MLB trade season has officially kicked into high gear with contenders looking to add to their rosters for the stretch run ahead and rebuilding teams aiming to stockpile young players with an eye to the future before Thursday’s 6 p.m. ET MLB trade deadline arrives.
As the moves go down, you can probably form your own opinion of the MLB veterans headed to new teams, but it’s much more difficult to figure out what to make of the minor leaguers who have moved.
Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Here’s our running ranking of every notable prospect who was dealt during July sorted by tiers using my Future Value grades so you can see where they slot in an MLB top 100 list or your team’s farm system ranking.
This story will be updated with top prospects headed to new teams added to the list with every new deal, so come back every time a move goes down to see which stars of tomorrow are on the move this month.
More: Top 10 prospect rankings for all 30 MLB teams
60 FV tier
1. Leo De Vries, SS, Athletics
Acquired from the San Diego Padres in the Mason Miller deal
Take a moment to consider how rare this sort of deal is. The last prospect of this caliber to be traded was probably Yoan Moncada headlining the trade package for Chris Sale at the 2016 winter meetings. Four years of control after this season of arguably the best reliever in baseball in Mason Miller is quite a prize, but De Vries has star potential, and that’s why players like this rarely even get discussed in deals.
De Vries is one of those international signees who had scouts whispering his name as early as age 13 or 14 as the clear best player in his signing class. He signed for a $4.2 million bonus in January 2024. The Padres are aggressive in promoting their top prospects, so De Vries opened his pro career in Low-A as a 17-year-old months after signing his contract, then went to the Arizona Fall League after the 2024 regular season. The switch-hitter has played all of this season in High-A while being the same age as domestic high school seniors.
De Vries has been thrown into the deep end of the pool and has excelled by any measure, with signs that he could grow into stardom. He has present above-average raw power that will grow into 60- or 65-grade raw power along with excellent pull/lift numbers and solid pitch selection that will help him get to all of that power in games, roughly 25-35 homers annually. His bat-to-ball ability plays as roughly average, in part because of the power/pull/lift approach, but the innate ability is above average. Being so young for his level — the average age at High-A is 22 years old — obscures his ability a bit, but having tools, performing while switch hitting and playing shortstop at almost four and a half years younger than the average player at your level is something you only see from the best prospects in the sport. None of his offensive splits are worrisome: He performs against velocity, breaking stuff, with two strikes, etc.
Defensively, De Vries has the tools you’re looking for — an easy plus arm, quick and smooth hands — and some soft skills, like an internal clock and feel for throwing from different platforms. He can get a little lackadaisical at times, but that’s somewhat typical for players this talented. De Vries is a fringy runner and his range is below average for a shortstop, so time will tell if he’s the kind of defender who can make up for his lackluster range with all of his other abilities, or if he just becomes an above-average defensive third baseman.
You can interpret his talent differently — he could be a top-five prospect in the game or maybe more in the teens to 20s (I lean the former) — but he’d be the No. 1 pick in almost any draft.
50 FV tier
Acquired from the Philadelphia Phillies in the Jhoan Duran deal
Tait is an electrifying prospect with massive raw tools from the enticing demographic of an 18-year-old lefty-hitting catcher. He has some of the biggest raw power in the entire minor leagues, even if you don’t adjust for his age. He hit a ball 116.2 mph this season; the average max velo for an 18-year-old minor leaguer is between 103 and 106 mph, depending on how you’re qualifying it. And yes, that 116.2 mph rocket was hit 424 feet to the pull side, exiting the entire stadium. Tait has a solid feel for bat-to-ball, but there’s a concerning amount of chase, which is in keeping with the power-based, high-effort pull-and-lift approach.
Beyond that, Tait has plus-plus arm strength behind the plate, posting some insane pop times in games but also rushing and losing his mechanics at other times, so his caught-stealing numbers are merely good instead of great. The subtle art of framing is another area where Tait excels — particularly at the top of the zone — but his ball blocking and agility suffer as he often can sell out to frame a pitch or set up for a throw to second.
