2025 MLB Power Rankings, Vol. 20: Trade deadline impacts

The Philadelphia Phillies made two big trades with the Minnesota Twins to keep the top spot in the MLB Power Rankings. First, they traded two of their top six prospects for closer Jhoan Duran. Philly has had eight different relievers pick up a save, and none have more than eight saves. Now, Duran is the undisputed closer. Bader marks another attempt to add pop to their outfield. Both Max Kepler and Nick Castellanos are struggling offensively this year, so Bader is a welcome addition.

#2: New York Mets (+1)

The New York Mets made three trades before the deadline, bringing in relievers Ryan Helsley and Tyler Rogers and outfielder Cedric Mullins. Despite the need for a starter, the Amazins did not get one. They were looking for a CF who can hit to replace Tyrone Taylor. Mullins’ .229 batting average isn’t great, but it’s better than Taylor’s .201 mark. Improving the bullpen was smart, as many other contenders did the same. Even if the package for Helsley was a lot, the Mets are all in.

#3: Chicago Cubs (-1)

The Chicago Cubs needed a starting pitcher. Justin Steele is out for the season, Shota Imanaga has missed time, and Matthew Boyd can’t do it by himself. With Kyle Tucker hitting free agency, this is the year they needed to push all of their chips in. But instead, they decided the price for MacKenzie Gore was too high and let Merrill Kelly go to Texas. Willi Castro will be a nice piece for their infield, but the Cubs needed more.

#4: Los Angeles Dodgers (-)

The Los Angeles Dodgers did not need to do much, but what they did do was solid. they got Ben Savage from the Twins, parting with outfielder James Outman. To replace Outman on their bench, they landed Alex Call from the Washington Nationals. The Dodgers did trade away Dustin May for two minor-league outfielders from the Boston Red Sox. They had a surplus of starting pitching and replenished their pipeline because of it.

#5: Toronto Blue Jays (-)

The Toronto Blue Jays have been blistering hot of late, taking the lead in the American League East. That forced the hand of the front office, pushing them to acquire Shane Bieber from the Cleveland Guardians. Bieber has not pitched in the majors since April 2024 due to injuries, but can change the rotation if he is healthy. Toronto got Seranthony Dominguez from Baltimore to help their bullpen. They also picked up infielder Ty France and reliever Louie Varland from the Twins and minor-league catcher Brandon Valenzuela from the San Diego Padres. They did not do as much as the Yankees, but that’s likely because they did not need to.

#6: Detroit Tigers (-)

Rumors of a quiet deadline from the Tigers ended up not coming true once the day came. They re-shaped their bullpen with Rafael Montero from the Braves, Paul Sewald from the Guardians, and Kyle Finnegan from the Nationals. Chris Paddack and Charlie Morton are coming in to beef up the back-end of their rotation as well. They did not go after any offense, which they could have, but the pitching is much better than it was before the trades. They are still serious contenders in the American League.

#7: Houston Astros (+1)

The Houston Astros may have made the deal of deadline day by picking up Carlos Correa from the Twins. The former first-overall pick would only waive his no-trade clause to re-join Houston, and that’s what he did. While they never did land the starter they were looking for, Correa improves an injured infield. He will play third base, as Isaac Paredes is out for the season with a hamstring strain. They also got Ramon Urias and Jesus Sanchez to improve their depth.

#8: San Diego Padres (+1)

The San Diego Padres were the most active team at the trade deadline, so they move up a spot in the MLB Power Rankings. Mason Miller was the most shocking trade of the day, landing in San Diego with over four years of team control left. They also picked up Ryan O’Hearn, Ramon Laureano, Nestor Cortes, JP Sears, Will Wagner, and Freddy Fermin. If there was a hole on the Padres roster, AJ Preller went and filled it. They are trying to keep up with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West and these additions can help them.

#9: Milwaukee Brewers (-2)

The Milwaukee Brewers have the best record in the majors, but fall down two spots in the MLB PR’s. They had a big hole to fill at shortstop but did not bring in any infielders to fill it. Willi Castro was moved, but they let him go to the Cubs. Isiah Kiner-Falefa would have been a solid option. Jose Caballero would have been a perfect fit. But none of those players are on the Brewers. They traded Cortes for outfielder Brandon Lockridge. They also picked up injured pitchers Shelby Miller and Jordan Montgomery from the Arizona Diamondbacks.

