MLB trade deadline 2026: Ranking the Top 50 deals that went down before the buzzer
Another trade deadline has passed.
As has become customary in recent years — particularly with the expanded postseason making it more difficult to distinguish who should be buying and selling — most MLB teams waited until the final 48 hours to ramp up their trade activity. More than 40 trades were executed on deadline day alone, with another handful of deals completed in the week leading up to the final buzzer, including the seismic swap sending two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal to the superteam known as the Los Angeles Dodgers.
With the deadline behind us, it’s time to conduct our annual exercise of ranking (nearly) all of the deals that went down since the All-Star break, when trade activity picks up around the league.
Let’s get to it.
The non-Skubal Dodgers deal
50. Dodgers acquire C Ben Rortvedt from Mets for RP Chayce McDermott
49. Dodgers acquire C Hunter Feduccia, RP Jacob Kmatz from Rays for OF Jack Suwinski, international bonus pool money
48. Dodgers acquire SP Kris Bubic from Royals for RP Carlos Duran
47. Dodgers acquire RP Seth Halvorsen from Rockies for OF Landyn Vidourek, SP Nick Frasso
Let’s be real – you know the Skubal blockbuster is waiting for you at the bottom of this list. But the defending champs did more than land the splendid southpaw before the deadline, and that collection of moves was plenty fascinating.
It began July 20, when the Dodgers completed their first trade with the Rockies since 2014, sending prospects to Colorado for right-hander Seth Halvorsen, who will need to hone his command to become an option in the big-league bullpen but has a fastball up to 102 mph that is hard to ignore.
Catcher Will Smith has been on the injured list since early June due to a neck injury, and on Monday, Dalton Rushing was placed on the IL due to an elbow strain, which sent the Dodgers scrambling for catching depth at the deadline. That meant acquiring Ben Rortvedt from the Mets … one year after acquiring Rortvedt at the deadline from Tampa Bay in a deal that sent Hunter Feduccia to the Rays. That was amusing enough on its own, and then, just before the deadline, the Dodgers reacquired Feduccia as well.
To top it all off, L.A. sent relief prospect Carlos Duran to Kansas City for Bubic – an All-Star just last season but one who has been on the injured list since early May battling elbow and shoulder injuries. It is quite possible that Bubic, who is slated to hit free agency after this season, never throws a pitch for the Dodgers. But if he can somehow rehab in time to contribute to any degree down the stretch, that would be a fairly ridiculous turn of events.
Role players
46. White Sox acquire C Joey Bart from Braves for RP Duncan Davitt
45. White Sox acquire OF Brenton Doyle from Rockies for SP Mason Adams, SS Carlos Vielma
44. Red Sox acquire OF Eli White from Braves for RP Tyler Uberstine
43. Red Sox acquire INF/OF Jahmai Jones from Tigers for SP Jojo Ingrassia
42. Blue Jays acquire INF Josh Smith, SP Josh Stephan from Rangers for RP Adam Macko
Nothing too exciting here. The White Sox needed catching depth with Kyle Teel back on the injured list, and Doyle is a nice buy-low candidate who can at least provide excellent center-field defense. The Red Sox bolstered their bench with some speed (White) and a lefty-masher in Jones who was floundering in Detroit after shining with them in a platoon role last year. The Rangers/Blue Jays swap is notable for it being one of just two trades Texas made ahead of this deadline, along with adding Chase Silseth and Logan O’Hoppe from Anaheim last week. It was a strange display of inaction from a team not that far out of first place.
Innings-eaters
41. Cubs acquire SP Aaron Civale from Athletics for RP Aiden Moffett
40. Cubs acquire SP Braxton Garrett from Marlins for 1B Jonathon Long, RP Jace Beck
39. Twins acquire SP Dean Kremer from Orioles for OF Jhomnardo Reyes
38. Braves acquire SP Tyler Mahle from Giants for RP Anthony Molina
37. Brewers acquire SP Dustin May, RP JoJo Romero from Cardinals for OF Alexander Frías, OF Josiah Ragsdale
It’s possible one or two of these arms pitches their way into a more meaningful role by the end of the season, but as things stand, they were brought in by contenders (or at least playoff hopefuls) to cover innings in a cromulent fashion, rather than with hopes of starting a postseason game. Perhaps the Braves and Brewers can coax more impact out of Mahle and May than the two right-handers were able to find in San Francisco and St. Louis, respectively. If anything, there might actually be more pressure on them to do so, considering how few other moves Atlanta and Milwaukee made at this deadline.
