The Atlanta Braves are last in this week’s MLB Power Rankings which is actually good news for fans. (Photo by Kevin D. Liles/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images)
MLB Power Rankings of which teams are most likely to become trade deadline sellers.
A whole lot can change between now and the MLB trade deadline. Many teams have played about 40 games this year. Sparky Anderson knows it takes 40 games to know what a team is or isn’t. In this week’s MLB Power Rankings, we make some assumptions about who will or won’t be sellers at this year’s trade deadline.
Using the current standings and some preseason predictions, let’s look at who is most likely to have a “FOR SALE” sign pinned to the telephone pole on the corner.
30) MLB Power Rankings: Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are running away with the division. Seem familiar? It would take some sort of an epic collapse for them to possibly fall out of the playoff picture. They’ve spent the last two years playing catch up only to come away as the winners. We should expect a slump from this ball club at some point. However, mark them down as the least likely to sell this summer.
29) MLB Power Rankings: Tampa Bay Rays
Wait, is this disrespect? The Tampa Bay Rays have the best record in baseball and yet they are more likely to sell than the Atlanta Braves? There’s a reasoning behind this and it doesn’t necessarily have to do with them playing in a tough division. The Rays will go to the playoffs. What they may also do is sell while buying. An example of this was in 2021 when they traded Rich Hill to the New York Mets while adding other pieces to the roster. The Rays do things differently. This year, it’s working.
28) MLB Power Rankings: Texas Rangers
Even if the Texas Rangers somehow begin to fade, this is the kind of year where a trade deadline shopping spree might be exactly what they need to restart the World Series mission. Aside from their early success, this is a team that literally just bought in big this winter. Nothing’s for sale in Arlington. They’re going to be buyers.
27) MLB Power Rankings: Los Angeles Dodgers
This year’s Los Angeles Dodgers team still feels weaker than some of the others and yet here they are right up with the best clubs in the game. Their slow start seems to be behind them at this point. The Dodgers are playing great baseball and will probably win the National League West, again. Only because we’ve seen better Dodgers teams in the recent past is there still a small fraction of a chance they don’t buy this summer.
26) MLB Power Rankings: Toronto Blue Jays
One of the best trade chips in MLB resides on the Toronto Blue Jays roster. Matt Chapman would net them a nice haul. Even nicer would be to have him leading the championship parade. The Blue Jays need to be at an “all in” phase of the franchise’s history. Seeing as the New York Yankees aren’t so good and the Boston Red Sox appear combustible, now is their chance. Unfortunately, they do have to do with the Tampa Bay Rays and those pesky Baltimore Orioles who suddenly decided to wake up.