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The 48 hours before the 2025 MLB trade deadline were hectic, with a ton of movement from contending teams looking to improve their roster. Nearly two months later, it has become clear which teams won and lost at the deadline.

The flurry of activity before the deadline on July 31 didn't produce great results for every team, but some have hit the jackpot, and their additions fueled their sprint to the postseason. What follows is a look at the players who have solidified themselves as the best trade deadline pickups this year.

10. Kyle Finnegan, Tigers

Finnegan was having a wobbly season for the Nationals when the Tigers acquired him on deadline day in exchange for pitchers Josh Randall and R.J. Sales. He has been lights out ever since.

In 40 games for the Nationals, the 34-year-old reliever was 1–4 with a 4.38 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP, with 20 saves in 26 opportunities. Since Detroit acquired him, he’s been dominant, going 3–0 with a 0.00 ERA, a 0.42 WHIP, and 19 strikeouts against three walks in 14 1/3 innings over 12 appearances. He also has four saves without blowing one. Unfortunately, an adductor injury has sidelined him for most of September, but he appears close to a return.

Before the deadline, I identified a high-leverage reliever as Detroit’s biggest need. Finnegan has filled that role. His injury is the only thing dragging this ranking down.

9. David Bednar, Yankees

The Yankees also needed relief help at the deadline and found it in Bednar. New York landed the two-time All-Star from the Pirates in exchange for Rafael Flores, Edgleen Perez and Brian Sanchez. He has rewarded them by helping solidify their previously erratic bullpen. Fellow deadline acquisitions Jake Bird and Camilo Doval have produced mixed results, but Bednar has been excellent.

In 17 appearances for the Yankees, the 30-year-old is 3–0 with a 2.75 ERA, a 0.97 WHIP, and 28 strikeouts against six walks in 19 2/3 innings. Bednar has eight saves in 11 chances, and opposing batters are slashing .181/.244/.319 against him. He has only allowed four runs since Aug. 4, and hasn't blown a save since Aug. 20, when the Yankees rallied to get him a win after he gave up two runs against the Rays.

Bednar is under team control through next season, and the Yankees will happily keep him as their closer moving forward after Devin Williams's mess of a season.

8. Miguel Andújar, Reds

The Reds acquired Andújar from the A’s at the deadline in what was an under-the-radar move. He had been solid up to that point in the season, slashing .298/.329/.436 with six home runs and 27 RBIs in 60 games, but he exploded upon joining the Reds.

In 26 games with Cincinnati, Andújar is slashing .351/.405/.545, with three homers and 15 RBIs. His .950 OPS and 161 wRC+ are outstanding. Unfortunately, a lingering quad injury has limited his availability, which has knocked this pickup down the list. He’ll hit free agency after the season, so this could be a brief pairing. When he’s been available, Andújar has been excellent, though.

7. Leo De Vries, Athletics

This is a bit of a curveball because I’m adding a minor leaguer who won’t see the big leagues for quite a while, but De Vries is a special case. The Athletics were part of the biggest deal at the deadline when they sent Mason Miller and JP Sears to the Padres in exchange for prospects. De Vries was the headliner. The 18-year-old is a consensus top-five prospect in baseball as a shortstop with elite skills at the plate. Many, including myself, couldn’t believe San Diego traded him. It’s looking like a move the Padres will come to regret, no matter how good Miller is for them.

The A’s bumped De Vries to Double A in mid-August, and he has gone on a tear. In 21 games, he has slashed .281/.359/.551 with five home runs and 16 RBIs. He posted a wRC+ of 144 in that span. Just as a reminder, he won’t turn 19 until next month. He has incredible plate discipline, and his power has continued to increase as he has climbed the minor league ladder. It’s not a stretch to think he could be in the big leagues by next summer, though 2027 is a more likely target.

The Athletics appear to have a future star on their hands thanks to a savvy deal at the deadline that, yes, moved an All-Star, but may have gotten them a future cornerstone. Speaking of the guy he was traded for…

6. Mason Miller, Padres

To land Miller, the Padres shipped a king's ransom to … Sacramento? Las Vegas? What are we going with here? He’s one of the game’s elite relievers and added to an already strong bullpen, which made the deal puzzling. Regardless of the price paid to land him, Miller has been even better than advertised since arriving.

