MLB trade deadline 2026: Grading every team's deadline results, from an A+ for the Dodgers to an F+ for the Reds
With the 2026 MLB trade deadline in the rearview mirror, we've tallied up all the transactions. We've sorted out the winners and losers. We've ranked the top 50 trades that matter.
All that leaves is grading each team's deadline results, relative to their purported goals of buying, selling or threading the needle.
Let's dig in.
Jump to a team by clicking on the links below:
NL West: Dodgers | Diamondbacks | Padres | Giants | Rockies
Arizona Diamondbacks: B-
Moves:
Acquired OF Lars Nootbaar from the St. Louis Cardinals for SP prospect Daniel Eagen, RP prospect Sandro Santana and a PTBNL
The Snakes were dead silent until the 11th hour, when, all of a sudden, they snapped into action for Nootbaar. He's a nice piece and a definitive upgrade for an offense that has taken a big step back this season. That he's under control for 2027 is a nice bonus. Arizona, currently in a playoff spot, needed to add a lefty stick to balance out its righty-heavy lineup. Nootbaar, when healthy, is a legitimate difference-maker.
Folks around the game also expected general manager Mike Hazen to reinforce his injury-riddled rotation, but such a trade never materialized. This D-backs' grade drops slightly as a result.
Athletics: C-
Moves:
Acquired RP Seth Johnson from the Philadelphia Phillies for OF Colby Thomas
A real snoozer of a deadline. After their biggest trade piece, Shea Langeliers, got hurt last week, the A's front office had nothing to do but wander around Sacramento and twiddle their thumbs. This season has been a total wash for the Vegas-bound club; the only thing worse than being a seller is having nothing to sell.
Atlanta Braves: C+
Moves:
Acquired OF Lane Thomas and SP/RP Bailey Falter from the Kansas City Royals for pitching prospects Carter Holton and Lucas Braun
Acquired RP Brent Suter from the Los Angeles Angels for INF Nacho Alvarez Jr.
Acquired SP Tyler Mahle from the San Francisco Giants for RP Anthony Molina
Acquired RP Tyler Uberstine from the Boston Red Sox for OF Eli White
Acquired C Joey Bart from the Chicago White Sox for RP Duncan Davitt
It certainly seems like Atlanta was the club that tried to trade for Jacob deGrom, only for the two-time Cy Young to invoke his no-trade clause with the Rangers. Head baseball honcho Alex Anthopoulos must be fuming, as that would've been the perfect get for a Braves rotation in desperate need of a No. 2 starter. That deal also would've made the rest of Atlanta's deadline, full of decent complementary pieces, look a whole lot better. Thomas is a very useful bat against left-handed pitching, but on the whole, there's nothing to write home about here. Atlanta didn't give up anything significant, but it would've been nice to see more aggression from a team all but locked into a playoff spot.
Baltimore Orioles: B-
Moves:
Traded C Adley Rutschman and C Jake Rogers to the Boston Red Sox for SP prospect Anthony Eyanson, SP prospect Kyson Witherspoon, OF prospect Enddy Azocar, C Carlos Narváez and a PTBNL
Traded SP Dean Kremer to the Minnesota Twins for OF prospect Jhomnardo Reyes
Traded OF Taylor Ward to the Seattle Mariners for RP prospect Alex Hoppe, RP prospect Brock Moore and SP prospect Harrison Kreiling
Traded RP Tyler Wells to the Tampa Bay Rays for SP prospect Michael Forret
Acquired OF Rece Hinds from the Miami Marlins for cash considerations
Acquired RP Codi Heuer from the Milwaukee Brewers for cash considerations
Acquired OF prospect Christian Franklin from the Washington Nationals for RP prospect Joe Glassey
It's disappointing and frustrating that this organization had to adopt a more sell-heavy approach at the deadline once again. It's even more crushing that the Adley Rutschman Era in Baltimore is going to end with a grand total of zero postseason victories. POBO Mike Elias lost the benefit of the doubt a while ago, and he didn't help himself with this gut-punch of a teardown, even if dealing away Rutschman makes some sense.
