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

Come to think of it, Sandy Alcantara's name never really did come up even as a whole bunch of starters were listed as trade targets at the last minute.

Is it good strategy for the Marlins to be so reluctant to trading the 2022 NL Cy Young Award winner? Not at all. Even if he's past his peak value, he's worth a nice package of prospects in a trade.

But at the same time, it's not a bad thing to keep one of the last true workhorses in MLB around for as long as possible. The Marlins may see Alcantara as having value that the rest of us will never understand.

After the buzzer sounded at 6:00 p.m. ET, the following smaller trades came out of the woodwork:

Source: Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic, Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com

The Trade: Pittsburgh Pirates get RHP Kirby Yates; Los Angeles Angels get RHP Kyle Robinson

Yates and Luke Weaver are a solid haul for one day, especially knowing how bad the Bucs' bullpen needed reinforcements.

Yates is a couple years removed from his insane 2024 season, and he's not that guy anymore in 2026. Yet he remains uncommonly difficult to actually hit, as he's allowing a .202 average and a .333 slugging percentage.

Robinson is about to see his third MLB organization just in 2026, as he had previously been with the A's before joining the Pirates. He's a former 11th-rounder who is still trying to find helium in the minors.

Source: Jorge Castillo and Alden Gonzalez of ESPN, John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports

The Trade: Arizona Diamondbacks get OF Lars Nootbaar; St. Louis Cardinals get LHP Sandro Santana, RHP Daniel Eagan, player to be named later

The Diamondbacks have gotten -0.2 rWAR out of left field this year, the lowest of any team in the NL. Taking a flier on Nootbaar to fix that problem is hardly the worst idea.

He's been injured for a chunk of 2026, and the truth is that he's largely descended from the peak he achieved in 2023. Yet he still hits righties well (.737 OPS) and is a good energy source to have in a clubhouse.

MLB Pipeline thought highly enough of Eagan to rate him as Arizona's No. 5 prospect. His fastball and slider are above-average, while his curveball is more like plus.

Source: Jeff Passan of ESPN

The Trade: Miami Marlins get RHP Victor Vodnik; Colorado Rockies get INF Connor Norby, RHP Aiden May

The best way to understand what the Marlins see in Vodnik is to ignore his results. What matters is that he averages about 99 mph on the fastball and that he's elite at inducing ground balls. They can work with those skills between now and the end of his club control in 2029.

Norby was a top-100 prospect once upon a time, and he's still just 26. May has a plus slider as part of his arsenal, though it has yet to translate to much swing-and-miss in the minors.

Sources: Jeff Passan of ESPN, Zack Meisel of The Athletic

The Trade: Cleveland Guardians get 1B Nathaniel Lowe; Cincinnati Reds get RHP Alejandro Rivera

At this stage of his career, Lowe is a "professional hitter" guy who's having a nice year. He'll bring a 122 OPS+ to Cleveland, which is almost entirely owed to his .885 OPS against right-handed pitching.

Rivera is a 19-year-old who hadn't been counted among Cleveland's top prospects. He only just made the jump from the Arizona Complex League to Single-A in the last week of July.

Sources: Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune

The Trade: San Diego Padres get RHP Casey Mize; Detroit Tigers get INF Gage Workman, LHP Kash Mayfield, LHP Jackson Wolf

Mize and Robbie Ray in one day? Not a bad way for the Padres to flesh out a rotation that needed a rescue, and there's no doubt that Mize is the prize.

He was an All-Star last year and his 2.70 ERA this year speaks to a lot of good stuff. Most notably, a home run rate of just 0.5 per nine innings that could be sustainable in San Diego. Mize has had a good knack for avoiding the barrel.

Mayfield is the big get for the Tigers. B/R's Joel Reuter had him ranked as San Diego's No. 2 prospect, and his changeup is largely considered a plus pitch.

Sources: Ben Nicholson-Smith and Shi Davidi of Sportsnet, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic

The Trade: Minnesota Twins get RHP Jeff Hoffman; Toronto Blue Jays get LHP Dasan Hill, RHP John Klein, INF Dameury Pena

Yes, Hoffman is the guy who served up the homer to Miguel Rojas in Game 7 of last year's World Series. And yes, he will get taken deep like that sometimes.

