2025 Buyers Guide Part 1: American League
Photo of Brian Cashman, President of Baseball Operations for the New York Yankees (The Athletic)
The National League has some juggernauts, while the American League has a collection of well–balanced, albeit weaker teams. The Tigers are the best of the bunch, but they lack a superstar hitter. The Yankees have a bonkers offense, but lack fundamentals and need some starting pitching. In the West, the Astros have somehow managed to continue their historic run another year so far. Another unexpected turn is the Jays giving the Yankees a run for the AL East, something that hasn’t happened in a decade. The Red Sox looked poised for a hard sell after trading Rafael Devers, but they went on a bender and couldn't lose. Seattle is trying to catch up to their big brother once and for all, knock him off the hill to take the AL West crown. They’re four games behind, despite some of their stars putting up historic numbers. Who will go all in? The Tigers soft-sold last year and gave up Jack Flaherty, only to need him in the ALDS. The Mariners traded their closer at the 2023 deadline only to miss the playoffs by one game. Buyers be warned, timidity has serious consequences.
The Buyers
New York Yankees
Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit .297/.383/.594 over the month heading into the HR derby, while Anthony Volpe hit .131/.202/.232 over his last 28 games heading into the break. When the Yankees finally cut bait on DJ LeMahieu, he had actually started to hit a little bit, getting his average up to .266. However, he is a shell of his former self defensively, and he’s not the same hitter that won two batting titles, either. With DJ gone, there is a roster spot up for grabs when the right guy is acquired. Jazz can play 2nd or 3rd, which gives Brian Cashman a bit more flexibility than teams that have few options other than bidding for Eugenio Suárez. The best lineup in baseball isn’t in need of more power. However, an upgrade over Jorbit Vivas wouldn’t be a tough bar to clear. Suárez is likely the best available bat at either position, with 31 HR and 78 RBI, but he will cost a ton due to scarcity. Ryan McMahon could be an option, a glove-first 3B with a few years of team control, while Lenyn Sosa of the White Sox can play 2nd or 3rd. He has a .323 xwOBA (he’s expected to be offensively strong in situations that matter) and 4+ years of team control.
From a starting pitching standpoint, you have Max Fried dealing with a blister, while Carlos Rodón has been an excellent SP2 behind Max. Will Warren has been solid for a rookie, with a 4.63 ERA and 4.00 xERA, but Cashman should consider trading for a starter that he can trust in a division series with Clarke Schmidt’s Tommy John news. If I were the Yankees, I’d look to acquire a frontline rental, rather than take a risk on a guy with high upside and team control like Sandy Alcantara. Chris Sale could be the best starter available, Seth Lugo should be number one if Atlanta retains the reigning NL Cy Young winner.
2025 Yankees Starting Rotation (Fangraphs)
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays have a shot to win the AL East for the first time since 2015, and they ought to make the most of it. They are the best offense in the American League since May 1st, with a 115 wRC+. However, the Jays rank 25th with a 4.51 rotation ERA in that time frame, with Chris Bassitt regressing and 2024 breakout Bowden Francis falling off a cliff. José Berríos and Kevin Gausman are solid, but their guy should be a #1 starter on a playoff team. Max Scherzer is a solid 40-year-old veteran, but he’s more of an SP4 at this point than the Cy Young caliber guy he was for most of his career. Toronto has similar needs to the Yankees here in that they don’t have a problem scoring runs; they really need a playoff caliber starter more than anything. Unlike the Yankees, the Jays could benefit from an arm with multiple years of team control given the age of their staff. Sandy Alcantara would be a good fit here, as the Jays could bet on Sandy returning to form. If he does, they’ll have an ace for the postseason, as well as 2026 and 2027. Luis Severino has plenty of experience pitching in the AL East, while Tyler Mahle has a 2.34 ERA for the Texas Rangers in 14 starts.
Sandy Alcantara Marlins Contract (Spotrac)
The Jays have the best defense in baseball, and their bullpen has seen breakouts from Braydon Fisher and Brendon Little, and Yariel Rodríguez. If I were to add a second need for the Jays, they could use some improvement at the bottom of their lineup. Daulton Varsho should be back in a couple weeks, but Anthony Santander’s shoulder is holding him back longer than initially expected. The Jays likely have enough outfielders due to the emergence of Nathan Lukes, but they still need a bat at third base. Will Wagner is fine in a pinch, but they should be looking to acquire a bat at the hot corner for at least the rest of 2025. If Ross Atkins could pry Yoán Moncada away from the Angels, he’d fit the description with an .805 OPS. The asking price for Suárez might be rich for this group, but they could make a move for Isiah Kiner-Falefa. Having IFK as a utility guy would allow John Schneider to plug Ernie Clement at third full time.