Eyanson is the big prize here. The LSU product is one of the top pitching prospects in the sport, a 2025 third-rounder who experienced a huge velocity bump after entering pro ball. He has held that heat in 2026, solidifying himself as a potential frontline arm. Sadly, few O's fans will wake up tomorrow feeling amped about the future. They'll definitely feel melancholy about a past that never was.
Boston Red Sox: B+
Moves:
Acquired C Adley Rutschman and C Jake Rogers from the Baltimore Orioles for SP prospect Anthony Eyanson, SP prospect Kyson Witherspoon, OF prospect Enddy Azocar, C Carlos Narváez and a PTBNL
Acquired INF Curtis Mead from the Washington Nationals for SP Connelly Early
Acquired RP Erik Miller and OF prospect Carlos Gutierrez from the San Francisco Giants for INF Marcelo Mayer
Acquired OF Eli White from the Atlanta Braves for RP Tyler Uberstine
Did the Red Sox overpay for Rutschman? Yeah, almost certainly. But it's difficult to criticize chief baseball officer Craig Breslow for adopting a more balls-to-the-wall approach after we spent weeks criticizing him for his passive, robotic disposition. Boston is going for it. That's a wild sentence, considering where this team was just a month ago, before a historic winning streak vaulted the Sox back into contention. But given the weak state of the American League, this deadline makes a ton of sense. Rutschman fills a clear need and could benefit from playing without the weight of a franchise's future resting on his very broad shoulders.
Cincinnati Reds: F+
Moves:
Traded 1B Nathaniel Lowe to the Cleveland Guardians for SP prospect Alejandro Rivera
Whatever, dude. Cincinnati had impending free agents to sell — Brady Singer, Brock Burke, Eugenio Suárez, Emilio Pagán, Pierce Johnson, Tyler Stephenson — but either couldn't find suitors or opted to hold firm. If this is a sign of confidence in the current roster, that seems ill-advised. Not trading Stephenson, who was brought to tears over the weekend at the thought of leaving the only franchise he has ever known, was particularly odd. At least he gets to stick around, I guess.
Chicago Cubs: A-
Moves:
Acquired SP Kevin Gausman from the Toronto Blue Jays for INF prospect Ty Southisene and OF prospect Brett Bateman
Acquired SP Clay Holmes and OF Tyrone Taylor from the New York Mets for INF prospect Jefferson Rojas
Acquired SP Braxton Garrett from the Miami Marlins for INF prospect Jonathon Long and RP prospect Jace Beck.
Acquired RP Ryan Zeferjahn from the Los Angeles Angels for C/DH Moisés Ballesteros
Traded SP Jameson Taillon to the Toronto Blue Jays for cash considerations or a PTBNL
The Cubbies needed healthy starting pitching like I need a cold beverage. And POBO Jed Hoyer got the job done. Gausman has taken a half-step back this year as he approaches the back half of his 30s, but that guy has the stones and postseason pedigree to lead an October staff. Holmes and his weak-contact-focused style of pitching are a perfect fit for Chicago's world-beating defense. Zeferjahn throws fuel, even though he doesn't always know where it's going. Taylor is an experienced late-inning defensive replacement who has been on fire recently against southpaws. Who knows if the Cubs can chase down the Brewers, but at least they gave themselves a shot.
Chicago White Sox: B+
Moves:
Acquired SP Luis Castillo from the Seattle Mariners for RP Seranthony Domínguez, OF Nolan Jones and C prospect Boston Smith
Acquired CF Brenton Doyle from the Colorado Rockies for SS prospect Carlos Vielma and SP prospect Mason Adams
Acquired RP Huascar Brazobán from the New York Mets for SP prospect Gabe Davis and RP prospect Zach Franklin
Traded C Joey Bart to the Atlanta Braves for RP Duncan Davitt
The White Sox got markedly better without sacrificing the future; that's a win in our book. It has been an unexpectedly stellar season on the South Side, one that has pushed the Pale Hose into contention well ahead of schedule. But GM Chris Getz and Co. didn't get over their skis and do anything reckless. No, this was a reasonably aggressive deadline performance. Taking on Castillo's contract makes sense, given the club's relatively small payroll. He's not what he once was but remains a competent back-end starter with experience to impart. Brazobán and Doyle provide some depth. Nothing Earth-shattering here, but this is a nice series of moves for the Sox as they attempt to finish off what would be a shocking division title.
