2025 Buyers Guide Part 2: National League
Steven Kwan of The Guardians (The Athletic)
The picture in the National League is interesting… The Atlanta Braves have completely fallen out of the NL East race, which they’re normally part of on an annual basis. The NL East is a two team race between the Phillies and Mets, while the NL Central is in a similar spot with the Cubs and Brewers. The NL West is locked up by the Dodgers barring an epic collapse. The Dodgers have a 94% chance at the division crown despite all of their pitching injuries. The Giants and Padres should still buy to some extent this week, both have over a 37% chance of reaching the postseason. The likely avenue for the Giants or the Padres is the Wild Card, but they’ll be competing with whichever teams lose the NL East and Central. That’s why you have seven NL clubs buying, the Cardinals find themselves on the outside looking in without much starting pitching and a 5-12 start to July.
New York Mets
The Mets were 12-15 in June, while the bullpen had a 5.47 ERA. They’ve been about a run better in July, but relief pitching is an obvious need. Huascar Brazobán has a 9.39 ERA since June 1st, while Ryne Stanek and Reed Garrett have both struggled immensely. Edwin Díaz and José Buttó are carrying this bullpen right now, each with ERA under 1.30 since the end of May. Emmanuel Clase has been attached to Philly rumors, but he would make plenty of sense for their NL East rival. It would be a two kings situation with Clase and Díaz, Clase’s extension means the Mets would have a two headed monster out of the right field pen for years to come. Both Jhoan Durán and Griffin Jax of Minnesota are great options, if the Twins do indeed sell on those guys. The Mets need an elite reliever and a left-handed reliever, they could be the same guy. They lost both A.J. Minter and Danny Young for the year due to injuries, and Brooks Raley is still shaking off the rust. Aroldis Chapman was a great fit before the Red Sox won 10 in a row, while Gregory Soto and Taylor Rogers should also be on the market for high leverage left-handed relief. The Orioles will be trading relievers, while the Pirates will likely be moving both David Bednar and Dennis Santana.
Mets Reliever Stats Since June 1st (Fangraphs)
Sean Manaea has been hurt for most of this season, after 181 innings of 3.47 ERA ball in 2024. He’s finally healthy now, and they need him badly after Griffin Canning ruptured his Achilles in June. David Stearns might feel comfortable riding into October with Kodai Senga, Clay Holmes, and Manaea as his top three guys, but I wouldn’t be shocked if they picked up an innings eater like Patrick Corbin or Adrian Houser. Offensively, the Mets have a 105 wRC+, mostly buoyed by Juan Soto’s 187 mark. The main issue is the young guys coming up have not hit the way Carlos Mendoza and the staff likely expected. Ronny Mauricio is hitting .219, Vientos has only 6 HR in 72 games, and Bretty Baty has a sub .300 OBP. They could use an infield bat at 2B or 3B, perhaps change of scenery candidate Jonathan India would work. He’s under team control for 2026, and he’s got a .663 OPS. He wouldn’t cost much talent, and he could be quite valuable if he returns to his 2024 form. They could use Geno Suárez, but at least five other contenders will be calling on him as well.
Philadelphia Phillies
Philly is up a half game on the Mets after a rough June for New York. The Phillies are 22-22 since June 1st, but unremarkable of late. While an offense with Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber has plenty to offer, the real strength of this team right now is the big three consisting of Zack Wheeler, Cristopher Sánchez, and Ranger Suárez. The wheels fell off for Jesús Luzardo, a 5.91 ERA since May 1st. Mick Abel was optioned down to Lehigh Valley, but Aaron Nola is on his way back. The Phillies could use back-end innings either way, but the big need is the bullpen. They have the best 1-2-3 in baseball right now, and will be very tough to knock out in a playoff series, particularly if they’re able to secure the NL East crown.
Phillies Starting Pitching Depth (Fangraphs)
That said, Matt Strahm is closing games and Jordan Romano is somehow still on the Phillies roster. They need a closer, and at least one other reliever, even after signing David Robertson this month. It’d be a legendary pull to get Griffin Jax and Jhoan Durán in the same trade, however unlikely. I see Clase going to either the Phillies or the Mets, and I don’t see him staying in Cleveland with Cade Smith ready to close. I could also see David Bednar in Philly, his fastball/curve combo looks dominant this year and his 33.8% K rate reflects that. From a position player standpoint, the bench is weak and lacks home run power. Max Kepler and Brandon Marsh have also struggled offensively, both have sub .250 wOBA’s vs LHP. Dombrowski needs to trade for a weak side power bat on the bench, preferably for the corner outfield. Randall Grichuk will be available, just as Austin Hays will be for the right price.
