The difference between a team buying or selling at the Trade Deadline can be a matter of just a few games in the standings. A winning streak or a losing streak in the week before the Deadline can be all it takes to push a team in one direction or another.

The trick, of course, is knowing the difference between a real shot at the postseason and mere wishful thinking. With so many teams seemingly in contention as this season's Deadline approaches, these next two weeks become crucial for teams to know where they stand as the second half unfolds.

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Here's how each team is expected to approach the July 30 Trade Deadline, according to MLB.com's beat writers.

Jump to: AL East | AL Central | AL West | NL East | NL Central | NL West

American League East

Blue Jays: Soft sell

This could get 100 times more interesting if the Blue Jays decide to trade players with club control beyond this season. But for now, they appear to be focusing on one last pivot toward a run in 2025. Yusei Kikuchi and Yimi Garcia would be their best trade chips while Trevor Richards, Danny Jansen, Justin Turner and Kevin Kiermaier round out the group. There aren’t many opportunities to get back a legitimate, high-end prospect here, so the Blue Jays may need to get creative. If the ‘25 season is this core’s last run together, then July 30 needs to be the first step in that direction. -- Keegan Matheson

Orioles: Buy aggressively

The O’s believe they can win a World Series title this year, hence why they acquired All-Star ace Corbin Burnes on Feb. 1, even though the right-hander is set to become a free agent after this season. Baltimore needs to bolster its pitching staff ahead of its push for the postseason and a potentially deep run through October. The Orioles need a frontline starter who can group with Burnes and Grayson Rodriguez in a postseason rotation, and they could also use bullpen help. General manager Mike Elias has repeatedly stated that he’s waiting for the market to develop before making a move (or moves). -- Jake Rill

Rays: Buy and sell with 2025 in mind

The Rays’ relatively strong first-half finish brought them back to .500 and kept them on the periphery of the AL’s postseason picture. President of baseball operations Erik Neander often references the club’s goal to reach the postseason as often as possible, so it’s not like they’ll punt if they have a chance to play in October. But the Rays tend to take a more measured approach to the Deadline when they’re not in position to win the division. What does that mean? The Rays could capitalize on a seller’s market by moving productive but increasingly expensive veterans – Zach Eflin? Brandon Lowe? Isaac Paredes? – while retooling their roster to stay competitive down the stretch and be even more of a threat next season. -- Adam Berry

Red Sox: Pick a lane -- Buyers

One thing former Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom took criticism for in his final two Trade Deadlines was hedging on buying or selling at the Trade Deadline. Craig Breslow said that he will be definitive in picking a lane. And if the Red Sox keep up their current level of play, that lane will be to buy. The Red Sox could use a starting pitcher, a righty setup reliever and a right-handed bat to bolster the club for the stretch run. “I think this team has put themselves in a position where we have to take them seriously,” Breslow said recently on NESN. “We need to be thinking about opportunities for us to improve the club.” -- Ian Browne

Yankees: Help wanted

The Yankees may have too many issues to fix in one Trade Deadline, but they’ll certainly try -- after all, this is their only guaranteed year with Juan Soto. Even before their June slide, there was a clear need for a swing-and-miss arm in the bullpen. That remains an issue; they could deal for one or two relievers. Underperformance (Carlos Rodón, Nestor Cortes, Marcus Stroman) and injury (Clarke Schmidt) have dinged the rotation, so New York may also try to deal for a starting pitcher. There’s also a need for an infielder, with DJ LeMahieu and Gleyber Torres both having been underwhelming. -- Bryan Hoch

AL Central

Guardians: Buy

Maybe Cleveland needs to take away from its plentiful bullpen depth in order to secure a deal, but aside from that, the team doesn’t have many Major League trade chips it’d be willing to consider moving anyway. If the Guardians can put together a solid prospect package for a team with a decent starting pitcher who can help their Major League rotation or a Major League-ready impact bat (probably in right field or maybe shortstop), they know they need to do it. This club has already surprised the baseball world by entering the All-Star break with the best record in the American League. It doesn’t want to spoil this possibility of contention. -- Mandy Bell

Royals: Buy with 2025 in mind

The Royals got started with this strategy early when they acquired reliever Hunter Harvey – who isn’t a free agent until after the ‘25 season -- last week for third baseman prospect Cayden Wallace and the No. 39 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft. That’s the going rate for a controllable reliever who can pitch at the back end of games, and Harvey fits exactly what the Royals were looking for, with his power arm, 26.3% strikeout rate and 6.3% walk rate. The Royals believe their bullpen -- their biggest Deadline need – is much improved after this trade. But that doesn’t mean they’ll stop looking to upgrade. They’ll still look for pitching. They need some depth in their lineup, so a versatile position player would be helpful. With every potential deal, the Royals will look to get better this year and in the next few years, because they believe their window of contention is just opening. -- Anne Rogers

