2x Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal is the hottest name on the market with his free agency pending and the Tigers well under .500.
This year, DSR/CBC will follow every trade from July 29th to the trade deadline. We will keep you posted on not only the trades, but provide analysis on on each move in real time as they happen. The trades will be listed in terms of recency.
Who lands Tarik Skubal, and how much will the back-to-back reigning Cy Young recipient command in a deal after already having injury concerns with loose bodies in his elbow earlier this season? Do the Tigers acquire controllable MLB-ready starters so that they don’t put the Central in 2026, a relatively weak division that even has the Twins questioning whether they’re buying or selling heading into the deadline. In fact, the entire American League outside of the AL East, notably the usual suspects: Tampa, New York, and Boston is seeing diminishing returns in all of their rosters.
Meanwhile, a top-heavy National League sees teams with loaded farm systems such as the Braves, Dodgers, and Brewers all vying for top players on the market, while the Phillies look to extend their competitive window just another year, akin to the previous outings Dave Dombrowski’s had as a general manager. But there are a plethora of clear sellers, ranging from the Mets to the Rockies.
TRADE: Cardinals acquire Caleb Ferguson under the wire.
Analysis: Another on the margins trade, international bonus pool money is going back to Cincinnati.
TRADE: Dodgers get Hunter Feduccia from Rays.
Analysis: The Will Smith injury must be worse than we’re led to believe, because the Dodgers keep reacquiring catchers who know their organization. Something to keep an eye on. Feduccia was likely to be DFA’d today due to the acquisition of Liam Hicks.
TRADE: Casey Mize finds himself in San Diego.
Analysis: Similiar to Skubal, the Tigers had one of the best pitchers on the market as a rental who wasn’t re-signing. San Diego, though, is interesting as they’d already acquired Robbie Ray today while teams like the Braves and Phillies really needed a pitcher, and apparently didn’t pay up for one.
TRADE: Guardians acquire Nate Lowe.
Analysis: Kyle Manzardo, the everyday first baseman, has the worst OPS in baseball for a qualified first baseman in 2026. Cleveland needed a bat on the corner.
TRADE: Marlins acquire Victor Vodnik.
Analysis: The Marlins have to believe that Vodnik’s ERA is inflated due to the altitude, but the Rockies getting a young big league infielder for a reliever is a good win.
TRADE: Pirates acquire Kirby Yates.
Analysis: Pittsburgh continues stockpiling veteran relievers and get a multi-time All-Star with a wealth of baseball experience.
TRADE: Diamondbacks acquire Lars Nootbaar.
Analysis: We’re a ways away from the hype surrounding Lars Nootbaar a few WBC’s ago, but the Diamondbacks get their final outfielder.
TRADE: Twins acquire Jeff Hoffman.
Analysis: Jeff Hoffman has not been good since surrendering the homerun to Miguel Rojas, but is an established All-Star closer for a team that should be selling, but is buying bullpen pieces. Clearly, the Twins think they’re contenders if their bullpen is fortified. With how top heavy the AL is, maybe they’re right.
TRADE: Guards acquire Foster Griffin.
Analysis: This deal was obviously coming as the Nats were never keeping him on a one year deal. But Griffin was an All-Star in his first season back from Japan, and has posted a 3.06. For the pricetag and the four prospects they’re getting back, that’s a signing you make every single time this past offseason. The rule is to never question Guardians with pitchers, but Griffin does sport a FIP a run higher than his ERA, which is worrisome.
The Guardians have used six starters the entire season, and one of them only made one start. With the main five starting every game, there’s very little depth if something goes wrong, which is why they needed an arm.
TRADE: Yankees score Heliot Ramos.
Analysis: The Yankees need power with how long Judge and Stanton are out. They’ve landed it. It doesn’t seem as though they’ll land a catcher, so perhaps they move Rice back to catcher and run the full-time platoon of Garcia and Goldschmidt, with Ramos the much-needed righty bat in a lefty heavy lineup.
Near trade (will update when finalized): Giants on verge of acquiring Marcelo Mayer.
