In Major League Baseball, trade candidates often emerge from players who are on the verge of free agency and performing well on teams that have fallen out of playoff contention. These individuals are commonly referred to as "rentals," resulting from their brief tenure with any new team before entering the free-agent pool. Such players can provide significant value to contending teams while simultaneously enhancing their marketability ahead of free agency.

Last summer saw notable rental players change hands, including Jack Flaherty moving from the Detroit Tigers to the Los Angeles Dodgers, Yusei Kikuchi from the Toronto Blue Jays to the Houston Astros, Tanner Scott from the Miami Marlins to the San Diego Padres, Carlos Estévez from the Los Angeles Angels to the Philadelphia Phillies, and Jesse Winker transitioning from the Washington Nationals to the New York Mets. As the 2025 MLB trade deadline approaches, the focus will shift to ranking the top 25 rental players available, considering their current performance, anticipated impact, remaining club control, and the likelihood of being traded. An examination of the honorable mentions provides context for additional players who may be on the move.

Among the honorable mentions are pitchers such as Tyler Anderson (Los Angeles Angels), Jalen Beeks (Tampa Bay Rays), Aaron Civale (Cleveland Guardians), Zach Eflin (Baltimore Orioles), and Erick Fedde (St. Louis Cardinals). Notable relief pitchers include Austin Gomber (Colorado Rockies), Andrew Heaney (Pittsburgh Pirates), Kyle Hendricks (Los Angeles Angels), Raisel Iglesias (Atlanta Braves), Jakob Junis (Cleveland Guardians), and Michael Lorenzen (Kansas City Royals). Key hitters who have also caught attention include Yoán Moncada (Los Angeles Angels), Tommy Pham (Pittsburgh Pirates), Luis Rengifo (Los Angeles Angels), Amed Rosario (Washington Nationals), Carlos Santana (Cleveland Guardians), Lane Thomas (Cleveland Guardians), Luis Urías (Atlanta Braves), and Gio Urshela (Atlanta Braves).