What MLB's 5 Best Teams Need at the Trade Deadline

There's still a month left until the MLB Trade Deadline, which is set for Thursday, July 31st, at 6 PM ET.

That said, trade season began in a big way when the Boston Red Sox shocked the MLB landscape and traded Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants on June 15th.

Some teams may feel as though they've fallen behind, but each team still has more than 100 games left to play as things stand. Ahead of the deadline, let's look at what the top five MLB teams (based on winning percentage as of June 19th) need to make a deep playoff run.

Detroit Tigers

The Detroit Tigers have been the story of the season as they have an MLB-best 47-27 record. The team ranks fifth in runs scored and sixth in runs allowed, meaning it's doing well at the plate and in the field.

The one thing the team ranks poorly in is stolen bases. The Tigers are last in MLB with 27, which is eight behind the next-lowest team.

Stolen bases may not seem like a huge deal in the regular season, especially when a team is 20 games above .500 before the All-Star break, but steals can provide the marginal gains that make a huge difference in the playoffs.

Look for the Tigers to target Baltimore Orioles centerfielder Cedric Mullins, who has posted 30+ steals in three of the previous four full seasons.

Chicago Cubs

The Chicago Cubs are in a great spot. Marquee offseason acquisition Kyle Tucker has lived up to expectations, Pete Crow-Armstrong is in the midst of a breakout season, and the only two players with an OPS below .700 in the lineup have positive defensive WAR ratings.

Their bullpen, so often the weakness of top baseball teams, has the fourth-lowest ERA in the league, but their starters' collective ERA ranks 14th league-wide.

In addition, Shota Imanaga has made just eight starts so far. Manager Craig Counsell may want someone at the end of the rotation with more experience and a better pedigree than 23-year-old Cade Horton or 25-year-old Brett Brown, both of whom have pitched near or below replacement level this season.

As a result, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Chicago go for Sandy Alcantara of the Miami Marlins, Zac Gallen or Merrill Kelly of the Arizona Diamondbacks, or Freddy Peralta of the Milwaukee Brewers. Gallen and Kelly, in particular, have postseason experience, and all four have been rumored to be on the block.

Los Angeles Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers need starting pitching, despite the fact they have over $600 million committed to three starting pitchers: Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, and Tyler Glasnow.

The fact that only two of their starters have made at least 10 starts through 70 games indicates that the pitching coaches and front office may be utilizing a training method or tactic that helps cause those injuries, but that's a long-term conversation for the team to have.

The two durable starters are Yamamoto and Dustin May. But there's another issue: Yamamoto is the only Dodgers starter with over 0.5 WAR this season.

For the short term, the Dodgers can go after the same group of players suggested for the Cubs: Alcantara, Gallen, Kelly, and Peralta. Other starters who may be available are the Orioles' Zach Eflin and former Dodgers pitcher Walker Buehler, who is now with the Boston Red Sox.

New York Mets

Contrary to preseason expectations, the New York Mets' pitching staff has been lights-out all season, while the team's hitters have been average compared to the rest of the league.

One player who has come in below expectations is Mark Vientos, but he's just 25, has battled injuries, and is coming off a 2024 season where he got better as it went on. Another potential spot to upgrade is second base, where rookie Luisangel Acuna has 0.3 WAR and an OPS below .600, but Jeff McNeil can play there effectively.

Mets owner Steve Cohen and company could make a big swing for Red Sox centerfielder Jarren Duran, who would be a major upgrade on Tyrone Taylor, despite Taylor having a solid season.

The team could also go for a top-of-the-line starting pitcher. Tylor Megill, the team's fifth starter, has been solid, but he's made more than 20 starts just once in his career. New York could decide to move him to the bullpen and go for one of Alcantara, Gallen, Kelly, Eflin, or Buehler.

Whether it's a pitcher or a hitter, New York should target another player who can move the needle in a major way to join Juan Soto, Francisco Lindor, and Pete Alonso as Mets players who fit that description.

Philadelphia Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies are one inconsistent team. While there are many reasons as to why, the simple answer is their bullpen.

Collectively, Phillies starting pitchers rank seventh in MLB in ERA (3.53) and 11th in WHIP (1.22). Its bullpen is 24th with a 4.56 ERA and 23rd with a 1.40 WHIP.

That just about speaks for itself. Plus, more quality in the bullpen would take lots of pressure off the starters, especially when the margins get thinner as the season goes on.

Possible trade targets include Aroldis Chapman of the Red Sox, Chris Martin of the Texas Rangers, David Bednar of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Reid Detmers of the Los Angeles Angels, Steven Wilson of the Chicago White Sox, Jake Bird of the Colorado Rockies, or, for a big swing, Mason Miller of the Athletics.