Analysis: This is a mistake for Boston. They’ve improved their team today, but they’re sending a 22-year-old who was untouchable a year ago to San Francisco for a reliever. But this keeps him at second base long term and should allow him time to acclimate to the Majors without the pressure he faced in Boston. Boston did, however, need a lefty reliever with club control and they landed it in Erik Miller.
TRADE: Brewers acquire Antonio Senzatela.
Analysis: Antonio Senzatela has a 3.61 ERA in the bullpen this year. If he’s a starting, yikes, but the 5 career ERA should come down leaving the Denver altitude. Senzatela has spent all ten years in the Majors with Colorado.
TRADE: Braves send Eli White to Boston for relief help.
Analysis: Like other trades today, this is a move on the margins to bolster the Braves middle relief depth for an otherwise strong bullpen, adding Tyler Uberstine. Eli White has been very reliable and steady for the Braves over the last two seasons, but the writing was on the wall when they acquired Lane Thomas.
The trade was reported by Alex Speier of the Boston Globe and Ari Alexander of Boston 7 News.
TRADE: Joey Bart to the White Sox.
Analysis: The White Sox needed a depth catcher, and the Braves have Sean Murphy coming back from the IL. This just made total sense.
TRADE: Tyler Wells goes to Tampa Bay.
Analysis: Last year, the steal of the deadline was an under-the-radar divisional trade between the Orioles and Rays for a random reliever. That reliever is now Bryan Baker, the All-Star closer for the Tampa Bay Rays. Wells is 6’8 with great stuff and a unique angle. If he was good in Baltimore, how good is he going to become?
TRADE: Clay Holmes, Tyrone Taylor to Cubs.
Analysis: Tyrone Taylor is a tremendous centerfielder that’ll improve the Cubs defense, but the story here is Clay Holmes who has been sensational since the Mets converted him to a starter. The Cubs get another veteran starter for October. Much like Luke Weaver going to the Pirates where the Mets paid down the salary, the Mets likely added Taylor to entice their way to the singular prospect they got back: Jefferson Rojas. A legitimate bat currently in Double-A at shorstop, the #2 prospect in the organization. They seem to be acquiring a lot of infielders. While it’s unlikely Lindor moves in the next hour, maybe they move him in the offseason? Perhaps is the hope that at least one will hit and play second base.
TRADE: Daulton Varsho goes to Houston.
Analysis: Houston needed a centerfielder desperately, and giving up Spencer Arrighetti, a 26-year-old young starter with a seven pitch mix is a high ask. But it makes sense: they constantly develop good pitching, and Arrighetti’s high walk rate and his knack for getting hit hard hasn’t been a good combination. The Jays get a young arm with good mechanics and under-the-hood stuff on paper that they can tweak, and the ‘Stros get their centerfielder.
TRADE: The Pirates acquire Luke Weaver.
Analysis: All of the NL Central contenders are quickly getting relief help. Weaver was one of the top on the market and the Mets were obvious sellers. The Mets landed Sammy Stafura, a quality shortstop prospect who’s hitting well in 2026. Weaver has a 1.84 ERA this year and continues to be excellent since moving into a reliever role.
TRADE: Ryan Zeferjahn goes to the Cubs.
Analysis: The Angels firesale continues and Chicago get quality middle relief, an area of their pen that’s struggled as of late.
TRADE: Brewers acquire Dustin May and JoJo Romero.
Analysis: Weirdly high number of intra-divisional transactions today, but former top prospect May provides an experienced big league starter to be the #3 for Milwaukee and Romero, a reliever, has a 3.35 ERA and should slot nicely on the depth chart. Both are pending free agents at the end of th eyear.
TRADE: Cubs acquire Braxton Garrett.
Analysis: Paired with Gausman, this is a great move for Chicago. Between Gausman, Garrett, Imanaga, and Boyd, they now have a rotation for a seven game postseason series. For the Marlins, the recent losing skid sealed their fate, but Francys Romero reports that Jace Beck and Jonathan Long are heading back to South Beach. Beck, a reliever, has been sensation in AA this year, but struggled in AAA. Some slight tweaks and he should be ready soon. Jonathon Long, a first base prospect, has raked in AAA this year, and should immediately be the replacement for Liam Hicks who has been dealt to Tampa today.
