Jack Flaherty and 10 Buy-Low Targets Ahead of 2026 MLB Trade Deadline
Tarik Skubal is going to be the crown jewel of this trade deadline, but there are plenty of other impact pieces who figure to be on the move before the Aug. 3 trade deadline.
In fact, it's often some of the secondary moves—ones that are relatively unheralded at the time—that prove to be the additions that put a team over the hump and onto a parade float in late October.
Here's a look at 10 buy-low candidates that fit the spirit of this discussion.
Brooks Raley, New York Mets
1 of 10
Brooks Raley might not be the guy an NL contender acquires to get Shohei Ohtani, Bryce Harper or Matt Olson out in the eighth inning, but he could be someone an aggressive manager turns to in the sixth to try to get out of a jam against a tough lefty.
Lefties are hitting just .188 with a .572 OPS against Raley this year. In the three-batter minimum era, you need to be able to get out righties as well, and he has done that, with right-handed hitters batting .236 with a .698 OPS off of him this season.
Raley is 38 years old and on an expiring contract, so he's not going to bring back much for the Mets. Both he and A.J. Minter are interesting left-handed options that David Stearns likely will deal in the coming weeks.
Shane Bieber, Toronto Blue Jays
2 of 10
There are a lot of asterisks here.
First of all, the Blue Jays are the defending American League champions, so they almost certainly don't want to be sellers. At 42-49, with a minus-51 run differential, it's got to at least be a consideration, though.
If the Blue Jays do sell, Kevin Gausman will probably be the starter on an expiring deal that teams are interested in. Shane Bieber would also be an interesting flier for someone to take.
Bieber didn't make his 2026 season debut until late June, and he has a 9.00 ERA through his first three starts. There's a chance that any team that trades for the 31-year-old—who is making $16 million after picking up a player option this past winter—doesn't end up getting much from the veteran righty.
With that said, the former AL Cy Young Award winner did go 4-2 with a 3.57 ERA after being acquired from the Cleveland Guardians last summer. He then pitched to a 3.86 ERA across 18.2 postseason frames. If healthy, Bieber can help someone as a No. 4 starter.
Rob Refsnyder, Seattle Mariners
3 of 10
This one is a bit of a shot in the dark, because the Mariners are currently leading the AL West, so they may not be inclined to trade from their roster.
Then again, president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto is always willing to consider adding and subtracting, and Refsnyder has been a dud so far in Seattle. Refsnyder signed a one-year, $6.25 million deal in the offseason, but has hit just .133 with a meager .422 OPS for the M's this year.
At 35, Refsnyder might just be over the hill. But this is someone who hit .302 with a .959 OPS against left-handed pitching last season for the Boston Red Sox. Given how desperate teams are for right-handed hitting outfielders right now, if the Mariners are willing to consider moving on from Refsnyder, there will be interest.
If you need a similar change-of-scenery success story, Randal Grichuk was designated for assignment by the New York Yankees in late April, and ultimately elected free agency after hitting just .194 with a .535 OPS in the Bronx. Since joining the Chicago White Sox, he's hit .290 with nine home runs, 21 RBI and a .961 OPS.
Someone will convince themselves that Refsnyder can have a similar turnaround.
Tyler Mahle, San Francisco Giants
4 of 10
Tyler Mahle was essentially the Justin Verlander replacement that president of baseball operations Buster Posey picked this past offseason, with the Giants giving the veteran righty a one-year, $10 million deal.
It hasn't worked out in San Francisco for Mahle, who is 1-8 with a 5.70 ERA in 14 starts for the Giants. He's been particularly bad on the road, where he's 0-5 with an 8.45 ERA. There's not a ton this year with Mahle to intrigue you.
Still, the 31-year-old went 6-4 with a 2.18 ERA in 16 starts for the Texas Rangers last season. That's recent enough success that there will be teams who think Mahle could benefit from getting a new set of eyes on him. Health has always been the biggest question for Mahle, but he could be an addition for a team that needs a back-end-of-the-rotation starter.
Matt Strahm, Kansas City Royals
5 of 10
Matt Strahm's second stint with the Kansas City Royals hasn't gone well, as the veteran lefty has a 5.34 ERA in 21 appearances this season. His 6.64 FIP and 78 ERA+ (100 is the league average) are even uglier.
