It’s hard to pinpoint exactly who is going to be dealt at the upcoming MLB Trade Deadline, especially with the expanded Wild Card and so many teams in both leagues hovering around the .500 mark. Still, if there’s one thing that I can guarantee, it’s that a boatload of relievers on expiring contracts will get moved. That’s up there with death and taxes as inevitabilities in life, my friends.
How that pertains to season-long fantasy baseball is pretty obvious. Teams are going to be shaking up their bullpens by either adding an arm that could start seeing save opportunities or by removing one that’s been primarily pitching the ninth. Saves are a precious resource in fantasy. This stuff is important.
With all that in mind, let’s roll through the five current closers who are most likely to have a new home by August 1.
MLB Trade Deadline: Top 5 Closers
1. Raisel Iglesias, Braves
Despite a positive run differential (+2), the Braves come into the All-Star break 11 games below the .500 mark and 12.5 games back of the first place Phillies in the NL East. If that wasn’t daunting enough, recent injuries to Chris Sale and Spencer Schwellenbach were the final nail in the coffin — this team is going to sell at the deadline and Iglesias is at the top of that list. The 35-year-old is in the last season of a four-year, $58 million contract and age might finally be catching up with the long-time closer. Across 36.2 innings, Iglesias does have 11 saves, yet he also sports a career-high 4.42 ERA and 1.72 opponent HR/9, as his velocity is beginning to slip away. That said, Iglesias has looked much better as of late, with 14 consecutive scoreless appearances. He might still have an opportunity for saves if he’s traded to the Cubs, Blue Jays or even in-division to Philadelphia.
2. David Bednar, Pirates
Bednar is an interesting case. The 30-year-old has been rumored to be on the move for some time now, but he’s not technically an expiring contract, as he’ll enter the final year of his arbitration in 2026. Still, it’s unlikely Pittsburgh will want to pay the right-hander the kind of money he’ll be owed. This also feels like the right time for the Pirates to move off an asset that has had wildly fluctuating value in the past 12 months. Bednar is in possession of a 2.53 ERA and a 2.02 FIP with a 34.6% strikeout rate in 2025, yet don’t forget the veteran closer was demoted to Triple-A in early April after a horrendous opening series against the Marlins. Relief pitchers are volatile. Even the best ones. I’d have to imagine Bednar’s days in Pittsburgh are numbered.
3. Kyle Finnegan, Nationals
Does anyone want to guess who are the top five pitchers in baseball for saves since the beginning of 2024? It shouldn’t be too difficult, right? Ryan Helsley and Emmanuel Clase have to be up there. Robert Suarez and Josh Hader seem like locks, too. But who comes in at No. 5? Folks, it’s Kyle Finnegan. Even knowing that, it is very difficult to pinpoint Finnegan’s exact value in a trade around the league. Remember, Finnegan was non-tendered by the Nationals at the end of last season and he was a free agent well into Spring Training, finally re-signing with Washington in late February on a one-year, $6 million deal. In 35 appearances in 2025, Finnegan has picked up 18 saves and pitched to respectable marks in ERA (3.12) and FIP (3.40). However, with an underwhelming strikeout total, any team adding the veteran would surely be doing so to supplement their current closer, not let Finnegan continue with the job.
4. Pete Fairbanks, Rays
As per usual, the Rays are going to be a fascinating team to watch and track at the trade deadline. At first blush, it would seem that Tampa has already made it’s stance known, acquiring Orioles’ set-up man Bryan Baker in a deal last week. Don’t be fooled. The Rays are rarely ever doing just one thing or thinking about just one season. To that point, Baker is under team control till 2028. Conversely, Pete Fairbanks is in the final guaranteed year of his current contract, though the club does carry a $7 million option into 2026 — a hefty potential figure on a Tampa payroll that is often among the league’s cheapest. Fairbanks will be 32-years-old in December. His strikeout rate is a career-low 20.7% in 2025, yet his velocity and swinging strike rate (11.0%) remain more than decent. The Rays are an organization that grow back-end relievers in a lab somewhere. To me, this feels like the right time to trade away Fairbanks, who has saved 63 games since the start of 2023.
5. Jhoan Duran, Twins
This is the one where I’ll have to see it to believe it. According to many reports, several teams have been calling the Twins and inquiring about the services of not only Duran, but also Griffin Jax. I don’t blame them. Over 44 appearances and 43.1 innings, Duran has 15 saves and a sterling 1.66 ERA. The hulking right-hander’s average fastball velocity sits in the 100th percentile of MLB, as does his 69.9% ground ball rate. There’s no other way to put it: Duran is an absolute stud. Still, it’s for that exact reason that I have some hesitations about Minnesota moving on from their closer. Duran is under team control until 2027. Unless the Twins are bowled over by an offer, there’s no real reason to trade him. Make sure to keep an eye — as Duran would contend for save opportunities in almost any bullpen — but count me somewhat skeptical on this one.
Honorable Mentions: Kenley Jansen, Angels (doesn’t want to be traded); Shelby Miller, Diamondbacks (injured)
