Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- Our first official rankings of the top trade candidates ahead of the 2026 deadline are out, with players from multiple teams in play.
- The list includes names with varying levels of team control, contract situations, and immediate impact potential for contenders.
- The biggest debate centers around which teams will pull the trigger first, especially in tight division races where selling could reshape futures.
With Memorial Day come and gone, it's officially time for MLB teams to start thinking long and hard about whether they'll be buyers or sellers at this year's trade deadline. This year's topsy-turvy start has created a situation in which some would-be contenders could be pulling the rip cord in a couple of months — and some very good players might be changing teams. So, with that in mind, we figured we'd put together an MLB trade deadline big board, our highly scientific ranking of all the names to know ahead of Aug. 3.
First, some disclaimers. This is a ranking ofrealistic trade candidates, which means we exercised our best judgment in leaving off players who are too good for their teams to move on just yet Yordan Alvarez, CJ Abrams) or players with no-trade clauses who have shown no interest in moving on (Mike Trout, Byron Buxton, Corey Seager, Jacob deGrom, and on and on). We've also used our best judgment as to which teams we think will be sellers come July. And please note that this isn't simply a ranking of which players we think are best; rather, it's based on a combination of how good a player is and how likely we think it is that they might be on the move this summer.
With that out of the way, our top 20 is below.
1. LHP Tarik Skubal, Detroit Tigers
It brings me no joy to say it, but it's time to start taking this possibility seriously. The Tigers are in free-fall mode right now, dead last in the AL Central, and if they can't get back into the division race — or at least back towards .500 — can Scott Harris really afford not to cash in on Skubal before the lefty presumably leaves for nothing in free agency? Detroit is still good enough to make a run, but it could get late early with Skubal on the shelf and Framber Valdez struggling mightily.
2. RHP Freddy Peralta, New York Mets
It seemed like the Mets had started to turn a corner ... only to lose six of their last seven. The NL East feels done and dusted, and even a Wild Card push will be tough given how crowded the picture is right now. There's enough talent here to make a run — especially if Francisco Lindor can get back into the lineup and start hitting the way we know he's capable. Then again, last place is last place, and there are still concerns with the pitching staff and this lineup. And if they are well back by the deadline, you know David Stearns is pragmatic enough to flip his best asset before he hits free agency (at which point the Mets can always just sign him to a long-term contract).
3. RHP Sandy Alcantara, Miami Marlins
Despite getting roughed up by the Braves a bit in his most recent start, this feels like the summer the seemingly endless Alcantara trade saga finally reaches its inevitable conclusion. The righty is pitching better than he did in 2025, and he only has a team option for 2027 remaining on his current contract. Two postseason runs of a former Cy Young winner will fetch a much higher price than one, as would be the case if Miami waits until his walk year — a scenario that also risks more injury or ineffectiveness. The Marlins hanging around .500 isn't a good enough reason to keep waiting.
4. OF Jarren Duran, Boston Red Sox
Finally some signs of life from Duran, who has three multi-hit games and five extra-base hits over his last eight contests. And while Boston remains mired in last place, I think they could move their mercurial outfielder regardless of how the standings look in July. He's still a toolsy player on the right side of 30 who isn't too far removed from a 21/34 season, and Craig Breslow needs to reshape this roster and clear out this outfield logjam. If Duran can keep this going over the next few weeks, this could be a way for the Red Sox to keep an eye on the future without pulling the plug on 2026.
5. RHP Nathan Eovaldi, Texas Rangers
Eovaldi didn't even make our first edition of these rankings. But Texas has now lost seven of 10 due to a lifeless offense, and while the Rangers are loath to sell given how much they have committed to their big-name veterans, eventually it'll be time to face the music. If this team is still under .500 by the deadline, getting off as much future money as possible makes a lot of sense, which could put Eovaldi — who has one more year of team control remaining and is still an awfully effective pitcher — on the block.
6. RHP Seth Lugo, Kansas City Royals
Much like the Tigers, Kansas City finds itself mired near the AL Central cellar two months into a season that began with legitimate postseason aspirations. The Royals don't have a Skubal to dangle to prospective suitors, but they do have plenty of starting pitching — headlined by Lugo, who's posted a 3.74 ERA and a 3.07 FIP so far this season. He's under team control in 2027 with a team option for 2028, but he'll also be 37 in November; would a Royals team starved for offense look to flip him for a bat while his stock is high?
7. LHP Aroldis Chapman, Boston Red Sox
The longer this season goes on, the more it seems like the struggling Red Sox could at least engage in a soft sell at the deadline. And if that is indeed the case, Chapman becomes an obvious trade candidate: He's still one of the most effective relievers in the sport, but with free agency looming this winter at age 38, it's not as though Boston will feel compelled to factor him into its long-term plans. They have far more pressing needs elsewhere and could use the chance to add more young bats to their system.
