This is the final 2025 edition of Trade Tips, as the default trade deadline in Yahoo fantasy baseball leagues is just two days away. I would like to thank those who were loyal readers this year, especially those who took the time to ask me trade questions on Twitter. If anyone is contemplating a last-minute deal, feel free to send your ideas to @FredZinkieMLB between now and Thursday, and I’ll do my best to respond quickly.
Before we get into specific names, I’ll offer one piece of big-picture advice. For the final weeks of the season, I would rather have an ace than a stud hitter. With fantasy football season looming and many fantasy baseball managers out of the race, interest in the waiver wire will inevitably wane. Active managers will be able to stream hitters, as many players will receive a bump in playing time when injuries occur and teams start playing for 2026.
It’s harder to find replacement starters, as most hurlers who join rotations down the stretch have limited skill sets. Every situation is unique, but in a vacuum, I’m willing to trade my top hitters for the likes of Tarik Skubal, Zack Wheeler or Garrett Crochet. Alternatively, I would be happy to trade a good hitter for a lower tier ace such as Christopher Sanchez or Tyler Glasnow.
Now, here are several players who should be part of many last-minute trades.
Sell High
Seth Lugo, SP, Kansas City Royals: Lugo may continue to excel, as Kauffman Stadium fits well with his skill set. But there is no debate that he has dramatically outperformed expectations this year, thanks to a .248 BABIP and an 86.2% strand rate. He’s an average mixed-league starter with poor swing-and-miss abilities who may be overvalued on the trade market.
Shota Imanaga, SP, Chicago Cubs: Although Imanaga has faltered of late (10 ER in 8 IP in his past two starts), he has still pitched well enough this year (3.25 ERA, 1.04 WHIP) to warrant a significant return on the trade market. I worry about the left-hander’s ability to maintain a .226 BABIP and 86.7% strand rate, which would cause me to put him on the trade market right away.
Nick Kurtz, 1B, Athletics: I hesitate to put Kurtz in this article, because I really believe in him. But the rookie has played at an unsustainable level lately, posting a 1.364 OPS since July 1. I wouldn’t be eager to trade Kurtz, but if I had multiple holes in my lineup, I would be open to finding out if anyone in my league would give a Godfather offer for arguably baseball’s most exciting youngster. Some managers will be willing to package an excellent hitter and pitcher to acquire him.
Buy Low
Juan Soto, OF, New York Mets: Soto has been good (25 HR, 16 SB, .250 BA) during his initial season with the Mets, but he has the potential to make a much bigger impact down the stretch. His expected stats are through the roof, as his .303 xBA is 53 points higher than his actual marks and his .625 xSLG places fourth behind Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani and Kyle Schwarber.
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Dylan Cease, SP, San Diego Padres: Since this is the last trade article of the season, I’ll mention Cease one more time. The right-hander has been infuriating this year, but he has also been one of the unluckiest pitchers in baseball, as is evidenced by his .323 BABIP and a 68.5% strand rate. With an 11.6 K/9 rate, Cease has elite upside, and he is now backed by an improved lineup and arguably the best relief corps in baseball. He’s the type of pitcher who can help a team to rise up the standings quickly.
Cole Ragans, SP, Kansas City Royals: Ragans should be especially easy to acquire. After all, he’s injured and his 2025 numbers (5.18 ERA, 1.29 WHIP) aren’t very good. I see the southpaw as one of baseball’s most talented starters, and his 2.68 xERA suggests that I’m right. Ragans should return from a strained rotator cuff by the end of the month, and we saw at that the MLB trade deadline that the Royals aren’t waving the white flag. He could be a league-winner for those in head-to-head leagues.
Sell Low
Mookie Betts (2B/SS/OF), Los Angeles Dodgers: Betts has been consistently underwhelming this season. His .231 average and .657 OPS are easily career-worst marks, and he hasn’t made much of an impact in the homer (11) and steal (8) fantasy categories. In fact, Betts has been the 213th fantasy asset in Yahoo roto rankings, which is a far cry from what was expected when he was selected in the first or second round of drafts. The 8-time All-Star still carries plenty of name value, as is evidenced by some recent deals that can be view on the Yahoo Trade Market page. The best plan for Betts managers is to move him now and give him a fresh start next year.
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