Cleveland Guardians: B+
Moves:
Acquired SP Foster Griffin from the Washington Nationals for OF prospect Nick Mitchell, RP prospect Kendeglys Virguez, RP prospect Will Dion and SP prospect Josh Hartle
Acquired OF Jo Adell from the Los Angeles Angels for C prospect Jacob Cozart
Acquired 1B Nathaniel Lowe from the Cincinnati Reds for SP prospect Alejandro Rivera
Acquired RP Craig Yoho and OF Blake Perkins from the Milwaukee Brewers for C Bo Naylor and RP Codi Heuer
For the hyper-conservative Guardians, it was an uncharacteristically active deadline. Griffin should help reinforce a rotation that has been fraying at the backend of late. Lowe will form the strong side of a first-base platoon alongside Rhys Hoskins, with Kyle Manzardo getting shipped to Triple-A. Adell offers a capable righty bat in the outfield and will allow perpetually banged-up rookie Chase DeLauter more time at DH. Yoho has a magical changeup and should slot in toward the middle of this bullpen. Sources told Yahoo Sports that a Freddy Peralta deal was in the works at one point, but for a notoriously difficult organization to trade with, this turned out to be a solid deadline.
Colorado Rockies: C+
Moves:
Traded CF Brenton Doyle to the Chicago White Sox for SS prospect Carlos Vielma and SP prospect Mason Adams
Traded Victor Vodnik to the Miami Marlins for INF Connor Norby and SP prospect Aiden May
Traded RP Antonio Senzatela to the Milwaukee Brewers for RP prospect Mark Manfredi and INF prospect Juan Martinez
It would've been nice to see Colorado operate a bit more like Anaheim, a fellow cellar-dweller under new management that underwent a more thorough sell-off. Norby is an interesting post-hype prospect, and May looks like a decent sinker-slider guy. Extending Mickey Moniak is a fascinating move. We're still waiting to get a better sense of how this Paul DePodesta organization plans to operate.
Detroit Tigers: B-
Moves:
Traded SP Tarik Skubal to the Los Angeles Dodgers for SP prospect River Ryan, OF prospect Zyhir Hope and SP prospect Brady Smith
Traded SP Casey Mize and INF Gage Workman to the San Diego Padres for SP prospect Kash Mayfield and SP Jackson Wolf
It's difficult to win a deadline at which you deal away an all-time dominant player despite being within shouting distance of a playoff spot. But trading Skubal was more of an indictment of the Tigers' season to this point than the actual moves they conducted. Considering the overwhelming likelihood of his departure at season's end, they absolutely had to trade him. 'Twas the painful course of action but the right course of action.
We're a bit lower than the industry on the return. River Ryan, almost 28 years of age, is being treated like Methuselah on the internet but should slot into this rotation soon and be a dependable piece. Hope smokes the ball but is built thicker than you'd want an outfielder his age to be, and the defensive home is an open question. Perhaps president of baseball ops Scott Harris should've waited a little longer to see if a better deal materialized, but really, this is totally fine. It's not overwhelming, maybe a bit underwhelming, but the issue is more about needing to trade Skubal in the first place than it is about the return.
Houston Astros: C-
Moves:
Acquired CF Daulton Varsho from the Toronto Blue Jays for SP Spencer Arrighetti
A weird one. Arrighetti had a 1.34 ERA across his first eight starts but has come crashing down to Earth over the past few months. Still, he's under contract through the end of 2030, which makes this seem like quite a high price to pay for a rental such as Varsho. That's nothing against the hard-charging Wisconsinite, who should fill a big hole in center field for the Stros. It's just that Houston's deadline makes very little sense.