I can see a scenario in which his raw tools carry the profile and he doesn’t improve much more, with a career similar to that of Gary Sanchez. Or Tait could really take a step forward and be a future 30- to 40-homer stalwart who also is a solid catcher — that is to say, a potential star.
Acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays in the Shane Bieber deal
In 2023, Stephen was a mediocre prospect as a starting pitcher at Purdue. He transferred to Mississippi State in 2024 and had a breakout year, improving at almost everything but staying on the board until the 59th pick because he had merely average-or-so raw stuff. Stephen’s stock has rocketed up this year not because his stuff got that much better, but because it’s now clear he has plus command, which makes his pitches play up a tick or two, akin to George Kirby or the pitcher he was traded for in Bieber.
The velocity, movement and angle of Stephen’s fastball make for a fringe-to-average pitch but it plays as at least a 55-grade pitch, while his solid-average slider plays as the same grade. His above-average changeup now plays as at least a 60-grade pitch. It’s hard to tell until the upper minors or even majors if Stephen’s command is more 55- or 60-grade or maybe even better, but the weak contact allowed this season, largely in A-ball, suggests there’s some real magic. His delivery backs up the heat maps and outcomes, and his range of possibilities go from No. 2 to No. 4 starter, likely as soon as next season.
Acquired from the New York Mets in the Ryan Helsley deal
Baez has a rare combination of plus raw power, plus bat control and the arm strength to stick in the infield. There’s still some work to do to reach his upside, though. He is pretty pull-oriented with a flatter swing plane — so he doesn’t always lift the ball as much as he should — in addition to (understandably) being vulnerable to pitchers with better raw stuff with two strikes. Those are all somewhat expected offensive hurdles with this skill set, but not every prospect can make the adjustments.
Baez splits time between second base, shortstop and third base, but he seems to fit best at third long term. He has an above-average arm that will play anywhere and solid, quick hands. However, he is a below-average runner, so he also has below-average range, which are reasons for his well-below-average defensive metrics. Being an average defensive third baseman isn’t a slam dunk, but he can get there with some work. For what it’s worth, he looks to me to be a little more comfortable at second base.
Acquired from the Philadelphia Phillies in the Jhoan Duran deal
Abel was a highly touted draft prospect, going 15th out of an Oregon high school in the 2020 draft, when he was peaking in the upper 90s at 6-foot-5. He only got his walk rate under four per nine innings this season, which is also when he made his big league debut and answered the questions as to whether he could still be a long-term starter.
One big reason for that walk rate improvement is his fastball command, helped by slight delivery/timing adjustments. Abel sits at 94 to 97 mph and hits 99 with a four-seamer that peppers the top of the zone as an above-average pitch, along with a sinker that plays around average. His slider is an above-average pitch that he throws in the strike zone too often to get above-average results. Abel’s curveball is a solid average third pitch, and while he doesn’t throw it much, his changeup is a solid average pitch when located. With an extra tick of command, he should be a third/fourth starter, and the Twins have a solid track record of teasing that last bit of ability out of talented pitchers — so it could happen as soon as this season.
45+ FV tier
Acquired from New York Mets in Tyler Rogers deal
I was a big fan of the 5-foot-9 Gilbert coming out of Tennessee in the 2022 draft because of his plus speed, plus arm, plus contact rates and average-or-so raw power along with his strong performance in the SEC. He’s mostly the same player but has evolved a bit; he’ll turn 25 in September and is likely to make his big league debut soon, too. He has lost a tick of speed — he’s now a 55-grade runner who doesn’t try to steal many bases — and is a fringy center fielder who might end up in right field long term, where he’d likely be an above-average defender.
Gilbert’s raw power is now a grade better — also a 55-grade tool — so you can expect around 20 homers at his peak if his approach holds up. His contact and on-base skills are both similar to what they were in college (plus contact, average chase rate). He can also pull a plus velocity fastball, though keep an eye on his two-strike approach against off-speed stuff from big league arms. That’ll be the problem if he sputters a bit when he comes up.
