Hypothetical (But Somewhat Realistic) MLB Trades that Would Break the Internet

Have you ever read an article that promised "Bold MLB Trade Predictions" only to underdeliver with a bunch of milquetoast proposals that wouldn't even raise much of an eyebrow if they did come to fruition?

Well, with hypothetical deadline blockbusters involving the likes of Tarik Skubal, Mike Trout, Yordan Alvarez and Elly De La Cruz, this isn't one of those articles.

We've put together eight MLB trade ideas that would threaten to break the internet for one reason or another. And while we don't honestly expect any of them to happen, we'll make the case for why they could.

Tarik Skubal to the Pittsburgh Pirates

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The Trade: Detroit Tigers send LHP Tarik Skubal to Pittsburgh Pirates for OF Edward Florentino and LHP Hunter Barco

How Realistic Are We Talking?

Honestly, this isn't that far-fetched, provided you can get over the mental hurdle of seeing "Pittsburgh Pirates" and "aggressive deadline buyer" in the same sentence.

Florentino and Barco are two of Pittsburgh's top prospects, and not needing to part with the crown jewel of their farm system, 2025 No. 6 overall pick RHP Seth Hernandez, would be huge for them. And though Skubal's full-season salary of $32M would be laughably more than this franchise has ever spent for one season of one player before, the post-deadline prorated salary of $9.4M is doable.

What we don't know is what the asking price is going to be for two months of Skubal's services, if he makes it to the trade block at all. But this would at least figure to be a competitive offer.

Why Would It Break the Internet?

First of all, you've got the "Pittsburgh is actually going for it?!" wow factor. The Pirates haven't been a buyer at the deadline since their ill-fated decision to trade Tyler Glasnow, Shane Baz and Austin Meadows for Chris Archer in 2018, but they did some legitimate spending over the winter and may well pull harder at that thread.

However, the real internet breakage would come from the realization that this trade would bring together both reigning Cy Young winners in a single rotation.

They wouldn't be able to start every postseason game for the Buccos.

But pairing Skubal and Paul Skenes for as many innings as possible?

That's how a small-market team tentatively takes down the Dodgers in the NLCS and the Yankees in the World Series.

Freddy Peralta Back to the Brewers

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The Trade: New York Mets send RHP Freddy Peralta to Milwaukee Brewers for OF Luis Lara and RHP Craig Yoho

How Realistic Are We Talking?

Milwaukee wanting to add starting pitching at the deadline is pretty likely. The one-two punch of Jacob Misiorowski and Kyle Harrison has been spectacular. However, neither half of that dynamic duo has previously logged even 125 innings in a professional season before, and the Brewers are otherwise already churning through openers, bulk relievers and back-up plans as it is.

Likewise, one needn't squint much to envision the Mets as a seller at the deadline, with Freddy Peralta as perhaps their best trade chip available. They've made up some ground by recently winning seven out of 10 games, but they're still seven games below .500 and a bit of a long shot to reach the playoffs.

Throw in the fact that Peralta's salary ($2.35M prorated if moved at the deadline) wouldn't be any sort of deal-breaker for the low-budget Brewers and it's plenty realistic.

Why Would It Break the Internet?

If the Brewers hadn't just traded Peralta to the Mets less than five months ago, this one wouldn't be a particularly big deal.

But for this to tentatively be part of a Mets fire sale?

Returning Peralta to his former team and getting back a fraction of the Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat prospect haul they just gave up to get him?

That would have Mets fans screaming for David Stearns' head like never before.

Mike Trout to the Philadelphia Phillies

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The Trade: Los Angeles Angels send CF Mike Trout to Philadelphia Phillies for RHP Gage Wood and CF Justin Crawford

How Realistic Are We Talking?

Now roughly two-thirds of the way through his 12-year, $426.5M contract, what we've consistently heard about Mike Trout is that he's perfectly happy in Anaheim and would be unlikely to waive his no-trade clause if the Angels ever came to him with a proposal.

However, what we also know about Trout is that he's a Jersey kid who grew up as a huge Phillies fan. If he's going to go anywhere in pursuit of a ring, Philadelphia seems the likeliest destination, by far.

And the Phillies could certainly use some outfield help. Brandon Marsh is having a phenomenal season as the primary left fielder, but they are getting next to nothing out of Justin Crawford in center and Adolis García in right.