But at the same time, he's also an All-Star righty who has been thoroughly on one lately. His last 21 appearances have seen him strike out 28 batters and allow only two earned runs over 20.2 innings. The Twins clearly want to go for it, and he can clearly help. He's also signed through next season.

MLB Pipeline had Hill (No. 7) and Klein (No. 17) ranked among the Twins' top prospects. Hill is a slender 6'5", 165 pounds, but can throw 99 mph with lots of extension.

Sources: Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic

The Trade: Cleveland Guardians get LHP Foster Griffin; Washington Nationals get LHP Will Dion, LHP Josh Hartle, RHP Kendeglys Virguez and OF Nick Mitchell

The Guardians have already staked their contention run on starting pitching, as their rotation's 3.68 ERA ranks fifth in MLB. Getting Griffiin only makes them better.

He returned from three years abroad to become an All-Star this year. He throws a ton of strikes, which is impressive for a guy who has seven pitches. And he has been hot recently, allowing no more than three runs in any of his 11 appearances between May 24 and July 25.

For the Nationals, the return package is more about quantity than quality. Only Hartle is a prospect of note, having been ranked by MLB Pipeline as the Guardians' No. 25 talent. He's supposed to have a good slider.

Sources: Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com

The Trade: Milwaukee Brewers get RHP Antonio Senzatela; Colorado Rockies get LHP Mark Manfredi, SS Juan Martinez 

Senzatela has fallen off quite a bit since his ERA was in the 1.00s earlier in the year, as his last 17 outings have yielded an 8.15 ERA. Yet he naturally has a 2.57 ERA away from Coors Field, and he's generally proven effective at avoiding hard contact since making the transition from starting to relieving.

MLB Pipeline had neither Manfredi nor Martinez among Milwaukee's top 30 prospects. Yet each is doing interesting things in the minors. Manfredi has 68 strikeouts in 45.2 innings in the high minors. Martinez has a .913 OPS in the low minors.

Sources: Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, Joel Sherman of the New York Post

The Trade: New York Yankees get OF Heliot Ramos; San Francisco Giants get LHP Henry Lalane, INF Kaeden Kent

The Yankees' outfield isn't much to look at while Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger are injured, and that's where Ramos comes in.

Even if his All-Star peak of 2024 is in the past, he offers an above-average righty bat. Notably, he has an .835 OPS against lefties. He could stick as the regular in left field after Judge and Bellinger come off the IL.

It's a nice story that Kaeden Kent is the son of Giants Hall of Famer Jeff Kent. Yet the big prize for the Giants is Lalane. B/R's Joel Reuter ranked the 6'7", 211-pounder as the Yankees' No. 8 prospect. He has a fastball and a slider that rate as plus.

Source: Ken Rosenthal and Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic

The Trade: San Francisco Giants get INF Marcelo Mayer, OF Carlos Gutierrez; Boston Red Sox get LHP Erik Miller

Just five years after he was the No. 4 pick in the draft, the Red Sox are moving on from Mayer. It became predictable at a certain point, and perhaps never more so than when the organization questioned his "mental toughness" through the media.

Though Mayer is currently sidelined with an arm injury, San Francisco is as good a place for a fresh start as any. He can play second base there and try to take advantage of Oracle Park's wide gaps. For the Giants, he's a 23-year-old lottery ticket with club control through 2031.

For the Red Sox, Miller is a lefty reliever on a heater. He hasn't allowed a run in his last 14 outings, with 18 strikeouts against six hits and five walks. He joins a bullpen that already leads MLB with a 2.95 ERA.

Sources: Ari Alexander of Boston 7 News, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe

The Trade: Boston Red Sox get OF Eli White; Atlanta Braves get RHP Tyler Uberstine

White has been around for seven seasons now, largely functioning as a fourth outfielder who sometimes hits lefties. This year, for example, has seen him hit four of his five homers against southpaws.

