What Every MLB Team Would Do If 2026 Trade Deadline Was Today
Major League Baseball's 2026 trade deadline won't arrive until August 3, which means teams have roughly 70 games remaining before they need to make a decision on buying or selling.
What if they didn't, though?
What if instead of waiting until about 50 games remain in the regular schedule, they had to pick a lane right now, with barely one-fourth of the campaign complete?
Would they buy or sell? And, if buying, what in particular would they be shopping for on the trade block?
Teams have been broken up by division and are presented in descending order of standings, as of the start of play on Thursday, May 14.
American League East
1 of 6
Tampa Bay Rays (28-14): Buying Offense Up the Middle
Between the catcher, second base, shortstop and center field spots in the lineup, Tampa Bay has gotten a combined total of five home runs and a cumulative slugging percentage of almost exactly .300.
Junior Caminero, Jonathan Aranda and Yandy Díaz have been excellent, but that is an awful lot of slack in the lineup for a few big bats to carry for the entire season. Budget is always a major concern for the Rays, but this could be quite the landing spot for Colorado's Mickey Moniak ($4M in 2026 with one year of arbitration eligibility remaining).
New York Yankees (27-17): Buying Bullpen Arms
New York's starting rotation has been arguably the best in baseball, and that's with Gerrit Cole still working his way back from Tommy John surgery. (Fingers crossed for Max Fried, who was pulled after just three innings on Wednesday with a sore elbow.)
The bullpen, however, has been a bit messier, specifically two of the relievers the Yankees traded for last summer, Camilo Doval and Jake Bird. David Bednar has been solid enough at closer, but they would greatly benefit from a "set-up man who can close on occasion," like the good old days of Dellin Betances passing the baton to Andrew Miller and/or Aroldis Chapman.
Baltimore Orioles (20-24): Buying Starting Pitching
For a team that has been playing without Jackson Holliday, Jordan Westburg and more while also not getting much of anything out of Coby Mayo, Tyler O'Neill or Colton Cowser, Baltimore's offense has been surprisingly respectable and should only improve from here.
The starting rotation, however, has been a trainwreck, with 10 arms combining for a 5.04 ERA and just 10 quality starts. Which particular under-performing starter(s) would get bumped from the rotation is open to debate, but Baltimore would be aggressively pursuing ace potential on the trade block.
Toronto Blue Jays (19-24): Threading the Buy/Sell Needle
With Kevin Gausman, Daulton Varsho and George Springer among the Blue Jays headed for free agency this winter, things could certainly get interesting if they end up doing more selling than buying this summer.
If they were forced to pick a lane right now, though? At five games below .500 with over $300M already committed to this season and one of the most robust lists of players presently on the IL? They probably wouldn't lean too drastically in either direction, similar to two years ago when the reigning AL champion Texas Rangers just kind of let it ride with hopes of simply getting better by getting healthier.
Boston Red Sox (18-24): Buying Runs
Boston's pitching has been mostly solid, even with Brayan Bello and Garrett Crochet both getting out to brutal starts. Maybe they look to add some middle relief, but run prevention hasn't been their problem.
Rather, at 3.8 runs and 0.7 home runs per game, the Red Sox have had one of the least intimidating offenses in all of baseball. Some spots in the lineup have been more than fine, but 2B, 3B and SS have all been a struggle, especially the hot corner. Time to revisit those offseason talks about Isaac Paredes?
American League Central
2 of 6
Cleveland Guardians (24-21): "Buying" Some Offense
Even if they're still leading the division at the deadline, we all know Cleveland is unlikely to spend much money or part with any of the top pieces of its farm system to enhance its chances of winning it all. It's simply not the way this franchise operates.
But with both halves of the Kyle Manzardo and Rhys Hoskins first base tandem struggling, it's likely the Guardians would see if Atlanta is willing to part with Dominic Smith, or if Houston would consider eating some of what is left on Christian Walker's contract.
(Cleveland already went out and traded for former Giants catcher Patrick Bailey, but no one expects that move to help the offense.)
Chicago White Sox (21-21): Buying At Least One Postseason Arm
We shall see where Chicago ends up 10 weeks from now. But if the White Sox are this close to leading the division when the trade deadline arrives, they're going to go for it.
For this team, "going for it" would mean beefing up what would presently be a postseason rotation of Davis Martin, Sean Burke, Erick Fedde and Noah Schultz/bullpen game. And with a payroll that is roughly half of what it had been just 3-4 years ago, it's hard to imagine money would be an issue if a Robbie Ray, Sandy Alcantara or Nathan Eovaldi becomes available.