#10: New York Yankees (+1)

The New York Yankees were among the most active teams at the MLB trade deadline. They needed pitching and they got it, with three relievers with team control coming in. Pirates closer David Bednar and Giants closer Camilo Doval will challenge Devin Williams for the ninth inning. They also got Jake Bird, who can take some pressure off of Tim Hill. Jose Caballero comes in to replace Oswald Peraza, who was dealt to the Angels, as the backup infielder. Add that to Ryan McMahon, Austin Slater, and Amed Rosario, and this is an entirely new team.

#11: Seattle Mariners (+2)

The Seattle Mariners made two big splashes to improve their anemic offense to move up in the MLB Power Rankings. Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suarez both came over from the D-Backs in separate deals. They did not need to add a starting pitcher and stayed out of the hot reliever market. But Seattle added protection for possible MVP Cal Raleigh, which is exactly what they needed. Then, they took the first game of their massive series against the Rangers.

#12: Texas Rangers (-)

The Texas Rangers added to their strength by picking up Merrill Kelly from the Arizona Diamondbacks. With Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi healthy and dominating, they did not need another pitcher. But, you can never have enough arms come October. Their recent hot stretch has them in the AL Wild Card race and Kelly will help them keep up with the Mariners and Red Sox. Ex-Twins reliever Danny Coulombe will also bolster their bullpen.

#13: Cincinnati Reds (+2)

The Cincinnati Reds have finally bought in on this core. Was Ke’Bryan Hayes the best third baseman traded before the deadline? Certainly not. But the bar is the floor when it comes to Cincinnati management. They also added starting pitcher Zach Litell to improve their already strong pitching staff. They are moving up in the MLB Power Rankings, but need to get hot to keep this position. They also picked up Miguel Andujar from the Athletics for depth on the bench.

#14: Boston Red Sox (-)

The Boston Red Sox had an interesting deadline that included a false report that would have changed everything. They landed Steven Matz and Dustin May without dipping into their MLB outfield surplus before the deadline. But a Jon Morosi report about Boston working toward a Joe Ryan trade got aggregated into a done deal. Had they landed Ryan, it would have shot them up the list. But they stay here with room to move up before the season ends.

#15: San Francisco Giants (-5)

The San Francisco Giants took a massive tumble in the MLB Power Rankings after selling off pieces at the deadline. Doval went to the Yankees and Mike Yastrzemski went to the Kansas City Royals. They have lost six consecutive games to fall below .500 and out of the playoffs. With Rafael Devers on the team for the long haul, there is no rush to push the chips in. Buster Posey replenished the pipeline and set himself up for a big offseason, but this team still falls in the list.

#16: St Louis Cardinals (-)

The St Louis Cardinals came into the season pre-determined as sellers at the MLB trade deadline. They did deal Ryan Helsley to the Mets for a huge haul, but kept Nolan Arenado as that saga continues. They could still make a run to the postseason, but it gets less likely with the passing day as the Red Birds keep losing. St Louis also sent reliever Phil Maton to the Rangers.

#17: Cleveland Guardians (-)

There were a lot of rumors swirling around the Guardians that would have changed the trade deadline. Emmanuel Clase’s gambling investigation nixed any chance at trading the closer. Steven Kwan was heavily rumored up until 6 p.m., but stuck with Cleveland. That could mean good things for the immediate future of the Guardians, as they just made the ALCS with this core last year. They did trade Bieber for a highly-regarded pitching prospect from the Blue Jays. But Kwan, Clase, and Carlos Santana all stay put.

#18: Tampa Bay Rays (-)

No one had a more curious MLB trade deadline than the Tampa Bay Rays. They traded away Caballero, Litell, and Taj Bradley, pointing towards selling. But they brought in Griffin Jax and Adrian Houser, which were moves tabbed for buyers. Jax makes sense, as he has team control beyond this year. But Houser is a free agent after this season and cost them three prospects. Can they keep Houser to make the deal worth it? They just lost a series to the Yankees and need to turn it up to make the postseason.

#19: Arizona Diamondbacks (-)

The Arizona Diamondbacks sold almost all of the pieces they were rumored to before the MLB trade deadline. Suarez and Naylor are on the Mariners, Randal Grichuk is on the Royals, Kelly went to the Rangers, and Montgomery and Miller are in Milwaukee. They will almost certainly offer Zac Gallen the qualifying offer, which would net them a compensatory pick if he leaves. They will finish out this season and turn their attention to 2026.

#20: Kansas City Royals (-)

The Royals bought at the trade deadline despite being 3.5 games out of the AL Wild Card. Will Grichuk and Yastrzemski be enough to push them past the Guardians, Rangers, and Mariners and into the postseason? Yastrzemski is a free agent at the end of the year, while Grichuk has a mutual option. If they sign long-term deals in Kansas City, this could be a positive trade deadline. Seth Lugo is sticking around for two more years, so they are going all-in next year.