TRADE: Baltimore sends Adley Rutschman to a division rival.
Analysis: Adley goes to Boston, and they scored a much-needed catcher, considering the best catching bat on their club is their first baseman. Adley had never been extended by Baltimore, so he’s a year and a half out from free agency. A switch-hitting catcher that was drafted first overall, Rutschman was an immediate superstar upon arrival to the Major Leagues, and despite the injuries diminishing his production, was an All-Star as recently as last month. Essentially: Baltimore’s already punting on the core they fantasized about throughout their entire rebuild. Expect Gunnar to stay, and everybody else is a question mark by the beginning of the next season.
The Orioles scored here, though. Major League catcher Carlos Narvaez aside, that’s a short-term stopgap to backup Samuel Basallo, but the trade netted them Anthony Eyanson, a Major League ready pitcher who is ranked #33 in baseball. They also scored Kyson Witherspoon, the #4 organizational prospect and Enddy Azocar, the #5 prospect in the organization. Boston has pushed their chips all in.
TRADE: Dodgers acquire Kris Bubic from the Royals.
Analysis: Bubic is due back in August and won’t fit in their rotation, but should provide a lefty reliever. Not been great this year or throughout his career, but is a year removed from a 2.55 ERA in 116 innings of work. Maybe they see something they can fix, they always do.
TRADE: Padres acquire Robbie Ray.
San Diego has acquired former Cy Young recipient Robbie Ray for a team that’s now buying after looking like they’d sell a week or so ago. With a righty heavy rotation, the lefty gives them a completely different look. His third team in the NL West, Ray will go to see San Diego with a 3.08 ERA in 122 innings, but his 4.36 FIP shows that he might struggle outside of the massive dimensions of Oracle Park.
Prospects Miguel Mendez and Joniel Hernandez are heading to San Francisco.
TRADE: Liam Hicks to drive down Route 41 tonight.
Miami catcher Liam Hicks has been traded to Tampa Bay, as the Rays acquire a catcher with years of controllable assets. Hicks broke out last year after originally making the club out of spring training as a Rule 5 selectee, leading them to trade primary catcher Nick Fortes to the Rays. For the second straight year, the Rays acquire a Miami catcher, but this time it’s a bat first catcher who’s hitting for contact and power, posting a 124 OPS+ backstop. They could probably use another bat, mainly a middle infielder, but the best team in the American League have deepened a lineup that tails after the top heavy Diaz/Aranda/Caminero trio.
Jacob Kisting and Adrian Santana join former first-rounder Brayden Taylor in the return for Hicks. For Miami, they had been playing at first and designated hitter for a majority of the season. Hicks wasn’t the long-term answer at catcher and while his numbers are very good for a catcher, they aren’t great for the more slugging positions. With Aranda and Diaz now on his club, this forces him back into the catcher role where the offensive production is inherently more robust. The Rays don’t have to worry about getting a catcher for a while, and the Marlins get an infield prospect that peaked at #67 in baseball heading into 2025 and has a near-.900 OPS in 2026 in AA.
TRADE: Josh Smith dealt to the Jays.
Analysis: Rangers get lefty reliever Adam Macko under club control and the Jays get a versatile defender under club control. Not so much a major trade that indicates if either are buying or selling in the final hours, but one that gets them a piece they apparently like for the future.
TRADE: White Sox acquire Brenton Doyle, per Mark Feinsand.
Analysis: The Rockies waited a tad too long to trade Doyle as he has a sub-.570 OPS in Coors. He’s been putrid. But he’s been covering the largest outfield in baseball in an outstanding way, with two Gold Gloves with the Rockies. This is as glove-first as it gets, and the White Sox improve their outfield defense.
TRADE: Mariners acquire Taylor Ward.
Analysis: After a half season out of the AL West, Taylor Ward finds himself back. A pending free agent, Ward has sacrificed his SLG for on-base this year, but has averaged out around his typical marks with a 110 OPS+, down from a 112 career OPS+. With how big the park in Seattle is, that makes him more valuable to a team like the Mariners than it would an Orioles, anyway.