The Astros reportedly swung a deal for Minnesota's Trevor Larnach, only for team owner Jim Crane to nix it. The Athletic's Chandler Rome then reported that Crane had forbidden lame-duck GM Dana Brown from trading away pieces from the big-league roster. Then the Astros traded Arighetti, who is technically on the injured list right now. It seems like the Astros, winners of six in a row and atop the AL West, could've done more to reinforce their roster. This rotation, in particular, looks a bit shaky after Hunter Brown and the sneaky-good Peter Lambert.
Kansas City Royals: C-
Moves:
Traded OF Lane Thomas and SP/RP Bailey Falter to the Atlanta Braves for pitching prospects Carter Holton and Lucas Braun
Traded SP Kris Bubic to the Los Angeles Dodgers for RP Carlos Durán
Acquired RP Nolan Hoffman from the Philadelphia Phillies for RP Manuel Colon
This was a slightly less dispiriting version of the Athletics' deadline. It has been a bummer of a year in K.C., but even so, the Royals didn't have any enticing pieces to capitalize on. The Bubic situation is a particular bummer. He was an All-Star a year ago and a hot commodity on the trade market. But the Royals chose to hold on to him, a decision that backfired with disastrous consequences. He might've gotten a haul last season. This year, not so much.
Los Angeles Angels: B+
Moves:
Acquired C/DH Moisés Ballesteros from the Chicago Cubs for RP Ryan Zeferjahn
Traded SP José Soriano to the Toronto Blue Jays for SS prospect Arjun Nimmala, OF prospect Eddie Micheletti and SP prospect Angel Rivero
Traded OF Jo Adell to the Cleveland Guardians for C prospect Jacob Cozart
Traded C Logan O'Hoppe and RP Chase Silseth to the Texas Rangers for INF prospect Angel Arredondo
Traded RP Brent Suter to the Atlanta Braves for INF Nacho Alvarez Jr.
Traded RP Kirby Yates to the Pittsburgh Pirates for SP Kyle Robinson
Finally! After spending the past decade on Planet La La Land, the Angels have entered the real world. Interim head honcho John Mozeliak conducted a reasonable, rational sell-off. He didn't deal the club's two most valuable pieces, shortstop Zach Neto and starter Reid Detmers, but he did a whole lot else. Getting Ballesteros, who was projected as an above-average big-league bat not too long ago, for a reliever is great process. Nimmala is an exciting, supremely dynamic talent with a ways to go to realize that potential. There are questions about whether this is the right org to get the best out of him, but he's still the type of high-ceiling player that the Angels should be targeting. This team won't be good again any time soon, but at least we're seeing steps in the right direction.
Los Angeles Dodgers: A+
Moves:
Acquired SP Tarik Skubal from the Detroit Tigers for SP prospect River Ryan, OF prospect Zyhir Hope and SP prospect Brady Smith
Acquired SP Kris Bubic from the Kansas City Royals for RP Carlos Durán
Acquired C Hunter Feduccia and RP prospect Jacob Kmatz from the Tampa Bay Rays for Jack Suwinski and international bonus money
The two-time defending champs got the best player on the market and didn't think twice. Ryan, Hope and Smith are all interesting prospects, but the Dodgers have a mountain of those and bigger dreams to chase. No player traded tilts the scales for 2026 more than Skubal, who should be a massive difference-maker as L.A. hunts down a three-peat.
If you want my thoughts on the Bubic and Fedducia deals, you'll have to track me down at my neighborhood pub. Kmatz is pretty good, though.
Miami Marlins: B-
Moves:
Traded C/1B Liam Hicks to the Tampa Bay Rays for INF prospect Brayden Taylor, SS prospect Adrian Santana and SP prospect Jacob Kisting
Traded SP Braxton Garrett to the Chicago Cubs for INF prospect Jonathon Long and RP prospect Jace Beck.
