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Who is buying, selling at MLB trade deadline? Where all 30 teams stand

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The problem with this year’s MLB trade deadline is that almost nobody wants to sell.

Twenty-three of the 30 teams came out of the All-Star break within four games of a playoff spot, which means most of the league still believes it has a reason to buy. That also leaves a short list of sellers. Those teams that are willing to deal now will set the price for everyone else as we barrel toward the 6 p.m. ET trade deadline on Aug. 3.

Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal sits atop every contender’s wish list, with pitching nearly always the top need of those who are looking to make a long run in October. Still, the Tigers have said they aren’t sure if they will trade him.

The long stare down to the deadline is already beginning.

Here is where the 30 teams stand as the deals start to come, who is buying, who is finally selling and who is stuck in the middle:

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The Athletics Lawrence Butler is tagged out by Chicago White Sox third baseman Miguel Vargas as he tires to extend his double into a triple during the eighth inning at Sutter Health Park on April 18, 2026.

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Why there are barely any sellers right now

The standing are a cluster. With three wild cards in each league and almost two dozen teams still alive, the clubs that would normally be dumping veterans by late July are instead telling themselves they can make a run.

That scarcity flips the leverage. The few teams that are ready to sell get to name their price, and contenders desperate for pitching may have to overpay in prospects to land a starter or high-leverage reliever. It’s a seller’s market with almost no sellers.

The clear buyers

Seven contenders are already out there shopping and not hiding it.

Los Angeles Dodgers: They want another arm at the top of the rotation.

Atlanta Braves: Chasing a starter and a bat.

Philadelphia Phillies: They need a right-handed outfielder and bullpen help. They also could use a starter.

Chicago Cubs:They are hunting pitching; they need both starters and relievers.

Milwaukee Brewers: Already landed Lance McCullers Jr. from Houston but still need more rotation depth.

New York Yankees: They are after a catcher and a late-inning reliever with Mason Miller atop their wish list.

Tampa Bay Rays: Yes, the Rays are hunting. They are looking for bats, catching and have been named as one of the teams pushing for Skubal.

The clear sellers

It’s a short list, and one name on it would have been a shock in March.

New York Mets: They collapsed early and are ready to shed some of the $328 million payroll. Freddy Peralta, bullpen arms and some position players are up for discussion.

Colorado Rockies: They are usually here in July, and they still have very little to offer beyond a piece like Hunter Goodman.

Los Angeles Angels: With the worst record in baseball, they are ready to do business. Reid Detmers, Jose Soriano and Kirby Yates could all be headed for contenders.

Athletics: Moving veterans like catcher Jonah Heim while keeping their young core is their smart move.

Washington Nationals: A first-year front office is building for another season. They will move their veterans if they can.

San Francisco Giants: They are probably selling. Or they should be. Luis Arraez and Robbie Ray have been floated out there, if Buster Posey follows through.

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The teams still deciding

Hovering around .500 and genuinely undecided, these teams are one bad week away from punting and one hot week from going all in.

Arizona Diamondbacks: They are leaning toward buying if Corbin Burnes’ rehab stays on track.

St. Louis Cardinals: They are leaning toward buying if they can add pitching without gutting the farm system.

Seattle Mariners: They are also leaning toward buying, adding rotation and bullpen depth.

Texas Rangers: They are leaning toward buying. They need a rotation spot after injuries.

Boston Red Sox: Currently riding an improbable 13-game winning streak, Boston is leaning towards buying after getting hot this summer. They need middle infield help.

Houston Astros: They are leaning toward buying. They are a hot team and looking to add rotation and bullpen depth.

Miami Marlins: They are leaning toward buying. They are a hot team right now and could add pitching and bullpen depth.

Pittsburgh Pirates: They are kind of buying? Riding one of the best offenses in baseball at the break, they will add if it doesn’t increase payroll.

San Diego Padres: This is a tossup. A.J. Preller is unpredictable and short on trade chips.

Toronto Blue Jays: Another tossup with Toronto still at the bottom of the American League East.

Cleveland Guardians: A tossup as well. They need offense but are unlikely to add any payroll.

Kansas City Royals: They still haven’t decided but have to be close to selling. Michael Wacha, Seth Lugo or Lane Thomas could bring them back some prospects.

Cincinnati Reds: They are a tossup but have a win-now core of rentals they can flip quickly if they slip.

Minnesota Twins: They are leaning toward selling. They have historically been passive and they are sliding.

Baltimore Orioles: They are leaning toward selling. They are under .500 and have a brutal schedule ahead.

Chicago White Sox: This team is young and likelier to hold than make a splash.

Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal throws against the Los Angeles Angels during the third inning at Angel Stadium.

And then there are the Tigers and Tarik Skubal

Everyone has been waiting for this decision since the 2025 deadline. They will dictate the market. The Tigers own the arm everyone wants in Skubal, the two-time reigning Cy Young winner and a free agent after the 2026 season, and they are sitting at under 20 percent playoff odds.

That leaves Scott Harris with the call of the summer. Cash in the best starter in baseball now, or keep him for a long-shot run and risk losing him for nothing in the winter. The Brewers, Rays, Braves and Orioles are already lining up to try and get him.

Whatever the Tigers decide will set the market for everyone behind them and we are all waiting.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is buying, selling at MLB trade deadline? Where all 30 teams stand

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