Boston Red Sox
Boston changed their season trajectory dramatically heading into the All-Star break by going on a ten game winning streak. The Sox have the best bullpen in the AL since May 1st; Aroldis Chapman has an insane 1.01 ERA and 13.84 K/9 in that span. On the starting pitching side of things, Garrett Crochet, Lucas Giolito, and Brayan Bello all have sub-3.00 ERA’s since June 1st. This three-headed dragon looks extremely dangerous down the stretch, especially when backed by this bullpen. Crochet is competing with reigning winner Tarik Skubal for the AL Cy, while Giolito looks like himself again after a lengthy TJ rehab. Boston has their three playoff starters, but they do need an innings-eater in the back of the staff. Adrian Houser is an affordable rental on the White Sox, Breslow likely wouldn’t have to part with a top-15 prospect. Andrew Heaney is a good left-handed option; he always manages to find himself in big spots come October. So does Merrill Kelly, if the front office wants to shoot a little higher and get a mid-rotation guy. Kelly had a 2.25 ERA back in the 2023 postseason. He’s durable, and made his name on offspeed rather than a big fastball.
From a position player standpoint, it was initially posited Alex Bregman could be traded before Boston got hot. That seems quite unlikely at this point, but a Jarren Duran deal is still in play. With Roman Anthony called up and in the lineup, Alex Cora has had to find a way to play two left fielders regularly. Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu are both playing quite well, and Masataka Yoshida is back. There is nowhere to put Duran anymore, and the Sox have a rare opportunity to trade for a frontline starter with team control in exchange for 3+ years of Jarren. The left-handed hitter was a top-10 MVP candidate last year, and can put up 3-4 WAR per year in his sleep. The Mariners have been tied to the Sox for starter-for-hitter rumors, partially because the surplus each team has makes it an obvious fit. I’m not sure Seattle would do it, but 2+ years of Logan Gilbert plus a prospect would certainly draw the interest of Breslow. If they wanted to, they could move Roman to first base or use Duran to trade for a bat on the right side of the infield. Abraham Toro and Romy González have been quite good; my vote would be to trade for a 2B, such as Brendan Donovan.
Jarren Duran Season by Season Stats (bRef)
Detroit Tigers
Javier Báez has put himself back on the map as an All Star starter this year, after hitting .208/.251/.315 from 2023-2024. Spencer Torkelson has a 130 OPS+, and Gleyber Torres is right behind him at 126. Though the Tigers do have the best pitcher in the MLB, they don’t have a superstar hitter. The Tigers also may not need one; their lineup is deep enough with Báez as their #9 hitter. They could use a centerfielder – Trey Sweeney has really struggled this season, and they moved Javy back to the infield dirt. However, Parker Meadows only has a .545 OPS+, and they don’t have anyone else who can play center everyday. Two options come to mind: Cedric Mullins and Harrison Bader. The O’s have to sell and Mullins is in a contract year. Cedric has a nice power-speed combination the Tigers could use, and he’s a capable defender in center. Bader would cost less than Mullins; he's a superior defender with less thump in the bat and he plays on the division rival Twins.
Javier Báez MLB Profile (Baseball Reference)
The Tigers came in 2025 with pitching as a strength, headed by the AL Cy Young winner, Tarik Skubal. Reese Olson is solid SP2 and Jack Flaherty was brought back after being traded from Detroit to pitch as the SP3. Things have unfolded a bit differently, as Jack has struggled and Casey Mize has re-emerged as a capable mid rotation starter. Mize is 9-3 with a 3.15 ERA, while Flaherty has a 4.65 ERA despite an elite 11.09 K/9. The Tigers don't need much help from a rotation standpoint, but they could use bullpen help. Tommy Kahnle has a 10.67 ERA since June 1st, and Brant Hurter has also struggled badly recently. Tyler Holton and Brenan Hanifee aren’t quite as dominant as they were last year, though Will Vest has been very good. This bullpen needs a right hander with swing and miss stuff, such as Seranthony Domínguez or Griffin Jax. Either would work, but Jax would cost more since he has 2+ years of control left.
