We are two months and two days away from the MLB trade deadline, and as the month of June begins, there are several players who have shined throughout the first half. For some of those players, given the teams they play for, their performances could pique the interest of potential buyers at this year’s trade deadline.
Here are five players buyers should be keeping their eyes on.
It was a slow offseason for Arraez, who didn’t have many suitors on the free-agent market. But the veteran second baseman found his way to the Bay, signing a one-year, $12 million deal with the San Francisco Giants. And in a year full of head-scratching decisions for Buster Posey and Co., Arraez might go down as the team’s best addition.
The three-time All-Star has found new life with the Giants. Arraez has always been known for his elite bat-to-ball skills, but because of the lack of power in his game, that has often felt one-dimensional. In 2026, however, Arraez has shown that he can still be an offensive producer. Entering Monday, he’s hitting .321 and ranks fifth among second basemen with a 121 wRC+, which would be his highest mark since 2023.
And the biggest surprise from Arraez this season has been the significant improvement he has made defensively. Over the past few seasons, he was forced to play first base in San Diego due to his lack of value at another position. But now he’s back to being a full-time second baseman, and he has taken full advantage of the tutelage of arguably the best infield coach in baseball, Ron Washington. Arraez is currently second among second basemen with nine outs above average.
Unfortunately for San Francisco, this Giants team is going nowhere fast, and with few movable contracts on the roster, Arraez could be their key to getting something out of this year’s trade deadline.
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Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams was one of the many names floated on the trade market in the offseason. With a new front office led by president of baseball operations Paul Toboni coming in and a rebuild on the way, you could understand why Abrams’ name kept popping up.
But the Nationals held on to their 25-year-old shortstop to begin this season, and their offense has reaped the benefits. Abrams looks like a different player so far this season, and he has been a catalyst for the Nationals, who have scored more runs than any other team in MLB and qualify as one of the season’s biggest surprises so far.
Abrams has been a huge part of that success, and offensively, he has been one of the premier shortstops in the game. Entering Monday, he has a .294/.391/.542 slashline with 12 homers and 47 RBI in 59 games, and he leads all shortstops with a 160 wRC+. The jump in production might be attributable to a more patient approach, as the Nationals’ shortstop has nearly doubled his walk rate, which is currently a career-high 10.7%.
The Nationals, currently 31-29 and second in the NL East, have played much better than many would’ve expected in year one of a rebuild and are in the mix in the NL wild-card race. As they continue to rebuild the organization, trading Abrams this summer could help the team expedite that process. The shortstop has two years of club control remaining and could bring back a strong return, especially if he continues to produce at this level.
A good player on a bad team often makes for a strong candidate to be traded.
(Bruno Rouby/Yahoo Sports)
While the best pitcher on the planet, Detroit’s Tarik Skubal, could be available at this year’s trade deadline, he isn’t the only frontline starter who could be on the market. Twins ace Joe Ryan is a name that has been coveted by teams for the past few seasons, as Minnesota has taken a few steps back and entered a rebuilding phase. Meanwhile, the 29-year-old Ryan has become one of baseball’s most consistent starting pitchers, with an ERA of 3.60 or lower in four of the past five seasons.
This year, he looks to have taken another step forward, going 3-3 with a career-best 2.94 ERA through his first 12 starts. Even in a season with Skubal on the market, a team looking for more than a rental would be wise to make some phone calls about Ryan, who has an additional year of club control after this season.
The Twins are currently in an interesting position, as they’re just two games out of the AL wild-card picture. But in a year when much of the American League has been so bad, Minnesota might not truly know if it’s a buyer or seller until much closer to the deadline, and many other teams could be motivated to make compelling offers for Ryan.
There might not be a more underrated starter in baseball than Kansas City Royals right-hander Michael Wacha. The 34-year-old, who joined the Royals as a free agent in 2024, has continued his late-career renaissance, pitching to a 3.38 ERA since ‘22. And Wacha has been pitching at a high level this season, going 4-3 with a 3.23 ERA through 12 starts this season.
Unfortunately for the Royals, they’ve been unable to take advantage of the stellar start from their right-hander and, at 22-37, currently have the second-worst record in the American League. Following a disappointing 2025, they’ve been underperforming again through the first few months of this season.
If Kansas City continues to flounder in the standings and is forced to be a seller at the trade deadline, Wacha could be one of the best options available on the pitching market. He’s in the second year of a three-year, $51 million deal that includes a club option for 2028.
It has been a disastrous first half for the Boston Red Sox, but if there has been one bright spot, it’s the performance of first baseman Willson Contreras. Contreras, 34, has made the most of his first year in Boston after being traded from the St. Louis Cardinals in the offseason. The Sox’s first baseman leads the team in nearly every major offensive category, slashing .286/.384/.505 with 11 homers, and he’s fifth among MLB first basemen with an .889 OPS.
The Sox, who are 25-33 and last in the AL East, have watched their season go off the rails, leading to the firing of longtime manager Alex Cora back in April. With a still-underperforming roster and several key injuries to notable players such as Roman Anthony, Trevor Story and Garrett Crochet, selling at the trade deadline is likely where Boston is headed.
Teams are always looking for additional power at the trade deadline, especially right-handed power. Contreras would be a dangerous offensive addition to any playoff-caliber lineup.
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