How much the Phillies would need to give up on the prospects front would hinge upon how much of the remaining contract the Angels would be willing to retain. But there might be a perfect storm where it works for both parties.

Why Would It Break the Internet?

Simply put, three-time MVPs don't get traded. And while Trout isn't operating at anything close to his 2012-22 levels of excellence of a cumulative OPS of 1.010 for 11 years, he's still having a darn good season by normal standards.

If you thought Carlos Correa getting traded from Minnesota back to Houston last summer was a big to-do, just imagine if Trout is on the move.

We just need to figure out how to convince Angels owner Arte Moreno to consider it.

Cubs Bolster Problematic Rotation in One Fell Kansas City Swoop

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The Trade: Kansas City Royals send RHP Seth Lugo and RHP Michael Wacha to the Chicago Cubs for IF Jefferson Rojas, OF Kevin Alcántara and RHP Jaxon Wiggins

How Realistic Are We Talking?

The general notions of "Cubs want to add pitching" and "Royals figure to be deadline sellers" are both extremely realistic.

But are the Royals willing to unload more than just their expiring rentals?

Both Lugo and Wacha are signed through 2027 with club options for 2028 and aren't cheap or getting any younger. The Royals could trim about $12M from their 2026 payroll and $40M from next season's allocations if they were to trade these veteran arms away.

Meanwhile, the Cubs are surely looking for multi-year solutions to their rotation. Both Shota Imanaga and Jameson Taillon are headed for free agency (and not pitching well this season anyway). Cade Horton is likely to miss most, if not all of next season while recovering from UCL surgery.

Why Would It Break the Internet?

It wouldn't break the internet if the Royals separately traded away both Lugo and Wacha amid a substantial fire sale. In fact, we're nearing a point with this 27-39 team where that feels almost likely.

Both of their best pitchers in the same trade, though? Couldn't tell you the last time a team did that.

And with Lugo and Wacha immediately becoming (pending the health of Justin Steele) the front runners to start Games 1 and 2 of the postseason for the Cubs? Not to mention the Cubs giving up three of their top prospects to make it happen?

It would be a pretty huge deal.

Rafael Devers to the Nation's Capital

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The Trade: San Francisco Giants send 1B/DH Rafael Devers to the Washington Nationals for RHP Luis Perales, LHP Alex Clemmey, OF Sam Petersen and a boatload of current/future salary relief

How Realistic Are We Talking?

USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported a month ago that the Giants "would love to unload" their four biggest contracts and start over, those belonging to Jung Hoo Lee, Matt Chapman, Willy Adames and Rafael Devers.

Well, if there's any team with room in the budget to absorb the more than $200M remaining on Devers' deal, it's probably the Washington Nationals, who barely have a $55M payroll right now if you disregard the final $35M year of Stephen Strasburg's disastrous contract.

The Nats are kind of stuck in no man's land, sitting at .500 for the year as they try to climb their way out of what has been a five-year rebuild at this point.

Do they go for it? Or do they do something drastic in the opposite direction by unloading their final two-plus years of team control on CJ Abrams amid his sensational first few months?

Their pitching is terrible for the most part, but they already have the highest-scoring offense in the majors. They could just go all-in on that by bringing in Devers to address what has been probably the worst 1B/DH situation in the majors since the beginning of 2023.

Why Would It Break the Internet?

It was a colossal hullabaloo when the Giants traded for Devers last June, but it might be an even bigger deal if they turned around and traded him away this summer, having gone 67-89 (and counting) with him on the roster.

That's exacerbated by the fact that we now have a better appreciation for how much they gave up to get Devers.

They traded away four players. Unloading Jordan Hicks was a blessing and Single-A prospect Jose Bello hasn't amounted to anything yet. But one of them (Kyle Harrison) is presently one of the top candidates for the NL Cy Young, while another (James Tibbs III) has 18 home runs and a 1.052 OPS at Triple-A this season in the Dodgers' farm system.

Joe Ryan to the Los Angeles Dodgers

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The Trade: Minnesota Twins send RHP Joe Ryan to the Los Angeles Dodgers for OF Zyhir Hope, RHP River Ryan and OF Kendall George

How Realistic Are We Talking?

Since starting out 11-7 and leading the AL Central a few weeks into the season, the Twins have gone 19-30 while careening toward another deadline fire sale.