Houston Astros
When the Astros let Alex Bregman walk and traded Kyle Tucker, most people expected the Mariners to take the AL West by storm. The resilient Astros still reign over the division, with a four game lead over Seattle. Their starting rotation has been taped together to last this long, but the Astros badly need an SP3 after losing Ronel Blanco to TJ. Lance McCullers has bottom-of-the-league metrics in chase %, BB%, barrel % and hard hit %, while Colton Gordon looks like an SP5 now that we’ve seen 10 MLB starts from him. Brandon Walter looks like he could be a steal from Boston, but his 2.73 xERA over eight starts is still a small sample size. For what it’s worth, Spencer Arrighetti, Luis Garcia, and Christian Javier are all rehabbing, but you can’t expect much immediately from the latter two coming off of TJ surgery. Seth Lugo could be a great fit for Houston, while Dana Brown could also try to pry Mitch Keller away from the downtrodden Pirates. A phone call to Mike Hazen in Arizona is a must; both Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly could be options for an SP3 in Houston.
Astros Injury List Pitchers (Fangraphs)
Houston will be getting Jeremy Peña and Yordan Alvarez back, which will make this lineup a bit more recognizable. Lately, this lineup seems to have more Space Cowboys than it does actual MLB names. It’s been manageable though; the Astros have managed to keep a decent lead in the AL West despite the injuries. To fend off Seattle through September, they will need a centerfielder and a lefty bat. They could get a two-for-one by acquiring Cedric Mullins, while Jesús Sánchez could be a strong side platoon option in a corner outfield spot. For what it’s worth, Jarren Duran is a left handed hitter with team control, and the Astros could make it interesting by offering Brice Matthews, Colton Gordon, and Walker Janek.
Mariners
Seattle has made a few splashes in the last few deadlines, acquiring Luis Castillo in 2022 and Randy Arozarena last year. While last year they were #1 with a 3.38 ERA, the starting rotation is actually only 13th in the MLB with a 3.93 ERA in 2025. An historic season from the Big Dumper has kept them in the AL West and Wild Card race, but they can’t rely on Cal to perform at this level all year. The Mariners offense has been the best in baseball since June 1st, with Raleigh and Randy both putting a 167 wRC+ in that timeframe. Julio, J.P. and Jorge have all been solid, but they need more offense from third base. Ben Williamson is hitting .257/.292/.318 this season and the defense isn’t elite enough to compensate for the lack of power. There is potential for a reunion with Eugenio, or they could try to shore up second base due to the thin market at third. Braves 2B Ozzie Albies is a 3X All Star under team control for 2026 and 2027, but his .614 OPS is a career worst. Another option is to acquire a 1B, and push Raley back into right field to replace Canzone. Josh Naylor, Josh Bell, and Ryan O’Hearn are options for first if Jerry Dipoto chooses to go that route.
Ryan O'Hearn MLB Profile (Baseball Reference)
As previously mentioned, the starting pitching has been surprisingly average. A lot of this is due to injury, though it’s in no small part due to bad years from George Kirby and Bryce Miller. George has a 4.50 ERA and a 3.76 xERA, while Bryce had a 5.73 ERA this year in 10 starts before hitting the IL with elbow inflammation. Kirby has a 3.18 ERA since June 1st, so he appears to be back to form. Gilbert is healthy again, while Woo and Castillo have been mainstays in the rotation. Logan Evans should be fine as a 5th starter down the stretch, but it might not hurt to get another guy to eat some innings, such as Erick Fedde or Miles Mikolas. Even more so however, Dan Wilson needs another reliever he can trust. Casey Legumina and Carlos Vargas have regressed since hot starts, while Trent Thornton also probably shouldn’t be in high leverage situations. He only has one left handed reliever right now, Gabe Speier, and badly needs another reliable southpaw. Gregory Soto and his hard sinker would be useful, while Taylor Rogers and his sweeper would also fill the need.
Gray Area Clubs
Of course, we are not accustomed to the Rays buying much at the deadline, but they do have a 42.3% chance still according to Fangraphs. They could use another reliever, the pen ranks 20th in the MLB since June 1st with a 4.37 ERA. They have plenty of starting pitching, and now their lineup finally has Ha-Seong Kim for the first time. The Twins are in a similar spot, ranking right behind Tampa with a 4.43 pen ERA since June 1st. Their odds are much worse though, only an 18.5% chance of making the playoffs, which means they will more than likely soft sell. The Rangers look to be in a position for a soft sell rather than buy, but they have an aging core and could end up trading for a bat. Lastly, the Angels are on this list not because of probability, but rather because Arte Moreno never really sells. He wouldn’t sacrifice marketing dollars for a king's ransom when he had a shot to trade Ohtani, and I don’t see him selling this year either. If Perry and the Angels do buy, it will likely be anecdotal. A rather obvious need is starting pitching. They’ll need an arm or two to soak some innings up.