45 FV tier
Acquired from Cincinnati Reds in Ke’Bryan Hayes deal
Stafura was the No. 43 pick in 2023 and signed for an overslot $2.5 million out of New York high school. The scouting report now is still pretty similar to what it was then: he’s a plus athlete with easy plus speed who has a shot to stick at shortstop and above-average power potential but might be a 40-grade hitter (.230 average or so), which could undermine the profile. He has the tools to stick at shortstop and makes the plays, but he can be upright and stiff at times.
He has solid pitch recognition, bat speed and ball flight, which are the basic components to success as a hitter in the big leagues. That said, Stafura’s timing against mid-90s or better velocity and steep bat path (i.e., geared for fly balls) will cause many more whiffs at higher levels against better pitching, so adjustments will be necessary.
40+ FV tier
Acquired from Seattle Mariners in Josh Naylor deal
A 2023 11th-rounder out of Texas A&M, Garcia was a sleeper in the Seattle system who broke through as a starter in 2024. This season, he was moved into a full-time relief role, leading to his big league debut earlier this month.
He has an upper-body-reliant delivery with very short extension and a near-sidearm slot that nonetheless creates a lot of velocity, with his fastball peaking at 100.4 mph this season and living at 95-98 mph with his plus sinker. He also mixes in an 88-90 mph cutter and 84-86 mph sweeper that are both plus pitches. Garcia’s fastball command improving and the cutter continuing to be a useful weapon against righties are keys to him becoming a late-inning reliever.
Acquired from Milwaukee Brewers in Danny Jansen deal
Areinamo is listed at 5-foot-8, is a below-average runner and has below-average range that will keep him from being a long-term everyday shortstop; he’s already splitting time between shortstop and second/third base in High-A this year. Those facts limit his upside a bit, though he has an average arm and can catch the ball when he gets to it. The sales pitch is that he’s growing into fringe-to-average power with a sometimes wild swing but manages to also post plus contact rates. The offensive hesitation is that Areinamo, as his swing suggests, can get a little wild chasing pitches out of the zone, even if his standout bat control bails him out of some bad swing decisions. With some progress on his chase rate, Areinamo could move from a projected platoon guy to a lower-end starter at second base.
Acquired from New York Mets in Tyler Rogers deal
Tidwell is a good athlete with a fine delivery who is a classic control-over-command pitcher — meaning he can throw any of his pitches over the plate, but has trouble hitting specific spots regularly. Despite his raw stuff being above average, and him already starting big league games, many evaluators worry he’s more of a multi-inning reliever than a true starter.
His four-seam fastball plays down a tick or two from its plus velocity due to the locations and plane/shape. He seems like a better fit to rely more on his sinker as his primary fastball given his steep angle into the strike zone tied to his higher arm slot. His slider is roughly average but he throws it in the strike zone way too much, so it’s getting hammered, while his sweeper is above average by movement but he locates it well and it’s performing above average, too He doesn’t use his changeup much and it’s around average.
Tidwell is on the back-end starter/middle reliever (who is also a spot starter) spectrum and it may take until this time next year to have a better idea of what he’ll be.
Nos. 11-20
40 FV tier
Acquired from New York Yankees in Ryan McMahon deal
Herring, selected in the sixth round of the 2024 draft, has an 88-92-mph heater that touches 94 and looks as if it’ll be a fringe-to-average pitch, while his slider is above average and his changeup (which should be used more often) also flashes above average. He’ll move up to the 40+ FV tier with a little more bulk of performance and/or a strong finish/promotion in Double-A.
12. Wellington Aracena, RHP, Baltimore Orioles
Acquired from New York Mets in Gregory Soto deal
Aracena was a low-profile international signee, getting a $70,000 bonus in 2022 out of the Dominican Republic. He sat 90-94 mph for his first two pro seasons, then his velo exploded in 2024 to 95-98, hitting 100 mph. This year he’s been even a bit higher, sitting 96-99 and hitting 101 mph at 20 years old as a starter in Single-A.