Detroit Tigers (19-24): Buying Outfield Help
At the moment, Detroit's starting rotation is rather bleak. But Casey Mize is almost back, Justin Verlander is getting close to a rehab assignment and Tarik Skubal's agent Scott Boras recently suggested he could be back from his elbow surgery before the end of June. At that point, the Tigers could have a top-three rotation in baseball.
Aside from Riley Greene, though, this outfield could use a lot of help. And unless they're ready (they're not) to hand the centerfield reins to their 21-year-old, No. 3 overall pick from three years ago, Max Clark, that means finding at least one outfielder on the trade block. After refusing to trade Skubal and bringing in Framber Valdez, are they desperate enough for Mike Trout?
Kansas City Royals (19-24): Buying Bullpen Arms
It wouldn't be terribly surprising if the Royals end up selling when the actual deadline rolls around, what with Kris Bubic, Matt Strahm, Jonathan India and John Schreiber among their impending free agents.
If they had to pick a lane right now in this wide-open division, though, adding a right-handed reliever or two seems far more likely than throwing in the towel. They've been without both James McArthur and Alec Marsh all season and lost closer Carlos Estévez after just one dreadful outing in March. As a result, the bullpen has been a struggle in Kansas City.
Minnesota Twins (19-24): Fire Sale, Take Two
Between the 11-7 start to the year and the recent three-game winning streak, Minnesota as a deadline seller is nowhere near the foregone conclusion we expected it to be two months ago. But it's still likely that the Twins will rekindle the flames of last summer's fire sale.
If they do, Ryan Jeffers, Taylor Rogers and Josh Bell are the impending free agents surely exiting stage left. And in the "one year of team control remaining" department, Joe Ryan is the shining star of a group that also includes Trevor Larnach, Bailey Ober and Victor Caratini. That whole quartet could be on the move.
American League West
3 of 6
Athletics (22-20): Buying A Closer
In Joel Kuhnel, Mark Leiter Jr., Jack Perkins and Hogan Harris, the A's have had four different relievers save multiple games. But Kuhnel hardly strikes anyone out, Harris walks way too many batters, Leiter has an ERA north of 8.00 and the A's have blown an American League most 10 saves—all while their former closer, Mason Miller, has been a wrecking ball at the back end of San Diego's bullpen.
Tough to say at this point if anything close to a reliable closer will be available at the deadline, but the A's need one if they expect to remain atop this division.
Texas Rangers (21-22): Buying A Bat That Works
The Rangers might also seek to upgrade the back of their rotation, as neither Jack Leiter nor Kumar Rocker has yet blossomed into a reliable asset. However, their offense has been abysmal, flirting with dead last in the majors in scoring.
Josh Jung has been great at third base. Brandon Nimmo has been plenty solid in right field. And goodness knows they won't be replacing Corey Seager at shortstop. The other six spots in this lineup, though, represent possible room for improvement.
Seattle Mariners (21-23): Buying A Versatile Bat/Glove
As one of the precious few American League teams with a positive run differential, Seattle shouldn't need much. But this Mariners offense simply hasn't been as potent as it was constructed to be, largely due to Cal Raleigh's ongoing struggles, who is sitting on just a .392 OPS w/RISP.
They certainly won't be replacing the first runner-up for 2025 AL MVP, but this is a roster that would benefit from a Spencer Steer- or Willi Castro-type who can play virtually any position on the diamond while also hitting the occasional home run.
Houston Astros (17-27): Burn It Down
Carlos Correa undergoing season-ending surgery on his "good" ankle felt like the straw that broke the camel's back in Houston. For the first time in more than a decade, the Astros might be selling their roster for parts at the deadline.
It's unlikely Yordan Alvarez will be going anywhere, signed through 2028. But at least one of Isaac Paredes, Christian Walker and Jeremy Peña will probably be on the trade block with one year left on each of their deals.
Impending free agent relievers Bryan Abreu, Steven Okert and Enyel De Los Santos figure to be available to the highest bidder. Lance McCullers Jr., too, if anyone wants him and his $17M salary.
Los Angeles Angels (16-28): Sell What They Can
The Mike Trout question is going to linger/intensify over the course of the next few months, but it's pretty unlikely the Angels will trade away the final four-plus seasons of what has been hands down the greatest player in franchise history. It's not completely out of the question, though.
What they will try to unload is their stockpile of impending free agents, including Jorge Soler, Yoan Moncada, Kirby Yates and Drew Pomeranz. Maybe Jo Adell with one year of arbitration eligibility remaining, too, if they get a tantalizing offer for the right fielder who hit 37 home runs in 2025.
