlos Narvaez — Rodriguez made four starts for New York earlier this season but is now back in Triple-A. Dealing from upper-level pitching depth in an era in which injuries on the mound are so common can be a delicate proposition, but it can also be a fruitful opportunity, considering how valued controllable young arms are across the industry.
Rodriguez might not scream “future ace,” but he’s a sturdy right-hander with a deep mix headlined by two mid-90s fastballs and a nasty sweeper, the kind of profile that a lot of teams would happily plug into the back of their rotation. That’s exactly what the Yankees did when their rotation wasn’t at full strength, and while Rodriguez was just OK, his ability to provide some bulk innings in a pinch was much appreciated.
Now Rodriguez is back in the minors, as the Yankees’ rotation has filled back out with most of their regulars, even with Max Fried still on the IL. Rodriguez could remain in Triple-A as dependable depth in case of another rash of absences this season, or he could be an interesting name to include in a trade with a team seeking young pitching. Because unlike the aforementioned Alcantara, who could see a path to playing time open up with the veterans currently in front of him reaching free agency, the Yankees’ entire rotation is under contract for at least three more seasons. If other teams view Rodriguez as a viable rotation candidate right now, expect them to call about his availability, as his role in the Bronx is currently much more limited than that.
LHP Kash Mayfield, San Diego Padres
No front office leader is more willing to trade prospects than San Diego’s AJ Preller, who has dealt away an astonishing amount of young talent in exchange for proven big-leaguers during his tenure. The gargantuan package of players sent to Washington for Juan Soto and the bold decision last summer to trade one of baseball’s top prospects, Leo De Vries, for Mason Miller are just two examples of the titanic transactions executed by Preller over the years.
Somehow, the Padres have been able to replenish their farm system via the international market and the domestic draft just enough to continue this ultra-aggressive strategy of roster building, and with San Diego once again in the mix for a postseason spot, there’s no reason to expect anything different at the deadline. Last summer, in the deal with Baltimore to acquire veteran bats Ryan O’Hearn and Ramon Laureano, the Padres parted with six (!) of their selections from the 2024 draft; their second- (LHP Boston Bateman), third- (SS Cobb Hightower), fourth- (RHP Tyson Neighbors), 12th- (SS Brandon Butterworth), 15th- (RHP Tanner Smith) and 18th-round (1B Victor Figueroa) picks are all Orioles farmhands now.
Their first-rounder from that class was Mayfield, a 6-foot-4 lefty from a high school in Oklahoma with a big fastball and change-up combo from an athletic delivery. Mayfield’s age on draft day (19 years, 5 months) spooked some teams who prefer younger prep prospects, but his impressive stuff was a worthy gamble, and he’s off to a nice start to his pro career so far, with a 3.08 ERA through his first 31 starts and 141 strikeouts across 105 ⅓ innings, albeit still only in A-ball. History tells us the Padres won’t hesitate to ship out a player who is at least a few years away from contributing in the majors in exchange for a shorter-term upgrade; Mayfield could be the next to go.
LHP Cam Caminiti, Atlanta Braves
Taken one pick before Mayfield in the 2024 draft, Caminiti hasn’t enjoyed quite as much statistical success in his career thus far, but he’s still one of the more exciting young southpaws in the minors. Caminiti, who reclassified to be eligible for the 2024 draft, is also 18 months younger than Mayfield, giving him more runway to develop before he falls behind being age-appropriate at each level.
Why would the Braves trade him? Atlanta is enjoying a bounce-back season both at the major-league level and in the minors, where several recent draft picks (Eric Hartman, Tate Southisene) have seen their prospect stocks explode, rejuvenating a farm system that was considered one of the league’s weakest not that long ago. Caminiti is part of that resurgence and could be a building block of Atlanta’s rotation a few years from now, but he could also appeal to opposing teams in trade talks as the Braves seek to upgrade their big-league club in pursuit of another NL East title.
President of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos will need to be aggressive at the deadline to make the necessary improvements to fend off the surging Phillies, especially with Philadelphia led by a front office head in Dave Dombrowski who never hesitates to deal prospects. It wasn’t long ago that Anthopoulos had minimal minor-league talent to work with in a deadline deal, but that dynamic might’ve finally changed. Caminiti could be moved in a deal to push Atlanta over the top.
2B/LF Michael Arroyo, Seattle Mariners
President of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto is no stranger to wheeling and dealing — he has made more than 200 trades since taking over Seattle’s front office at the end of the 2015 season — though the Mariners have exercised more restraint in recent years in terms of flipping premium prospects in trades. That has allowed the farm system to stay stocked with talent, an admirable organizational trait but also one that invites speculation about who could be sent out in exchange for upgrades to a big-league club still seeking its first World Series appearance.
Kade Anderson and Ryan Sloan — two of the top pitching prospects in baseball — are almost certainly off-limits, just as Colt Emerson was before he inked a long-term extension and reached the majors as a 20-year-old. Seattle’s collection of hitting prospects, however, could be more attainable in trade talks. That might include hulking power bat Lazaro Montes, who has mashed in the minors and whose outgoing personality makes him a beloved figure within the organization and among fans, even though strikeout concerns and defensive limitations cloud his long-term outlook. There’s also 21-year-old Jonny Farmelo — one of Seattle’s three first-round picks in 2023 alongside Emerson and fellow outfielder Tai Peete, who was traded to St. Louis for Brendan Donovan — who could entice teams as a long-term power-speed project.
Arroyo, meanwhile, offers more proximity and a track record of producing. He shares some of the same concerns on defense as Montes — Arroyo has bounced between second base and left field in Double-A this season — but his hit tool is far more advanced, and he has been an above-average hitter at every stop of his minor-league journey. He might not be good enough to headline a package for an impact player at the deadline, but he should have enough value to net Seattle a useful big-league contributor if the organization chooses to deal him.
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