Chicago Cubs
We would have been hard pressed to find people who could have predicted Shota Imanaga’s 2.75 ERA through his first 42 MLB starts, but here we are. He has vastly outperformed expectations, but the Cubs have also relied a bit too heavily on him this year due to injuries and lack of investment. Justin Steele’s TJ was a brutal break, but the front office needs to correct for it and get an SP2 or SP3. Kris Bubic has a 2.38 ERA in his career year with the Royals, while his teammate Seth Lugo will also be very popular this week. The Cubs have thrived on overperformance from their pitching this year, all the way from Matthew Boyd to Chris Flexen. Eventually though, luck does run out and you need to be prepared for it. Colin Rea and Cade Horton can make their starts every 5th day down the stretch, but neither can be relied on in the postseason. The Cubs clearly need a third starter to add to their dynamic pair they already have in Boyd and Imanaga. The Cubs could try to get Chris Sale or Dylan Cease. They went all in to get Kyle Tucker and it has gone their way. They’re almost certainly going to make the playoffs. A playoff caliber starter is a must, preferably a guy in top form like Merrill Kelly.
NL Central 2025 Standings (Fangraphs)
Matt Shaw has a mediocre .627 OPS, but he’s very good at third and he’s only 23 years old. I could see them giving him confidence by not trading for a 3B, but it go either way. This bench is not great, Justin Turner has a .582 OPS this year. Willi Castro of the Twins would be a great addition, Willi plays multiple positions and has mashed vs LHP this year. More so than the bench or 3B is the need for bullpen help. How long can Flexen and Drew Pomeranz dominate? Craig Counsell could use one more lefty and an experienced closer, like half of the other contenders we’ve gone through. We have the same usual suspects, Rogers, Soto for lefties, and closers like Clase, Durán, Bednar, and of course Ryan Helsley. Something tells me the Cardinals won’t trade their All Star closer to their division rival, but you never know.
Milwaukee Brewers
Due to geography, lack of big names, and a few other likely factors, the Brewers tend to be underestimated. They’re well rounded and seem to get the most out of their players, their 3.34 rotation ERA is the best in the National League. Even after Freddy Peralta, standout rookie Chad Patrick, and phenom Jacob Misiorowski, they’ve gotten fantastic performances from Jose Quintana and Quinn Priester so far this season. Unfortunately, the bullpen is more middle of the road at 3.90, though they’ve gotten breakout seasons from Abner Uribe and Trevor Megill. Veteran Aaron Ashby is back, as a much needed left-handed arm in the bullpen alongside Jared Koenig. They could use one more guy, perhaps a lighter lift via trade like Anthony Bender or old friend Jakob Junis.
Jacob Misiorowski Brewers MLB Profile (Baseball Reference)
A run-producing bat is the main need here; Joey Ortiz only has a .263 wOBA, but he is pretty solid defensively. Acquiring a left fielder would allow Christian Yelich to DH predominantly down the stretch. Steven Kwan would be a fantastic acquisition for the Brewers by lengthening their lineup and providing Gold Glove level defense. If the front office is leaning more toward a power bat in a contract year, they could trade for Ryan O’Hearn out of Baltimore or Marcell Ozuna out of Atlanta. As I write this, the Mariners acquired Josh Naylor, taking one of the premium hitters on the market off the board. The Brewers have to come away with a Naylor-like bat in the .800+ OPS range, and it should be their priority this week.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Andrew Friedman and his staff hunt stuff+. They are not shy about their philosophy. Another, less positive way of saying that is they acquire oft-injured talented guys with swing and miss repertoires. Tyler Glasnow is that philosophy personified, 11.5 K/9, and he’s never thrown more than 135 innings in a season. Blake Snell is similar, the two times he has thrown over 130 innings, Snell has won a Cy Young award. Thankfully, Tyler is back, and Shohei is finally pitching again. Ohtani looks electric, regularly hitting triple digits and complementing the velocity with his trademark sweeper. A rotation that was unrecognizable for much of the year is starting to take shape, with Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Glasnow, and Ohtani forming a dominant trio. Future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw has provided much needed stability on the staff, as has Dustin May. Now, they are also expecting Blake Snell back by the end of the month– their other Blake (Treinen) is already back in the bullpen. Since June 1st, the Dodgers’ bullpen has a 4.96 ERA, 26th in the MLB. Lou Trivino just got DFA’d, while Kirby Yates has also struggled. With high leverage lefty Tanner Scott hitting the IL with elbow inflammation, the Dodgers will have to press for a replacement. If they acquired a closer, Alex Vesia could be moved back to a setup role as a lefty. Given how many closers are available on the market this year, that may be the way to go.