Tigers: Sell

Though the Tigers are potentially another hot stretch away from entering the AL Wild Card picture, and just a few wins away from .500, they have several veterans on short-term deals who could bring more talent in return to fortify Detroit’s future. Jack Flaherty is one of the top starting pitchers on the market if he can show his back issues have subsided after two injections, though the Tigers could keep him and make him a qualifying offer to get a comp pick in return. Carson Kelly is expected to draw interest as a platoon or backup catcher for a contender. Mark Canha could be in play if he can get healthy and heat up at the plate. Detroit’s relievers are likely to draw interest. -- Jason Beck

Twins: Buy, but perhaps not aggressively

After trading many solid prospects away and with another offseason of revenue uncertainty coming, would the Twins get aggressive again? They could use rotation help, but they don’t like rental starters -- and there’s no opening for next year. The offense has already been among MLB’s best while missing Royce Lewis for massive chunks and with severe underperformance from two other top projected performers (Edouard Julien, Alex Kirilloff). And the bullpen could already get Brock Stewart and Justin Topa (and perhaps Louie Varland) back. -- Do-Hyoung Park

White Sox: Trade, trade, trade, and oh yes, trade

Chris Getz has made this point abundantly clear since taking over as White Sox general manager: Everyone on his roster is available in the early stages of a rebuild, and the returns will be geared to enhance the future products. That list might include lefty All-Star starter Garrett Crochet, five-tool outfielder Luis Robert Jr., right-handed starter Erick Fedde, closer Michael Kopech, veteran outfielder Tommy Pham and even first baseman Andrew Vaughn. The White Sox have two years of control after ‘24 with Crochet, who has been a dominant starter in the season’s first half, and one year with two $20 million options on Robert Jr. So, unless their high ask is met in those cases, they will stay with the team. -- Scott Merkin

AL West

Angels: Sell

The Angels are clear sellers for the first time in several years and should move several of the veterans before the July 30 Trade Deadline. Closer Carlos Estévez, an impending free agent, is the most likely trade candidate and has been on quite a roll. They also could look to move veteran outfielder Kevin Pillar and any of their veteran relievers, such as Hunter Strickland, Luis García or Matt Moore. But they have more difficult decisions with All-Star lefty Tyler Anderson, left fielder Taylor Ward and infielder Luis Rengifo, as they are all under contract beyond this season. But if the Angels get a deal to their liking, it could make sense to add some prospects to their young core. -- Rhett Bollinger

Astros: Desperately seeking pitching

With starting pitchers Justin Verlander, Cristian Javier, José Urquidy, Luis Garcia, Lance McCullers Jr. and J.P. France on the injured list (and Javier, Urquidy and France out for the year and McCullers suffering a setback), the Astros desperately need starting pitching. They don’t want to give up high-end prospects, but they should be able to land an arm that can eat some innings in the second half and take some burden off young starters Ronel Blanco and Spencer Arrighetti. Houston would also like to add a bat to the lineup, preferably one that could play at first base. A starting pitcher is a must, however. -- Brian McTaggart

Athletics: Selective about selling

Most observers see the A’s going through a rebuild and automatically assume flame-throwing closer Mason Miller and slugger Brent Rooker are bound to get moved. But the reality is, both players are still under team control for at least the next few years, so there is no pressure within the A’s front office to move either player by the Deadline. Sure, the A’s might be willing to entertain offers, but landing Miller or Rooker is likely going to require a sizable haul of top prospects. -- Martín Gallegos

Mariners: Swing big, literally

There are less than two weeks to go, yet there’s still much uncertainty on how bold the Mariners will be in augmenting a roster that, despite the playoff standing it's held all season, has clear deficiencies. They will add a bat, if not multiple. And they will seemingly be in on all the aircraft carriers -- Pete Alonso, Luis Robert Jr. and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. -- but the question is whether any of that top talent will actually be available. And they have the prospect capital to get a seat at the table on any of those players. President of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto has kept his cards close to the vest, without much, if any, public commentary this season -- and that’s been by design. All of it makes the Mariners one of the most fascinating teams to follow ahead of the Deadline. -- Daniel Kramer

Rangers: Lightly sell

Texas is five games out of first place in the American League West. It’s not a lost cause yet, but the front office will need to make a decision one way or another soon. It’s highly likely that they just stand pat and attempt to win the division with the group that they have, but it would be irresponsible to not consider shipping off some veteran guys on expiring deals, such as relievers Kirby Yates and David Robertson or starters Michael Lorenzen and Andrew Heaney. That said, the clubhouse has never wavered in its belief that the team can start stringing some wins together. The three-way race atop the AL West very well could last well into September. They’ve gotta make a decision one way or another soon. -- Kennedi Landry