The Baltimore Sun is reported that the return are porpsects Alex Hoppe, Harrison Kreiling, and Brock Moore.
TRADE: Guardians acquire Jo Adell, according to Jon Heyman.
Analysis: Outside of Jose Ramirez, the Guardians are allergic to homeruns. Getting a power bat to compliment a very small ball heavy lineup is crucial for a team that’s still in the division race. Jo Adell has never quite reached the heights he was expected to as a prospect, but a guy who averages nearly 30 homers a year over a 162 is a power bat. They also have the fewest at bats from right-handed hitters this year, so this lands them a righty bat as well. What’s weird about Adell, however, is his on-base is .287. It’s atrocious. For a team that’s usually an on-base savvy team, this goes against their M.O.
Jacob Cozart, a catching prospect, is heading back to the Angels. Cozart will likely start in AAA for Anaheim, but is close to MLB ready. He’s been showing good pop this season in AA.
TRADE: Dodgers, Ben Rortvedt reunite.
Analysis: The Dodgers needed a capable backup for Will Smith that knows their organization. The Mets had him in the minors, and acquired Chayce McDermott to eat innings. McDermott had just been DFA’d by L.A. anyway, so this is one of those minor transactions that would have happened whether it was deadline day or not. Rortvedt played 18 games last year for the Dodgers.
TRADE: Braves acquire Brent Suter for Nacho Alvarez.
Analysis: Brent Suter is the lefty specialist Atlanta has clearly been hoping that Danny Young would be. He hasn’t excelled in extended outings this year, but for an Atlanta team that needs the specialization, it’s a welcome sight.
The Angels get Nacho Alvarez, at one point the top third base prospect for the Braves. At only 23, he’s seen time in MLB in 2024 and 2025, but is blocked in Atlanta behind Austin Riley. It should be fascinating to see how he fares in everyday MLB time.
TRADE: Phillies acquire Brooks Raley according to Bob Nightengale.
Analysis: Expect them to continue to monitor and pounce on a relief move to shore up the bullpen, but Raley is an immediate impact high-leverage veteran reliever for the club. The 38-year-old has a 1.96 ERA in 41 innings as a specialist this year for the division rival Mets.
TRADE: Jose Soriano goes north of the border, according to Jeff Passan.
Analysis: This is the kind of move Toronto needs to be making. Soriano, who has a 3.29 ERA in 123 innings this season with a 9.3 K-per-nine. He needs to get his walk rate down, but he’s been getting softer contact this season and upped his groundball rate during his breakout campaign. He’s going to a place with a better defense, and the plus-sinker and knuckle curve combination is a recipe Toronto has done extremely well with.
With Toronto selling, it’s interesting, but Soriano is under club control until 2029. That’s why it cost a pretty penny, top shortstop prospect Arjun Nimmala headlining the package, but it’s also a move you can use to help retool and win next year. For the Angels, getting the #43 prospect in baseball is a strong start, but they also acquired an outfielder with an .800 OPS in AA in Eddie Micheletti, and a 19-year-old starting pitcher lottery ticket with Angel Rivero. The Angels seem to be heading into a full-on rebuild after ten years of staying put in mediocrity. Is this the year they lose 100 games for the first time in franchise history?
TRADE: The Philadelphia Phillies acquire Luis Arraez, Caleb Killian.
Analysis: After weeks of rumors circulating about Arraez joining a Tampa Bay team that he doesn’t fit in any capacity, he did get dealt, and it’s to Philadelphia. Arraez rejoins the NL East for a team in desperate need of contact to compliment a roster top heavy with power hitters. Brandon Marsh is the only hitter on the roster with an average above .250 heading into the deadline, and it’s down 21 points since scoring his first All-Star selection, hitting just .148 since the break. Obviously, there’s more to baseball than average, and Arraez isn’t as good of an on-base guy as made out to be, with a walk rate multiple percentage points below league average for his career, and a diminished walk rate in 2026. However, with plenty of guys at the top of the order who work the count, just squaring up the ball and causing pressure on the defense adds versatility to make the Phils offense more multi-dimensional.
