MLB Trade Deadline 2026 Live Updates, Tracking Latest News, Rumors and Deals

So unless the Red Sox's answer is "nay," it seems that Adley Rutschman is headed to Boston.

There are a bunch of questions here, obviously starting with which players would be going to Baltimore. But as far as Orioles fans are concerned, maybe the big question is how it's come to this.

Rutschman was supposed to be the guy who turned things around for the Orioles, and he did for a time. And yet, today is the day that he could leave town without a single playoff win to show for his time in Baltimore.

Source: Jeff Passan of ESPN, Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun

The Trade: Seattle Mariners get OF Taylor Ward; Baltimore Orioles get RHP Alex Hoppe, RHP Brock Moore and RHP Harrison Kreiling

The Mariners needed a right-handed hitter in the worst way, and specifically one who can crush lefties. Their .650 OPS against southpaws ranks 29th in the league.

Thanks to an AL-leading 87 walks, Ward has a .383 OBP overall. Even better, he's gotten on base at a .413 clip against lefties. He'll presumably take over as Seattle's everyday starter in right field now that Luke Raley is on the injured list.

The Orioles are basically getting spare parts for Ward, who's set for free agency after 2026. But Moore is at least interesting, as he had flashed big-time strikeout stuff at High-A earlier in the year.

Source: Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Zack Meisel of The Athletic

The Trade: Cleveland Guardians get OF Jo Adell; Los Angeles Angels get C Jacob Cozart

The Guardians have needed a power-hitting outfielder for what feels like forever. This year alone, they rank last in MLB with 28 home runs from their outfielders.

Adell has 16 just on his own, though the usual caveats apply. He has just a .287 OBP and he isn't a reliable defender. Yet the Guardians really just need the power, and Adell will remain under their control through 2027.

Per MLB Pipeline, Cozart was Cleveland's No. 18 prospect. He's a defense-first, pitcher-friendly catcher in the mold of Austin Hedges.

It would be quite the stunner if the Baltimore Orioles traded Adley Rutschman to an AL East rival, but here we are. And there's no doubt that Boston needs him.

They have gotten just 0.4 rWAR and a 72 wRC+ from the catching position in 2026, both of which rank among MLB's dregs. Rutschman isn't what he used to be, yet he's still managed a 1.8 rWAR and a 115 wRC+. He's on track to return from left wrist inflammation in August.

Rutschman was Baltimore's No. 1 pick in the 2019 draft, but he has since taken to sharing the spotlight with fellow catcher Samuel Basallo. A deal with Boston might be a chance for the O's to cash Rutschman in for young pitching.

Source: Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic

According to Nusbaum's sources, the Nationals haven't spent much time discussing CJ Abrams trade offers internally. It would be "very surprising" if they moved the two-time All-Star shortstop.

No surprise here. This year has revealed the Nationals to be closer to contention than many expected coming into 2026. Abrams is one of their cornerstones, as he's broken out with a .917 OPS and 28 home runs with two years still to go until free agency.

Of course, the right offer could change Washington's position. But the price could be even higher than what the Los Angeles Angels want for Zach Neto. According to Tim Healey of The Boston Globe, the Angels asked the Boston Red Sox for No. 4 overall prospect Franklin Arias.

Source: Aram Leighton of Just Baseball

The Trade: Los Angeles Dodgers get C Ben Rortvedt; New York Mets get RHP Chayce McDermott

This is the third time the Dodgers have acquired Rortvedt just since July 31 of last year. He has spent his season playing exclusively for Triple-A Syracuse. His acquisition could be seen as an insurance plan for Will Smith, who's still weeks away from returning from a neck injury.

The Dodgers had designated McDermott for assignment on Friday. The righty has allowed 20 runs in 15.0 career major league innings.

Luis Arraez and Bryson Stott can't both play second base, so something had to give when the Philadelphia Phillies acquired Arraez on Monday. And that something is apparently Bryce Harper's role at first base.

Right field is familiar territory for the two-time MVP, but also territory he hasn't seen since 2022. Yet the move could be for the greater good, as Arraez is coming to Philly with +11 Outs Above Average as a second baseman.

Source: Jeff Passan of ESPN

The Trade: Atlanta Braves get LHP Brent Suter; Los Angeles Angels get INF Nacho Alvarez Jr.

Suter will do for an Atlanta pitching staff that has badly been needing depth. He's a reliever who can function as an opener as needed, and he's even finished 14 games this season. Just don't mistake him for a specialist, as his splits against lefties (i.e., .828 OPS in 2026) aren't actually that good.

Alvarez posted a .664 OPS in 37 games for Triple-A Gwinnett this year, but hasn't seen action since May 20. He was one of Atlanta's top 10 prospects before losing his eligibility in 2025, and he's still just 23 years old.

The Phillies just struck a deal with the Giants for Luis Arraez and Caleb Kilian, but that doesn't mean Dave Dombrowski and Buster Posey aren't allowed to keep talking.

