MLB Trade Deadline 2026 Live Grades and Reaction for Every Move
The biggest move of the 2026 MLB trade deadline likely already happened when the Los Angeles Dodgers acquired two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal from the Detroit Tigers on Saturday night.
Now it's up to the other 29 teams to respond accordingly.
With the Skubal domino tipped, things could move faster on deadline day as multiple clubs weigh secondary options to upgrade their starting rotations. The market for bats is significantly thinner, but not without a few notable names.
Starting back on Friday and running through all the final minute chaos at the 6 p.m. ET deadline on Monday, we'll have live grades and reaction for every notable trade that goes down.
White Sox Acquire Huascar Brazobán from Mets
1 of 12
Date: Aug. 2, 2026
To CWS: RP Huascar Brazobán
Despite the fact that he turns 37 years old in October, Huascar Brazobán still has three additional years of club control remaining, making this a nice present and future bullpen addition for the South Siders.
He has a 2.56 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 8.4 K/9 in 46 appearances, and his 3.34 FIP and strong results from a year ago don't point to any imminent regression. Expect him to pitch some high-leverage innings in the coming months.
Grade: A
To NYM: SP Gabe Davis, RP Zach Franklin
Gabe Davis is a towering 6'9" right-hander who probably winds up in the bullpen long-term due to his inconsistent command and lack of a third reliable pitch beyond his fastball and slider.
With a 4.37 ERA and 11.9 K/9 in 33 appearances at Triple-A this season, Zach Franklin could end up replacing Brazobán in the Mets bullpen for the final two months. Given Brazobán's remaining control, it's surprising the Mets were not able to get a better return, even with his age.
Grade: C-
Braves Acquire Tyler Mahle from Giants
2 of 12
Date: Aug. 2, 2026
To ATL: SP Tyler Mahle
Despite an ugly 5.13 ERA in 94.2 innings of work this season, Tyler Mahle has a chance to be a productive addition for a Braves team in need of rotation stability behind ace Chris Sale.
The 31-year-old has a 3.42 ERA in 23.2 innings over his last four starts, including six shutout innings against the Brewers on July 27. He is a pure rental playing on a one-year, $10 million deal, and the acquisition cost was minimal, so hard to dislike this move.
Grade: B-
To SF: RP Anthony Molina
With a 6.89 ERA and a .322 opponents' batting average in 55 big league appearances over the last three seasons, Anthony Molina has yet to find much success at the highest level.
He does have two minor league options remaining, and a live enough arm to believe there is some untapped potential, but he's more organizational depth than anything else at this point.
Grade: C-
Cubs Acquire Kevin Gausman from Blue Jays
3 of 12
Date: Aug. 2, 2026
To CHC: SP Kevin Gausman
The Cubs needed starting pitching help more than perhaps any other contender, and Kevin Gausman gives them a workhorse veteran with a wealth of playoff experience who immediately pencils into their projected playoff rotation.
The 35-year-old ranks sixth among active pitchers with 2,038.1 career innings. He had a 2.93 ERA in 30.2 innings during Toronto's playoff run a year ago, and took the ball in Game 2 and Game 6 of the World Series.
Grade: A
To TOR: SS Ty Southisene, OF Brett Bateman
Ty Southisene and Brett Bateman should both fall somewhere in the No. 15-25 range on the Blue Jays top prospect list once the dust settles on the trade deadline, which is a solid return for a rental arm in the non-Tarik Skubal category.
The two players actually offer similar profiles with plus hit tools, good speed and bottom-of-the-scale power. Both are batting over .300 with on-base percentages north of .400, with Bateman knocking on the big league door with a .312/.430/.421 line over 82 games at Triple-A.
Grade: B
Yankees Acquire Luis García Jr. from Nationals
4 of 12
Date: Aug. 2, 2026
To NYY: IF Luis García Jr.
Like the player, hate the fit, love the acquisition cost. So it's a mixed bag here.
Luis García Jr. is having a career year offensively, hitting .283/.313/.560 for a 136 OPS+ with 20 doubles, 23 home runs and 76 RBI, but after a terrible season defensively at second base in 2025 he has played exclusively first base.
With Ben Rice and Paul Goldschmidt platooning at first base, there are at-bats to be had at designated hitter, but that will change if and when Giancarlo Stanton returns. Unless Stanton is going to try to play the outfield, it's hard to see how all the pieces fit together.
Still, three relievers and a prospect a year removed from being a senior sign on Day 3 of the MLB draft is an absolute steal of a package to acquire the NL leader in slugging percentage with a year of club control remaining.
Grade: B+
To WAS: SP Jack Cebert, RP Ben Grable, RP Yovanny Cruz, RP Jake Bird
It's not often a four-prospect package for a controllable player features three relief pitchers. That said, Jake Bird has had MLB success before, while Ben Grable and Yovanny Cruz both have late-inning potential.