Where Arraez plays is the question, as while he’s having a breakout defensive year under guru Ron Washington, Arraez has never been a good defender. His defensive versatility was similar to that of, say, Brad Miller: you play everywhere because you’re good nowhere but the bat has to be in the lineup. The obvious answer is second where he’s succeeding this year, however, Bryson Stott has been better than Alec Bohm has been at third, though that’s saying very little.
There’s also a far more interesting scenario: Bryce Harper, who recently starting bringing his outfield glove to the park, can play right field as Arraez moves back to first. Harper has primarily been a first baseman for four years post-Tommy John surgery, but will be remembered for his time as a right fielder. This could be the outfield help they ultimately needed.
The Phillies also got Caleb Killian in the deal, a high-upside reliever with a high K-rate.
The Giants did decently well in this deal, getting the Phillies top pitching prospect Ramon Marquez, as well as reliever Marty Gair.
TRADE: Mets deal Huascar Brazoban to the White Sox.
Analysis: The White Sox continue to make moves as a surprising contender, and this is one of those really good fringe moves. Though Brazoban didn’t make his Major League debut until the age 32, he’s been very solid in his time as a big leaguer, and at 36 will leave the NL East for the first time. Brazoban has a 2.56 ERA this year as a groundball specialist. The White Sox will get somebody who not only can eat innings, but come in under pressure and roll a double play in his sleep.
Ken Rosenthal reports that Gabe Davis and Zach Franklin, two pitching prospects, are on their way to Queens.
TRADE: Braves acquire Tyler Mahle.
Analysis: Mahle’s become a journeyman of sorts in recent years, and despite a very quality 2025 in limited time, that has not translated to 2026 whatsoever. But for a Braves team that is missing Spencer Schwellenbach, Spencer Strider, Reynaldo Lopez and Joey Wentz, any rotation depth is welcome. The Giants receive reliever Anthony Molina in a very low-stakes deal.
TRADE: Kevin Gausman goes to the North Side of Chicago.
Analysis: It’s the second trade of the day between these clubs for a starting pitcher! Gausman is a significantly better pitcher now than the last time he headlined a deadline deal in 2018 when he found himself in Atlanta. Gausman posted a 3.62 ERA in his five years in Toronto over 861 innings with a tremendous 9.6 K-per-nine. Chicago has added their new ace down the stretch to anchor a rotation that includes quality arms such as Matt Boyd and Shota Imanaga.
Mitch Bannon is reporting that prospects Brett Bateman and Ty Southisene are the return. Southisene is the #10 prospect in the Chicago organization and profiles strongly as a toolsy middle infielder. Little power, but terrific bat-to-ball skills, very similar to the guy currently playing there for the Jays in Ernie Clement. While Bateman is an outfielder, he offers similar scouting, and is #21 in the Cubs organization.
TRADE: Luis Garcia Jr. goes to the Yankees.
Analysis: Garcia Jr., formerly a second baseman who converted into a pretty reliable first baseman this season, immediately improves the Yankees. This is the bat they needed, even if it’s not a bat the average casual fan is aware of. Garcia leads the National League in SLG this year, and the only qualified hitter to have at least 20 homers and a lower K% than Garcia is former Yankee Juan Soto. Garcia brings a .918 OPS against righties, and pairing that with Paul Goldschmidt’s .994 OPS against lefties, the Yankees have the best platoon combination in baseball. With Judge and Stanton out long term, this should help mitigate their loss of power down the stretch.
In return, the Nationals scored much needed relief help in Yovanny Cruz and Jake Bird, as well as two right-handed lottery tickets in Ben Grable and Jack Cebert. The Nationals have had one of the best offenses, but the worst pitching staff as well. The idea here is likely to subtract from a position of strength to alleviate a primary weakness for both teams, and the Nationals may not sell, rather continue their hunt in the wild card.
TRADE: Toronto brings in Jameson Taillon.