The 27-year-old has been on the mound for the Padres 18 times and boasts a 0.93 ERA, a WHIP of 0.67 and 36 strikeouts against six walks in 19 1/3 innings. He has only allowed two runs, both came in his second appearance for the team on Aug. 5. Since then, he has authored 16 scoreless outings while mostly acting as the setup man for All-Star closer Robert Suárez. Opposing hitters are batting .115 off of him with an OPS of .358 since the trade.

It remains to be seen what the Padres’ plans for Miller are long-term. He came up to the big leagues as a starter and is under team control through 2029. They could transition him back to that role. If not, they will have an elite reliever under team control for a long time. They paid a high price for it, but he has lived up to his billing so far.

Carlos Correa began his MLB career with the Houston Astros, winning AL Rookie of the Year after being called up early during the 2015 season. He went on to capture a World Series with the club two years later, and made two of his three All-Star teams with the Astros.

Correa signed a three-year deal with the Minnesota Twins in free agency in 2022, but as the Twins look to sell ahead of Thursday's MLB trade deadline, Correa could be on the move. Correa has a no-trade clause in his deal, but would waive it to head back to Houston, 's Bob Nightengale reports.

The Astros are also targeting a pair of bats at third base—St. Louis Cardinals star Nolan Arenado and Arizona Diamondbacks slugger Eugenio Suárez—according to Nightengale, but Correa would give Houston a very familiar, friendly face to bolster the lineup for the playoff push. Suarez would represent a much different offensive threat than Correa, who has seven home runs and 31 RBIs on the season, with below-average OPS+ of 93, though Correa would be a solid addition for Houston's defense.

To make a move happen, Minnesota will likely have to eat a big chunk of Correa's contract, Nightengale reports. He is on the third year of a six-year, $200 million contract, which includes potential vesting options for the 2029 to '32 seasons if Correa hits certain benchmarks including silver slugger, LCS and World Series MVP awards and top five regular season MVP finishes. Those convert to club options if they do not vest.

The Astros are currently 61–47 and four games up on the Seattle Mariners in the AL West, but with the possibility of third baseman Isaac Paredes being out for the rest of the season with a hamstring injury, it appears that Houston is ready to push its chips in to the center of the table to make a run at a third World Series championship since 2017.

Liverpool are closing in on the signing of Celtic’s highly rated 15-year-old defender Dara Jikiemi, positioning themselves ahead of Nottingham Forest and other Premier League rivals in the race for the Scottish prospect. The move is described as progressing positively, with the teenager expected to follow the pathway previously taken by Ben Gannon-Doak.

Liverpool set to sign 15-year-old Celtic star Jikemi

Liverpool have stepped up their pursuit of Celtic wonderkid Jikiemi, with reports from The Daily Mail indicating that discussions are advancing well and the Reds are in a strong position to finalise the move. The 15-year-old defender has caught the club’s eye with his maturity, leadership and strong performances at youth level, prompting Liverpool to act quickly as Premier League competition emerges. Nottingham Forest remain interested, but Liverpool are widely viewed as frontrunners, with the transfer expected to move forward shortly after the player turns 16.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportLiverpool planning for the future under Slot

Liverpool’s efforts to sign Jikiemi come during a season in which the club’s defensive structure has been under scrutiny, making long-term planning at centre-back even more essential. With Ibrahima Konate struggling for consistency and the wider backline facing constant evaluation, the club is determined to secure young defenders who can be developed inside the Kirkby system. The recent loss of academy midfielder Kaylum Moss to Manchester City further underlined the importance of replenishing talent pathways. Securing Jikiemi would reinforce a recruitment strategy built on early identification, patient development and sustainable squad building.

AFPJikemi will follow a similar path as Gannon-Doak

Jikiemi is regarded as one of the brightest young defenders in Scotland, having already captained the nation’s Under-15s and impressed with his performances for Celtic’s Under-18 side. His combination of leadership, composure and strong defensive instincts has made him an attractive target for Premier League clubs looking to invest in long-term potential. Jikiemi would follow the well-established pathway taken by Gannon-Doak, who also swapped Celtic Park for Liverpool’s academy at a similar age before developing into a Premier League-level footballer, generating a £25 million transfer fee following his move to Bournemouth.

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Liverpool remain frontruners to sign Jikemi

Liverpool are expected to formalise the deal early in 2026 once Jikiemi turns 16 and becomes eligible to complete the move, with Celtic due training compensation rather than a transfer fee. The teenager would then join the Reds' academy setup, where his development program would begin immediately under the guidance of Liverpool’s youth coaches. Nottingham Forest remain interested, but Liverpool currently hold a clear advantage and are not expected to lose their position unless there is a sudden change in negotiations.