Traded RP Lake Bachar to the Pittsburgh Pirates for RP Brandan Bidois, INF prospect Hyun Seung Lee and OF prospect Brian Sanchez
Acquired Victor Vodnik from the Colorado Rockies for INF Connor Norby and SP prospect Aiden May
Miami sits just 1.5 games out of the third NL wild-card spot but didn't transact like an organization that believes it's bound for glory in 2026. They built a nice return for Hicks, who, after a wonderful start, became expendable after the promotion of fellow backstop Joe Mack. But the Marlins are undeniably worse today than they were yesterday, which must be frustrating for a fan base that has been told to wait patiently for going on two decades now. At some point, POBO Peter Bendix is going to have to adopt a more hopeful posture. However, he's probably correct that such a time is not yet at hand.
Milwaukee Brewers: D+
Moves:
Acquired SP Dustin May and RP JoJo Romero from the St. Louis Cardinals for OF prospect Alexander Frías and OF prospect Josiah Ragsdale
Acquired C Bo Naylor and RP Codi Heuer from the Cleveland Guardians for RP Craig Yoho and OF Blake Perkins
Acquired RP Antonio Senzatela from the Colorado Rockies for RP prospect Mark Manfredi and INF prospect Juan Martinez
Deja vu, all over again. Milwaukee's sustainable operation is the envy of the sport. Year after year, they build competitive teams on a shoestring budget. Their farm system is stacked. Jacob Misiorowski is one of the biggest development wins of the 21st century. But, man, it'd be nice to see GM Matt Arnold and Co. throw caution to the wind every once in a blue moon. Asking them to outbid L.A. on Skubal always felt unrealistic, but they could've pivoted to add a no-doubt playoff starter. May is fine, and Senzatela has been sneaky awesome after moving to the bullpen, but it's hard to get amped about any of that, considering the Brewers took the exact same approach last deadline and got dogwalked in the NLCS by the Dodgers. Nothing they did this week makes me feel optimistic that this time around will be any different.
Minnesota Twins: B-
Moves:
Acquired RP Jeff Hoffman from the Toronto Blue Jays for SP prospect Dasan Hill, RP prospect John Klein and INF prospect Dameury Pena
Acquired SP Dean Kremer from the Baltimore Orioles for OF prospect Jhomnardo Reyes
Last year, the Twins shocked the world with a deadline sell-off for the ages. This go-around, they more or less stood pat. That makes some sense. Minnesota is too close to a playoff spot to trade away guys such as Ryan Jeffers or Joe Ryan, both of whom garnered significant interest from other clubs. Hoffman is a worthwhile addition. He should bolster the back end of a bullpen that was ravaged by last summer's teardown. Another quality rotation piece would have been nice, though.
New York Mets: D+
Moves:
Traded SP Freddy Peralta to the Tampa Bay Rays for OF prospect Aiden Smith, INF prospect Émilien Pitre and SP prospect Gary Gill Hill
Traded SP Clay Holmes and OF Tyrone Taylor to the Chicago Cubs for INF prospect Jefferson Rojas
Traded RP Luke Weaver to the Pittsburgh Pirates for SS prospect Sammy Stafura
Traded RP Brooks Raley to the Philadelphia Phillies for SP prospect Luke Gabrysh and OF prospect John Spikerman
Traded RP Huascar Brazobán to the Chicago White Sox for SP prospect Gabe Davis and RP prospect Zach Franklin
New York's system is better today than it was yesterday, but by how much? Rojas is easily the best prospect acquired; he projects to be a league-average every-day shortstop. Stafura is a New York kid and an athletic infield defender enjoying a breakout season, but there's questions about the bat. Gill Hill should have a long big-league career as a reliable back-end rotation type. But considering everything the Mets sold, there's not a whole lot here that warrants optimistic overreaction. Unfortunately, until further notice, this organization has lost the benefit of the doubt.
