The 2025 Toronto Blue Jays and their late-season run are influencing how clubs approach the trade deadline, with executives weighing moves to position teams for deep October runs, according to the report. Teams across both leagues are considering transactions ahead of the 6 p.m. ET deadline Monday, the report says.
The Chicago Cubs enter the window with a clear need for pitching after injuries and roster moves thinned their rotation and bullpen. Cade Horton required season-ending elbow surgery, Justin Steele suffered a setback, Edward Cabrera has been recovering from a major leg injury and Jameson Taillon was recently designated for assignment, according to the report. Potential fits mentioned for Chicago include Freddy Peralta, Clay Holmes, Robbie Ray, Kevin Gausman, Reid Detmers, Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize, per the report.
The Chicago White Sox figure to prioritize a catcher and an upgrade in the rotation, the report says. The club lost catcher Kyle Teel to a significant ankle injury, and the team could target catchers such as Kyle Stephenson and José Trevino of the Cincinnati Reds, who is on the cusp of free agency, or players from New York’s market like Francisco Álvarez and Luis Torrens, according to the report. Noah Schultz, the White Sox fifth starter, carries an ERA above 6.00, highlighting the rotation need, the report adds.
The New York Yankees list a power reliever and a right-handed bat among their top needs after injuries to Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Cody Bellinger have stretched the lineup, according to the report. Bullpen targets cited include Mason Miller and Adrián Morejón, while Ryan Jeffers has been linked as a potential offensive addition; Tyrone Taylor was mentioned as another position-player option, per the report. The report also noted a recent contribution from journeyman Ali Sánchez, who hit a three-run homer on Monday.
The report frames these needs as part of a broader market in which contenders seek to augment pitching and depth for a postseason push. Teams will be judged on whether they address those priorities before the Monday deadline, according to the report.