Right-hander Jack Cebert is the centerpiece, enjoying a breakout season a year after going in the 14th round of the 2025 draft. The 24-year-old has a 4.03 ERA with 96 strikeouts in 82.2 innings, and has seen his velocity tick up since starting his four-year collegiate career.
Grade: D
Rays Acquire Freddy Peralta from Mets
5 of 12
Date: Aug. 2, 2026
To TB: SP Freddy Peralta
The Rays were part of the Tarik Skubal conversations, so this is a proactive pivot, but ultimately a disappointing consolation prize relative to the reigning AL Cy Young winner.
After years as a frontline starter in Milwaukee, Peralta has a 4.99 ERA and 1.48 WHIP in 113.2 innings this season. His strikeout rate has cratered from 28.2 to 22.1 percent, and his opponents' batting average has spiked from .193 to .264.
Do the Rays see something they can fix?
Grade: C
To NYM: OF Aidan Smith, SP Gary Gill Hill, 2B Émilien Pitre
With a 55-power, 60-speed profile and standout defensive tools in center field, Aidan Smith has true impact potential. He is hitting just .209/.281/.392 with a 30.1 percent strikeout rate on the year, so he represents a boom-or-bust lottery ticket.
Gary Gill Hill could fit at the back of a big league rotation, while Émilien Pitre is hitting .308/.438/.447 with 70 walks against just 40 strikeouts in 88 games between High-A and Double-A.
All in all, a solid cutting of losses after they gave up Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat to acquire Peralta in January.
Grade: B+
Dodgers Acquire Tarik Skubal from Tigers
6 of 12
Date: Aug. 2, 2026
To LAD: SP Tarik Skubal
Wow.
The only real question mark for the Dodgers in their quest to be the first NL team to three-peat was whether Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow would get healthy and round into form in time to help Yoshinobu Yamamoto anchor the playoff rotation.
Now the question is which one of them gets bumped to the bullpen if Shohei Ohtani returns to the mound and lands a spot in the playoff rotation.
An amazing problem to have.
Grade: A+
To DET: OF Zyhir Hope (No. 38 on B/R Top 100), SP River Ryan, SP Brady Smith
Trades for superstars always look light on the prospect end, but this is a great return for two months of a player who was almost certainly going to be playing elsewhere in 2027 anyway.
Zyhir Hope is hitting .293/.369/.530 with 23 home runs, 87 RBI and 18 steals in 94 games at Double-A, and he doesn't turn 22 until January. He has franchise cornerstone upside.
It's odd to call River Ryan a prospect when he'll be 28 years old in a few weeks, but with 20.1 career MLB innings he technically still fits the bill. He has done a nice job rebuilding his stock after a 2025 season lost to Tommy John surgery, and could step directly into the Detroit rotation.
If Luis Peña (Brewers), Theo Gillen (Rays) and George Lombard Jr. (Yankees) were off-limits in the Tigers other trade talks, Hope may legitimately have been the best centerpiece available.
Grade: B
Braves Acquire Lane Thomas from Royals
7 of 12
Date: Aug. 2, 2026
To ATL: OF Lane Thomas, SP Bailey Falter
With a 20/20 season on his resume and a two-homer performance in last year's ALDS, Lane Thomas has a chance to be a sneaky-good pickup for the Braves.
He has an .850 OPS in his career against left-handed pitching, making him the ideal platoon partner for Mike Yastrzemski while also serving in a fourth outfielder capacity thanks to his ability to handle all three spots defensively.
With 475.2 career big league innings, Bailey Falter is at least experienced organizational depth.
Grade: B
To KC: SP Lucas Braun, SP Carter Holton
Right-hander Lucas Braun immediately slots in as a top 10 pitching prospect in the Kansas City system, and he has a 3.43 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 421 strikeouts in 414.2 innings in the minors. His five-pitch repertoire and plus command give him a high floor as a back end starter, and he could debut later this season.
Southpaw Carter Holton spent three years in the Vanderbilt rotation before he was taken in the second round of the 2024 draft, and he represents a solid secondary piece as well for a rental outfielder and a non-tender candidate.
Grade: B+
White Sox Acquire Luis Castillo from Mariners
8 of 12
Date: Aug. 2, 2026
To CWS: SP Luis Castillo
The White Sox needed a workhorse veteran to anchor a young rotation, and they found just that in Luis Castillo. He might not be the Cy Young candidate he was in his prime, but he would still likely fill a spot in the South Siders playoff rotation.
With a $24.15 million salary on the books for next season, he's not cheap, but the White Sox had the payroll flexibility and they offset some of that money by moving Seranthony Domínguez.
Grade: A
To SEA: RP Seranthony Domínguez, OF Nolan Jones, C Boston Smith
This trade was largely about freeing up payroll, though Domínguez is a solid addition to the bullpen with plenty of high-leverage experience. He signed a two-year, $20 million deal during the offseason, so his $10 million salary for next year offsets some of Seattle's savings.