Analysis: Taillon for a PTBNL isn’t a deadline acquisition as much as it is a clear seller getting a veteran who had just been DFA’d because his 6 ERA is terrible, and they just need somebody to eat innings. Not a high-profile transaction in the least, but hey, we promised to cover every trade, right?
TRADE: The Rays acquire Freddy Peralta from the Mets.
Analysis: Fastball Freddy is going from Flushing to St. Pete, and this has to be a somewhat surprising move. Not that Peralta was staying in Queens, he was never going to, and not that the Rays are buying, they were always going to. But considering the history of the Rays at the deadline as a team that makes moves more on the fringes, this is a massive deal for the club. It seems as though the new ownership group sees their first opportunity to win and is willing to alter the M.O. just a bit.
Peralta’s tenure in New York was arduous, but he does bring a track record of being one of the more high upside pitchers in baseball. The 2x All-Star is coming off a year where he finished fifth in Cy Young voting, and with the injury to Shane McClanahan, should slot Peralta in nicely into the second spot into the Tampa rotation, giving them a potent 1-2 playoff punch alongside team ace Drew Rasmussen.
If the Rays get the 2025 version of Peralta that pitched to a 2.70 ERA in 176 innings, then they’re easily the team to beat in the American League. Peralta would also immediately become the second best pitcher on the club, behind his former Brewer teammate, who has posted a 2.77 ERA across 545 excellent innings since being dealt to Tampa. But stuff wise, the argument would be made that Peralta could be the most lethal, considering how plus his repertoire is and how good Tampa is at finding the best in each pitcher they bring in.
Peralta’s pedestrian performance with the Mets likely diminished the rental value, but they still landed three credible prospects from one of the game’s best farm systems. While Gary Gill Hill hasn’t been good this year, the starting pitching prospect with plus-stuff was the #94 prospect in baseball heading into 2025 from Baseball America, and he was the third player thrown into the deal. Aidan Smith is the #15 prospect in the Tampa organization, and as a 21 year-old in A-ball promises big power from the centerfield spot. The #27 prospect in the Rays organization, Emilien Pitre, is expected to be in the Majors as early as 2027, and in AA this year has a .943 OPS. With how much the Mets are struggling to fill second base long-term, right now dealing with the albatross Marcus Semien contract they acquired in a bad contract for bad contract swap this past offseason, Pitre may be the real piece the Mets had their eye on here, and for the Rays, willing to part with him is a no brainer considering the wealth of infield prospects in their system.
TRADE: The back-to-back World Series Champions acquire the back-to-back American League Cy Young Award recipient.
Analysis: Baseball’s worst nightmare has come to fruition as Tarik Skubal is a Dodger, and two top 100 prospects as well as right-hander Brady Smith, a high-end pitching prospect in the org, going back to the Tigers.
River Ryan was never going to last this deadline, and it isn’t a surprise Detroit wanted a package centered around him, considering they still anticipate contending and it’s more of a retool than sale, but with the best pitcher in baseball set to walk in free agency, getting something in return was imperative. At 28, the Dodgers had to trade Ryan, for similar reasons that other teams with loaded pitching such as the Rays had to trade a Joe Ryan as you can only keep guys in the minors for so long. There’s been a lot of debate over Ryan’s actual prospect pedigree, especially considering the advanced age, but a pitcher with a six-pitch mix that can help your club for the forseeable future, including the short term, is what the Tigers were after and it’s what they received. Zyhir Hope is the biggest prospect in the package, ranking at #18 for Baseball Prospectus heading into ‘26, and has blistered the ball at 21 in AA. This should be a player that threatens the Majors as early as next season.
For the Dodgers, they get arguably the best pitcher in baseball, utilizing their farmsystem resources to cover the injuries to high-paid arms such as Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow as they look to threepeat. That said, injury concerns are also a factor with Skubal, especially for a team that seemingly can’t keep any of their starters outside of Yoshi Yamamoto healthy. Skubal has already had elbow operations to remove loose bodies in his elbow this year, and has a previous flexor tendon surgery and Tommy John surgery to his name already. Whether he remains healthy is a question mark, but there’s no doubt when Skubal is on, he’s lights out. Since coming back from the flexor tendon injury in the latter half of 2023, Skubal’s posted a 2.46 ERA in 564 innings, with an even better 2.43 FIP peripherally, and an 11 K-per-nine rate. Paired with Yoshi, the Dodgers will be heading into the postseason with perhaps the deadliest one-two rotation punch.