Mookie Betts Dodgers Profile MLB (Baseball Reference)
This lineup is deep, and will be even deeper when Max Muncy returns. Mookie and Freddie have had tough stretches recently, but both guys are too talented to stay down for long. Will Smith has been great, while Shohei continues to make history. Andy Pages and Hyeseong Kim have both been much better than almost any of would have guessed, except for maybe their families. James Outman and Michael Conforto have been brutal, perhaps necessitating a trade for a left-handed outfielder. Jesús Sánchez is a good option as an affordable lefty bat that can play a corner outfield spot competently, or they could trade top prospects for an All Star with multiple years of team control like Jarren Duran or Steven Kwan.
San Francisco Giants
San Francisco has slid since their hot start, a 22-23 record over the last two months. The bullpen has been middle of the road, Randy Rodríguez, Erik Miller, and Tyler Rogers have been electric this year. Camilo Doval looks to have rebounded from a career worst season in 2024, even if he hasn’t regained his previous dominance. Doval should not remain the closer into the playoffs however, he only has a 1.75 SO/BB rate, not nearly good enough for your best reliever. Ryan Walker had a 1.91 ERA last season, but he’s blown up for a 4.24 ERA with a steep decline in strikeout rate. Right now, Joey Lucchesi is their 2nd lefty in the pen, but it wouldn’t hurt to trade for a guy with a longer bullpen resume in the bigs. Both Walker and Camilo have blown games often enough for the Giants and go out and get an experience closer, there are several on the market this year. In the rotation, Logan Webb, Robbie Ray, and Landen Roupp are a great 1-2-3. Behind them though, you have 42 year old Justin Verlander as your SP4 and desperately need an innings eater like Charlie Morton or Zach Eflin.
Best Bullpens by Team ERA (Fangraphs)
In the last 30 days, the Giants are hitting .233 with 22 HR in 25 games. Raffy Devers is dealing with back issues and hitting only .243/.346/.409 for the orange and black so far. Wilmer Flores and Jung Hoo Lee have fallen back down to earth, though Willy Adames has been hot. They need a middle-of-the-order bat just like the Brewers, and they’ll have more flexibility if Devers can play 1B long term. Ozuna is a DH, while Ryan O’Hearn is also more of a DH than a 1B. If Buster Posey is comfortable with Raffy at 1B on an everyday basis, they could go out and get a bat with a punch. The fact that both guys are in contract years bodes well for SF since Heliot Ramos may need to become more of a DH at some point in the near future.
San Diego Padres
AJ Preller and the Padres buy every year, but they haven’t been able to capture the success of the Giants or the Dodgers in recent years. They don’t have much of a choice right now with their aging core– Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts aren’t getting any younger. Dylan Cease and Michael King are in contract years, and perhaps most importantly they are very much in the NL Wild Card race. Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill are young stars, the top of their lineup is one of the better orders in the league. However, the bottom of their lineup is brutal and needs to be shored up. The catchers, mostly a combo of Martín Maldonado and Elias Díaz, have hit .201/.260/.326 this year, while Jose Iglesias and Tyler Wade have been brutal at the plate. This group has been so bad that you could likely upgrade without having to trade a prospect of any significance. The Padres could call Washington about Keibert Ruiz, who could use a change of scenery after failing to reach the high expectations put on him. San Diego could also take a shot at Jonah Heim of the Texas Rangers. He’s only hitting .219/.264/.340 over the last two seasons, but he's a former All Star from his breakout 2023 season when he put up a .755 OPS. Preller could extend the lineup by acquiring a DH, like O’Hearn or Ozuna. Michael Tauchman could be an option to strengthen the bench, he’s got a 132 wRC+ this year and can play all three outfield spots in a pinch.
Keibert Ruiz Season by Season Hitting (Baseball Reference)
The Padres bullpen is quite good, in fact the best in the MLB this year with a 3.13 ERA. The starting rotation is solid, ranking #12 with a 3.92 ERA in 2025. King was excellent before hitting the IL. Nick Pivetta has been the rock of the pitching staff with a 10-2 record and 2.81 ERA over 20 starts. Dylan Cease’s results have been mediocre, with a 3-10 record and a 4.59 ERA in his 21 starts. Because of his resume and a 33.9% whiff rate, teams will be willing to pay a heavy price to get him. I wouldn’t rule out AJ trading Cease for a middle of the order bat. Darvish is healthy again, but San Diego could use another starter. Kolek and Vásquez are SP4 and SP5, but they’ll need a playoff caliber starter if they do decide to trade Cease. They might need one even if they keep him, who knows what they’ll be able to get from a 38-year-old Darvish coming off of injury? They could offer Ethan Salas and Kash Mayfield for MLB pitching; the Padres develop more talent every year. If they are willing to part with prospects in their top five, they could land a Seth Lugo or Kris Bubic.