MLB trade deadline prospects: ESPN names farms that could fuel deals
ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel says the Dodgers, Brewers and Mariners have prospect depth that could shape the Aug. 3 deadline.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
4 min read
The MLB trade deadline prospects board is getting busy, and ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel has identified several farm systems with the kind of young talent that could drive deals before the Aug. 3 cutoff.
McDaniel, ESPN’s MLB prospect insider, grouped clubs by their likely deadline stance and assessed which prospects could be protected, which could headline trades and which systems have enough depth to matter in negotiations.
Which MLB teams are likely to trade prospects at the deadline?
In McDaniel’s report, the teams listed as likely to move prospects include the Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, Atlanta Braves, Tampa Bay Rays, New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Guardians and Seattle Mariners.
The Dodgers remain a key team to watch because McDaniel described their system as strong and especially loaded with outfielders. He named Josue De Paula as probably the only prospect who is firmly off limits, while Mike Sirota, Eduardo Quintero, Emil Morales and possibly Zyhir Hope would be difficult to pry loose except in a major deal.
Among Dodgers prospects who could draw trade interest, McDaniel pointed to Hope, Charles Davalan and James Tibbs III from the outfield group, along with Triple-A pitchers River Ryan and Jackson Ferris.
Milwaukee also has the goods. McDaniel called the Brewers’ system very strong and hitter-heavy, with Jesus Made described as the top prospect in baseball and off the table. Luis Pena, Cooper Pratt and Luis Lara were also described as likely difficult to acquire, while Jett Williams, Jeferson Quero, Luke Adams and Tyson Hardin were named as possible trade pieces with Triple-A proximity.
Seattle is another club with prospect firepower. McDaniel wrote that the Mariners still have a strong top of the system despite trades and graduations, with Kade Anderson and Ryan Sloan likely untouchable because both rank among the sport’s top pitching prospects. Potential trade chips include Felnin Celesten, Laz Montes, Michael Arroyo, Luke Stevenson, Jonny Farmelo, Nick Becker and Mason Peters.
What does an untouchable prospect mean?
An untouchable prospect is a player a team is unlikely to trade except, in some cases, for an extraordinary return. The label is not an official roster status, but it signals how rival clubs may view the difficulty of building a deal.
The Braves, according to McDaniel, usually avoid moving the top of their farm system. He said Tate Southisene, Eric Hartman and Cam Caminiti are unlikely to be traded, while recent draftees cannot be dealt. That leaves names such as Owen Murphy, Briggs McKenzie, John Gil and Alex Lodise as more realistic options.
The Rays, long known for a deep system, were described by McDaniel as having newly drafted shortstop Grady Emerson unavailable and also off the table in principle. Theo Gillen was placed in a similar category, while Nathan Flewelling, Caden Bodine, Cooper Flemming, Daniel Pierce, Taitn Gray, Michael Forret and Anderson Brito were listed as players who could matter in larger talks.
For the Yankees, McDaniel said George Lombard Jr. was off limits in talks last summer and figures to be again. Other possible names include Dax Kilby, Carlos Lagrange, Elmer Rodriguez, Spencer Jones, Henry Lalane, Richard Matic, Wilberson De Pena and Jace Avina, though McDaniel noted injuries or early major league performance affect several of those valuations.
The Cubs’ system, per McDaniel, leans heavily toward position players. He identified Jefferson Rojas and Josiah Hartshorn as likely protected, with Kane Kepley, Owen Ayers, Ethan Conrad, Juan Cabade and Johan Geraldo among possible trade names.
Philadelphia’s system is thinner after graduations and Aidan Miller’s back injury, McDaniel wrote. He said Miller would likely qualify as untouchable if healthy, while Gage Wood, Dante Nori, Gabriel Rincones Jr., Matthew Fisher, Ramon Marquez, Cade Obermueller, Aroon Escobar and Griffin Burkholder could be discussed.
The White Sox and Guardians were also framed as clubs with tradable prospect depth. McDaniel named Caleb Bonemer as Chicago’s clearest protected prospect among eligible players, while Cleveland’s possible trade tier includes Khal Stephen, Jaison Chourio, Dean Curley, Jace LaViolette, Daniel Espino, Aaron Walton and Kahlil Watson.
This story draws on original reporting from ESPN.com.