The 2026 MLB Trade Deadline is finally behind us. It was a whirlwind day and a whirlwind week-plus since the first major domino fell on the trade market. In reality, we won’t really know how teams did at this year’s deadline until the World Series trophy is hoisted or some of the prospects who got dealt have more years of experience under their belt, but that’s not a fun truth for this exercise. Instead, we’re gonna talk about who won or lost the deadline right now, just after it all went down.
MLB Trade Deadline Winners
Baseball Fans
This was a super fun trade deadline. We had some out-of-left-field moves. We had some top 50 prospects get traded. We had some established veterans going to new teams, and we had some typically passive teams trying to be aggressive. It all made for an enjoyable trade deadline that I didn’t see coming. Now don’t ruin it by taking a whole year off from playing games.
Tarik Skubal
Yes, Tarik Skubal is a winner even if people are suggesting that he and the Dodgers have broken baseball. He was traded to the odds-on favorite to win the World Series. That’s a big win for any player, which I guess makes Kris Bubic a winner too.
River Ryan
We should also take a minute and call River Ryan a winner. The discourse about him online has been aggressively harsh and bordering on illogical. He didn’t become a full-time pitcher until 2022, when he was 23 years old. He had a fully healthy 2023 and 2024 season, and even reached the majors in 2024 before he blew out his arm and needed UCL surgery. He missed the entire 2025 season recovering from that and then returned this season. He looked good in Triple-A before a hamstring injury sidelined him. I don’t care that he’s 27 years old. I don’t think he’s “injury prone"; he had one major arm injury and a hamstring injury. Is he a risk? Sure, but he’s a talented pitcher, and he’s eventually going to get to show it in Detroit.
Red Sox 2026 Postseason Hopes
Even if the Dodgers got Skubal, they might still have to go through the Boston Red Sox. Say what you want about how many prospects the Red Sox gave up today (and I will say some things later in this article), but they are certainly building a team to contend for this season. This team just swept the Dodgers on the road over the weekend and put together the best month of July of any team in baseball, so the front office decided they had to go for it. They added Adley Rutschman to provide a major upgrade at catcher for 2026 and 2027. They also added Eli White as a solid fourth outfielder who can defend and run the bases well, and then added Erik Miller as a solid left-handed reliever under team control through 2030, which the team really needed. Those are all solid pieces to add to a roster that is performing and plans to make a run in the playoffs. They gave up a lot of young players to get those pieces, but you certainly can’t argue that the Red Sox are making a push to win in 2026.
Padres 2026 Postseason Hopes
The Padres are another team that drastically improved their playoff hopes on Monday. Their offense has started clicking in recent weeks, which has put them right back into playoff contention, but the rotation was an issue. So the Padres went out and added Robbie Ray and Casey Mize. They also have Nick Pivetta and Joe Musgrove already on rehab assignments. Oh, and they decided not to trade away Mason Miller. That’s a win in its own right.
Small Market Rust Belt Fanbases
The White Sox, Guardians, and Pirates, despite being “smaller market teams,” who are usually a little more cautious around the deadline, all made moves to help their playoff chances. The Guardians made the biggest deals of the group, adding Jo Adell, All-Star starting pitcher Foster Griffin, and Nathaniel Lowe, and did so without having to give up any pieces that I thought were of major consequence for them. Meanwhile, the Pirates addressed a major hole in their bullpen by targeting both New York teams and taking Camilo Doval from the Yankees and Luke Weaver from the Mets. Oh, they also got Kirby Yates from the Angels. That’s a lot of MLB experience to put in the back of their bullpen for a playoff push.
I was least impressed with the White Sox, who added Luis Castillo to the rotation, Huascar Brazoban to the bullpen for three years, Brenton Doyle to their outfield rotation, and Joey Bart as their starting catcher. Considering the White Sox are in first place in the AL Central, I was kind of hoping they would have taken at least one bigger swing or added another experienced starting pitcher, but they added pieces to fill weaknesses, so kudos to them for that. I guess.
Los Angeles Angels
You know what, it’s time to give the Angels a win. For years, they’ve held onto players who were not going to help them in the future and stubbornly refused to trade them for any kind of value at the deadline. This year, they made more trades than any other team. No, they didn’t trade away every possible player they could have, but they got rid of some pieces that weren’t going to remain with the organization and took gambles on young players. It’s too early to say if the younger players will pan out (even though I like Arjun Nimmala), but the Angels get credit here for actually looking to the future and trying to build a young core.
Jose Soriano
Yes, that means Jose Soriano was traded away, but I understand that. He has good secondaries but mediocre fastballs and has maybe hit his ceiling in Los Angeles. He’s a fine pitcher for the Angels, but not a top-of-the-rotation arm. However, he now gets to go to a team that has a better track record of developing pitchers. I love what the Blue Jays did this year with Dylan Cease, tweaking his changeup to help propel him to his best season ever. Maybe they have a better shot of finding that next level for Soriano.
