The 2025 MLB trade deadline has come and gone and dozens of trades were completed in the hours and days leading up to Thursday’s 6 p.m. ET deadline as contenders reinforced their rosters and rebuilders added to the farm system. Now, with all the deals complete, it is time to name some winners and losers from this year’s trade deadline. Come with us, won’t you?
Winner: A.J. Preller
And all of us, really. The Padres GM is baseball’s chaos machine. Every trade deadline Preller wows us with a big deal(s), even when it appears he doesn’t have the prospect capital to swing it. This year’s blockbuster: Mason Miller. San Diego acquired the Athletics closer (and lefty JP Sears) for four prospects, including shortstop Leo De Vries. De Vries is one of the five best prospects in the sport and the best prospect traded at the deadline in some time. Preller also acquired outfielder Ramón Laureano and DH Ryan O’Hearn as badly needed lineup depth. Neither righty Dylan Cease nor closer Robert Suarez was traded, but that’s OK. Preller gave up plenty to get excited about Thursday. The Miller trade is a capital-B Blockbuster.
I think? You could easily argue that Carlos Correa is no longer an impact player at this point. He is having the worst season of is career, after all. The Astros did bring back their former franchise savior though, essentially taking him on as a salary dump in a trade with the Twins, who went scorched earth on the roster. Minnesota is heavily subsidizing Correa, eating $33 million of the $104 million remaining on his contract, but still, Houston is taking a lot of money and a lot of years for a player who appears to be in decline. This is risky, for sure.
Carlos Correa trade grades: Astros score ‘A’ for stunning deadline deal, Twins get their salary dump
R.J. Anderson
That said, Correa going back to Houston is a great storyline and one that will surely please Astros fans who dig nostalgia. Also, with DH Yordan Alvarez (hand) and third baseman Isaac Paredes (hamstring) sidelined, including Paredes long-term, the Astros dearly needed offense. Correa will help provide it, and he has agreed to move to third base to fill in for Paredes. Correa back to Houston is a great storyline that, frankly, seemed crazy about a week ago.
Winner: Mariners’ offense
This is not one of those all pitching/no hitting Mariners teams from the 2010s and early 2020s. Seattle entered play Thursday ranked a respectable enough 12th in runs scored per game. There was room for improvement though, and the M’s improved by adding first baseman Josh Naylor and third baseman Eugenio Suárez in separate trades with the Diamondbacks. Those are substantial upgrades at the corner infield spots. Sure, trading prospects for Suárez after salary-dumping him on the D-backs two years ago is some egg on GM Jerry Dipoto’s face, but credit to him for wearing it and getting the best power bat on the market. Seattle’s offense is much deeper and much more imposing now.
Loser: Tigers’ bullpen
For a team leading its division and on the short list of World Series contenders, the Tigers had an underwhelming trade deadline. Their bullpen has been a liability the last few weeks and their only reliever additions were righties Codi Heuer (Rangers), Kyle Finnegan (Nationals), Rafael Montero (Braves), Paul Sewald (Guardians). Finnegan is a quality reliever. Otherwise Heuer is a depth arm, Montero was designated for assignment by the Astros last year, and Sewald is injured, He is on the 60-day injured list and won’t be eligible to return until September. Picking up righty Charlie Morton (Orioles) as a rotation piece was a nice move. The bullpen though? It needed help and got more questions than answers.
Winner: East division bullpens
The Mets and Phillies have been trading places atop the NL East all season. Neither team has been able to gain separation. Both clubs badly needed bullpen help at the deadline, and they got it in spades. Philadelphia added closer Jhoan Duran in a trade with the Twins and also signed David Robertson as a free agent. The Mets imported Ryan Helsley (Cardinals), Tyler Rogers (Giants), and Gregory Soto (Orioles) in three separate deals. Each team made multiple impactful bullpen additions. Duran, who is under team control through 2027, was one of the most impactful arms moved this week, though the Mets made three quality additions as well.
Over in the AL East, the Yankees aggressively remade their shaky bullpen with three pickups: David Bednar (Pirates), Jake Bird (Rockies), and Camilo Doval (Giants). All three are under team control beyond 2025 as well. The Blue Jays, the team the Yankees are chasing in the AL East, added Seranthony Domínguez (Orioles) and hard-throwing Louie Varland (Twins) to their relief crew. The Rays also got in on the fun and added Griffin Jax (Twins). There were lots and lots of bullpen trades at the deadline, as there is every year, and the majority of the game’s top relievers landed in the AL East or NL East.
Once again, the Angels were one of the most confounding teams at the deadline. They brought in veteran relievers Andrew Chafin and Luis García from the Nationals on Wednesday in a move that did not cost them much. A relatively low-stakes move that did not cost much. The Angels also picked up all-glove/no-bat infielder Oswald Peraza in a minor trade with the Yankees. And that’s it. The Angels are fading out of the postseason race and neither bought nor sold meaningfully. Their rentals (Tyler Anderson, Kenley Jansen, Luis Rengifo, etc.) remain even though the Halos are a long shot to play October baseball. I’m not quite sure what the plan is in Anaheim. Is there a plan? It’s hard to see one.
Winner: JP Sears
The “other guy” the Padres received in the Mason Miller trade, Sears is moving from Sutter Health Park in Sacramento to Petco Park in San Diego. He’s always been home run prone (career 1.6 HR/9), though his splits are extreme this year: 2.6 HR/9 at home and 1.3 HR/9 on the road. Statcast’s park factors rate Sutter Health Park as the eighth most home run friendly ballpark in MLB. Petco Park is 22nd. For a guy who has trouble keeping the ball in the park, moving from Sacramento to San Diego could really enhance Sears’ performance and his career moving forward. Plus, you know, he went from a last place team to a team in the race. That never hurts.
