AL West
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The Mariners definitely had an early-season hangover after losing the ALCS in seven games last season, but they’ve rebounded in a manner where it’s clear that president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto should be a buyer this summer.
Fans don’t normally like to hear this, but the biggest improvements for the Mariners this summer may well come internally.
Josh Naylor (.674 OPS), Cal Raleigh (61 OPS+ before landing on IL), Rob Refsnyder (.117 batting average), Luis Castillo (5.53 ERA) and Andrés Muñoz (83 ERA+) are among the players on Seattle’s roster that you would expect to perform significantly better than they have to this point.
Still, this feels like a team in need of another bat. The question is where that bat would play defensively. They have two former first-round picks in the infield at Colt Emerson (third base) and Cole Young (second base). Naylor obviously isn’t going anywhere. And even though he’s in a contract year, J.P. Crawford is going to continue to have a starting spot in the infield.
So it will be interesting to see how the M’s balance their short and long-term interests leading up to the deadline. We know Dipoto won’t be inactive.
Texas Rangers: Buyer…for now
It’s fair to wonder if they have the depth to be more than a .500-ish team, but the top of Texas’ roster is really talented and largely built to win right now.
Jacob deGrom is 38, Nathan Eovaldi is 36, Joc Pederson is 34, Brandon Nimmo is 33 and Corey Seager is 32. There’s definitely an argument for going for it this summer and trying to get back to the postseason for the first time since winning the World Series in 2023.
If president of baseball operations Chris Young goes that route, perhaps a bullpen addition could be in order. For as well as Jacob Latz and Jakob Junis have pitched, imagine how much deeper Skip Schumaker’s arm barn would feel if they reacquired Chapman.
Mets reliever Huascar Brazobán is having the best season of his career, and while he won’t even become arb eligible until 2027, he’s 36 years old so he could be someone New York looks to sell high on. The Met-to-Ranger pipeline would gain another member.
It would be interesting to see what type of interest the veterans on the Rangers would get if they fall out of contention. Would anyone take on the $37 million deGrom is owed in the final season of his deal in 2027?
Eovaldi is a big-game pitcher who is in the second season of a three-year, $75 million deal, so he could draw interest. Pederson is on an expiring deal, so he would obviously move during a sell situation.
We’re going to assume Seager isn’t going anywhere, but you never know. The Rangers would be much more interesting as a seller than a buyer.
Athletics: Buyer…for now
Even though they’re under .500, the Athletics are still very much in the playoff picture as things stand today.
The big question is how much does owner John Fisher care about making the postseason while the A’s are playing their home games at a Triple-A stadium in Sacramento? 2028 is the earliest the Athletics could move into their stadium in Las Vegas. Would they be inclined to make a big move for a player that isn’t under contract through then? Probably not.
General manager David Forst could opt for cheaper rentals, or even try to swing a trade for a pitcher who is under team control through the 2028 season. Also possible is that the A’s fall out of things, and consider moving veterans like Jeffrey Springs, Scott Barlow and Joel Kuhnel.
Houston Astros: Reluctant seller
They’ve played better of late, but at the time of publication, the Astros are still seven games under .500. With a whole rotation’s worth of starter on the injured list, there’s definitely going to be an argument for general manager Dana Brown taking a long-term view at this deadline.
That probably doesn’t mean slugger Yordan Alvarez will be available, although teams would pay a king’s ransom for the 28-year-old. He’s signed through 2028 making $26.83 million per season, a very affordable rate. They’ll probably be inclined to continue building around him, even if they sell this summer.
But we mentioned Paredes as someone who would be of interest to contending teams this summer. A resurgent Christian Walker—who is signed through the 2027 campaign—would definitely draw interest in a sport that’s become thin on impact right-handed bats. Steven Okert and Bryan Abreu are two impending free agents in the bullpen who will draw interest, particularly if the latter starts to look more like himself.
Los Angeles Angels: Reluctant seller
Given that both general manager Perry Minasian and manager Kurt Suzuki are only under contract through the end of this season, the Angels definitely don’t want to be sellers. But considering they are 15 games under .500, they have to be realistic.
Exactly what realistic means is unclear. At this point, there’s a strong argument that they should keep Mike Trout and have him hit his milestone homers in their uniform and spend his whole Hall of Fame career with the organization. That is, unless Trout—who will turn 35 in August and has been loyal to a fault—finally decides this is the year he wants to move on. If the greatest player in franchise history wants to be traded, the Halos should honor that.
Elsewhere, Jo Adell could be an interesting change-of-scenery candidate, as could Logan O’Hoppe.
