Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- ESPN's baseball staff proposed 10 bold trade deadline scenarios ahead of the 2026 MLB deadline.
- Some proposals target MLB All-Stars while others involve rebuilding teams aiming for long-term gains.
- The most controversial idea involves sending Francisco Lindor to the New York Yankees.
We are officially less than a week away from the 2026 MLB trade deadline, and the big names all remain on the board. Tarik Skubal, Mason Miller, and Byron Buxton headline the All-Stars who could be moved within the next six days.
Baseball fans can’t look far without engaging in trade deadline talk, and ESPN’s baseball staff joined the fun on Tuesday, proposing 10 potential trade packages. We’re all-in on some of the ideas, but others? Before going any further, I must note that these trades are exactly what ESPN proposed, and I have not added other players.
Brewers acquire Tarik Skubal
- Brewers grade: A-
- Tigers grade: A
If you’re the Tigers, your approach to any Skubal trade should be tempting the other team with a reminder of the Dodgers. That applies even more so to the Brewers, who will need to hold off the Dodgers, Braves, and Phillies for home-field advantage.
I like this idea, and I think both sides would recognize the value in such a move. The Brewers being a mid-market team means that the chances to acquire an ace of Skubal's caliber are few and far between.
Rays trade for Tarik Skubal
- Rays grade: A
- Tigers grade: A-
We can collectively agree that the chances of this trade even being proposed are slim to none. The Rays do not, and have never, made that kind of aggressive purchase at the deadline. If they didn’t do it during the Evan Longoria or Blake Snell years, then why would that change in the Junior Caminero era?
So, sure, it’d be a great trade for the Rays … if they even bothered to approach the deadline intending to make that kind of move.
Brewers acquire Mason Miller
- Brewers grade: A+
- Padres grade: A
There’s no need to overthink this one, at least from the Brewers’ perspective. Miller, who turns 28 in August, is an elite closer and under team control through 2030. Have fun preparing for facing Miller and Jacob Misiorowski in the same game.
Although Frelick has a career-worst .630 OPS, he's cut his strikeout rate from 13.5% to 9.9%, a remarkable improvement for an outfielder entering his prime years. He would slot into the Padres’ lineup when he returns from his shoulder injury.
White Sox trade for Mason Miller
- White Sox grade: A+
- Padres grade: D+
It’s not that I hate the Padres’ proposed return here. The greater issue is that both Carlson and Bonemer are infielders, and the Padres are likely stuck with Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts for the foreseeable future. So then what would be the advantage in acquiring two players who’d immediately face a massive roadblock to playing time.
The conversation obviously changes if the Padres are able to dump Machado or Bogaerts on someone else, but do you really believe that’ll happen.
Yankees acquire Francisco Lindor
- Yankees grade: F
- Mets grade: B-
Brian Cashman has made some truly awful and tone-deaf moves over the years, and Lindor would immediately rank near the top. His lack of leadership and accountability has played an immense role in the Mets’ systemic organizational failures since the start of last season.
The Yankees require stability and a commanding veteran presence. Adding a malcontent like Lindor is the quickest way to completely derail their fading championship chances. They might as well add a literal white flag to the many pennants and championship banners at Yankee Stadium.
As for the Mets, simply freeing themselves of Lindor is worthy of a passing grade. That said, I’m only giving the Amazins a B- because we don’t know what the rest of that move would look like.
Red Sox trade for Jeremy Peña
- Red Sox grade: A+
- Astros grade: A+
Yes, yes, and a million times, yes. Mayer would help jumpstart the potential transitional period and provide Houston with a long-term Jose Altuve replacement. The question is whether the Astros are open to accepting that it might be time to start properly preparing for a rebuild.
Peña turns 29 in September and has another year of team control remaining. Not only is he hitting a career-best .316 through 254 plate appearances, but his 4.3% home run rate and 16.5% strikeout rate are easily career bests. Neither team should think twice in accepting such a move.
Phillies acquire Byron Buxton
- Phillies grade: B+
- Twins grade: A
Buxton has publicly reiterated that he wants to play his entire career with the Twins, so take this with a grain of salt. Luckily for the Phillies, he’s only under contract for two more years, so they wouldn’t be tied to him for the extreme long-term if things don’t work out.
Crawford is a familiar name for American League fans, as his father, Carl, was a former All-Star outfielder for the Rays. As for the younger Crawford, he has a .642 OPS and 13 stolen bases through 309 plate appearances. Crawford and Wood are both former first-round picks, and Obermueller was a 2025 second-rounder.
Yankees trade for Ryan Jeffers
ESPN’s Jorge Castillo did not provide a specific potential return for the Twins, so I’m only grading the Yankees portion of this proposal. Enough has been said about the Yankees’ catcher issues and Jeffers being a perfect fit, so there’s no need to rehash things.
What I will reiterate, though, is that I’d be surprised if the Yankees traded Austin Wells. That doesn’t feel like a move that Cashman would make, at least not during the season. Anything is obviously fair game come the offseason, though, and that’ll be especially true if the Yankees acquired, and then extended, Jeffers before he hits free agency.
White Sox acquire Brady Singer
- White Sox grade: D
- Reds grade: C+
Meh, it’s hard to get excited about this trade idea. Singer turns 30 next week and has a lifetime 4.26 ERA. He’s already allowed 21 home runs in 103 ⅓ innings, and his strikeout rate has plummeted from 22.8% to 19.4%. If this were 2016, Singer would have been the pitcher that a contender acquires in August as a sixth starter.
But we live in 2026, and Singer isn’t worth trading for, especially not with how many quality starters are still available. Adams, meanwhile is a 26-year-old with a 3.56 ERA over 43 innings at three minor-league levels.
Now, as for pitchers the White Sox should look into acquiring…
White Sox trade for Clay Holmes
- White Sox grade: B-
- Mets grade: C
If all goes to plan, then Holmes should be back from his fractured fibula within the next week. He has a rehab start at Low-A St. Lucie on Tuesday night, and there is optimism that he could even pitch against the fading Marlins this coming weekend. Given the fact that Holmes has missed over two months, a B- feels fair.
Meanwhile, Sandlin has a 2.37 ERA in 38 Triple-A innings, though he's also allowed 20 walks. In other words, he’d fit in right at home with the rest of the 2026 Mets.
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