Robbie Ray is having a nice year with a 3.08 ERA over 122.2 innings. Yet he does have a 4.06 ERA away from Oracle Park, so a move to Citizens Bank Park would not bode especially well for the 2021 AL Cy Young Award winner.

Ray is in the last year of a five-year, $115 million contract.

It's mainly right-handed bats that are in short supply on this market, and Alec Burleson is a left-handed swinger. But then again, the Washington Nationals just turned fellow lefty swinger Luis García Jr. into four players on Sunday.

Burleson has a 126 OPS+ and 33 home runs since the start of last season, and he's especially been crushing righties for a .941 OPS this year. He's 27 years old and under club control through 2028.

Source: Jayson Stark of The Athletic

George Kirby and Emerson Hancock have been popular names on the rumor mill in the last few days. And according to Stark, "the consensus is that it would be a surprise if Seattle doesn't trade at least one of them before the deadline arrives."

Kirby just started for Seattle on Sunday, firing seven scoreless innings against the Minnesota Twins. The ask for him figures to be astronomical, and Hancock might not have a cheaper price tag in his own right. He isn't as established as Kirby, but he's having a better season and is controllable through 2030. Kirby is set for free agency after 2028.

The Mariners don't need to move either of them, but they could potentially be swayed by a right-handed bat and/or a shutdown reliever. Both are in short supply on this market, however.

On Sunday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic warned that the Rangers would consider selling if they lost that day's game to the Houston Astros. And they did.

That report alluded to Jacob deGrom and Corey Seager as trade chips, but MacKenzie Gore and Jacob Latz figure to be easier to move. Neither is earning over $30 million, for one. And for two, both are "sell high" types.

Gore has a 4.77 ERA, but a 3.80 FIP and a strong 3.1 K/BB ratio. Latz was an All-Star last month, and his 0.660 WHIP is even shinier than his 1.80 ERA.

Gore is under club control through 2027. Latz, through 2030.

Source: Jayson Stark of The Athletic

The Trade: Philadelphia Phillies get LHP Brooks Raley; New York Mets get RHP Luke Gabrysh, OF John Spikerman

As if Caleb Kilian wasn't already enough, the Phillies' bullpen now contains one of MLB's more reliable lefty relievers. Raley has a 2.42 ERA to show for his last five seasons, and he's holding lefty batters to a .542 OPS in 2026.

MLB Pipeline had Spikerman ranked as the Phillies' No. 27 prospect, mostly owing to plus-plus speed and an exciting defensive profile. He could be a future fourth outfielder for the Mets.

Sources: Jeff Passan of ESPN, Bob Nightengale of USA Today

The Trade: Philadelphia Phillies get 2B Luis Arraez, RHP Caleb Kilian; San Francisco Giants get RHP Ramon Marquez, RHP Marty Gair

And just like that, Bryce Harper's wish for help in the Phillies' lineup is granted. As a three-time batting champ who's eyeing yet another NL batting title with a .324 average, Arraez is an ideal table-setter for Harper and Kyle Schwarber.

Kilian is no small prize for the Phillies in his own right. His 4.26 ERA doesn't leap off the page, but he throws in the mid-to-high 90s and there's a lot of red on his Baseball Savant profile.

B/R's Joel Reuter had Marquez ranked as the Phillies' No. 5 prospect. He's known for his plus changeup, and has impressed with a 1.68 ERA in 59.0 innings in the low minors. He's a good get for the Giants in exchange for two expendable players.

Source: Jeff Passan of ESPN

The Trade: Toronto Blue Jays get RHP José Soriano; Los Angeles Angels get INF Arjun Nimmala, OF Eddie Micheletti, RHP Angel Rivero

The Blue Jays just waved a white flag by trading Kevin Gausman to the Chicago Cubs on Sunday, so the timing of this deal is nothing if not odd. Soriano is no more likely to lift the Blue Jays out of last place than Gausman would have been.

Since Soriano is under club control through 2028, this is clearly a play for the future on Toronto's part. That will hinge on whether there's more to unlock with the righty, who has a 3.29 ERA but an AL-high 57 walks.

Nimmala is arguably the key player in the deal for both sides. He's ranked by B/R's Joel Reuter as MLB's No. 44 prospect, and is talented enough to make this a huge win for the Angels and huge loss for the Blue Jays.

In case anyone missed anything, here are the trades that went down over the weekend.

Saturday, August 1

The rich got richer when the Dodgers traded for Skubal, while everyone else is worse off in some way. That arguably includes the Tigers, whose return for the two-time Cy Young Award winner feels light.

The most puzzling deal was the White Sox's trade for Castillo. He'll be a workhorse starter for them, but they took on his entire remaining contract (about $30 million) and sent players and money to Seattle. For the record, Castillo's rWAR is at -0.7 for the season.

Sunday, August 2

After missing out on Skubal, the task before the Rays is to turn Peralta back into his two-time All-Star self. If that happens, they stand to further solidify themselves as American League favorites.

The Yankees stated their intent to come after the Rays with their deal for García. He's bringing 23 home runs to an offense that leads the AL in home runs even without any from Aaron Judge since May.