MLB Pipeline had Uberstine ranked as the No. 14 prospect in the Red Sox's system, with the catch that he's a 27-year-old whose game is based on deception. He has a 3.23 ERA in 39.0 minor league innings this season.

Source: Jeff Passan of ESPN, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com

The Trade: Chicago White Sox get C Joey Bart, Atlanta Braves get RHP Duncan Davitt

This is the second time Bart has been traded this year, and this time it's to a team that needed catching help in the worst way. White Sox catchers have posted -1.6 rWAR, easily the worst in MLB.

Bart was the No. 2 pick in the draft way back in 2018, but has never really found footing in the majors. Yet even at 29 years old, there's the question of whether a change of scenery and more playing time might unlock something.

For the Braves, Davitt looks like organizational depth. The 26-year-old righty has a 6.22 ERA in 59.1 innings at Triple-A this season.

Source: Jeff Passan of ESPN, Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com

The Trade: Tampa Bay Rays get RHP Tyler Wells; Baltimore Orioles get RHP Michael Forret

Wells was a starter earlier in his career before transitioning to the bullpen in 2026. It's gone very well to the tune of a 2.67 ERA and 0.963 WHIP over 54.0 innings, with above-average strikeout, walk and contact quality metrics.

Wells is joining a Rays bullpen that has been fair to middling so far, ranking 15th in the league with a 4.02 ERA.

Forret started out in the Orioles' system before going to the Rays in the Shane Baz trade last year. B/R's Joel Reuter had him ranked as the Rays' No. 7 prospect. As the O's surely still know, he has three above-average pitches in his fastball, slider and changeup.

Source: Jon Heyman of the New York Post

The Trade: Chicago Cubs get RHP Clay Holmes, OF Tyrone Taylor; New York Mets get INF Jefferson Rojas

First Kevin Gausman. Then Braxton Garrett. And now Holmes. It's a whole new look for the Cubs' rotation depth, and this might be the most exciting part yet.

Holmes isn't immune to getting hit hard, but his bowling-ball sinker and nasty sweeper lead to ugly swings and duck-snort contact when he's throwing the ball well. And he's been doing just that on a rehab assignment for broken leg that he suffered back in May.

Taylor is more of a fourth outfielder, albeit one who has cranked 10 home runs this year. He can and will play all three outfield positions.

According to B/R's Joel Reuter, Rojas was the No. 2 prospect in Chicago's farm system. He lacks standout tools, but he has shown off improved power by hitting 15 homers in 91 games this year. He hit 11 in 106 games in 2025.

Source: The teams

The Trade: Kansas City Royals get RHP Nolan Hoffman; Philadelphia Phillies get RHP Manuel Colon

Hoffman was designated for assignment earlier in the day by the Phillies. He throws from a funky arm angle that makes him hard to square up. He has yet to give up one barreled ball after facing 28 batters in the majors.

Colon is a 19-year-old out of the Dominican Republic who is currently in the low minors. He has fanned 37 batters in 29.1 innings.

It's only been a few hours since José Soriano got traded from the Los Angeles Angels to the Toronto Blue Jays, so surely these other teams can't be serious.

Well, maybe they are serious, and don't call them… well, you know the bit. The point is that there's no harm in trying, especially knowing that the last-place Blue Jays don't exactly need Soriano for this season.

For the record: It's not common for a player to get traded twice in one day, but it has happened.

Source: Mitch Bannon of The Athletic

The Trade: Houston Astros get OF Daulton Varsho; Toronto Blue Jays get RHP Spencer Arrighetti

Seen Houston's outfield mix? It's a bit of a Franken-monster. Varsho can bring some order to the chaos.

Even in a down year, he still has appeal as a power bat who plays the grass like both his hair and his pants are on fire. He hit 20 home runs in only 71 games last year, and he led all outfielders with +65 Defensive Runs Saved between 2023 and 2025.

Varsho is a pending free agent, so cashing him in for Arrighetti could have long-term benefits for Toronto. The righty is controlled through 2029, and hiding beneath his career 4.66 ERA is a good ability to limit hard contact.