Freddy Peralta
The Rays are also a team that has a good track record of helping pitchers maximize their ability, and I recorded a video today on how the Rays’ willingness to throw same-handed changeups might be just what Peralta needs. That makes Peralta a winner at the deadline, but he also gets to move from a Mets team that was in the midst of a major letdown to a Rays team that is in first place in the AL East and looking like a lock for the postseason.
New York Mets
I think the Mets were also a winner today. Now, they pretty clearly have not been a winner at basically any point this season, which is why they were selling, and this season on the whole remains a major disappointment. That being said, I thought they got good value for the players they moved today. Getting Jefferson Rojas from the Cubs was a big win. Getting Sammy Stafura from the Pirates was a big win. They got young starting pitchers with plus command or elite fastballs in a collection of other deals and will trust their pitching development to get something out of them. Overall, the Mets took an awful situation and had a strong day in response to it.
Marlins-Rays Catching Pipeline
Speaking of the Rays, score one for the Marlins and Rays catching pipeline. Last season, the Marlins traded Nick Fortes to the Rays. This season, the Marlins traded Liam Hicks to the Rays. Now Fortes and Hicks will be the catching tandem in Tampa Bay on a playoff team. It’s nice to have friends back together again (I assume they were friends).
Miami Marlins
I thought the Marlins did a nice job at the deadline. They’re 1.5 games out of the NL Wild Card race, so they didn’t need to tear the team down or sell off any major pieces. However, if they’re being honest with themselves, they don’t currently have a team that’s going to contend for a title. Instead of simply giving away pieces, they looked for players they could trade away that might not have a clear place for the future. Liam Hicks was great for them this season and has plenty of years of control, but he is also a below-average defensive catcher and is basically just a DH. With Heriberto Hernandez emerging and Owen Caissie back from injury, flipping Hicks for Brayden Taylor, their potential third baseman of the future (a spot they really need talent at), is a long-term win for the Marlins without hurting their current team too much. They added Jonathon Long, who’s an intriguing 1B prospect for a starting pitcher they don’t seem to want to use (Braxton Garrett), and even picked up an intriguing bullpen arm in Victor Vodnik. Overall, a solid day.
Washington Nationals
The Nationals are another team that took away some talent from their major league roster (Foster Griffin, Luis Garcia Jr.), but subtracted in ways that made sense. The Nationals wanted to re-sign Foster Griffin, but it seems like Griffin wasn’t keen on signing an extension, so they pivoted to trading him and getting a slew of prospects from the Guardians to try to rebuild their farm system. They also acquired four intriguing pitchers from the Yankees for Garcia Jr., including Yovanny Cruz, who could be their future closer, and Ben Grable, who has a really intruiging fastball. Considering the Nationals have two 1B prospects that are likely MLB-ready in Yohandy Morales and Abimelec Ortiz, they felt strongly about being able to backfill Garcia with some players that could also help. I don’t mind that approach at all.
Paul Toboni said an extension with Foster Griffin: there was a "clear desire to want him around"
— Danielle Allentuck (@d_allentuck) August 3, 2026
There was a scenario where they kept Griffin and continued extension talks in the offseason, Toboni said. They considered offering him a qualifying offer too.
Dustin May Voodoo Magic
Another deadline comes and goes with Dustin May on an expiring contract being traded for an intriguing prospect. Last season, the Red Sox acquired Dustin May for outfield prospect James Tibbs III and Zach Erhard. This year, he was traded to the Brewers for Alexander Frias. I know Frias wasn’t a top five prospect for the Brewers, but some sites have had him as a top 100 prospect overall, and the 18-year-old has legit power. It’s a great get for the Cardinals and another example that MLB GMs are simply bewitched by Dustin May.
Chicago Cubs Veteran Starting Pitchers
Some other veteran starting pitchers that deserve love are going to Chicago, with Clay Holmes, Kevin Gausman, and Braxton Garrett joining the Cubs rotation. The Cubs lost all of Cade Horton, Justin Steele, and Ben Brown to injury. Even though Steele will be back this season, the Cubs have said that it’s unlikely he will be used as a starter, so they definitely needed some. Getting Gausman and Holmes is perfect for Chicago because both pitchers rely on command and groundballs, and the Cubs have an elite infield defense. I know this isn’t the sexiest rotation, but Gausman, Holmes, Imanaga, and Matthew Boyd is a solid core for the playoffs, and that doesn’t even factor in David Peterson, Braxton Garrett, and Colin Rea, who can help soak up innings to get them there.
MLB Trade Deadline Losers
Cincinnati Reds
What are the Reds doing? They’re 5.5 games out of the final spot in the NL Wild Card race and don’t seem like a real threat to make a push. Yet, the only player they traded away was Nathaniel Lowe. Brady Singer was kept, despite being a free agent at the end of the year. JJ Bleday was kept. Tyler Stephenson was kept despite a robust market for catchers. I just don’t get it. They just sat around and did nothing.