#21: Atlanta Braves (-)

The Atlanta Braves did not trade many pieces away at the MLB trade deadline. They are firmly in the bottom third of the power rankings and won’t be scaring the postseason. The Braves front office thinks they can compete next year, otherwise Sean Murphy and Chris Sale would have been moved. Marcell Ozuna will play out this year and head to free agency. Will he stay with Atlanta or will they regret not trading him before the deadline?

#22: Miami Marlins (+1)

The Miami Marlins are blistering hot, but still sold at the MLB trade deadline. They sent lefty outfielder Jesus Sanchez to the Astros for three prospects, including the number 13 prospect in Houston’s system. They did keep Edward Cabrera and Sandy Alcantara, which could lead to an active offseason. They are 27-14, second best in the NL, since June 12. Even keeping that up won’t be enough to get in the playoffs. So, they sold which was the right move.

#23: Los Angeles Angels (+2)

The Los Angeles Angels move up in the MLB Power Rankings despite not trading away any of their big pieces. Yusei Kikuchi, Jorge Soler, and Kenley Jansen all could have brought back prospect hauls. Instead, all three of those players are on a Halos team that won’t compete for a playoff spot. They picked up Oswald Peraza, Luis Garcia, and Andrew Chafin for varying prospects before the deadline. Could they make a run for the Wild Card?

#24: Minnesota Twins (-2)

The Twins traded ten players off their 26-man roster before the MLB trade deadline. There were concerns that they would not sell pending free agents, but they did much more than that. Griffin Jax, Jhoan Duran, and Louie Varland all had years of control left, but were dealt for prospects. Carlos Correa could have been a Twin through 2032. Instead, he’s headed back to Houston. The entire Twins future has changed dramatically in just 24 hours. Their 2025 team will be dreadful, sending them down in the MLB Power Rankings.

#25: Baltimore Orioles (-1)

The Orioles sold as everyone expected them to, as they are well out of the American League playoff race. Charlie Morton turned his season around from a 10.36 ERA through six starts to becoming a legitimate trade deadline piece. He’s on the Tigers now, his seventh different team. Cedric Mullins, Ramon Laureano, Ramon Urias, Ryan O’Hearn, Seranthony Dominguez, and Gregory Soto are all gone as well. This season did not go as planned for Baltimore, but they stacked the pipeline for the future.

#26: Washington Nationals (+1)

The Nationals sold off some pieces before the MLB trade deadline as they transition into a new era. Firing Davey Martinez and Mike Rizzo led into an important first-overall pick but did not yield a huge trade deadline. They could have dealt MacKenzie Gore, but were asking for a haul of prospects that no team could match. Alex Call, Amed Rosario, and plenty of relievers are out after the deadline. Can the Nationals turn it around next season?

#27: Athletics (-1)

The Athletics pulled in a big haul for Mason Miller, picking up Leo De Vries, the No. 3 overall prospect in baseball. They also parted with Miguel Andujar before the deadline. The Athletics picked up three pitchers in the Miller trade, which has been their biggest weakness this year. The Athletics have stellar offensive talent, but need to develop pitching. With Miller bringing in a haul, they have set themselves up for a potentially bright future.

#28: Pittsburgh Pirates (-)

The Pittsburgh Pirates traded hometown kid and fan favorite closer David Bednar before the MLB trade deadline. But they kept Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Tommy Pham, Andrew Heaney, and Mitch Keller, who all could have been dealt. The package they got back from the Yankees seems worse than the prospects the Twins got for Jhoan Duran. But prospects can change and this could be the trade that puts Pittsburgh back on the map. They also sent Bailey Falter to the Royals and made two transactions involving Taylor Rogers. He went from the Giants to Pittsburgh on Wednesday and then to the Reds on Thursday.

#29: Chicago White Sox (-)

Rumors were swirling that the White Sox could trade Luis Robert Jr before the MLB trade deadline. Not only did they keep him, but reports surfaced that they plan to pick up his $20 million option for next year. They did ship out Adrian Houser to the Rays, which was the bare minimum in his career year. They got their haul of prospects for Garrett Crochet in the offseason, and no trade they could have made would have reached that level.

#30: Colorado Rockies (-)

The Colorado Rockies traded Jake Bird and Ryan McMahon to the Yankees in separate moves before the MLB trade deadline. Other than that, there were no trades coming out of Colorado. They set high prices for their pitchers that were not met, keeping Kyle Freeland and Austin Gomber with the Rockies. They could have done more, but they also should not sell just to sell. They remain in the basement of the MLB Power Rankings, where they will likely be for the remainder of the year.