New York Yankees: B-
Moves:
Acquired 1B Luis García Jr. from the Washington Nationals for RP Yovanny Cruz, RP Jake Bird, RP prospect Ben Grable and SP prospect Jack Cebert
Acquired OF Heliot Ramos from the San Francisco Giants for SP prospect Henry Lalane and INF prospect Kaeden Kent
Traded RP Camillo Doval to the Pittsburgh Pirates for C prospect Omar Alfonzo and OF prospect Luis Cruz
Before you could read this, García already did what he was acquired to do: scoop a righty changeup beneath the strike zone into the Yankee Stadium short porch. He's far from a perfect player — meh against lefties, limited defensively, chases a lot — but García rakes, and the Yankees, with Judge, Stanton and Bellinger on the shelf, needed a hitter. Ramos, who can play all three outfield spots, should help, too.
But the Yankees also needed a catcher, and a catcher they did not get. Given the level of production New York has received from that position, that's a questionable course of action. It stings a bit more knowing that the Yanks were in on Rutschman at one point. But in the end, Brian Cashman didn't think there was a deal worth making for a backstop. His track record deserves the benefit of the doubt.
Philadelphia Phillies: B-
Moves:
Acquired 2B Luis Arraez and RP Caleb Kilian from the San Francisco Giants for SP prospect Ramon Marquez and RP prospect Marty Gair
Acquired RP Brooks Raley from the New York Mets for SP prospect Luke Gabrysh and OF prospect John Spikerman
Acquired OF Colby Thomas from the Athletics for RP Seth Johnson
Traded RP Nolan Hoffman to the Kansas City Royals for RP Manuel Colon
The repercussions of the Arraez deal are many and far-reaching. His arrival necessitates a total defensive reshuffling for the Phillies, who have trotted out pretty much the same infield alignment for the past few seasons. The end result involves Bryce Harper heading back to the outfield, which could make Philadelphia's already weak defense even weaker. But those are fancy problems. This lineup, second-to-last in OBP, needed a boost. Arraez should provide it and give the Phillies the contact-oriented piece they've lacked the past few Octobers, when they've collected strikeouts by the dozen.
Raley and Kilian are significant bullpen additions; one or both should find himself tossing high-leverage frames once the weather gets cold. The only two unfulfilled items on POBO Dave Dombrowski's shopping list were a veteran depth starter and a righty-hitting outfielder. The reemergence of Andrew Painter (he looked good the other day) should solve the first problem. Dombrowski and Co. likely believe Arraez is good enough that the second problem won't matter.
Pittsburgh Pirates: A-
Moves:
Acquired RP Luke Weaver from the New York Mets for SS prospect Sammy Stafura
Acquired RP Camillo Doval from the New York Yankees for C prospect Omar Alfonzo and OF prospect Luis Cruz
Acquired RP Lake Bachar from the Miami Marlins for RP Brandan Bidois, INF prospect Hyun Seung Lee and OF prospect Brian Sanchez
Acquired RP Kirby Yates from the Los Angeles Angels for SP Kyle Robinson
Traded RP Hunter Stratton to the San Diego Padres for RP prospect Andrew Moore
The Pirates completely rebuilt their bullpen, a glaring weak spot, without giving up a whole lot. Getting a year and a half of Weaver for one player, albeit one having a strong 2026, is a phenomenal bit of business. He was the best reliever who changed teams. Odds are that one of Doval, Bachar and Yates will emerge as a trustworthy late-inning option, one will be just OK, and one will be unusable. But that's why you buy in bulk.