Atlanta Braves
The Braves have a beleaguered rotation that needs help. They apparently tried to get Jacob deGrom. They wound up with Tyler Mahle. Umm... OK. Brent Suter and Bailey Falter were added to the bullpen, and Lane Thomas will replace Eli White as a starting outfielder against lefties, but I don’t think the Braves did enough for their rotation here.
Texas Rangers
The Rangers got swept by the Astros this weekend and panicked. They reportedly tried to trade Jacob deGrom, but he refused to waive his no-trade clause. The Rangers also apparently talked to teams about trading Nathan Eovaldi, but didn’t do that either. Instead, they stood pat. I don’t fault a team that was in first place three days ago from trying to compete, but the Rangers also didn’t add anything on Monday. So we have a team that seemed to want to sell, but players didn’t want to leave, so the team just decided to trade Josh Smith for Adam Macko. I dunno. That doesn’t really do it for me, personally.
According to @Ken_Rosenthal report, Jacob deGrom said he preferred to stay in Texas, per his no-trade clause. If so, that might explain why Rangers appear to be holding.
— Evan Grant (@Evan_P_Grant) August 3, 2026
Minnesota Twins
Another team that tried to do two things at once was the Twins. They’re one game out of a playoff spot, so they wanted to be buyers at the deadline, but they didn’t want to really buy much. Jeff Hoffman and AJ Minter are solid bullpen pieces, but Dean Kremer is not going to help this rotation, and there were no upgrades to the lineup. It just feels like they could have picked a lane. Teams that try to toe this line between buying a little bit but not wanting to spend too much rarely come away with much meaningful to show for it at the end.
Colorado Rockies
New ownership group, same situation for the Rockies. Yes, they traded Brenton Doyle to the White Sox, and that should free up playing time for Cole Carrigg. They also capitalized on Antonio Senzatela’s solid bullpen season and traded him to Milwaukee, but that was it. Starting pitchers on expiring contracts, like Tomoyuki Sugano and Michael Lorenzen, were kept. Mickey Moniak was kept, which isn’t such a bad thing, but it means that Zac Veen continues to be blocked at Triple-A and will be for the next two years. I don’t think they needed to trade Hunter Goodman, but maybe they could have done, ya know, something.
Milwaukee Brewers
Speaking of Senzatela, I have to put the Brewers in here. They have the best record in baseball. They have a real shot to win the whole thing. They apparently made an offer for Tarik Skubal but then saw him get traded to the Dodgers. So they countered by... trading for Dustin May, Antonio Senzatela, and JoJo Romero, who is currently hurt. This is a good organization. I wonder if they played it a little too cautiously this season.
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Diamondbacks are another playoff team that didn’t really do much to help themselves. Arizona has a wild card spot right now. They might get Corbin Burnes back in time for him to make some starts for them, so they loaded up by adding...Lars Nootbaar. Sure, Nootbaar is fine; Statcast has always loved him, but I’m not sure how much better he is than Max Kepler. Is that difference enough to dramatically impact the Diamondbacks’ chances of competing in the playoffs?
Athletics
Another team that I’m not entirely sure knew the deadline was happening. They traded Colby Thomas for Seth Johnson. That was it. That was the only move they made. I don’t think you need to tear it all down here, but certainly there were relievers or starting pitchers on expiring contracts (Jeffrey Springs) who could have gotten them something.
Red Sox’s Minor League Depth
We said before that the Red Sox went for it this season, but oh boy did they give a lot to do it. Craig Breslow traded away three of the team’s top five prospects in the deal for Adley Rutschman. He dealt Marcelo Mayer to San Francisco for three years of Erik Miller, and he traded their 14th-ranked prospect to the Braves for Eli White. Yes, the Red Sox have been really good at developing young arms, and they likely feel confident that they can backfill those roles, but that’s a lot of young talent to give up to try and capitalize on this scorching-hot last seven weeks or so.
Mike Elias’ Grasp on Reality
I thought the Orioles had a fine deadline. They got tons of young talent from the Red Sox for Rutschman, and they flipped Taylor Ward, Tyler Wells, and Dean Kremer for other young pieces to try and build up their farm system. Yet, I’m not entirely sure why they held onto Trevor Rogers, who is a free agent after this season, and I don’t think Mike Elias has a clear plan for where this team is going right now. After the deadline, he said that the Orioles intend to contend in 2026. Yes, they’re 2.5 games out of the playoffs, but they don’t currently have a healthy catcher, they lack starting pitching depth, and this lineup has underproduced all season. I’m not sure I see this as a playoff team.
Mike Elias said the Orioles' front office did not dismantle the roster and that they're "still a very good team." He also cited the talent coming from the Minor Leagues.
— Jake Rill (@JakeDRill) August 3, 2026
"We’re going to be playing for the postseason the rest of the way."
