MLB trade deadline: Eugenio Suárez, Mitch Keller, Merrill Kelly among prized players who could move

PHOENIX (AP) — The Arizona Diamondbacks got the trade deadline party started on Thursday night when they dealt 2024 All-Star Josh Naylor to the Seattle Mariners for two pitching prospects.

That probably won't be the last time the D-backs make news before the July 31 deadline.

Arizona has had a disappointing season with a 51-57 record and now appears to be one of the most active sellers on the MLB market, dangling third baseman Eugenio Suárez and starting pitchers Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly.

The potential buyers include teams like the New York Yankees, New York Mets, Detroit Tigers, Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers, who are all trying to beef up their rosters in hopes of a deep playoff run.

The market is heating up quickly: The Yankees acquired third baseman Ryan McMahon from the Rockies, while the Orioles traded left-handed reliever Gregory Soto to the Mets and right-hander Seranthony Dominguez to the Blue Jays.

The Royals are among the teams who look like they've decided to keep possible trade chips. Right-hander Seth Lugo was expected to be a prized addition at the deadline, but Kansas City decided to extend the veteran on a $46 million, two-year deal that goes until 2027.

The D-backs have been one of the most intriguing teams in baseball over the past few weeks because management has had to make a tough decision whether to buy or sell. Arizona had a 50-50 record after sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals following the All-Star break but were then swept by the Houston Astros, lost two of three to the Pittsburgh Pirates and two more to the Tigers.

Naylor's already gone and he'll help a Seattle lineup that could use a little more punch. Suárez is having one of the best seasons of his career, slugging 36 homers over 104 games, and is arguably the best bat on the market.

Here's a look at some of the top players who could be available as teams try to upgrade for the stretch run:

Suarez is just an average defensive third baseman these days, but that's not why teams want to acquire him. He's got the kind of bat that can carry a team for weeks at a time, major pop from the right side of the plate. He has 312 career homers, is well-liked in the locker room and has been productive in limited postseason at-bats with a .300 average.

The 29-year-old Keller has been overshadowed in the Pirates' rotation thanks to the emergence of young star Paul Skenes, but the right-hander has been a reliable starter for the past four seasons and was an All-Star in 2023. The one catch is it'll take a sizable haul for the Pirates to make a deal: He's under contract through 2028 as part of a relatively reasonable $77 million, five-year deal.

Gallen is having the worst full season of his career with a 7-12 record and 5.60 ERA but could still be an attractive add for a team that needs a starter. The 29-year-old right-hander has been one of the top pitchers in the National League over the past five years, finishing in the top 10 of the Cy Young Award voting in 2020, 2022 and 2023. His stuff is still good and he's had a handful of dominant starts this season.

The 36-year-old righty has quietly been one of the most consistent pitchers in baseball with a 9-6 record and 3.22 ERA. He was also excellent during the D-backs' postseason run in 2023 with a 3-1 record, 2.25 ERA and 28 strikeouts over 24 innings. Kelly doesn't have an overpowering fastball but has a five-pitch mix that has consistently delivered results.

The 29-year-old Alcantara isn't the same pitcher he was when he won the 2022 NL Cy Young Award, but the right-hander still has quite a bit of upside. He's allowed just one unearned run over 12 innings in his last two starts, which might help his value. His rotation partner Edward Cabrera — another right-hander — could also garner attention with a 3.35 ERA over 18 starts.

The 31-year-old is having a career year with a .284 average, .375 on-base percentage and 12 homers, helping him earn All-Star honors for the first time in his career. His left-handed bat would be useful in a contender's lineup.

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Miami Marlins starting pitcher Sandy Alcantara pitches during the first inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Friday, July 18, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Merrill Kelly throws against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning of a baseball game Sunday, July 20, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Seth Lugo pitches during the second inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Friday, July 18, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Arizona Diamondbacks' Eugenio Suárez, left, watches the flight of his three-run home run as St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yohel Pozo, right, looks on during the first inning of a baseball game Sunday, July 20, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — An international body tasked with governing the Gaza Strip under the next phase of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire is expected to be announced by the end of the year, an Arab official and a Western diplomat said Friday.

According to the ceasefire agreement, the authority — known as the Board of Peace and chaired by U.S. President Donald Trump — is to oversee Gaza's reconstruction under a 2-year, renewable U.N. mandate.

It will include about a dozen other Middle Eastern and Western leaders, the Arab official and the Western diplomat told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the matter.

Also to be announced is a committee of Palestinian technocrats who will run the day-to-day administration of post-war Gaza, they two said. The Western diplomat, who spoke to the AP over the phone from Cairo, said the announcement about this will likely happen when Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meet later this month.

The ceasefire deal also calls for an armed International Stabilization Force to keep security and ensure the disarming of the militant Hamas group, a key demand of Israel.

The announcement would be a significant step forward in implementing Trump's 20-point plan for the territory devastated by Israel's 2-year campaign against Hamas.

The shaky ceasefire, which came into effect on Oct. 10, has been tested by outbursts of violence and accusations by both sides of violations of the truce. The first phase of the ceasefire has neared completion, though Hamas is still to hand over the remains of a last Israel hostage called for under the deal.

The Arab official said that talks are still ongoing over which countries will take part in the international force for Gaza but that he expects deployment will begin in the first quarter of 2026.

A U.S. official gave a similar timeline, saying that “boots on the ground” could be a reality in early 2026. The official spoke to the AP on the same condition of anonymity. Axios first reported the anticipated announcement on Thursday.

The Arab official said that “extensive talks” will start immediately with Hamas and Israel on the details of the second phase, which he expects to be tough.

Those talks are expected the tackle the issue of disarming Hamas, a step the militant group has not yet agreed to. The plan also calls for Israeli forces to withdraw from the roughly half of the Gaza Strip that they still control as the international force deploys.

Funding for a rebuilding plan for the Gaza Strip still has not been determined. Some Palestinians have expressed concern over the apparent lack of a Palestinian voice in the body and the lack of a firm promise in the plan that they will eventually gain statehood.

Netanyahu's government rejects the creation of a Palestinian state, and the U.S.-brokered deal includes only a vague provision that a pathway toward statehood may be possible if certain conditions are met.

Associated Press writer Josef Federman in Doha, Qatar, contributed to this report.

Palestinians watch youths riding their motorcycles and ATV on sand dunes in the Al-Zahra area, in the central Gaza Strip, Friday, Dec. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Palestinians watch youths riding their motorcycles on sand dunes in the Al-Zahra area, in the central Gaza Strip, Friday, Dec. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Mourners attend the funeral of Palestinians killed in an Israeli military strike, at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)