A sixth-round pick out of Wright State in 2025, Boston Smith is hitting .291/.450/.589 with 22 home runs in 79 games while reaching Double-A in his pro debut. Don't sleep on him as a key piece of the puzzle in this trade.
Nolan Jones is now three years removed from his surprise 20/20, 4.3-WAR season with the Rockies in 2023, and is little more than a flier.
Grade: B
Pirates Acquire Camilo Doval from Yankees
9 of 12
Date: Aug. 1, 2026
To PIT: RP Camilo Doval
With 20 blown saves in 42 chances, the Pirates bullpen has been a major weakness this season, and a year after trading All-Star closer David Bednar to the Yankees they were on the acquiring end this time.
Camilo Doval has 109 career saves, including an NL-leading 39 saves when he was with the Giants in 2023. He has filled more of a setup role with the Yankees and has battled his command at times, but with a high-octane fastball and a slider generating a 43.5 percent whiff rate he still looks the part.
Grade: B
To NYY: C Omar Alfonzo, OF Luis Cruz
Omar Alfonzo looks the part of a bat-first, backup catcher with a chance to carve out a platoon role if he maximizes his raw power. He is hitting .239/.338/.420 with 19 extra-base hits in 60 games at Double-A.
Luis Cruz signed for $50,000 in 2025, and he is hitting .321/.471/.415 over 71 plate appearances in his second go-round in the Dominican Summer League. Given his arm talent and extra year of control, this was an underwhelming return for the Yankees.
Grade: C-
Brewers, Guardians Swap Blake Perkins, Bo Naylor
10 of 12
Date: Aug. 1, 2026
To MIL: C Bo Naylor, RP Codi Heuer
After three seasons as Cleveland's primary catcher, Bo Naylor has spent much of the year in Triple-A following the addition of Patrick Bailey in an early trade with the Giants. The former top prospect is still only 26 and was an interesting change of scenery candidate.
The Brewers have used William Contreras in an almost everyday capacity behind the plate this year, with Gary Sánchez starting 26 games as his backup.
Grade: B-
To CLE: OF Blake Perkins, RP Craig Yoho
Of the 408 players with at least 100 plate appearances this season, Blake Perkins ranks 400th with a 41 OPS+ while hitting .157/.250/.258 on the year. It's hard to see how he upgrades the current situation, but he's at least a solid defender who quietly tallied 3.3 WAR in 242 games prior to this year.
Reliever Craig Yoho had a 3.15 ERA and 0.85 WHIP in 15 appearances out of the Brewers bullpen, and he joined Cleveland's bullpen following the trade, so he has a chance to help level the scales.
Grade: D
Twins Acquire Dean Kremer from Orioles
11 of 12
Date: Aug. 1, 2026
To MIN: SP Dean Kremer
The Twins have used eight different starting pitchers behind Joe Ryan and Taj Bradley this season, and none of them have provided any level of consistency, so Dean Kremer will have a chance to stake claim to a starting role the rest of the way.
He logged a 3.95 ERA and 101 ERA+ in 106 starts over the previous four seasons, providing some context to why the Twins would want a pitcher with a 6.50 ERA in 2026. With an additional year of club control, he is an interesting buy-low play, though far from a sure thing to provide an immediate boost.
Grade: C
To BAL: OF Jhomnardo Reyes
An early standout from Baltimore's 2025 international signing class, Jhomnardo Reyes is hitting .272/.396/.489 with 22 extra-base hits, 17 steals and a healthy 15 percent walk rate in his stateside debut.
The 18-year-old also has some intriguing physical projection left in his 6'3", 186-pound frame, so this is a nice lottery ticket pickup for Baltimore who slots into their top 20 prospects.
Grade: B+
Twins Acquire A.J. Minter from Mets
12 of 12
Date: July 31, 2026
To MIN: RP A.J. Minter
Hovering around the .500 mark for several weeks, the Twins planted their flag as buyers when they acquired A.J. Minter to upgrade a bullpen that ranks 26th in the majors with a 4.85 ERA.
The 32-year-old does not have the same swing-and-miss stuff he did during his peak in Atlanta, and his 2.31 ERA is backed by a 4.00 FIP, so there is some regression risk.
Grade: C
To NYM: 3B Billy Amick, SS Bruin Agbayani
Billy Amick was a second-round pick in 2024 after helping lead Tennessee to a national championship, and with an .834 OPS and 24 home runs in 87 games at Double-A he represents a terrific return for a second-tier rental reliever.
Bruin Agbayani is the son of former Mets outfielder and fan favorite Benny Agbayani, who was the starting left fielder on the 2000 World Series team. He was a sixth-round pick in last year's draft.
Grade: A-
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