The surprisingly busy Cleveland Guardians
36. Guardians acquire RP Craig Yoho, OF Blake Perkins from Brewers for C Bo Naylor, RP Codi Heuer
35. Guardians acquire OF Jo Adell from Angels for C Jacob Cozart
34. Guardians acquire 1B Nathaniel Lowe from Reds for SP Alejandro Rivera
33. Guardians acquire SP Foster Griffin from Nationals for RP Will Dion, SP Josh Hartle, RP Kendeglys Virguez, OF Nick Mitchell
How about this? Cleveland has not been known in recent seasons to be particularly busy at deadline time, but they were as active as any team in the wild-card mix over the past few days. Naylor no longer had a path to playing time, so flipping him for an intriguing strikeout artist in Yoho made sense to bolster the bullpen. Adell has not had a great year but brings rare bat speed to a lineup desperate for some thump and is under team control for 2027 as well. Lowe was crushing right-handers (.885 OPS) with Cincinnati, providing a veteran lefty bat to boost the Guardians’ first-base production, which has been sorely lacking.
Finally, the Guardians made a surprising swap with Washington, leveraging the depth of their farm system to add an All-Star lefty in Griffin, who gives them a much more capable rotation option behind their terrific top two of Parker Messick and Gavin Williams, as Tanner Bibee, Slade Cecconi and Joey Cantillo have been admirably durable but maddeningly inconsistent this season. All in all, it wasn’t the splashiest deadline for the Guardians, but they got meaningfully better, which is no small achievement in a weak and winnable AL Central.
What a relief!
32. Braves acquire RP Brent Suter from Angels for 3B Nacho Alvarez Jr.
31. Phillies acquire RP Brooks Raley from Mets for OF John Spikerman, SP Luke Gabrysh
30. Marlins acquire RP Victor Vodnik from Rockies for INF Connor Norby, SP Aiden May
29. Cubs acquire RP Ryan Zeferjahn from Angels for C/DH Moisés Ballesteros, SP Mason McGwire
28. White Sox acquire RP Huascar Brazobán from Mets for RP Gabe Davis, RP Zach Franklin
27. Brewers acquire RP Antonio Senzatela from Rockies for RP Mark Manfredi, SS Juan Martinez
26. Twins acquire RP A.J. Minter from Mets for OF Bruin Agbayani, 1B/3B Billy Amick
25. Rays acquire RP Tyler Wells from Orioles for SP Michael Forret
24. Red Sox acquire RP Erik Miller from Giants for INF Marcelo Mayer
23. Twins acquire RP Jeff Hoffman from Blue Jays for SP Dasan Hill, RP John Klein, 2B Dameury Pena
Virtually every team intent on playing in October needs bullpen upgrades at the deadline, and there was no shortage of such additions over the past few days. The Angels buying low on Ballesteros is compelling, but Zeferjahn is quite good. Speaking of buying low: How about this being the end of Marcelo Mayer’s tenure in Boston? The Giants added a ton of prospect talent before the deadline, and while Mayer might no longer qualify, he’s still just 23 with a lot of believers around the industry. That said, Erik Miller has some serious stuff from the left side, even if the free passes are far too frequent.
Senzatela has enjoyed a highly successful transition to the bullpen after years of floundering as a starter, and it’d be no surprise if he continues to thrive in Milwaukee’s bullpen. Wells is finally healthy and thriving in a relief role, and he was sent to the Rays for a promising pitching prospect in Forret, who was an Oriole before he was sent to Tampa Bay in the Shane Baz trade last December. Now he’s back.
Finally, credit to Minnesota for making a late push to land Hoffman from Toronto. He’s still capable of being a shutdown closer when he’s right. It was a year ago that the Twins traded away virtually their entire bullpen, and they’ve felt the repercussions of that decision this season while hanging around in the wild-card mix. If Minnesota had any hope of staying relevant down the stretch, relief help was badly required, and Hoffman is a really nice addition, even if they paid a considerable price.