Matt Young of the Houston Chronicle even got footage of Arrighetti walking off the field at Daikin Park after getting the news:

Sources: Jeff Passan of ESPN, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register

The Trade: Chicago Cubs get RHP Ryan Zeferjahn; Los Angeles Angels get C Moises Ballesteros, RHP Mason McGwire

Zeferjahn has the potential to be one of the deadline's bigger steals. Even if he only has a 3.66 ERA for the year, he's in the 96th percentile with his strikeout rate and the 100th percentile with his expected batting average. He's also under club control through 2030.

It's a fun return for the Angels, and only partly because it includes Mark McGwire's son. Ballesteros was a top-50 prospect as recently as a couple months ago, and he's just 22 years old. He can slide right into Logan O'Hoppe's vacated shoes.

Source: Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com

The Trade: Milwaukee Brewers get RHP Dustin May, LHP JoJo Romero; St. Louis Cardinals get OF Alexander Frias, OF Josiah Ragsdale

Don't the Cardinals know that when the Brewers want one or more of your pitchers, you're supposed to say no? Apparently not.

May has a 4.38 ERA this year and a modest 104 ERA+ for his career, but he's always had good stuff and the ability to throw strikes. The Brewers can work with that. And for his part, Romero has historically owned left-handed batters for a .202 average and .587 OPS. Both will be free agents at the end of the season.

Per MLB Pipeline, Frias and Ragsdale were Milwaukee's No. 11 and No. 13 prospects. Frias offers a power potential, while Ragsdale has shown off plus speed in going 31-for-34 in stolen bases this year.

It's a lot of interest for a guy who last pitched for the New York Mets on May 15, the day on which he broke his leg on a comebacker.

Before then, though, Clay Holmes had a 2.39 ERA and 1.101 WHIP through his first 52.2 innings of the season. If healthy, he's a known-quantity as a mid-rotation type who could work as a Game 3 or even a Game 2 starter.

This helps explain why the Boston Red Sox had to go so hard with their offer to the Baltimore Orioles. According to B/R's Joel Reuter, Elmer Rodríguez is a top-100 prospect, and the Yankees had more to offer than just him if need be.

With Rutschman and Liam Hicks off the board, the Yankees are running out of both options and leverage in their search for a catcher. And time, too.

And truth be told, it's not an unfair take on the Boston Red Sox's deal for the three-time All-Star. Baseball Trade Values ran the number and found the four-player package to be a massive overpay in the Baltimore Orioles' favor.

In Anthony Eyanson (No. 22) and RHP Kyson Witherspoon (No. 92), the Red Sox gave up two top-100 prospects to get Rutschman. And that's even though he's fallen off his early superstar days. And knowing that he's eligible for free agency after 2027.

There's also the question of how quickly the Red Sox can get Rutschman up to speed with their pitching staff. It'll be a lot of work, and one of the guys who might have helped him is gone. Carlos Narváez went to Baltimore as part of the deal.

Clearly, Craig Breslow and the Red Sox think the risk is worth it. It's ultimately up to history to judge them on that.

Sources: Will Sammon of The Athletic, Francys Romero of BeisbolFR.com

The Trade: Chicago Cubs get LHP Braxton Garrett; Miami Marlins get INF Jonathon Long, RHP Jace Beck

Garrett has spent most of this season pitching at the Triple-A level, putting up a solid 2.90 ERA but allowing 13 earned runs over his last two starts. So, perhaps the Cubs still think the former first-rounder has something to offer that he simply hasn't shown in 2026.

You have to hand it to the Marlins for turning Garrett into Long and Beck. Per MLB Pipeline, they had been ranked as the Cubs' No. 10 and No. 28 prospects.

Source: Jorge Castillo of ESPN, Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Joel Sherman of the New York Post

The Trade: Pittsburgh Pirates get RHP Luke Weaver, cash; New York Mets get SS Sammy Stafura

Weaver is about to join his eighth MLB organization, and his fifth just in the last three years. But hey, sometimes to be well-traveled is to simply be in demand.

Hot off a strong run with the Yankees in 2024 and 2025, Weaver signed a two-year, $22 million deal with the Mets. So far, the first year has yielded a 1.84 ERA and 4.1 K/BB ratio over 42 appearances. He'll surely help stabilize a Bucs bullpen with a 4.34 ERA.

