The Yankees <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/07/19/sports/best-options-for-brian-cashman-to-deliver-on-his-yankees-trade-deadline-vow/">have needs</a>. The Mets <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/07/21/sports/david-stearns-has-a-distinct-plan-for-the-mets-trade-deadline/">have needs</a>.

It is that third sentence that makes the upcoming July 31 MLB trade deadline a murky proposition for those firmly identifying as buyers this year, because “other playoff contenders” could be more than 75 percent of the game based on the current standings.

If the thinking in expanding the postseason format to six teams in each league a couple of years ago was to give more teams a legitimate chance to qualify, then this season certainly has fulfilled that vision.

Several MLB teams on the fringes of the playoff race can greatly impact next week’s trade deadline — and the approaches of the Mets and Yankees.{ai:summary}<p>As the July 31 MLB trade deadline approaches, both the Yankees and Mets, along with many other playoff contenders, face pressing needs. The expanded postseason format has resulted in a significant number of teams in contention, complicating the trade landscape for buyers this year. </p><p>#sports</p>

The teams that will dictate the Yankees’ and Mets’ options at the trade deadline

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