Half-centuries for Lachlan Shaw and Josh Philippe helped NSW to a strong total

AAP23-Nov-2025Tasmania opener Caleb Jewell stepped up with a century in the absence of Test debutant Jake Weatherald to put his side in a strong position in their Sheffield Shield match against New South Wales.Jewell’s 102, his ninth first-class century, lifted the visitors to 196 for 2 at Cricket Central at stumps on day two in reply to NSW’s 391 for 9 declared.Related

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Tasmania’s plans were disrupted by a concussion to allrounder Aidan O’Connor and a leg injury to fellow allrounder Mitch Owen on day one. They were replaced by pace bowler Jackson Bird and batter Charlie Wakim.The competition has this year introduced injury substitutes who can play in a game under set conditions, so Wakim will be able to bat.Tasmania opened their batting with left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann and he performed a sterling job in his knock of 21 supporting Jewell in a 56-run opening stand.Jewell, who pulled the ball with venom in an innings that included 11 boundaries, found another ally in Tim Ward, who finished the day unbeaten on 53.It was Jewell’s first Shield century of the summer and came at just the right time with regular opening partner Weatherald on Test duty.NSW had earlier resumed on 214 for 2 after a rain-interrupted opening day. Left-hander Kurtis Patterson added just one to his overnight tally before being run out for 80.From there the visitors were able to keep chipping away to take wickets at regular intervals but Lachlan Shaw and Josh Philippe ensured NSW reached a solid total before their declaration.Tasmania quick Riley Meredith finished with 3 for 77 to take his season tally to 15 wickets in just five innings. The consistency of the 29-year-old paceman has been a highlight this season where he has captured three wickets in an innings on five occasions.Meredith, who took a career-high 23 wickets in just six matches in the Shield last season, is returning to the form that led to him representing Australia in both ODI and T20Is.

Chelsea dropped points for the second game in a row, suffering a disappointing 3-1 defeat away to Leeds United at Elland Road. The Blues put in a lacklustre performance in a tough environment, and never really managed to get into the game.

It was a poor start for Enzo Maresca’s side, who went 1-0 down inside the first six minutes after a fast start from the Whites. It was slack defending from a corner, with Jaka Bijol making a darting run from the edge of the penalty box and heading home at the near post.

The home side doubled their lead on the stroke of half-time. It was yet more questionable defending from the West Londoners, who let Ao Tanaka have acres of space just outside the area. The Japanese international unleashed a vicious shot which nestled into the back of the net.

Chelsea did pull a goal back, with just 50 minutes on the clock. Pedro Neto managed to shake off his marker and pull to the back post, firing home Jamie Gittens’ cross.

It was all in vain, though, after a defensive error with 18 minutes to go meant Leeds scored a third and sealed the win.

It was a disappointing night for Chelsea, with some particularly worrying performances across the board.

Chelsea’s worst performers vs. Leeds

There were some notable bad showings from a few of Maresca’s men against Leeds. One of those came from Tosin Adarabioyo. It was his error which led to Leeds’ third goal and all but secured the three points for the West Yorkshire side.

The former Fulham man received the ball inside the penalty area and took a heavy touch before playing a five-yard pass back to Robert Sanchez.

It was a frustrating lack of awareness from the Chelsea number four, who put his goalkeeper under pressure from the Leeds press.

Another member of the Chelsea side who struggled was centre-forward Liam Delap. It was a night where the Blues’ number nine seemed isolated. Aside from a snapshot in the second half, which he fired over the crossbar, he did little to trouble the Leeds defence.

One person who was critical of Delap’s performance at Elland Road was Goal journalist Tom Ritchie. He gave the English striker a 4/10 for his efforts, and described him as a ‘bystander’ during the first half.

Those two Chelsea stars were not the only players to struggle on Wednesday night, though.

Maresca could boldly bench £180k-per-week Chelsea star

It was a night to forget for Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez. The Argentine, who captained the Blues at Elland Road, struggled to get any sort of control in midfield.

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Perhaps that coincided with the fact that his usual partner in the centre of the park, Moises Caicedo, was suspended.

Chelsea’s number eight was arguably at fault for Tanaka’s goal. He was dispossessed in midfield, facing his own goal, with the ball breaking loose, a situation Leeds capitalised on.