National League East

Braves: Buy

Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos has made numerous valuable Trade Deadline deals since he arrived in Atlanta for the 2018 season. Anthopoulos’ best haul came in 2021, when he acquired Joc Pederson, Jorge Soler, Eddie Rosario, Adam Duvall and a couple of others after Ronald Acuña Jr. suffered the first of what is now two season-ending knee injuries. He was fortunate with each of the low-risk, high-reward deals he made that year. He’ll be looking to add one outfielder and possibly a starting pitcher before this year’s July 30 Deadline. With three All-Stars, the rotation is one of the game’s strongest. But Spencer Schwellenbach could start to fatigue and there will be a need to monitor the workloads of Chris Sale and Reynaldo López as they attempt to complete their first full season as a starter since 2019. -- Mark Bowman

Marlins: Sell

Pitching help, in particular of the relief kind, is always in demand. That makes All-Star closer Tanner Scott, who can become a free agent after the season, the Marlins' biggest trade piece. Other late-inning arms such as A.J. Puk also could be dangled. Jazz Chisholm Jr. recently moved back to second base, making him an intriguing name that has come up in trade rumors. -- Christina De Nicola

Mets: Cautious buyers

After a couple years of protecting their prospects, the Mets aren’t going to go all-in right now -- not with a club that was below .500 for much of the early season. But veteran leaders have been vocal in advocating for help at the Deadline, and the type of help the roster needs is relatively easy to find. The Mets don’t need a starting pitcher. They don’t require a big bat. All they really want is a reliever (or two), preferably of the leverage variety, and maybe a left-handed platoon outfielder. So long as president of baseball operations David Stearns addresses the bullpen in a meaningful way, the Mets will be better off post-Deadline. -- Anthony DiComo

Nationals: Sell

The Nationals have had success in recent years swapping expiring contracts for packages of prospects. (CJ Abrams and James Wood are among those acquired from the Padres in the Juan Soto blockbuster.) As they continue to build toward their future, look for them to take a similar approach. Left fielder/designated hitter Jesse Winker is a top trade candidate. He is having a bounceback season after joining the Nats on a Minor League deal. Players with years left on their contracts who are likely to garner interest include right fielder Lane Thomas and reliever Kyle Finnegan. -- Jessica Camerato

Phillies: Looking for a right-handed bat

The Phillies have no gaping holes on their roster, but they have areas they can improve before July 30. It starts with a right-handed-hitting outfielder who can play left or center field. (Reports that the Phillies are solely focused on center fielders Cody Bellinger, Luis Robert Jr. and Jazz Chisholm Jr. are not accurate.) The Phillies will see how Weston Wilson fares in left field against left-handed pitching in the next couple of weeks. But even if he plays well, the Phillies will look for a bat to upgrade. The Phillies could also use another late-inning reliever to improve their depth. -- Todd Zolecki

NL Central

Brewers: Pitching (at the right price)

The Brewers’ recent bullpen adds have been total duds (Andrew Chafin last season; Taylor Rogers, Matt Bush and Trevor Rosenthal in 2022; Daniel Norris and John Curtiss in ‘21) but they will scour that market once again because the need is clear for innings of any kind. GM Matt Arnold already tried out, and moved on from, Dallas Keuchel, and jumped the rest of the market by acquiring starter Aaron Civale from the Rays on July 3. The Brewers do have some pitchers due back from the IL soon after the All-Star break (“length” options Joe Ross and DL Hall plus relievers Devin Williams and Jared Koenig), but this year and every year shows that a contender can never have too much pitching. -- Adam McCalvy

Cardinals: Buy -- for pitching and a right-handed bat

For the first time in decades, the Cardinals were sellers at the Trade Deadline last season as they dealt away five pitchers for a bevy of prospects. Now, the Cards will use those prospects and others to try to lure pitching help and maybe a difference-making right-handed bat to St. Louis. Two pitchers the Cards will likely target, per a source: Rangers’ right-hander Nathan Eovaldi and Rays’ righty Zach Eflin. -- John Denton

Cubs: Keep contending in 2025 in mind

Knowing how Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer has approached things in recent years, he is going to keep his thinking close to the vest until the Deadline arrives. Chicago’s front office is still in a holding pattern to see whether the team can keep its strong finish to the first half (eight wins in 11 games) going over the next couple of weeks. Whatever the Cubs do, this is not likely going to be a major sell-off. The current team was built with the goal of contending this year and in the coming seasons, so a rebuild is not a realistic avenue. If pieces are traded away, it will likely be to create more roster flexibility to retool for ‘25. -- Jordan Bastian