13. Enrique Jimenez, C, Minnesota Twins
Acquired from the Detroit Tigers in Chris Paddack deal
Jimenez is a 19-year-old, switch-hitting catcher playing in Rookie ball who has a solid chance to stick behind the plate long term, but as you’d guess, he still has some defensive work to do.
14. Ashton Izzi, RHP, Arizona Diamondbacks
Acquired from Seattle Mariners in Josh Naylor deal
Izzi was a classic projection righty who signed for $1.1 million after being selected in the fourth round of the 2022 draft out of an Illinois high school. With some progress in his mix and locations, this is a No. 4 starter package, but Izzi is more of a long reliever as currently constituted.
15. Juaron Watts-Brown, RHP, Baltimore Orioles
Acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays in Seranthony Dominguez deal
Watts-Brown was projected to be a first-rounder entering his draft spring in 2023 at Oklahoma State because of his projectable frame, athleticism, starter traits, fastball shape and above-average breaking stuff. If he can find an additional notch of command and/or velocity, there’s still a shot he can be a No. 4 starter, but time is starting to run out.
16. Andrew Hoffmann, RHP, Arizona Diamondbacks
Acquired from Kansas City Royals in Randal Grichuk deal
Hoffmann was a 12th-round pick out of Illinois in the 2021 draft who was traded to the Royals in 2022 and finished the season in Double-A, beating predraft expectations. He was seen as a potential back-end starter at that point, but moved to full-time short relief this season en route to making his big league debut. With better fastball locations, Hoffmann could move from middle relief into the later innings.
35+ FV tier
17. Clayton Beeter, RHP, Washington Nationals
Acquired from New York Yankees in Amed Rosario deal
Beeter was a second-round pick in the 2020 draft and has slowly moved down the starter-to-reliever spectrum to becoming a full-time reliever for the first time in 2025. Beeter is still a solid prospect because of his 65-grade slider and above-average fastball that peaks at 99 mph. His fastball command is the variable that, with more progress, could turn him into a late-inning reliever, but Beeter is a higher-variance middle reliever who needs to avoid walks in Triple-A to get his next big league shot.
18. Matthew Etzel, LF, Miami Marlins
Acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays in the Nick Fortes deal
Etzel is a long-term left field fit who was also traded at last year’s deadline from Baltimore in the Zach Eflin deal. He has a solid feel for drawing walks and pulling/lifting the ball with his solid-average raw power (think 15-20 homers at peak). His contact rates suggest he might be a .230 or .240 hitter, so Miami is hoping it can get a solid role player out of Etzel.
19. Browm Martinez, CF, Washington Nationals
Acquired from New York Yankees in Amed Rosario deal
Martinez signed for a $130,000 bonus last January and was solid last summer in the Dominican Summer League before having a huge repeat season in the league this year — posting an OPS of 1.139 driven by higher contact rates. There is still a wide range of potential outcomes for Martinez as an 18-year-old playing in the lowest level of the minors. There’s some physical projection left given his age, but his power projects to continue to be below average, so sticking in center would be key to his long-term value.
20. Josh Grosz, RHP, Colorado Rockies
Acquired from New York Yankees in Ryan McMahon deal
Grosz is a potential No. 5 starter/swingman type with some feel and deception from his abruptly quick delivery. He throws a 92-95 mph dead-zone fastball with heavy tail that plays around average, an above-average changeup and a fringy slider.
He has a tougher road to being a solid big leaguer if he can’t stick as a starter because most teams prefer a middle reliever to have an above-average breaking ball to get right-handed hitters out.
21. Cameron Foster, RHP, Baltimore Orioles
Acquired from New York Mets in Gregory Soto deal
Foster is a 26-year-old long reliever who sits 93-96 and hits 99 mph from a high slot (it’s on the whole an average big league pitch). He’s a solid back-end-of-the-roster-type utility arm who can be used in multiple roles and should debut this year or next. He needs to be added to the 40-man roster after the season to protect from the Rule 5 draft.