Teams are always interested in trying to add left-handed pitching to their bullpen. Strahm is a big personality, and has had some notable postseason struggles. But he also was one of the best relievers in baseball between 2024 and 2025, while pitching for the Philadelphia Phillies.
At 34, he may no longer be that guy, but a contending team will bring him in and try to figure out. At 37-54, the Royals have no reason to hold onto Strahm, who is making $7.5 million in the final year of his contract.
Eugenio Suárez, Cincinnati Reds
6 of 10
When the Reds brought Eugenio Suárez back for a second stint in Cincinnati, the hope was he would provide the middle-of-the-order bat they needed to be more than just a team that sneaks into the postseason.
Things haven't gone according to plan, as a left oblique strain cost Suárez a month and the Reds find themselves in last place in the NL Central, with a minus-60 run differential that doesn't suggest they're a team that's been unlucky and is going to have a major second-half turnaround.
If the return of Hunter Greene doesn't spark the Reds, Suárez will be a popular target for teams in need of a rental bat that can hit in the middle of the order. Sure, he's only hit nine home runs this season, but he clubbed 49 a year ago between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Mariners. He will turn 35 before the trade deadline, but a willingness to move between DH and third base—plus a jovial personality—gives flexibility to potential suitors. Ohio's other team might make sense as a landing spot.
Bryan Abreu, Houston Astros
7 of 10
Bryan Abreu has had a pretty disastrous contract year, as he has a 5.90 ERA in 32 appearances for the Astros this season. Notably, his average fastball velocity has dropped from 97.3 mph in 2025 to 95.1 mph in 2026.
Still, the 29-year-old was one of baseball's best relievers from 2022-2025, posting a 2.30 ERA across 275 games. Relievers are fickle, and because Abreu's price is much lower than it was before the season, there will be teams interested in him—assuming he is healthy.
The Astros could also consider holding onto Abreu and trying to sign him to a prove-it deal in the offseason, although they could still attempt to bring him back in free agency if they trade him this summer.
Ryan Mountcastle, Baltimore Orioles
8 of 10
A fractured left foot has sidelined Ryan Mountcastle since April 11, with the current thought being that the earliest he'll return is later this month. Obviously, how Mountcastle progresses the next few weeks will go a long way in determining whether he's a trade candidate.
Even when he's healthy, Mountcastle isn't really a fit in Baltimore anymore. He hasn't played left field since 2021, and the O's have Pete Alonso cemented in at first base, with star rookie Samuel Basallo getting most of the DH at-bats. That, and the fact that the Orioles have disappointed for the second consecutive season, makes Mountcastle an obvious trade candidate if he's healthy.
Perhaps he'll never match the 33 homers he hit in 2021, but between 2022 and 2024, he still posted a .745 OPS. Most contenders need right-handed hitting, and Mountcastle could be a fallback for a club unable to land Christian Walker or Willson Contreras. The 29-year-old's contract also includes a $7.5 million club option for 2027 if he plays well after a trade.
Jorge Soler, Los Angeles Angels
9 of 10
The Angels might not be willing to trade Mike Trout or Jo Adell, but it likely won't take much more than a warm minor league body to convince them to deal the expiring contract of Jorge Soler.
Over parts of two seasons with the Angels, Soler has just a .688 OPS. He actually has a higher OPS against right-handed pitching (.711) than left-handed pitching (.653) this season.
But as we've repeatedly said, there's a dearth of right-handed hitting corner outfielders right now. Across parts of 13 MLB seasons, Soler has an .847 OPS against southpaws. Even if he is just used in a platoon, someone will probably roll the dice on the former World Series MVP before Aug. 3.
Jack Flaherty, Detroit Tigers
10 of 10
Jack Flaherty's second stint with the Tigers has been underwhelming, as he's gone 10-23 with a 4.63 ERA. His 3.82 FIP during that same period suggests he's been particularly unlucky since signing a two-year, $35 million free-agent deal to return to Detroit.
Perhaps if a team trades for Flaherty, he'll struggle the way he did after being acquired by the Orioles in 2023, when he went 1-3 with a 6.75 ERA over 34.2 innings.
Alternatively, he could have the type of impact he did for the Dodgers in 2024, when he went 6-2 with a 3.58 ERA in 10 starts for a team he eventually helped to win the World Series.
The 30-year-old is worth taking a shot on.
.png?w=480)
