MLB Trade Grades 2025: Grading Deals Ahead of MLB Trade Deadline

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MLB Trade Grades 2025: Grading Deals Ahead of MLB Trade Deadline

MLB trade grades — John Jones-Imagn Images John Jones-Imagn Images

Matt Johnson · Sportsnaut

Sun, Jul 27, 2025 ·

6 min read

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The MLB trade deadlien is on July 31 and we've already seen quite a few deals made around the league. While American League clubs have been the most active buyers so far, we're anticipating the National League will get heavily involved very soon. As more deals come in, our MLB trade grades will weigh in on how each club did.

Let's immediately dive into our grades of all the biggest deals in the MLB trade tracker so far.

Seattle Mariners add to lineup with Josh Naylor trade

Before acquiring Josh Naylor, the Seattle Mariners ' first basemen had a collective .223/.293/.376 triple-slash line with a .668 OPS . The club was desperate for an upgrade, especially if it meant adding another left-handed hitter to the lineup. Josh Naylor is the perfect fit: he boasts one of the lowest strikeout rates (12.7 percent) at his position and has the 10th-highest OBP (.360) among first basemen. Naylor should be an excellent middle-of-the-order hitter for Seattle, and the team likely isn't done adding yet. Plus, since he's a rental, the Mariners kept their top prospects for other potential moves. Grade:A-

Seattle Mariners receive:Josh Naylor
Arizona Diamondbacks receive:LHP Brandyn Garcia, RHP Ashton izzi

Once it became clear to the Arizona Diamondbacks that contending just wasn't in the cards for them this season, they made the right decision to start moving rentals. Arizona got two of Seattle's top-15 prospects, with Brandyn Garcia and Ashton Izzi both coming from a team that excels in pitching development. While neither projects as a long-term starter, Garcia could be in the Diamondbacks' bullpen as soon as next month, and Izzi could become a quality reliever in the majors in a few years. Grade:B-

New York Mets bullpen bolstered with Gregory Soto trade

MLB trade grades, New York Mets — Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Making their bullpen a top priority this summer, the Mets' main objective was to acquire a left-handed reliever. Since A.J. Minter underwent season-ending surgery, there's been a real void in New York's relief corps. Enter Gregory Soto. While he's not the All-Star reliever he was in 2021-22, the 30-year-old southpaw remains a very effective middle reliever. He posted a 3.96 ERA with the Orioles this season, including a 3.24 ERA over his last 21 appearances. Most importantly, he's been lights out ( .138/.271/.276 ) against left-handed hitters this season. He's not a setup man, but rather the specialist New York needed. Grade: B

New York Mets receive:Gregory Soto
Baltimore Orioles receive:RHP Wellington Aracena, RHP Cameron Fostrer

The Baltimore Orioles acquired Soto last season for Seth Johnson and Moises Garcia, and he was largely ineffective in his first stint with the club, but turned things around in 2025 with a 3.96 ERA in 45 games. This enabled Baltimore to flip him for a small profit. Cameron Foster, 26, could get a shot in the Orioles' bullpen as soon as September, having impressed in Double-A but struggled so far in limited Triple-A action this year. The better long-term bet is Wellington Aracena, whose swing-and-miss arsenal could make him an effective reliever if Baltimore can help him rein in his command over the next few years. Grade:B-

New York Yankees add versatile role player in Amed Rosario

Amed Rosario has decimated left-handed pitchers this season, posting a .299/.333/.483 slash line with an .816 OPS. Just as important for New York, he has experience at second base (16 games) and third base (24 games), and he can even play shortstop in a pinch. This deal won't make headlines, but Rosario is a very useful role player who cost the Yankees a pitcher ( Clayton Beeter ) who had no future role with the club. Grade:B

New York Yankees receive:Amed Rosario
Washington Nationals receive:RHP Clayton Beeter, OF Brown Martinez

The Washington Nationals signed Amed Rosario for $2 million in January, so this deal should be viewed as a net win for the organization. Browm Martinez is unlikely to amount to much, but Washington can at least take a chance on right-handed pitcher Clayton Beeter. He's already 26 years old, and his brief taste of the majors (9.82 ERA with 14 base runners allowed in 7.1 innings) has been rough. If Washington can rein in his command, he could become a solid middle-inning reliever for a few years. Grade:C+

Kansas City Royals lineup strengthened with Randal Grichuk trade

The Kansas City Royals came into the weekend with their outfielders posting a .205/.260/.307 triple-slash line on the year and a league-worst .567 OPS. Putting that OPS into perspective, the second-worst team (the Cleveland Guardians ) has a .645 mark. Randal Grichuk hasn't come close to replicating his numbers from last season (.291/.348/.528 with a .875 OPS), but he does boast a .734 OPS this year thanks to a .457 slugging percentage. At the very least, Kansas City added some much-needed power to its lineup. Grade:C+

Kansas City Royals acquire:Randal Grichuk
Arizona Diamondbacks acquire:RHP Andrew Hoffman

The Diamondbacks are taking a smart approach at the MLB trade deadline by selling off whatever talent they realistically can. Grichuk, age 33, is a journeyman whose departure will open up at-bats for younger hitters. Plus, Arizona gets out of his $5 million mutual option (with a $3 million buyout) for 2026. Andrew Hoffman, age 25, should be a multi-year fixture in the Diamondbacks' bullpen. Grade:B+

New York Yankees acquire Ryan McMahon

Eugenio Suarez might've been the better short-term option at third base for the Yankees, but this move focuses on a broader outlook. Ryan McMahon, age 30, is under contract through 2027 at a $16 million AAV. Defensively, he ranks 13th in Defensive Runs Saved (4) and he's in the 97th percentile for Average Exit Velocity (93.9) while placing in the 85th percentile for Hard-Hit Rate (50.2 percent). Good coaching could certainly help him post a .770-plus OPS, especially with the help around him in the Yankees lineup. Grade:A-

New York Yankees receive:Ryan McMahon
Colorado Rockies receive:RHP Josh Grosz, RHP Griffin Herring

Well, at least the Colorado Rockies are finally operating as sellers at the MLB trade deadline. Unfortunately, they missed the window to trade McMahon at a higher value, which seems fitting for this front office. Right-handed pitcher Griffin Herring has shown real promise as a starting pitcher this year with a 1.71 ERA in 89.1 innings, accompanied by a 10.3 K/9 and a 2.83 K/BB ratio. He still needs to prove himself at the Double-A level, but there is some hope here. As for Josh Grosz, a 22-year-old struggling to establish himself in High-A with a 4.14 ERA and 3.6 BB/9, that isn't a great sign. Grade:C+

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