This weighed into the 3/10 rating he got from Ritchie, who said he ‘looked rattled at times’. Indeed, Fernandez’s stats from the game show how much of a tough night it was.

Normally, so good on the ball, the £180k-per-week asset only had a pass accuracy of 77% in the Whites’ half, losing the ball 21 times. He also failed to complete a dribble or a tackle.

Touches

106

Opposition half pass accuracy

77%

Number of times ball lost

21

Unsuccessful touches

5

Ground duels won

1/4

Tackles

0

Dribbles

0

After a showing like that, it will be interesting to see if Maresca keeps Fernandez in the starting lineup for their next game against Bournemouth this Saturday. He certainly struggled without Caicedo next to him, and Reece James inverting from right-back.

There are options at his disposal, too. Cole Palmer is now back from injury and played 30 minutes at Elland Road on Wednesday. Whether or not he can play from the start remains to be seen, but he could slot into the side.

Alternatively, James could be brought back into the starting XI and operate in midfield, as he has done this season to a good degree of success.

Fernandez’s performance at Elland Road was disappointing, and it would not be a surprise if he dropped out of the side, especially with options at Maresca’s disposal.

As bad as Tosin: Maresca's 4/10 flop must never start for Chelsea again

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ByRobbie Walls Dec 4, 2025

Mexico now know their path for the 2026 World Cup. El Tri will open the tournament at the Estadio Azteca against South Africa (61), marking the first time an opening match from a previous edition has been repeated. South Korea (22) and the winner of a European playoff round out a Group A that also spares Javier Aguirre’s squad from several higher-profile opponents.

Getty Images SportGroup stage opponents: South Korea, South Africa and TBD

Aguirre and the Mexican delegation that traveled to Washington, D.C., can feel relieved with the Group A draw they received for the long-awaited home World Cup. The Pot 2 pairing worked in their favor: Mexico avoided heavyweights such as Colombia and Uruguay. Instead, El Tri will face South Korea – still a difficult opponent, but far more manageable than those top contenders.

Mexico will open the tournament against South Africa, No. 61 in the FIFA rankings – a significantly easier matchup than Norway, who were also in Pot 3. Their final group-stage game at Estadio Azteca will be against the winner of a playoff between Denmark, North Macedonia, Ireland and the Czech Republic, a spot that will be decided in March.

AdvertisementGetty Images Sport Must-watch TV: South Africa

The opening match between Mexico and South Africa will undoubtedly draw global attention, even if it’s arguably the most manageable opponent will face in the group stage. Despite the pressure that comes with playing in a World Cup opener, Mexico should be expected to start the tournament with a victory.

Getty Images SportDangerous matchup: South Korea

Against South Korea, Mexico will face their toughest match of the group stage. It’s the second game on the schedule and will be played in Guadalajara. If fail to pick up a victory in the tournament opener, the clash with the Asian side will largely shape the trajectory of their World Cup campaign.

The two teams already met during the September FIFA window, a match that ended in a 2–2 draw after Mexico salvaged a point in the final minutes thanks to a late goal from Santiago Giménez.

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(C)Getty ImagesKey opposition player: Son Heung-min

The biggest threat on the Group A will be South Korean and LAFC star Son Heung-min, which says plenty about how fortunate Mexico were in the draw. Despite leaving European football for MLS this year, Son remains a world-class force. Should Denmark emerge from the playoff bracket, Mexico could also meet Christian Eriksen — but even then, they would have avoided several far more dangerous stars from other national teams.

Russell has been a constant for the franchise since IPL 2014, and was among five players retained by the franchise ahead of the 2025 mega auction for INR 12 crore

Nagraj Gollapudi15-Nov-2025In one of the most high-profile releases in IPL history, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have decided to let go of their star allrounder Andre Russell ahead of the auction for IPL 2026.Russell has been a constant for the franchise since IPL 2014 and was among five players retained by the franchise ahead of the 2025 mega auction. Though Russell had cost KKR INR 12 crore, releasing him has given the franchise an additional INR 18 crore for the auction, since he was Player 1 in KKR’s list of retainees last year, worth INR 18 crore, and that amount gets credited to the team’s purse now.A bona fide T20 great, Russell is also an IPL GOAT. Only two players in IPL history have scored over 2000 runs and picked 100 wickets. One of them – Russell – has been released, and the other – Ravindra Jadeja – has been traded, making the 2026 retention window among the most headline-making ones.Related