After losing Pablo López for the season less than a week into spring training, this was always the likeliest outcome for this team. But now it's time to start seriously tinkering with Ryan's possible landing spots with one year of arbitration eligibility remaining.

The Dodgers weren't supposed to need a starting pitcher with their stockpile of arms. But with both Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell on the 60-day IL and out of commission until at least mid-July, they've been using way more Justin Wrobleski and Emmet Sheehan than anyone would have guessed three months ago, and have even put Eric Lauer in their six-man rotation.

It's likely they'll be looking for a starting pitcher. And they have the top-heavy farm system necessary to get a darn good one.

Why Would It Break the Internet?

We have beyond reached the point with the Dodgers where every time they land a big fish, some people want to spin it as proof that the system is broken and that a lockout is inevitable.

So, if they add Joe Ryan to what is already arguably the best/deepest rotation in baseball, bet that a lot of the rapid reactions will be dripping with vitriol.

Ryan has just two innings of postseason experience in his career, but he has been a top 25 pitcher in all of baseball since the beginning of 2022. He could be the luxury acquisition that makes the World Series favorites even more unstoppable.

Yordan Alvarez to the Arizona Diamondbacks

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The Trade: Houston Astros send DH/LF Yordan Alvarez to the Arizona Diamondbacks for OF Ryan Waldschmidt, SS Kayson Cunningham, RHP Daniel Eagen and LHP Kohl Drake

How Realistic Are We Talking?

Houston has won 10 of its last 16 games, clawing back to within three games of a wild card spot and 4.5 games of first place in the AL West. That alone makes a trade of Alvarez—who is signed for another two years at $26M apiece—extremely unlikely at the moment.

If the Astros were to fade back out of the postseason mix again, though, the vultures would definitely begin to circle around Alvarez.

Arizona's DH situation, in particular, has been downright embarrassing. The Diamondbacks have a .570 OPS and just two home runs to show for that spot in the lineup. They even signed Max Kepler on Sunday, even though he's suspended for another two weeks and ineligible for the postseason, because that's how dire things have gotten for what was the highest-scoring offense in the majors just two years ago.

But would they give up basically their entire farm system to get Alvarez?

Why Would It Break the Internet?

The trade itself would be a jaw-dropper, with Arizona—which also hopes to get Corbin Burnes back on the mound in September—becoming a much more legitimate candidate for a deep run this October.

But what would really threaten to break the internet is the betting markets adjusting to the current co-favorite for AL MVP getting dealt to the National League.

It wouldn't impact the NL odds, but people rushing to hammer Bobby Witt Jr. at something like +150 before he instantly becomes the heavy favorite would be a sight to behold.

Elly De La Cruz to the New York Yankees

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The Trade: Cincinnati Reds send SS Elly De La Cruz to the New York Yankees for IF George Lombard Jr., RHP Carlos Lagrange, OF Spencer Jones and RHP Chase Hampton

How Realistic Are We Talking?

Admittedly, this one is highly unlikely. But the Yankees could make it worth Cincinnati's while if the deadline rolls around and they can't stomach the idea of going into the postseason with Anthony Volpe and Ryan McMahon as the primary plan for the left half of the infield.

Because even though the Cincinnati Reds have team control over Elly De La Cruz through 2029, the fact that they haven't been able to ink him to a long-term extension has already become a full-blown thing.

Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall told MLB.com back in January that they made De La Cruz an offer during 2025 spring training that would've been the largest contract in Reds history, but it wasn't good enough.

So, if the Reds were to continue on their current trajectory (11-22 record since May 1) and end up as deadline sellers, could we be headed for something absolutely massive like the Juan Soto trade in 2022 or the Mason Miller swap this past summer?

Why Would It Break the Internet?

De La Cruz is a two-time All-Star and one of the most exciting players in the game today. And to get three-plus years of his services, the Yankees would need to give up every bit as much as the Padres sent the Nationals for Soto four years ago.

Lombard is a top 25 prospect who could take De La Cruz's spot at shortstop for the next 6-7 years.

Lagrange is a top 75 prospect who could easily be in the Reds rotation at the beginning of next season.

Goodness knows we've heard enough about Spencer Jones in the past year to know the potential he could bring to a Reds outfield that seems to always be lacking.

And though Hampton is working his way back from Tommy John surgery performed in Feb. 2025, he was a budding top prospect two years ago.

It's a lot. But it's the type of drastic move the Yankees might need to make in order to end their World Series drought.