The 8 MLB Teams That Blew It at 2026 Trade Deadline
The MLB trade deadline has come and gone, and what a mess it made. There were dozens of deals on deadline day alone, for crying out loud.
And unfortunately for some teams, there are no mulligans.
For finger-wagging purposes, we're going to take a close look at eight teams that needed to do more before the August 3 deadline. They all should have been buyers, and the fact is that they just didn't buy hard enough.
We'll begin with the smallest offense and work our way toward the biggest.
Arizona Diamondbacks
1 of 6
Record: 59-53
New Additions: OF Lars Nootbaar
What They Should Have Done
If there's a contender in MLB that's not being talked about enough, it's the Diamondbacks. But they needed starting pitching as much as the next team, as well as upgrades for first base and left field spots that rank 30th and 29th in rWAR, respectively.
What They Actually Did
Well, Nootbaar is technically an answer for the left field question. And he could prove to be a good one if he finds some magic dust in the desert that brings back his 2023 self. That dude was worth 3.3 rWAR.
But that was it? Really?
It's a bad idea just in a vacuum, especially where the pitching need is concerned. Eduardo Rodriguez is the only starter the D-backs who's worth a darn, and his 2.48 ERA is a house of cards overdue for a collapse. And while Zac Gallen and Corbin Burnes could be back by the end of the year, the emphasis is on "could."
Meanwhile, the San Diego Padres (1.0 GB) and Pittsburgh Pirates (3.5 GB) both strengthened themselves for their pursuits of Arizona in the NL wild-card race. Good luck holding them off, guys.
Chicago White Sox
2 of 6
Record: 59-52
New Additions: RHP Luis Castillo, RHP Huascar Brazobán, OF Brenton Doyle, C Joey Bart
What They Should Have Done
The White Sox actually rank 10th in the league in ERA, but "Pitching! Pitching! Pitching!" would have been a suitable mantra for Chris Getz anyway. The Pale Hose have also gotten -1.6 rWAR from the catching position, so a big name there would have been very welcome.
What They Actually Did
The White Sox's best addition was Brazobán, and that's a credit to him. You don't often see 36-year-olds coming out of nowhere to shove with sub-3.00 ERAs.
And yet, it's like the old saying goes: "Making Huascar Brazobán your best trade deadline addition when you're trying to win a division title is no way to go through life, son."
Castillo, Doyle and Bart have recognizable names, but each has fallen into a sort of suspended animation in a replacement-level nebula this year. The White Sox even traded Seranthony Domínguez and ate $30 million to get Castillo from the Seattle Mariners. It's a heavy price to pay for innings and not much else.
True, the White Sox are too early in their contention window to have put it all on black and spun the wheel. But whatever the right approach was, this wasn't it.
New York Yankees
3 of 6
Record: 63-49
New Additions: OF Heliot Ramos, 1B Luis García Jr.
What They Should Have Done
The Yankees needing a right-handed-hitting catcher was the lay-up of all lay-ups ahead of the trade deadline. They also needed to bolster their bullpen, and that much more so after they moved Camilo Doval to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Addition by subtraction is nice, but not as nice as addition by addition.
What They Actually Did
Actually, Ramos and García are pretty solid additions. Smash their numbers for this season together, and you get a 119 wRC+ and 32 home runs.
But no catcher? Seriously?
Well, one supposes that means the Yankees are fine with their backstops producing just a .556 OPS. Either that, or it means they were oblivious as Adley Rutschman and Liam Hicks both changed hands to the Yankees' two biggest rivals in the AL East. One or the other, really.
Meanwhile, the trade deadline did its usual thing and moved about a million relievers on Monday. Any number of them could have helped the Yankees, including old friend Luke Weaver. But instead, a whole lot of nothing happened, and now there's even more weight on David Bednar's shoulders.
.png?w=2560)
Atlanta Braves
4 of 6
Record: 67-45
New Additions: OF Lane Thomas, LHP Bailey Falter, RHP Tyler Mahle, LHP Brent Suter, RHP Tyler Uberstine, RHP Duncan Davitt
What They Should Have Done
Braves starting pitchers have a 4.63 ERA since June 1, and that's with Chris Sale posting a 2.16 ERA over nine starts. An ace-caliber starter thus should have been a must. A shortstop wouldn't have been a bad idea either.
What They Actually Did
With all apologies to David Byrne, what we have here is a trade deadline version of talking a lot, but not saying anything.
There are some useful pieces among Atlanta's trade deadline haul, but even the best ones are what we call "marginal" improvements. Thomas is the less useful kind of platoon hitter. Suter is a bulk middle relief type. Falter, Uberstine and Davitt are good for organizational depth.
As for Mahle, well, he's basically just a warm body at this point. What the Braves needed in his spot was a Tarik Skubal or at least a Casey Mize, not a dude who had a 5.13 ERA despite the advantage of Oracle Park in San Francisco.
The Braves are still a good team. They're just not a better team. And if the Philadelphia Phillies don't make them pay, the Los Angeles Dodgers will.
Milwaukee Brewers
5 of 6
Record: 69-42
New Additions: C Bo Naylor, RHP Dustin May, LHP JoJo Romero, RHP Antonio Senzatela
What They Should Have Done
At the top of Milwaukee's trade deadline wish list should have been an ace starter. Not because they need one, but because Jacob Misiorowski plus a co-ace would have been a potential "Game Over" hack for October. They also needed more home run power, preferably at third base.
What They Actually Did
Two teams actually traded three pitchers to the Brewers? Fools. Don't they know what happens when teams do that?
And yes, May, Romero and Senzatela have the goods to help carry the Brewers in the playoffs. Nobody has ever doubted May's stuff, and that alone makes him a worthy project for Milwaukee. Romero and Senzatela are more plug-and-play solutions for the bullpen, and that's not an insult.
But does anyone see an ace here? Or a slugger, for that matter?
The answer is no, and that's something the Dodgers should be laughing about. That also goes for the Chicago Cubs, who practically remade their pitching staff through trades of Kevin Gausman, Clay Holmes, Ryan Zeferjahn and Braxton Garrett.
All 3 AL West Contenders
6 of 6
New Additions for Houston Astros: OF Daulton Varsho
New Additions for Texas Rangers: LHP Adam Macko, C Logan O'Hoppe, RHP Chase Silseth
New Additions for Seattle Mariners: RHP Seranthony Domínguez, OF Taylor Ward
What They Should Have Done
Surprise! It's a three-team special. And what the Astros, Rangers and Mariners needed breaks down like so:
- Houston Astros: Starting pitching, left-handed-hitting outfielder
- Texas Rangers: Late-inning reliever, impact bat
- Seattle Mariners: Late-inning reliever, impact right-handed bat
Easily the strongest need here was the Astros' need for a starter. Their rotation has a 5.13 ERA this year, 28th in the league.
What They Actually Did
The Astros not only didn't get a starter, but indeed traded one away to get Varsho. It was Spencer Arrighetti who went to Toronto for Varsho, and he isn't even having a good year. What was a 120 OPS+ in 2025 is an 86 OPS+ in 2026.
The Mariners fared better, but Domínguez and Ward are B-grade solutions to problems that each needed an A-grade splash. The former is basically a platoon reliever. Ward is getting on base, but with little power.
As for the Rangers, they were 2.0 games up in the AL West a week ago. To go from that to basically giving up is almost impressive.
Somebody could have staked a claim to the AL West title on Monday. Instead, all three contenders decided to wait it out, as if to see which of the others will simply perish first.
Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Savant.
.jpg?w=2560 "Grading WWE Raw 🔠")