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While the development will surprise many, including KKR fans, the franchise had deliberated releasing Russell ahead of the 2025 mega auction before deciding to stall that call. Russell, who is 37, had retired from international cricket in July, having only played the T20 format after the 2019 World Cup.Russell, who was the Player of the Tournament in IPL 2019, was part of the KKR’s title-winning teams in 2014 and 2024. Russell also won 16 Player-of-the-Match awards at KKR and is only behind the other KKR great Sunil Narine. A powerful batter who is known to take bowlers apart, especially in death overs, Russell has hit the joint-seventh most sixes (223) in the IPL.It is understood that more than one franchise sought out Russell in trade. KKR, though, will have the biggest purse, INR 64.30 crore, at the auction and could look to even buy him back. The teams will also pay attention to Russell’s form in the 2025 season. With the bat in ten innings, Russell hit 167 runs at a strike rate of 163.72, including a 50. His bowling numbers, though, were under par: eight wickets in nine innings at an average of 27.12 and an economy of 11.94.

Leeds United are on a roll at the moment. Daniel Farke’s side have gone unbeaten in their last two games, beating Chelsea and drawing against Liverpool, with both games coming at Elland Road.

The game prior to playing the Blues, Manchester City only beat them due to a stoppage-time winner.

At the start of the gameweek, the Whites were out of the relegation zone. Now, a clash away to Brentford in the prime time slot on Sunday afternoon represents a chance for the West Yorkshire side to put even more distance between themselves and the drop zone.

Leeds will not have a full squad for their trip to West London to face the Bees, however.

Leeds’ team news vs. Brentford

Unfortunately for Farke, he has a few players missing for the game against Keith Andrews’ side. Someone who remains sidelined after picking up an injury in November is midfielder Sean Longstaff.

He is yet to recover from the calf injury he suffered against Aston Villa.

The Whites will also be without winger Daniel James. He suffered a long-term injury against Man City, with the hamstring tendon issue keeping him out for at least two months.

Leeds will be hoping to have him back sooner rather than later, but that layoff could be longer depending on whether he needs surgery.

The player who might have made it back for this game was Lukas Nmecha. However, Farke confirmed that the striker’s injury has “still not completely healed,” before going on to confirm that the German is “definitely out” against Brentford.

That is a huge blow for Leeds. Although he missed the game against Liverpool, Nmecha has been one of their most in-form players.

He’s bagged four goals in 14 Premier League games this season, a tally surpassed by no other Leeds player.

Despite these injuries in attack, there is a Leeds forward who Farke might well need to drop after a poor performance against Liverpool.

The Leeds star who Farke must axe

Despite managing such a brilliant result against Arne Slot’s side last weekend, there was one Leeds player in particular who struggled to make an impact.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

That was a rarity across the board, with Farke’s side generally impressing.

It was a really poor performance from Noah Okafor. The Swiss star was one of Leeds’ summer additions from AC Milan, but he has struggled to hit the ground running since moving to West Yorkshire.

25-year-old Okafor, who earns £72.5k per week at Elland Road and is one of the top earners, has only managed two goals for the club so far.

Those have come in 12 Premier League appearances, including the club’s 800th in the competition against Tottenham Hotspur.

Against Liverpool, Okafor put in a 5/10 performance and ‘didn’t add a huge amount’, according to Graham Smyth of The Yorkshire Evening Post.

He did struggle to get into the game, having just 14 touches, completing five out of six passes and losing the ball five times.

Touches

14

Passes completed

5/6

Number of times ball lost

5

Duels won

2/6

Shots

2

Expected goals

0.13xG

It was certainly a disappointing performance from the Swiss attacker, who showed great promise in the first few days of his Leeds career, with content creator Alex Moneypenny even suggesting that he is “so close to exploding”.

Perhaps playing as a number nine alongside Dominic Calvert-Lewin is not how to get the best out of him.

If Farke is to drop Okafor this weekend against Brentford, there are options to replace him despite the injury issues.

Wilfried Gnonto is the most likely one, with the Italian getting back to full fitness after a fitness issue himself. Jack Harrison could also slot into the team, although he might not thrive as a number nine, or Farke could even bring teenager Harry Gray into the fold.

Regardless, Leeds will want to keep this impressive, and crucial, run of form going.

Thus, Okafor may be rotated out of the side after a poor showing last weekend, with Farke choosing someone who can have more of an overall impact.

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