TRADE: The White Sox acquire Luis Castillo for Seranthony Dominguez, Nolan Jones, and catching prospect Boston Smith.
Analysis: None of these major league names have been particularly great in 2026, but they do bring track records with them. Castillo, for example, has an ERA over 5 and has been in-and-out of the Mariners rotation this season. But over his ten years in the Majors, he’s posted a 3.65 over 1500+ innings, with his three full seasons in Seattle being along those lines of production. While his postseason experience is limited due to spending a majority of his time on some mediocre Reds teams, Castillo does bring a 2.25 postseason ERA to a Chicago team that’s suprisingly contending with an extremely inexperienced rotation. Slotting him behind Sean Burke and Davis Martin, the White Sox now have a bonafide pitcher in their three slot, with valuable experience to boot.
Seattle used Castillo, who still has at least one more season on his deal increasing his value, to subtract from a position of strength in the rotation to fortify their bullpen. Dominguez hasn’t been bad per say, but a few blow up innings have his ERA sitting right above 4 on the season. But, especially with Andres Munoz not being as dominant in 2026, bringing in an experienced high-leverage veteran reliever you can put anywhere in your pen is critical for a Mariners team that has underperformed, but is still in a division race, only 2.5 back of the Astros at the time of this writing. Nolan Jones popped off for the Rockies in just over 100 games in 2023, but has yet to come close to replicating. For a fourth outfielder, it doesn’t hurt to see if there’s anything still there.
TRADE: Braves acquire Lane Thomas from the Royals.
Analysis: A solid fourth outfield option for Atlanta, this depth should be crucial. The Braves under Anthopoulos haven’t made the splashy moves necessarily, but they generally always score big with the fringe outfield types. Think back to 2021: Adam Duvall, Jorge Soler, Eddie Rosario, and Joc Pederson were all very affordable options having bad seasons, and all were integral to the championship victory at the end of the season. He’ll be a bat that can play well against lefties, and if the third base situation doesn’t ease up, can play the corners alongside Mike Yastrzemski while Mauricio Dubon moves to the hot corner. Thomas provides good pop but has been too inconsistent throughout his career to become a force. The same can be said for Bailey Falter, the pitcher Atlanta also acquired, but Falter and his 13 ERA shouldn’t be much of a scare for the NL East he’s returning to.
The prospects going back in the deal are Lucas Braun and Carter Holten.
TRADE: Yankees part ways with Camilo Doval, ship him off to Pittsburgh.
Analysis: To say Doval, who was a big deadline acquisition for the Yankees last year, was disappointing in pinstripes would be an understatement. But this continues our trend of high-quality reclamation project fringe moves we’ve seen so far, especially for a Pittsburgh bullpen that could use it. Doval is still only a few years removed from his All-Star season as the Giants closer.
Prospects Luis Cruz (OF), and Omar Alfonzo (C) are heading to the Bronx.
TRADE: The Twins acquire Dean Kremer.
Analysis: The Baltimore firesale has begun, and the Twins reap the benefits of what should be the fourth starter behind Joe Ryan, Taj Bradley, and Bailey Ober, especially considering the rotation at the beginning of the season looked far different prior to the season-ending injuries suffered by staff ace Pablo Lopez and Mick Abel.
Kremer hasn’t exactly been good, but the innings are desperately needed for the Twins. The prospect in return, outfielder Jhomnardo Reyes, was scouted for his power. At 18, he just hit Low-A, so he doesn’t seem to be an imminent factor for Baltimore.
TRADE: The Milwaukee Brewers acquire catcher Bo Naylor, reliever Codi Heuer from the Guardians.
