Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- MLB trade deadline discussions heat up as key starting pitchers face injury setbacks this season.
- Contenders are forced to look beyond injured stars for rotation help, with several teams positioning for major moves.
- The debate over which impact players will move first could define the deadline's direction and reshape several playoff races.
The MLB trade deadline is just under three months away, meaning this conversation is likely premature. However, injuries to starting pitchers like Tarik Skubal and Joe Ryan will have a meaningful impact on the market. While Ryan likely will only miss a few weeks at worst, Skubal is out at least 2-3 to undergo elbow surgery. This makes any potential trade involving Skubal all the more complicated, and will force interested contenders to look elsewhere for starting pitching help.
Ranking the top trade candidates through early May is a pointless exercise, but one fans of contending teams are surely interested in. Mike Trout and Yordan Alvarez are, unsurprisingly, near the top of our list. That being said, there aren't many true pretenders this early in the season, so our list is always subject to change.
Tarik Skubal
- Record: 3-2
- ERA: 2.70
- bWAR: 2.70
Skubal would be much higher on this list if he were healthy. The typical recovery time for Skubal's surgery is around 2-3 months. While any team that acquires Skubal would be taking a huge change, the mere opportunity to have him in the starting rotation for a postseason run is worth a few prospects. This is especially true for any team — say the Los Angeles Dodgers — interested in signing Skubal this coming offseason.
Verdict: Not traded
Jarren Duran
- .195/.250/.333 slash line
- 0.3 bWAR
It's been a bad start to the season for Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran. While the Red Sox still have a surplus at the position, Duran's flexibility in playing multiple outfield spots is a strength. However, Duran isn't a plus defender at any position. Typically Duran's bat does the talking. He made the AL All-Star team in 2024 and finished eighth in AL MVP voting. But he hasn't been the same player in 2026, and for that reason can't be ranked any higher on my big board for now.
Verdict: Traded
Joe Ryan
- Record: 3-2
- ERA: 3.72
- bWAR: 0.4
Ryan is a sound top-of-the-rotation starting pitcher. He is arguably the Minnesota Twins best, and while hs suffered a minor injury over the weekend, should only miss a few starts at worst. Normally, Ryan would be the kind of young player the Twins should build around. However, the Pohlad family opted against selling the team, and will now purge its assets for whatever they can get. The Twins will not be able to afford Ryan when he reaches his free-agent years, so why wait?
Verdict: Traded
Sandy Alcantara
- Record: 3-2
- ERA: 4.02
- bWAR: 0.7
It's early, but Sandy Alcantara seems like the most likely player to be traded at the deadline. The Marlins are 9.5 games out of the NL East race, currently tied with the Nationals and Phillies. I do not see Miami winning that battle given the resources available to them. Ideally, this ownership group would invest in the roster, but that's a longshot. Instead, the Marlins will do what they always do — dump proven, talented veterans to contending teams for cheaper prospect capital.
Verdict: Traded
Robbie Ray
- Record: 2-4
- ERA: 2.95
- bWAR: 0.9
Robbie Ray has a Cy Young to his name and made the NL All-Star team last year with the Giants. Do not sleep on this 34-year-old as one of the more impactful starting pitchers on the trade market. As FanSided's Robert Murray mentioned, Ray is on an expiring contract. The San Francisco Giants are in freefall under first-year manager Tony Vitello. Could Buster Posey really tear it all down? Perhaps not, but even so, Ray is an expendable piece.
Verdict: Traded
CJ Abrams
- .287/.395/.516 slash line
- 1.3 bWAR
The Washington Nationals should not trade CJ Abrams. The Nationals front office is on the record saying they will not trade Abrams. What am I missing here? Abrams has emerged as one of the best middle infielders in baseball. He has two years of arbitration left on his contract, which means Washington will likely keep him at below market value barring an extension. The Nationals aren't a very good baseball team, but Abrams is one of their few reasons to hope, alongside James Wood and a few others.
Verdict: Not traded
Yordan Alvarez
- .324/.428/.647 slash line
- 1.6 bWAR
For most teams, Alvarez would be a franchise building block — the start of a beautiful era of baseball. But, the Houston Astros are at the very end of their run. Alvarez has won Rookie of the Year, a World Series and ALCS MVP in Houston. He's a three-time All-Star and silver slugger. The accolades speak for themselves, and unlike last season, he's fully healthy again. While I have a hard time believing the Astros will trade anyone this impactful while Jim Crane is owner, they at least have to take it under consideration. Houston will not rebuild itself without some sacrifices.
Verdict: Not traded
Freddy Peralta
- Record: 1-3
- ERA: 3.52
- bWAR: 0.3
The Mets acquired Freddy Peralta to be their ace. Peralta won 17 games last season for the Milwaukee Brewers. Peralta is in a contract year, which led Murray, FanSided's MLB insider, to wonder what exactly would happen if the Mets were open to trading him? Now, there's no reason for David Stearns or Steve Cohen to do that if they believe they can re-sign Peralta. But MLB free agency is impossible to predict, and the Mets are really bad right now. Expect Stearns to field some offers.
Verdict: Not traded
Mike Trout
- .262/.436/.563 slash line
- 2.2 bWAR
If you're sensing a theme here, it's that not every player on our big board is a guaranteed trade deadline hit. The Angels are not trading Mike Trout, even though they probably should. First, there's no guarantee Trout wants to play anywhere else — and yes, that includes Philadelphia — as he's made his home in Anaheim and is the face of the franchise. If the Angels were to trade Trout, why would anyone go to games? That's how Arte Moreno thinks, and he most certainly won't give Perry Minasian, who is on the final year of his deal, that much power.
Verdict: Not traded
Jhoan Duran
- 5 saves
- 2.35 ERA
- 0.6 bWAR
We have to end with a banger. The Phillies have looked better even since firing manager Rob Thomson. Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber and Co. needed a nice reminder that the same old, same old wasn't good enough. But they've dug themselves a major hole, as they trail the Braves by 9.5 games in the NL East. The NL Wild Card remains a good possibility if they can right the ship in the months to come. If not, Duran is signed through 2027, and would fetch quite the haul of young, impact performers for Dave Dombrowski. Duran is one of the best closers in baseball, and if he's made available, it could change the entire outlook of this deadline.
Verdict: Traded
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