National League East
4 of 6
Atlanta Braves (30-13): Buying Left Fielder
With both Spencer Strider and Ha-Seong Kim back from the IL and Ronald Acuña Jr. (hamstring) likely near the end of his brief stay on the shelf, it's hard to find much fault with this 30-win team that leads the majors in both runs scored and runs allowed.
Another corner outfielder would be nice, though. Both Mauricio Dubón and Eli White have gotten more work out there than expected with at least 20 outfield appearances apiece, and Mike Yastrzemski hasn't been hitting anywhere near as well as was expected when he signed that two-year, $23M deal.
Washington Nationals (21-22): Selling High on Foster Griffin
The Nationals are in a tricky spot, boasting an offense averaging a second-best-in-the-majors 5.5 runs per game while saddled with a pitching staff that ranks dead last at 5.6 runs allowed per game. And with none of Josiah Gray, DJ Herz or Trevor Williams anywhere close to making their 2026 debuts, it's tough to see the pitching staff turning things around.
Making matters worse, the lone bright spot on the staff, Foster Griffin, is on a one-year deal and could be drastically regressing to the mean any day now. He has a 2.12 ERA that looks like fools' gold beside a 4.08 xERA, 4.07 FIP and .216 BABIP against. Got to think they would sell high on him, but would hang onto CJ Abrams (arbitration-eligible through 2028) instead of completely admitting defeat on the foreseeable future.
Philadelphia Phillies (20-23): Buying Outfield Assistance
Rookie center fielder Justin Crawford has been respectable at the dish and blazing fast on the basepaths, but let's just say he hasn't been Pete Crow-Armstrong on defense. And while Adolis García's glove in right field has certainly been an upgrade over the past few years of the adventures of Nick Castellanos, the former Rangers slugger has just a .650 OPS with the Phillies.
Long story short, pursuing a reunion with Mickey Moniak could be in the cards here.
Miami Marlins (20-23): Selling Slightly
As was the case last year, the Marlins simply don't have many impending free agents. In fact, closer Pete Fairbanks is their only unrestricted free agent, on a one-year, $13M deal. Moreover, the only player with an option for 2027 is "constantly mentioned in trade deadline conversations" Sandy Alcantara, with a $21M club option.
Should the Fish continue to fade in the direction of 90 or more losses, those two pitchers will likely be placed on the trade block. That's probably it, though. And even at that, Alcantara is far from a sure thing to be dealt. (However, it's likely someone will make Miami an offer it can't refuse.)
New York Mets (17-25): Begrudgingly Letting It Ride
MLB.com's Mark Feinsand spoke to executives of other teams and wrote earlier this week about what it could look like if the Mets end up selling at the deadline. And the consensus was more or less that it won't happen because it simply doesn't make sense.
The recent promotion of top outfield prospect A.J. Ewing further suggests they have no intentions of giving up on this season. But even assuming they're in it to win it, they're unlikely to throw much good money after bad, already staring at an all-in payroll north of $500M. They just kind of need to hope that the injured guys get healthy and that the high-priced under-performers figure things out.
National League Central
5 of 6
Chicago Cubs (27-16): Buying Healthy Starting Pitchers
Cade Horton is done for the year. Justin Steele suffered a setback in his rehab and is now expected to be out until at least the All-Star Break. Matthew Boyd is probably out until the end of June for having the audacity to squat down while playing with his kids. This has left the Cubs with little choice but to hope for the best with Colin Rea, Ben Brown and Javier Assad.
Maybe Steele and Boyd are both good to go by the actual deadline and the Cubs focus their buying efforts elsewhere. But surely they would be looking to add a little health to the rotation if they had to decide today.
Milwaukee Brewers (23-17): Buying Some Pop
No one manufactures runs quite like the Brewers, drawing walks, stealing bases and laying down bunts at some of the highest rates in the majors. They're top five in runs per game as a result. But they're also dead last in home runs (27 in 40 games) and found out the hard way last October how difficult it can be to manufacture runs in the postseason.
They've gotten zero home runs from third base, zero from left field and one from shortstop. So, there's your low-hanging fruit for potential big gains. If they aren't at least calling the Nationals about LF James Wood and/or SS CJ Abrams, they aren't doing their due diligence.
St. Louis Cardinals (24-18): Buying Pitching
While the Cardinals have exceeded expectations in becoming a tentative deadline buyer, most of that surprise success has come from the lineup—Jordan Walker's breakthrough, JJ Wetherholt's NL ROY-caliber start, Nathan Church's unforeseen production, etc.
