MLB Divorces That Need To Happen During 2026 Trade Deadline Season

Sometimes, it's just time for something new.

So while we typically think of the trade deadline from the standpoint of the buyers, a player on a disappointing team sometimes needs a change of scenery, even if they've had a great run with their current club.

To that end, here's a look at five players and teams who need to go their separate ways in advance of the Aug. 3 trade deadline.

Jarren Duran, Boston Red Sox

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There's going to be a theme here with some guys who have seemingly been in trade rumors for years. Jarren Duran is at the top of that list.

Duran may never match his 2024 season, when he led MLB with 48 doubles, while posting an AL-best 14 triples. But Duran is significantly better than his .214 batting average and .668 OPS. He's just a year removed from tripling 13 times and posting a .774 OPS. That type of spark plug would be of interest to just about all contending teams, even if many of them would prefer a right-handed bat.

The question is whether the Red Sox would sell low on Duran if he doesn't heat up prior to the Aug. 3 trade deadline. Craig Breslow and company are obvious sellers, but with Duran under team control through the 2028 season, they might prefer to hold onto him until the offseason and hope that his value goes back up with a big second half.

It just feels like the possibility of eventually getting traded has loomed over Duran for a few years now, with Boston also having Roman Anthony, Wilyer Abreu and Ceddanne Rafaela in the outfield mix. Eventually, that has to wear you down, and a change of scenery could probably do the 29-year-old some good.

Jo Adell, Los Angeles Angels

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Mike Trout and the Angels are like a marriage that everyone else thinks should break up, but the two parties involved are content to stay together. And who are we to question a happy marriage, even if it seems like to the outside that one party should badly want out?

Even if the Angels don't move the greatest player in the history of their franchise, they could still take advantage of the lack of available right-handed outfield bats by trading Jo Adell. The Philadelphia Phillies are already reportedly interested, and other contenders are likely to come calling.

Adell robbed three homers in a game early this season and is a year removed from homering 37 times. He's also still only 27 years old and under team control through the 2027 season, so there's definitely reason for contenders to be interested in the 2017 first-round pick.

From the Angels' perspective, though, he has arguably been a bust. He has a .701 OPS this year. Over parts of seven seasons for the Halos, he owns a 92 OPS+, putting him below the league-average mark of 100.

If someone wants to bet on him finding another level, the Angels would be wise to cash in on that knowing that he hasn't done that consistently during a significant stretch of time in their organization.

Sandy Alcantara, Miami Marlins

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This one is a little complicated, because the Marlins are 37-38, and while they aren't a franchise whose inclination historically has been to buy, it's hard to imagine them trading Sandy Alcantara if they're still in the wild-card mix around the trade deadline.

With that said, he's another guy in the Duran category where it feels like he's been talked about as a trade candidate for so long that eventually, it has to happen.

Alcantara isn't the same pitcher who tossed a staggering six complete games for the Fish in 2022, en route to winning the NL Cy Young Award. He has a 4.18 ERA across his first 16 starts this season, which doesn't stand out. However, he leads all starters with 103.1 innings pitched, and there will surely be a team or two that convinces themselves they can get him back closer to his peak form. After all, he's still only 30.

What also makes the two-time All-Star attractive is his contract includes an affordable $21 million club option for 2027, so he wouldn't be a rental. That may make this summer the opportune time for the Marlins to trade the greatest pitcher in their franchise's history, assuming they aren't in contention.

The Two Longest-Tenured Rockies

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Antonio Senzatela and Kyle Freeland are tied for being the longest-tenured player on the Rockies, having made the team's Opening Day roster in 2017.

Their careers couldn't be headed in more different directions, but this summer might be the time for first-year president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta to move on from both Senzatela and Freeland, each set to become a free agent after the season.

Senzatela isn't going to bring back an earth-shattering return, but the 31-year-old is having a career season out of the bullpen, with a 2.29 ERA across 21 appearances. A contender looking to bolster their relief corps will definitely be interested in the veteran righty.

Freeland is probably just the case of being a DFA candidate. The former All-Star has an unsightly 7.98 ERA in 12 starts this year.

Since finishing fourth in NL Cy Young Award voting in 2019, Freeland has a 5.18 ERA, which can't all be attributed to him pitching his home games at Coors Field.

Perhaps he'll sign a minor league deal and reinvent himself with another team, but things have long since run their course for the 33-year-old lefty in Denver.

Bryan Abreu, Houston Astros

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Unfortunately for Bryan Abreu, he's having a pretty rough contract year, with a 6.66 ERA and 6.92 FIP across 28 games. At 34-41, Dana Brown's Astros also look like a seller.

Still, there will be teams willing to take a chance on Abreu this summer as a rental. The slightest tweaks can get relievers back on track, and at his best, Abreu was one of the league's elite setup men.

At 29 years old, there's no reason to believe he should be past his prime, and this is a guy who posted a 2.30 ERA across 275 games between 2022 and 2025.

The Astros envisioned themselves as contenders coming into the season, and surely thought that if they weren't, the veteran righty would be one of the most coveted arms before the trade deadline. That might not be the case, but Abreu could prove to be one of the shrewder pickups a contending team makes.