2025 MLB trade deadline: Four under-the-radar candidates to move, including Dodgers prospect, Brewers hitter

If there's one thing everyone loves around this time of the year, it's reckless speculation about who could be traded ahead of the July 31 deadline. If there's a second thing everyone loves, it's a bargain. 

Naturally, it only makes sense to blend those ideas. That's what I've done below, identifying four players I believe to be compelling under-the-radar trade targets.

What, exactly, does "under-the-radar" mean? Essentially, that you aren't going to find these players bandied about constantly in trade rumors, but that there is some reason to think that they could be had. Be warned that these are not star-caliber players or, even, necessarily recognizable names. Rather, these are the kinds of players whose acquisition goes unmentioned until they end up playing a larger-than-expected role.

Got it? Good. Let's proceed.

Ranking top 25 MLB players who could move at the trade deadline, plus potential landing spots

R.J. Anderson

1. Brandon Eisert, LHP, Chicago White Sox

Eisert is a 27-year-old lefty whose average fastball velocity (89.9 mph) is only slightly higher than his career ERA+ (85). If that sounds like a profile you'd find on the waiver wire … well, it is: that's how the White Sox obtained him back in February. Even so, he's an interesting target for any contending team seeking bullpen help (that is to say, almost every contender).

Brandon Eisert

CHW • RP • #53

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Eisert has several things working in his favor, beginning with a deceptive release point. He really gets down the mound, creating more than seven feet of separation from the pitching rubber, and he combines that with some crossfire action to create an unusual angle. He doesn't have the most impressive repertoire: a mid-80s slider/cutter, two fastballs (one being a seldom-used sinker), and a changeup that generates nearly 43% whiffs. 

You wouldn't know it based on Eisert's bloated ERA, but that collection of pitches has enabled him to post better-than-average marks in some important areas, including whiff and chase rate and average exit velocity surrendered. He's also shown enough command to keep his walk rate under 6%.

As an added bonus, Eisert has options remaining and is years away from qualifying for arbitration. Why would the White Sox move him, you ask? Go back and reread the first sentence.

2. Blake Perkins, CF, Milwaukee Brewers

Perkins hasn't yet played at the big-league level this season on account of injury. Absence can make the heart grow fonder, but I wonder if the Brewers will now be more open to shipping him out given both his advancing age (he'll turn 29 in September) and their still-capable outfield depth chart. 

Blake Perkins

MIL • RF • #16

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If so, Perkins could follow the same arc as Tommy Edman, who didn't make his season debut last year until Aug. 19.

Perkins, a switch-hitter with a minimal platoon split, isn't going to impress anyone offensively. He's posted an OPS between 83 and 85 in each of the last two years largely because he minds the zone and takes his walks. The real draws here are his defense and his baserunning. He saved 17 runs for the Brewers in 2023-24, according to Statcast, making him a well-above-average outfielder. He also swiped 28 total bags on 35 attempts.

Everyone is hunting for offense this summer, but ultimately runs are runs are runs are runs -- even if they're created with a glove or a set of legs rather than a piece of lumber 

3. Alex Freeland, SS, Los Angeles Dodgers

Freeland is a well-regarded prospect with nearly a full season of Triple-A experience to his credit. He would be part of most big-league rosters at this point. The Dodgers, though, don't have a clear role for him, which is why I'm including him here as a dark horse candidate for a team in need of a shortstop.

Freeland, 23, has hit .255/.368/.415 in 124 total Triple-A games. This season, he's averaging a 91.5 mph exit velocity, with nearly 49% of his batted balls clearing the 95 mph threshold. Additionally, he's sporting a 75% contact rate and a 19% chase rate. Did I mention that he's a switch-hitter? Anyway, there are a few pertinent questions to ask here -- like if the Dodgers would actually move him, and what kind of return they'd seek given the value of a quality young shortstop. 

I don't know the answer to either question. I do know that Los Angeles has an embarrassment of infield riches, however, with Mookie Betts, Tommy Edman, and Hyeseong Kim in place for the long haul. (They also have to figure out what to do with the Will Smith-Dalton Rushing catching timeshare.) If nothing else, let's file Freeland in the "it doesn't hurt to ask" folder.

4. Tyler Phillips, RHP, Miami Marlins

The Marlins have a lot of interesting pitchers they could move this deadline. I'm highlighting Phillips here, but you could reasonably insert a few other members of that Miami staff.

Tyler Phillips

MIA • RP • #30

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Phillips, acquired in a trivial late-spring deal with the Philadelphia Phillies, isn't one for missing bats or amassing gaudy strikeout rates. His arsenal has about the same verticality as a 1950s NBA point guard and he instead relies on east-to-west movement to ply his trade. Naturally, Phillips excels at inducing chases and generating weak (often on the ground) contact with what amounts to a five-pitch mix. (His sinker, knuckle curve, and sweeper all grade as above-average offerings.)

Additionally, Phillips has demonstrated that he has a rubber arm. He's delivered multiple innings in 14 of his 33 appearances. It's hard to put an exact number on that sort of thing, but there's both a skill and value to it given the nature of today's game. 

Who knows. Maybe a team in need would even let Phillips try his hand at starting again -- that may not sound appealing on its face, but it's not like many expected Zack Littell, Grant Holmes, or Slade Cecconi to develop into workable rotation solutions, either.