It’s no secret that the most precious commodity at this year‘s trade deadline will be starting pitching. When it comes to midseason additions, as is the case in the offseason, reliable starters are extremely valuable. But there are a few factors that could make acquiring starting pitching ahead of the July 31 MLB trade deadline a little more challenging than in other years.
The most important caveat for this year’s deadline is that there is no true ace considered to be available. Unlike last season, when the White Sox were actively shopping Garrett Crochet, this time around, there is no frontline, All-Star-level arm on the market. Across the league, that caliber of pitcher is either not available or not healthy. Some might argue that Rangers right-hander Jacob deGrom meets this criteria, but he comes with a price that would turn many teams off.
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This season, there are more middle-to-back of the rotation arms available. Pitchers such as Pirates left-hander Andrew Heaney, Orioles righty Zach Eflin, D-backs right-hander Merrill Kelly and Rangers righty Tyler Mahle are the type of arms expected to be available and highly sought after. If moved, those four would all be rentals before they become free agents at the conclusion of the 2025 season.
Several other notable pitchers who are set to become free agents and therefore could be candidates to be traded, such as Astros left-hander Framber Valdez, Phillies southpaw Ranger Suárez and Padres right-hander Michael King, are on contending teams and are important pieces of their teams’ playoff hopes. That trend across the league further shrinks this summer’s pitching market.
And of the starters who are expected to be available this summer, many come with questions or risks. There aren’t many arms you can point to that have been particularly dominant, and there are even fewer that a contender would want starting a playoff game.
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Even Sandy Alcántara and Zac Gallen, who were supposed to be among the biggest names available at this year’s deadline, have not delivered Cy Young-caliber performances in the first half. While it’s entirely possible either of them could return to All-Star form with a new club and give that team an ace for the stretch run, it seems just as likely that they continue to struggle through the second half.
Competition for starting pitching inevitably drives up the price for the best players available at the deadline. That will be particularly true this…