July 31 is the tipping point for teams across Major League Baseball to decide whether they've got a shot at the 2025 postseason or if 2026 will be a better year. At 6 p.m. ET, the trade deadline will be up, closing off the easiest avenue for franchises to add proven, impact talent to their rosters.

In this, the year of the flawed team, Major League Baseball’s July 31 trade deadline was appropriately odd and incomplete, largely a slew of imperfect players heading to teams with uncertain playoff prospects,