Analysis: This feels like that weird position that the Guards find themselves in every year: hovering at .500, yet three games out of a weak central division heading into the deadline, and opting to make moves that subtract from their big league roster while still intending to contend. With the acquisition earlier this season of Patrick Bailey, perhaps the finest defensive catcher in baseball, Naylor has seen his playing time diminish, although he’s been downright disastrous at the plate in his limited time. Milwaukee has a knack for helping players find their potential, but Naylor is unlikely to ever be anything more than a backup in Milwaukee anyway with superstar catcher William Contreras behind the dish.
The real story here is Codi Heuer, whose 3.72 FIP is a massive difference from his 4.66 ERA. With elite pitching extension, perhaps the Brewers like the angle Heuer comes from and think they could have another in a long line of successful reclamation pitching projects.
Going back to Cleveland is Blake Perkins and Craig Yoho. Yoho has seen some solid results this year in his MLB time, but Perkins is the piece that the Guardians are likely to utilize, considering their style of play fitting perfectly toward his skillset and the need for an outfielder. While Perkins has never been above league-average, this is another player that’s somehow been atrocious in 2026. This entire trade is a change of scenary move for the players who fit their new clubs reclamation style.
TRADE: AJ Minter sent from Queens to the Twin Cities for prospects Billy Amick and Bruin Agbayani.
Analysis: The Mets are the clearest sellers on the market, and while AJ Minter has only been available for 36 games across the first season and a half as a Met, he has been very good when on the field in this deal, with a 2.12 ERA in 34 innings of work. Perhaps more importantly, the Twins bullpen desperately needed a veteran presence with a winning pedigree, and Minter having been part of the dominant Atlanta bullpen in the 2021 postseason run, he does bring experience in the biggest of spots.
Will Sammons confirmed the return for Minter, and Agbayani is the headline piece as a very instinctual infielder with a lot of tools. Amick, however, brings a potent power dynamic as part of his prospect profile. One brings defensive versatility, the other brings defensive question marks, but the Mets do get two lottery tickets that could end up being valuable to them down-the-line. The firesale has begun in Flushing Meadows.
TRADE: The Rangers have acquired battery combo Logan O’Hoppe and Chase Silseth from the Angels for prospect Angel Arredondo.
Analysis: The Angels have to be kicking themselves for not replenishing the farm system in previous deadlines, most notably passing up Junior Caminero for a few months of Shohei Ohtani. It’s reminiscent of the time that the Astros were set to acquire former National League MVP Bryce Harper in 2018 before Washington’s ownership kiboshed the deal, and watched him leave for free to a division rival. While it worked out for the Nats that they won a World Series the next year, it clearly impacted their future strategies, most notably the trade of Juan Soto for James Wood and CJ Abrams, both of whom have become superstars that could potentially be traded this week.
While clearly these two, a catcher who’s grading among the worst hitters in baseball and has been subpar defensively being the headline piece, aren’t the caliber of those previous players mentioned, it is a sign that the Angels are open for business and want the best athletes possible, as noted by the return of a very athletic middle infield prospect. We’ll see who of the larger name players go, but for the first time in 10 years, it feels like the Angels are firmly entrenched as sellers.
For the Rangers, O’Hoppe is a welcome addition because of how dire their backstop situation is. O’Hoppe is still a catcher with a pedigree, at one point MLB’s #67 prospect, and the veteran combination of Elias Diaz and Austin Wynns hasn’t been lighting the world on fire. To kick the tires on O’Hoppe is to try and find untapped potential at a low-risk, high-upside cost. They’ve optioned him to the minors, ideally to give him a lower pressure scenario to figure it out. Acquiring O’Hoppe can also mitigate the prospect haul the high-end reliever they acquired would have cost, considering the salary they just took off the hands of the Angels.
The real story here, however, is Chase Silseth. Silseth hasn’t been lights out for the duration of his time in the bigs, but his 2026 has been very efficient, with a 2.72 ERA and career-high K rate. He’s missed more barrels this year and there’s a lot of red on his savant page, but perhaps there might be some regression with the Rangers. His walk rate is up year-over-year, as is his hard-hit rate, a time bomb of a combination.