Pirates: Buy some bats

The Pirates are making calls to acquire more hitters, and they have enough young pitching prospects to get a deal or two done. The Pirates’ 402 runs scored were tied for the third-fewest in the National League in the first half, and that’s due in large part to a couple of positions where the Pirates haven’t gotten much offensive production, especially in the outfield, where only Bryan Reynolds has consistently produced. It seems very unlikely the Pirates will trade a top prospect, such as a Bubba Chandler, but they have plenty of appealing depth arms that could either be lumped together or sold on their own to get another bat. -- Alex Stumpf

Reds: Wait as long as possible

Because of Cincinnati's current situation, president of baseball operations Nick Krall and the front office remain in wait-and-see mode before deciding whether to buy or sell. The team's performance on the next road trip will certainly help dictate which direction they choose. If the Reds become buyers, they have prospect depth to use as chips and they have a need for proven run producers. Selling would not mean a fire sale by any stretch because most of the club's core is young. But veteran players with short-term contacts could potentially be moved, including starting pitcher Frankie Montas, relievers Fernando Cruz, Lucas Sims, Nick Martinez, Brent Suter and Justin Wilson, and perhaps even second baseman Jonathan India. -- Mark Sheldon

NL West

D-backs: Buy

It’s hard to imagine a scenario in which GM Mike Hazen is not aggressive at the Trade Deadline. For one, it’s not in his nature to be a seller. Secondly, the team opened the year with the highest payroll in franchise history. And as the D-backs showed with last year’s run to the World Series as the third Wild Card team, all you have to do is get into the postseason and anything can happen. With the NL Wild Card race wide open, look for Hazen to be a buyer. Depending on how they feel about how quickly their injured starters will return, the D-backs could look to add a starting pitcher, but they will most certainly try to add to their bullpen, something Hazen has tried to do every year. Another bat might also be a target depending on how third baseman Eugenio Suárez is hitting. -- Steve Gilbert

Dodgers: Add starting pitcher and impact bat

As things currently stand, the Dodgers have a lot of holes on the roster. A lot of that, of course, is due to injury and LA should be getting some impact players back at different points in the second half. Still, the Dodgers need to add at least one starting pitcher -- perhaps even two -- to help them stabilize the pitching staff the rest of the way. Ideally, it’s a pitcher who can make a significant impact in a postseason series, but right now the Dodgers can just use the bodies. On the position player side, they need to fix the situation at the bottom of the order. Getting Mookie Betts, Jason Heyward and Max Muncy back from injury will certainly help, but the bottom of the lineup was an issue even at full strength. -- Juan Toribio

Giants: Keep trending younger

The Giants already began to shake up their roster by trading Austin Slater to the Reds and releasing veteran shortstop Nick Ahmed, which created more opportunities for younger players such as Brett Wisely, Tyler Fitzgerald and Luis Matos. There’s room for the Giants to go even further at the Deadline and still contend, especially with farmhands Marco Luciano, David Villar and Jerar Encarnación playing well at Triple-A Sacramento. The second half of July will go a long way toward determining the Giants’ direction, putting pressure on regulars such as Michael Conforto, Wilmer Flores, Thairo Estrada and Mike Yastrzemski to begin to pick it up after uneven first halves. -- Maria Guardado

Padres: Add pitching, but buy smart

The Padres have already swung two major trades this season, landing Dylan Cease as they broke camp in Peoria, Ariz., then adding Luis Arraez in early May. Those two deals addressed two major needs -- but they also thinned the farm system. Clearly, the Padres still need pitching -- at least one starter and one reliever. But in a seller’s market, they’d be wise not to swing too big, considering the resources they’ve already sacrificed. A back-of-the-rotation starter and a seventh-inning, medium-leverage-type reliever might be enough to fill out this staff. -- AJ Cassavell

Rockies: Sell, but how much?

Elias Díaz’s development into an All-Star last year and an All-Star candidate before a left calf injury in the first half make him a key chip. The Rox are more likely to deal with the presence of Jacob Stallings, the fact that catcher is Hunter Goodman’s best position, and there are two prospects -- Drew Romo (Rockies No. 9) and Willie MacIver at Triple-A and knocking. There will be interest in lefty Jalen Beeks, who has struggled as a closer but who has held lefties to a .176 average in 59 plate appearances.

Then there are tough decisions: second baseman Brendan Rodgers, righty starter Cal Quantrill and lefty starter Austin Gomber. Rodgers is most likely to go, and he returned from an early-season injury hitting well enough to attract interest. It’s hard to move away from pitching, but the Rockies will look at moving Quantrill or Gomber only if they can score a deal like they did in winter 2016, when they acquired from the Rays an almost-ready Germán Márquez. Vet Charlie Blackmon turned hot near the break, but he has said a key factor in approving a trade to a contender is whether the deal truly helps the Rockies. -- Thomas Harding