The New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies' NL East rivalry heats up beyond standings as both target Luis Robert Jr. and key relievers, escalating their trade deadline battle.

Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suárez is "almost certain" to be dealt before Thursday's trade deadline, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

New York is in a heated race in the NL East and should look to bolster both its lineup and pitching staff for the playoff push.

According to ESPN's Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel, in their most recent listing of "MLB's top 50 trade deadline candidates," the Phillies were named as a prime fit for All-Star Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan.

The New York Mets have been linked to a lot of pitchers on the trade market. They could trade Mark Vientos away in order to land the ace they want.

A slew of injuries makes adding pitching a priority for the Mets before the trade deadline. There is also the potential to get a lift in the lineup.

A strong start for the Mets gave way to an ugly June, from which they're still trying to recover. A comeback win on Monday night helps, but the Mets are 13 games over .500, down from their season peak of 21, and trail the Philadelphia Phillies by half a game.

The Phillies acquired non-roster infielder Donovan Walton from the Mets for cash considerations. The deal was announced by Philly’s Triple-A affiliate in Lehigh Valley, where Walton was assigned.

Major League Baseball's trade deadline is scheduled for next Thursday, which means teams have less than a week to get their midsummer shopping done. The moves have already started, as the Mariners recently acquired Josh Naylor from the Diamondbacks while the Yankees acquired Ryan McMahon in a trade with the Rockies.