In Stafura, the Mets are getting back a prospect that MLB Pipeline ranked as the No. 9 talent in Pittsburgh's system. He's a plus runner who could stick at shortstop.

Sources: Michael Cerami of Bleacher Nation and Jesse Rogers of ESPN

Cerami reported that the Cubs had a deal in place to acquire Reid Detmers from the Los Angeles Angels, but Rogers says that is not the case.

Even after they got Kevin Gausman on Sunday, the Cubs still had an opening for another starter. And Detmers might be the best they can get.

The lefty only has a 4.03 ERA, but that comes with 145 strikeouts over 125.0 innings. He's also walking a career-low 2.7 batters per nine innings, signaling that he may have turned a corner in his third-to-last year of club control. He'll be a free agent after 2028.

Source: Jeff Passan of ESPN, Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun, Christopher Smith of MassLive

The Trade: Boston Red Sox get C Adley Rutschman; Baltimore Orioles get RHP Anthony Eyanson, OF Enddy Azocar, RHP Kyson Witherspoon, C Carlos Narváez, player to be named later

Correction: According to Meyer, outfielder Harold Rivas is not in Baltimore's end of the trade.

This is an internet-breaker, folks. The Orioles have traded their former No. 1 pick. And to a division rival, no less.

The Red Sox will get to keep the three-time All-Star backstop through 2027, after which he'll be a free agent. In the meantime, he's a huge upgrade for a catcher spot that has produced just 0.4 rWAR, a .615 OPS and four homers all season.

Assuming a strong recovery from a wrist injury, Rutschman can build on 1.8 rWAR, a .764 OPS and eight homers when he gets to Boston. If so, a Red Sox team that has won 28 of its last 33 games will be that much tougher to beat.

As for the Orioles, it's an appropriately huge haul. As ranked by B/R's Joel Reuter, they've gotten Boston's No. 2 (Eyanson), No. 3 (Witherspoon) and No. 6 (Azocar) prospects, as well as a usable starting catcher (Narváez).

It's a haul that could come back to haunt the Red Sox, especially if Eyanson lives up to his immense potential. He's showed off as many as three plus pitches as he's posted a 1.32 ERA in 68.1 innings in the low minors this year.

Source: Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times

The Padres traded Leo De Vries to get Mason Miller from the A's last year. He's currently the No. 2 prospect in MLB for B/R's Joel Reuter, where Kade Anderson ranks at No. 6.

Between that and the reality that they're in the thick of the NL wild-card hunt, you can understand the ask from the Padres' perspective. But according to Divish, the Mariners are "unwilling" to give Anderson up.

That, too, is understandable. Depending on who you ask, he's either the No. 1 pitcher or No. 1 overall prospect in baseball. And after posting a 1.20 ERA in his first 16 starts at the Double-A level, he's knocking on the door to Seattle.

Sources: Jeff Passan of ESPN, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com

The Trade: Los Angeles Dodgers get LHP Kris Bubic; Kansas City Royals get RHP Carlos Duran

The Dodgers have once again taken "You can never have too much pitching" to an extreme. They didn't even need Tarik Skubal, much less Bubic.

The 2025 All-Star has been on the IL since May with a shoulder injury, but has been expected to return sometime in August. He'll hopefully rediscover a changeup-sweeper combination that held hitters to a sub-.200 average in 2025.

Duran is a 25-year-old who has fanned 61 batters and allowed only two home runs in 42.2 innings at the Triple-A level. The bad news? He's also walked 28 batters.

Source: Jeff Passan of ESPN, Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports

The Trade: San Diego Padres get LHP Robbie Ray; San Francisco Giants get RHP Miguel Mendez, SS Joniel Hernandez, cash

The Padres have recently clawed their way back into the NL wild-card race, but starting pitching has been a problem all year. Only two clubs have gotten less rWAR from their starters.

A former Cy Young Award winner is a heck of a solution on paper, and Ray's 3.08 ERA through 122.2 innings do jump off the page. One catch is that he doesn't strike guys out (107 this year) like he used to. Another is that he has a 4.06 ERA away from Oracle Park.