Buccos bullpen makeover
22. Pirates acquire RP Kirby Yates from Angels for SP Kyle Robinson
21. Pirates acquire RP Lake Bachar from Marlins for RP Brandan Bidois, OF Brian Sanchez, SS Hyun Seung Lee
20. Pirates acquire RP Camilo Doval from Yankees for OF Luis Cruz, 1B/C Omar Alfonzo
19. Pirates acquire RP Luke Weaver from Mets for SS Sammy Stafura
Perhaps no playoff hopeful needed a more dramatic bullpen overhaul than the Pirates, who seem to have the makings of a roster otherwise capable of ending the National League’s longest postseason drought. Adding relievers was an absolute must before the deadline, and they were not shy in shopping league-wide for help in that area. It started by buying low on Doval, who never quite found his footing in the Bronx, and finished with the terrific acquisition of Weaver, who has been rock-solid in Queens and is under team control through 2027 as well.
That Pittsburgh was able to add those two, plus Yates and Bachar, without parting with any of its top prospects – Stafura has been on fire in A-ball lately, and the Mets must absolutely love him if he was the sole return for Weaver, as he’s not universally well-regarded around the league – is really tidy business for this front office. Nice work.
Position player potpourri
18. Braves acquire OF Lane Thomas, RP Bailey Falter from Royals for SP Lucas Braun, SP Carter Holton
17. Astros acquire OF Daulton Varsho from Blue Jays for SP Spencer Arrighetti
16. Diamondbacks acquire OF Lars Nootbaar from Cardinals for SP Daniel Eagen, RP Sandro Santana.
15. Red Sox acquire 3B Curtis Mead from Nationals for SP Connelly Early
14. Rays acquire C/DH Liam Hicks from Marlins for 3B Brayden Taylor, SS Adrian Santana, SP Jacob Kisting
13. Mariners acquire OF Taylor Ward from Orioles for RP Alex Hoppe, RP Harrison Kreiling, RP Brock Moore
12. Yankees acquire OF Heliot Ramos from Giants for SP Henry Lalane, SS Kaeden Kent.
11. Yankees acquire 1B Luis García Jr. from Nationals for RP Jake Bird, RP Yovanny Cruz, RP Ben Grable, SP Jack Cebert
10. Phillies acquire 2B Luis Arraez, RP Caleb Kilian from Giants for SP Ramon Marquez, RP Marty Gair
Here we have the batch of trades for hitters who will immediately slot in as regulars on contending teams. Thomas felt like a nice appetizer to a larger move on the pitching side for Atlanta, but he turned out to be one of the Braves’ biggest additions. That’s not his fault, but it puts more pressure on his contributions down the stretch. The same can be said for Varsho, the Astros’ only deadline addition despite ample public posturing from general manager Dana Brown that they’d be aggressive buyers. That Houston improved minimally made rival Seattle’s addition of Ward look even better, as he raises both the floor and the ceiling of the Mariners lineup and didn’t cost nearly as much as expected.
With the deadline just 30 minutes away, the D-backs were the last team to not have made a single trade, but they managed to get on the board by adding on-base maven Nootbaar to their outfield mix. Hicks strengthens Tampa Bay’s perpetually lackluster catching corps, marking a third major move for the AL East leaders in tandem with their deals for Wells and Freddy Peralta.
The Yankees had a weird deadline, failing to address any of the three obvious holes that fans have been screaming about for months (catcher, shortstop, third base) and instead adding two above-average bats who don’t really fit on the roster in Garcíaand Ramos. But the reality is, with Aaron Judge still sidelined, the Yankees needed to prioritize adding offense in any form, and this duo unquestionably has the potential to provide the offense the jolt it craves.
Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski always keeps things interesting when this part of the baseball calendar rolls around, and he delivered another delicious deadline deal in the form of Arraez and Kilian from San Francisco. Arraez’s improved defense at second base will keep him at the keystone while the Phillies maneuver the rest of the roster around him: Bryson Stott to third base, Alec Bohm to first and, yes, Bryce Harper to right field. As funky as the defensive alignment might be, what’s most important is that Arraez’s elite contact skills can elevate this recently dormant lineup in a meaningful way. Kilian also shouldn’t be overlooked, as his inclusion likely contributed to Philadelphia’s willingness to part with a promising pitching prospect in Marquez.