San Diego Padres: A-
Moves:
Acquired SP Casey Mize and INF Gage Workman from the Detroit Tigers for SP prospect Kash Mayfield and SP Jackson Wolf
Acquired SP Robbie Ray from the San Francisco Giants for SS prospect Joniel Hernandez and SP prospect Miguel Mendez
Acquired RP Hunter Stratton from the Pittsburgh Pirates for RP prospect Andrew Moore
A sophisticated yet productive showing from the always free-wheeling A.J. Preller. As the Padres climbed their way back up the standings over the past week, it became clear that they'd hang onto what would've been the market's two best bullpen pieces in Mason Miller and Adrian Morejon. So as he so often does, Preller pushed more chips into the pot, spending prospect capital to reinforce his depleted rotation. There's a decent argument that the Padres upgraded more with Mizeand Ray than the Dodgers did with Skubal. That says more about what this San Diego rotation looked like pre-deadline, but you get the point.
San Francisco Giants: B+
Moves:
Acquired INF Marcelo Mayer from the Boston Red Sox for RP Erik Miller and OF prospect Carlos Gutierrez
Traded SP Tyler Mahle to the Atlanta Braves for RP Anthony Molina
Traded 2B Luis Arraez and RP Caleb Kilian to the Philadelphia Phillies for SP prospect Ramon Marquez and RP prospect Marty Gair
Traded SP Robbie Ray to the San Diego Padres for SS prospect Joniel Hernandez and SP prospect Miguel Mendez
How about that? Beleaguered POBO Buster Posey had himself a nice, little deadline. Injuries and offensive stagnation have cratered Mayer's once-lofty status, but he's a phenomenal buy-low candidate who hasn't gotten the runway to prove himself at the big-league level. Marquez has advanced feel to pitch and a really nasty changeup; a third offering or a velo bump could facilitate a second breakout. Considering how well the Giants have done in Latin America over the past 24 months, Hernandez and Mendez feel like smart additions. Very little has gone well this season in San Francisco, but this team's farm system has taken a real leap forward over the past year, and it got measurably better on deadline day.
Seattle Mariners: B+
Moves:
Acquired OF Taylor Ward from the Baltimore Orioles for RP prospect Alex Hoppe, RP prospect Brock Moore and SP prospect Harrison Kreiling
Traded SP Luis Castillo to the Chicago White Sox for RP Seranthony Domínguez, OF Nolan Jones and C prospect Boston Smith
The Mariners needed a righty bat. They got a righty bat and gave up almost nothing, with all due respect to Kreiling's parents. Ward is having a weird season, trading power for on-base skills. But that type of player, a guy who works at-bats and reaches first, is exactly what Seattle needs right now. Parting ways with Castillo was sad but the only path forward considering this team's overabundance of starting pitchers. That Seattle's two rivals in the AL West race, Texas and Houston, did almost nothing is just as much of a boost as Ward.
St. Louis Cardinals: B
Moves:
Traded OF Lars Nootbaar to the Arizona Diamondbacks for SP prospect Daniel Eagen, RP prospect Sandro Santana and a PTBNL
Traded SP Dustin May and RP JoJo Romero to the Milwaukee Brewers for OF prospect Alexander Frías and OF prospect Josiah Ragsdale
Acquired RP Caleb Ferguson from the Cincinnati Reds for $250k of international bonus pool space
The Cardinals have played better than expected this year, but the Chaim Bloom-led front office had zero delusions about their World Series chances. Shipping out fan-favorite Nootbaar, a free agent after 2027, was a tough but necessary pill to swallow. Eagen is an interesting arm, a well-built righty with a zippy fastball and some feel for spin. The Cards' new pitching dev group surely thinks they can coax more magic out of him. Santana is an enticing relief prospect. The return for May and Romero, two rentals, was even stronger. Ragsdale has real helium and 19 minor-league taters this year. Frias is a ways off but has a cathedral ceiling.