On the pitching side of things, though, starter Michael McGreevy and closer Riley O'Brien are just about the only arms operating at an above-replacement level, which is why the Red Birds have lagged so far behind the Braves, Brewers and Dodgers in terms of run prevention. Adding a controllable arm or two (for the rotation or bullpen) would be huge for a team that is a bit ahead of schedule.
Pittsburgh Pirates (23-20): Buying Right-Handed Relievers
The left-handed portion of Pittsburgh's bullpen is probably the best in baseball right now. Gregory Soto has pitched his way into the closer role, while both Evan Sisk and Mason Montgomery have been huge in middle relief. All told, that trio of southpaws has gone 53.1 IP with a 2.02 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 11.6 K/9.
The righties, however, have struggled, including former closer Dennis Santana, whose swing-and-miss stuff simply hasn't been there this year. The good news is there are always right-handed relievers to be found at the deadline.
Cincinnati Reds (22-21): Buying Bats (If They're Buying)
The tandem of Elly De La Cruz and Sal Stewart has been great, while both Nathaniel Lowe and JJ Bleday have turned out to be great acquisitions from the bargain bin. But the rest of the Reds lineup has combined for a bWAR of negative-1.3, with replacement level or slightly worse players all throughout the lineup.
If they're buying, they need to address that. But with a near MLB-worst run differential of minus-40 and Brady Singer, Tyler Stephenson, Eugenio Suárez and Lowe on their list of impending free agents, the currently above-.500 Reds could end up on the other side of the aisle.
National League West
6 of 6
San Diego Padres (25-17): Buying Starting Pitching
By the actual trade deadline, the Padres rotation might be solid. They signed Lucas Giolito on the cheap in mid-April and he is likely to make his season debut this weekend. The hope is that Nick Pivetta and Joe Musgrove will also return somewhere around the All-Star Break. Combine that trio with Michael King and Randy Vásquez and that's a formidable quintet.
As is, though? With Matt Waldron, Griffin Canning and Walker Buehler taking regular turns through the rotation? It's just about a miracle that this team is leading this division with this pitching staff. San Diego would be all-in on someone like Sandy Alcantara or Jose Soriano if the deadline were today.
Los Angeles Dodgers (25-18): Taking It Easy (Maybe)
Even with an injured list a dozen players long, the Dodgers don't have any clear needs—unless they are concerned that Edwin Díaz won't be back/himself in time for the postseason. Even if that happens to be the case, they do still have Tanner Scott and Alex Vesia as options at closer, as well as a need to put Roki Sasaki somewhere if and when the rest of this starting rotation ever gets to full strength.
But...
If they do feel like buying, even though they already have the highest payroll in baseball, Josh Hader is on a rehab assignment and might make it back to the majors just in time for the Astros to throw in the towel. Considering the Dodgers already have two of the three highest-paid relievers in baseball, why not complete the set, you know?
Arizona Diamondbacks (20-22): Decision Paralysis
The Diamondbacks are the toughest nut to crack. And similar to our stance on the Blue Jays, if they were forced to pick a trade lane right now, they probably wouldn't.
They're two games below .500 and four games back in the wild-card picture, and they have plenty of intriguing expiring contracts to throw to the wolves. That list includes breakout potential All-Star Ildemaro Vargas, a presently healthy Michael Soroka, a gently used Zac Gallen and basically an entire bullpen. Could put together one heck of a fire sale.
Alternatively, Corbin Burnes should be back around the All-Star Break, Jordan Lawlar should return sooner than that and the Diamondbacks could be one new outfielder and one "Ketel Marte breaking out of his slump" away from going on a tear.
San Francisco Giants (18-25): Selling If They Can
The long-term investments in Rafael Devers, Matt Chapman and Willy Adames are the key here. If the Giants can unload at least one of those mammoth contracts, there's a strong chance they would also try to turn impending free agents Robbie Ray, Luis Arraez and Tyler Mahle into a decent prospect haul.
If, however, they are pretty well stuck with that big three, chances are they would just let it ride with Ray, Arraez and Mahle and hope to climb all the way back from what was dead last in the NL West just a few days ago.
Colorado Rockies (17-26): Sell High, Left and Right
Jose Quintana is on a one-year, $6M deal, with Tomoyuki Sugano slightly cheaper at one-year, $5.1M. Each has roughly a 4.00 ERA, despite making home starts at Coors Field and could be key, veteran, back-of-the-rotation additions to a contender.
Mickey Moniak and Antonio Senzatela are where things could get really interesting, though. The former has exploded for a dozen home runs and an MLB-best .693 SLG. The latter clearly couldn't cut it as a starter in recent years, but has blossomed into a phenomenal bulk reliever. Each has one year of team control remaining and could fetch a decent return for the Rockies.
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