Please start a postseason game
9. Blue Jays acquire SP José Soriano from Angels for SS Arjun Nimmala, OF Eddie Micheletti, SP Angel Rivero
8. White Sox acquire SP Luis Castillo from Mariners for RP Seranthony Dominguez, OF Nolan Jones, C/OF Boston Smith
7. Padres acquire SP Casey Mize, INF Gage Workman from Tigers for SP Kash Mayfield, SP Jackson Wolf
6. Padres acquire SP Robbie Ray from Giants for SP Miguel Mendez, SS Joniel Hernandez
5. Cubs acquire SP Clay Holmes, OF Tyrone Taylor from Mets for INF Jefferson Rojas
4. Cubs acquire SP Kevin Gausman for SS Ty Southisene, OF Brett Bateman 3. Rays acquire SP Freddy Peralta from Mets for 2B Emilien Pitre, SP Gary Gill Hill, OF Aidan Smith
Okay, Soriano probably won’t be starting a game in October for Toronto in 2026. But the breakout right-hander is under team control through 2028, making him a worthy target as part of Toronto’s buy-and-sell approach. The Jays sought long-term rotation options while parting with expiring contracts such as Gausman and Varsho, even parting with a top-100 prospect in Nimmala to do so. Gausman heads to Chicago and joins another new Cubs starter in Clay Holmes as crucial reinforcements for an injury-ravaged pitching staff. Meanwhile, on the South Side, the first-place White Sox made a bold move in adding veteran righty Luis Castillo, who was squeezed out of Seattle’s stacked rotation but would almost certainly get the ball in October if Chicago qualifies for the tournament.
San Diego was eerily quiet leading up to the buzzer, but A.J. Preller leapt late in the afternoon on deadline day to land two rotation upgrades in Rayand Mize, parting with two more well-regarded pitching prospects in Mendez and Mayfield to deplete a shallow farm system even further. But ask Preller, and those youngsters aren’t his concern; the Padres are still pushing for the postseason, as flawed as they might be.
The Rays missed out on Skubal, but they didn’t wait long after falling short to add an impact starter. While there’s no denying that Peralta’s Mets tenure was massively disappointing — and it’s foolish to compare his impact to what Skubal could’ve brought to this club — it’s no surprise that a pitching-savvy team such as the Rays were willing to part with a few solid prospects for the opportunity to help Peralta get back on track. That could pay enormous dividends for both player and team if things start to click, as the right-hander is slated to hit free agency this winter and Tampa Bay has a real shot at securing the top seed in the American League. Peralta’s second half will be one of the biggest storylines down the stretch.
The Boston-Baltimore blockbuster
2. Red Sox acquire C Adley Rutschman, C Jake Rogers, cash from Orioles for C Carlos Narvaez, SP Anthony Eyanson, SP Kyson Witherspoon, OF Enddy Azocar, PTBNL
Where to even begin with this one? Several contenders were seeking catching upgrades leading up to the deadline, but with Shea Langeliers out for the year, Hunter Goodman off the block, Ryan Jeffers staying put in Minnesota and Tyler Stephenson not traded from Cincinnati for some reason, the available backstops were a lot more limited than anticipated.
Enter Rutschman, the former No. 1 pick who made his third All-Star Game last month and is under contract through next season, suddenly emerging as a trade target over the past few days. Baltimore, willing to act as sellers despite not being too far outside the AL wild-card mix, set a high asking price for the 28-year-old switch-hitter and shockingly found a match — with the rival Red Sox of all teams. Emboldened by a 21-4 July and a sweep at Dodger Stadium over the weekend, president of baseball operations Craig Breslow constructed a loaded prospect package to convince the Orioles to part with their franchise catcher. As an added bonus, Boston stopped the rival Yankees from landing Rutschman and upgraded at a position that can make a huge difference on both sides of the ball.
By cold and calculated trade values, it’s hard to argue Boston won this deal based on Rutschman’s shortcomings as a hitter and injury history, but from a vibes standpoint, Red Sox fans are feeling a whole lot better post-deadline than their counterparts in Baltimore.
The big one
1. Dodgers acquire SP Tarik Skubal from Tigers for SP River Ryan, OF Zyhir Hope, SP Brady Smith
Try not to be too shocked. What do you get the team that already has everything? Tarik Skubal, apparently, if you’re Andrew Friedman.
The Dodgers were able to conjure up the right trio of prospects to outbid the other contenders for the left-hander’s services for the stretch run, even convincing Detroit to complete the deal well in advance of the deadline, rather than taking it down to the wire before making this franchise-altering decision.
There are real reasons for Detroit to be excited about all three players acquired in the trade, but there’s also more than enough risk in their profiles to ensure that the Dodgers won’t be sweating parting with them in exchange for the chance to supercharge their ridiculous roster even further. The ramifications of the Skubal deal are plentiful, its impact wide-ranging and complicated. But what is indisputable in the short-term is that the Dodgers’ push for a three-peat somehow just got even more compelling.