Tampa Bay Rays: A
Moves:
Acquired SP Freddy Peralta from the New York Mets for OF prospect Aiden Smith, INF prospect Émilien Pitrea and SP prospect Gary Gill Hill
Acquired C/1B Liam Hicks from the Miami Marlins for INF prospect Brayden Taylor, SS prospect Adrian Santana and SP prospect Jacob Kisting
Acquired RP Tyler Wells from the Baltimore Orioles for SP prospect Michael Forret
While the Brewers blinked, the Rays, the American League's sustainable, low-budget winner, pounced with the ferocity of a jungle cat. Tampa Bay utilized its stacked farm system to bring in three potential difference-makers. Wells will slide right into the back of the bullpen. Hicks could be the long-awaited above-average backstop this franchise has been searching for since the dawn of time. And Peralta, with some tweaks from Tampa's well-regarding pitching dev group, could rediscover his old self after a brutal four months in Queens. The Rays have a real shot to finish the year with the best record in the American League and find themselves in the driver's seat come Oct. 1. At the deadline, they gave themselves a fighting chance to play deep into the postseason.
Texas Rangers: C-
Moves:
Acquired C Logan O'Hoppe and RP Chase Silseth from Los Angeles Angels for INF prospect Angel Arredondo
Traded UTIL Josh Smith and SP Josh Stephen to the Toronto Blue Jays for RP Adam Macko
A week ago, the Rangers looked like buyers, swinging a deal for Silseth and O'Hoppe. But then they got waxed by the Astros for three straight days and decided to spend the big day in stand-pat mode. Texas, it seems, did try to trade Jacob deGrom to the Braves, but the two-time Cy Young winner nixed the deal. That's a pretty embarrassing headliner in what was otherwise a bizarrely passive deadline for typically aggressive GM Chris Young.
Toronto Blue Jays: B
Moves:
Traded SP Kevin Gausman to the Chicago Cubs for INF prospect Ty Southisene and OF prospect Brett Bateman
Traded CF Daulton Varsho to the Houston Astros for SP Spencer Arighetti
Traded RP Jeff Hoffman to the Minnesota Twins for SP prospect Dasan Hill, RP prospect John Klein and INF prospect Dameury Pena
Acquired SP José Soriano from the Los Angeles Angels for SS prospect Arjun Nimmala, OF prospect Eddie Micheletti and SP prospect Angel Rivero
Acquired SP Jameson Taillon from the Chicago Cubs for cash considerations or a PTBNL
Acquired UTIL Josh Smith and SP Josh Stephen from the Texas Rangers for RP Adam Macko
Here we have a valiant, ethical seller. The Jays, mired in a disastrous campaign, had about as invigorating a day as an auctioneering team can have. Trading away key members of last year's pennant-winning club must have been tough, and the Gausman return was sort of underwhelming, but on the whole, Toronto didn't just sell off the rentals and rest on its laurels. The Jays were smart in acquiring Soriano and Arighetti, two controllable, young arms who can help in 2027 and beyond.
Washington Nationals: B
Moves:
Acquired SP Connelly Early from the Boston Red Sox for INF Curtis Mead
Traded 1B Luis García Jr. to the New York Yankees for RP Yovanny Cruz, RP Jake Bird, RP prospect Ben Grable and SP prospect Jack Cebert
Traded SP Foster Griffin to the Cleveland Guardians for OF prospect Nick Mitchell, RP prospect Kendeglys Virguez, RP prospect Will Dion and SP prospect Josh Hartle
Acquired RP prospect Joe Glassey from the Baltimore Orioles for OF prospect Christian Franklin
This encouraging Nats season has been defined by two main developments: remarkable offensive improvements and disastrous bullpen performances. At the deadline, POBO Paul Toboni used the former to improve the latter. Washington, under Toboni's direction, has shown an aptitude for helping hitters of all stripes upgrade their swing decisions and power production. They believe they can continue that work. That's why they felt comfortable selling high on García, whose bounce-back this season is a testament to the new regime's player dev chops.
But for all the progress going on in D.C. this year, the organization was sorely lacking high-end arm talent in the upper minors and the bigs. So that's what they focused on this deadline, building half a bullpen from the players they got back along the way. Early is the type of controllable arm franchises dream about. Grable and Cruz are both relief prospects, but they're darn good ones who throw incredibly hard. Bird should fill innings in the short term, as should Dion, who moves like a miniature version of Clayton Kershaw.
