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 30 trades were executed on deadline day alone Monday, 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.
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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.
The non-Skubal Dodgers deal
50. Dodgers acquire CBen RortvedtfromMetsfor RPChayce McDermott49. Dodgers acquire CHunter Feduccia, RP Jacob Kmatz fromRaysfor OFJack Suwinski, international bonus pool money48. Dodgers acquire SPKris Bubicfrom Royals for RPCarlos Duran47. Dodgers acquire RPSeth HalvorsenfromRockiesfor 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.
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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 Soxacquire CJoey Bartfrom Braves for RP Duncan Davitt45. White Sox acquire OFBrenton Doylefrom Rockies for SP Mason Adams, SS Carlos Vielma44.Red Soxacquire OFEli Whitefrom Braves for RP Tyler Uberstine43. Red Sox acquire INF/OFJahmai Jonesfrom Tigers for SP Jojo Ingrassia42. Blue Jays acquire INFJosh Smith, SPJosh Stephanfrom Rangers for RP Adam Macko
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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 SPAaron Civalefrom Athletics for RP Aiden Moffett40. Cubs acquire SP Braxton Garrett from Marlins for 1B Jonathon Long, RP Jace Beck39. Twins acquire SPDean KremerfromOriolesfor OF Jhomnardo Reyes38. Braves acquire SPTyler Mahlefrom Giants for RPAnthony Molina37.Brewersacquire SP Dustin May, RP JoJo Romero from Cardinals for OF Alexander Frías, OF Josiah Ragsdale
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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 Franciscoand 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 RPCraig Yoho, OFBlake Perkinsfrom Brewers for CBo Naylor, RP Codi Heuer35. Guardians acquire OFJo Adellfrom Angels for CJacob Cozart34. Guardians acquire 1BNathaniel Lowefrom Reds for SP Alejandro Rivera33. Guardians acquire SPFoster Griffinfrom Nationals for RP Will Dion, SP Josh Hartle, RP Kendeglys Virguez, OF Nick Mitchell
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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 RPBrent Suterfrom Angels for 3BNacho Alvarez Jr.31.Philliesacquire RPBrooks Raleyfrom Mets for OF John Spikerman, SP Luke Gabrysh30. Marlins acquire RPVictor Vodnikfrom Rockies for INFConnor Norby, SP Aiden May29. Cubs acquire RPRyan Zeferjahnfrom Angels for C/DH Moisés Ballesteros, SP Mason McGwire28. White Sox acquire RP Huascar Brazobán from Mets for RP Gabe Davis, RP Zach Franklin27. Brewers acquire RPAntonio Senzatelafrom Rockies for RP Mark Manfredi, SS Juan Martinez26. Twins acquire RPA.J. Minterfrom Mets for OF Bruin Agbayani, 1B/3B Billy Amick25. Rays acquire RPTyler Wellsfrom Orioles for SP Michael Forret24. Red Sox acquire RPErik Miller, OF Carlos Gutierrez from Giants for INFMarcelo Mayer23. Twins acquire RPJeff Hoffmanfrom Blue Jays for SP Dasan Hill, RP John Klein, 2B Dameury Pena
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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 RPKirby Yatesfrom Angels for SP Kyle Robinson21. Pirates acquire RPLake Bacharfrom Marlins for RP Brandan Bidois, OF Brian Sanchez, SS Hyun Seung Lee20. Pirates acquire RP Camilo Doval fromYankeesfor OF Luis Cruz, 1B/C Omar Alfonzo19. Pirates acquire RPLuke Weaverfrom Mets for SS Sammy Stafura
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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 OFLane Thomas, RP Bailey Falter from Royals for SP Lucas Braun, SP Carter Holton17. Astros acquire OFDaulton Varshofrom Blue Jays for SP Spencer Arrighetti16. Diamondbacks acquire OFLars Nootbaarfrom Cardinals for SP Daniel Eagen, RP Sandro Santana15. Red Sox acquire 3BCurtis Meadfrom Nationals for SP Connelly Early14. Rays acquire C/DHLiam Hicksfrom Marlins for 3B Brayden Taylor, SS Adrian Santana, SP Jacob Kisting13.Marinersacquire OFTaylor Wardfrom Orioles for RPAlex Hoppe, RP Harrison Kreiling, RP Brock Moore12. Yankees acquire OFHeliot Ramosfrom Giants for SP Henry Lalane, SS Kaeden Kent11. Yankees acquire 1B Luis García Jr. from Nationals for RPJake Bird, RP Yovanny Cruz, RP Ben Grable, SP Jack Cebert10. Phillies acquire 2BLuis Arraez, RPCaleb Kilianfrom Giants for SP Ramon Marquez, RP Marty Gair
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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 offensive 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 Rivero8. White Sox acquire SPLuis Castillofrom Mariners for RP Seranthony Dominguez, OFNolan Jones, C/OF Boston Smith7. Padres acquire SPCasey Mize, INFGage Workmanfrom Tigers for SP Kash Mayfield, SP Jackson Wolf6. Padres acquire SPRobbie Rayfrom Giants for SP Miguel Mendez, SS Joniel Hernandez5. Cubs acquire SPClay Holmes, OFTyrone Taylorfrom Mets for INF Jefferson Rojas4. Cubs acquire SPKevin Gausmanfrom Blue Jays for SS Ty Southisene, OF Brett Bateman3. Rays acquire SPFreddy Peraltafrom Mets for 2B Emilien Pitre, SP Gary Gill Hill, OF Aidan Smith
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OK, 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 CAdley Rutschman, CJake Rogers, cash from Orioles for CCarlos Narvaez, SP Anthony Eyanson, SP Kyson Witherspoon, OF Enddy Azocar, PTBNL
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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 draft 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 SPTarik Skubalfrom Tigers for SP River Ryan, OF Zyhir Hope, SP Brady Smith
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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.