MLB Pipeline had Mendez and Hernandez ranked as San Diego's No. 4 and No. 9 prospects, respectively. It's a weak farm system, granted, but it's still a nice return for a post-prime pitcher making $25 million in the last year of his contract. The two clubs are reportedly splitting the $7.66 million Ray is still owed.

The Yankees have gotten just 0.4 rWAR from their catchers, plus a .556 OPS that ranks 29th in MLB. So no, they can't let the Rays and Red Sox have all the fun.

Tyler Stephenson would be a relatively low-risk add. He's a pending free agent who has a .793 OPS for his career against lefties, making him a natural platoon partner for Austin Wells.

Source: Jeff Passan of ESPN, Will Sammon of The Athletic, Joel Sherman of the New York Post

The Trade: Tampa Bay Rays get C/1B Liam Hicks; Miami Marlins get INF Brayden Taylor, INF Adrian Santana, RHP Jacob Kisting 

The Rays have gotten a decent .700 OPS from their catchers, but that comes with just 0.9 rWAR and six home runs.

Though he can also play first base, it's the catching duties that Hicks mostly figures to help with in Tampa Bay. He's the owner of a rock-solid 124 OPS+ and 14 home runs, with most of his damage (.876 OPS) coming against righties.

Taylor is a former first-round pick from the 2023 draft who has since found a groove at Double-A in 2026. He has an .897 OPS, 17 home runs and 20 stolen bases in 88 games. MLB Pipeline had him ranked as the Rays' No. 16 prospect.

Source: Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic

According to Rosenthal, the Rangers approached Jacob deGrom about waiving his no-trade clause, "but the pitcher told the team he wanted to remain with the club."

This should put the kibosh on any potential interest for the two-time Cy Young Award winner. As it is, his reputation as a No. 1 starter is a little out of date anyway.

The 38-year-old has a solid but unexceptional 114 ERA+ over 51 starts across the last two seasons. He's earning $38 million this year and $37 million in 2027.

Sources: Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic

The Trade: Toronto Blue Jays get INF/OF Josh Smith; Texas Rangers get LHP Adam Macko, RHP Josh Stephan

A day after they traded Kevin Gausman, the Blue Jays have now made two trades of the buying variety with an eye on next season.

They're picking up Smith amid a down year, as he's gone from 6.4 rWAR across 2024 and 2025 to -0.6 rWAR this season. Yet he remains one of the most versatile defenders in baseball, and he's a 28-year-old with controllability through 2028.

Macko is a 25-year-old lefty who the Rangers can plug right into their bullpen. Despite a 4.91 ERA in 22 appearances, he boasts a solid 32.8 Whiff%.

There was buzz earlier on Monday about the Rangers listening on MacKenzie Gore and Jacob Latz. Apparently, that undersold where they stand as far as selling.

When an insider like Mark Feinsand alludes to "any player on their roster" being available, one's mind doesn't just go to Corey Seager, Jacob deGrom and Joc Pederson. It also goes to younger building block types like Wyatt Langford, Evan Carter and Ezequiel Durán.

This is strictly speculative, of course, but one could understand if the Rangers are ready to surrender. It's been all downhill since their triumphant run to the 2023 World Series.

Source: Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic

The Trade: Chicago White Sox get CF Brenton Doyle; Colorado Rockies get RHP Mason Adams, SS Carlos Vielma 

Two years ago, Doyle was a two-time Gold Glover and the author of a breakout 2024 season in which he homered 23 times with a 102 OPS+.

So much for the offensive arrival, as the righty swinger only has a 68 OPS+ since then. Even his defense has regressed, as his DRS and OAA are below zero in 2026. The hope here for Chicago must be for a buy-low target who can at least be a fourth outfielder.

MLB Pipeline had Adams as the White Sox's No. 8 prospect, so this is not a no-risk deal for the South Siders. Yet the Rockies are taking a risk on Adams, too. His best pitches are a curveball and slider, types that don't usually play well at Coors Field.

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.