Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The MLB trade deadline shapes up as a seller's market with pitching leading the charge across several contenders.
- Beyond Tarik Skubal, several starters could move, testing teams' willingness to trade controllable arms for future assets.
- The next moves will test whether teams prioritize immediate playoff pushes or long-term farm system building.
The Major League Baseball trade deadline is set to be a sellers market. With so many teams in contention, there figure to be limited sellers, and that puts the clear sellers in position to take advantage.
Pitching has been the story of the 2026 season, and the trade deadline should be no different. It will be headlined by Tarik Skubal, the Detroit Tigers’ superstar left-hander, and at 40-50 it’s entirely possible he is moved. The market should also feature New York Mets right-hander Freddy Peralta, who on an $8 million salary in 2026 should draw significant interest from almost every contender.
Who else could be available? Let’s dive into some names.
Joe Ryan, Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins had an epic deadline sell off last year, and Ryan and Byron Buxton were some of the lone players to stay put. Ryan, 30, has 1.5 years left on his contract and considering his performance this season – a 3.36 ERA and 122 strikeouts in 104.1 innings – the Twins could get an absolute haul in return.
Keep in mind: this is around the time when the Milwaukee Brewers either 1) considered trading or 2) traded their star pitchers in Corbin Burnes, Josh Hader, Devin Williams and Freddy Peralta. Parting with them around this stage ensured they landed the prospect capital to stay competitive. In the Twins’ case, parting with Ryan, and landing a package of prospects, would further bolster an already top-10 rated farm system.
Reid Detmers, Los Angeles Angels
Detmers is going to get a ton of interest at the deadline. Historically, that wouldn’t lead to a trade out of Anaheim. The Angels have almost always held onto players like Detmers at the deadline in hopes of competing. But with John Mozeliak now running the baseball operations department perhaps things could be different.
Take what he told Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times for example: “If we understand what we’re doing today can help make us stronger tomorrow, and then look at potentially what we could do on the free-agent market,” Mozeliak said, “that should be something we are doing in parallel thinking.”
My view: Could that be trading, say, Detmers or Jose Soriano for a haul of prospects and then bolstering the rotation in free agency?
Michael Wacha, Kansas City Royals
Wacha is among the most consistent starters in baseball and provides something that every franchise wants: the ability to pitch deep into games. He’s thrown at least five innings in each of his 18 starts this season. He’s thrown at least six innings in 13 of those starts. And in 114.2 innings this season, he has a 3.45 ERA which is right in line with what he’s posted the last five years.
Put simply: He’s Mr. Consistent.
Wacha, 35, is signed for one more season at $14 million and has a $14 million club option for 2028. His controllability only adds to the appeal and with a six-pitch mix, including a very good changeup, he should make an impact in a playoff rotation. The Royals don’t have to sell here. They really value Wacha. But it would hardly be surprising if the interest was so strong that it led to a deal.
Seth Lugo, Kansas City Royals
Last year, the feeling was that Lugo was a strong candidate to be traded … and then it became clear that an extension was a real possibility. Ultimately, Lugo signed a two-year, $46 million contract that included a 2028 club option to remain in Kansas City, and any trade possibilities were eliminated.
Lugo, 36, has posted a 4.20 ERA and 76 strikeouts in 96.1 innings and with the Royals at 36-54, trade possibilities are now back on the table. He’s also set to earn much more than Wacha both this year and next year, which could make trading Lugo more complicated than Wacha. Still, teams are always looking for starting pitchers, and Lugo should once again draw plenty of interest.
Foster Griffin, Washington Nationals
Griffin has been a really, really good find on a one-year, $5.5 million contract for the Washington Nationals. The 30-year-old has a 2.87 ERA and 100 strikeouts in 18 starts this season and will draw plenty of interest at the deadline. Which poses an interesting dilemma for Paul Toboni and the Nationals’ front office.
Do you trade Griffin and stockpile the farm system? Or do you attempt to extend him and keep the left-hander in Washington for at least the next few seasons?
Luke Weaver, New York Mets
A reliever!
Weaver, 32, has been excellent in the first year of a two-year, $22 million contract with the New York Mets. He has a 1.95 ERA in 35 appearances this season and in what has been a disastrous season for the Mets, has been one of their lone bright spots. Weaver will be in heavy demand at the deadline and outside of Aroldis Chapman, could be the most coveted reliever on the market.
More MLB news and analysis:
Add us as a preferred source on Google