8. RHP Michael Wacha, Kansas City Royals
Wacha's under-the-hood numbers aren't as strong as Lugo, but he's a veteran with tons of big-game experience and a sub-3.00 ERA — those don't exactly grow on trees. His contract situation, and thus his place in Kansas City's future plans, is the same as Lugo's; I don't think the Royals will trade both given that they'd like to contend in 2027, but I'd bet they move whichever fetches the best return.
9. LHP Robbie Ray, San Francisco Giants
There are bigger questions for the Giants to answer if they're still out of playoff contention by the trade deadline, but while they'd no doubt love to offload some of their huge contracts (Rafael Devers, Matt Chapman, Willy Adames) I'm skeptical there will be a market for them to do so. Ray, on the other hand, is an open and shut case: He's in the final year of his five-year contract, and while he's no longer the power pitcher he was in his prime, he's still got gas left in the tank as a No. 4 starter who could even pivot to a valuable bullpen role in the postseason.
10. RHP Casey Mize, Detroit Tigers
If the Tigers do pull the trigger on Skubal, there's no use in stopping there; half measures won't do Detroit any good. Mize is putting up one heck of a contract year, with a 2.47 ERA and a career-best strikeout rate. Then again, he's also been far too injury-plagued and inconsistent to trust over the course of his Tigers tenure, and the team could fetch a haul for him in a trade as they retool for a new era without Skubal around.
11. RHP Joe Ryan, Minnesota Twins
Ryan drops out of the top 10 here not because he isn't one of the most enticing players who might be available this summer — he's been as good as ever this season — but because the Twins ... might be a Wild Card team? Six wins in their last eight has Minnesota at 26-28 on the season, and while that might not seem like much, it's currently enough for a postseason spot in the chaotic AL. Will that last? Probably not. But the Twins would love to remain respectable for as long as possible, and there's no rush to move a player who won't be a free agent until after the 2027 season.
12. RHP Kenley Jansen, Detroit Tigers
As he nears his 39th birthday, Jansen isn't the All-Star he used to be. Don't be confused by his 5.02 ERA, though, which is largely the result of one bad outing over the weekend in Baltimore. For the most part, the big righty just keeps on finding ways to get outs, with a healthy 32.2 percent K rate and strong underlying numbers. Combine that with nearly two decades of high-leverage experience, and you've got a valuable back-end piece for any bullpen. I wouldn't love having him as the closer on a contender, but you could do a lot worse in the seventh or eighth inning.
13. INF Matt Shaw, Chicago Cubs
The Cubs are suddenly in total free fall, losers of nine games in a row — a stretch that has them third in the NL Central and five back of the Brewers in the loss column. This team desperately needs a shot in the arm, and that could turn Shaw into trade bait. He doesn't have an every-day job in Chicago's crowded infield, but he still should hold some value around the league as a former top-100 prospect who's shown real flashes when given playing time. Even if he's little more than a league-average bat, his other skills will certainly play.
14. OF Taylor Ward, Baltimore Orioles
You know the O's will look for any possible reason to avoid selling off in a season that began with all-in expectations, and three wins in four games over the holiday weekend has finally offered some reason for optimism. So we'll keep Ward down here for now, although if Baltimore can't get back to .500 this summer he's an obvious trade candidate as a 32-year-old who will hit free agency this winter. He's still a very solid hitter with some untapped power potential, and there will be no shortage of contenders who are looking for an offensive upgrade at one of their corner outfield spots.
15. RHP Pete Fairbanks, Miami Marlins
Fairbanks is back with the Marlins after yet another trip to the IL in a career full of them, and he's slowly but surely starting to find his form. That injury risk is real, but when he's on the mound the righty remains awfully effective, with one of the more devastating sliders in the game and elite swing-and-miss ability. There will be occasional blowups — particularly via the home-run ball — but he's got high-leverage stuff for those in need of it. You know, until he gets hurt again.
16. INF Luis Arraez, San Francisco Giants
Arraez won't be a fit for every contender, although his transformation at second base does help on that front. He's also eased up on the aggression just a little bit and is pulling the ball in the air more than we've seen in a while. If you have need for a contact-heavy infielder you can stick at the bottom of your lineup to make some things happen, you could do a lot worse.
17. DH/OF Jorge Soler, Los Angeles Angels
No, the Angels will not be trading Mike Trout (... we think). He still has a full no-trade clause, and despite all the dysfunction that has plagued this organization, he's shown no inclination toward wanting out. Soler, though, is obvious trade bait, a veteran rental who has real flaws but also has the ability to hit the ball out of the ballpark at any time. Teams will pay up for that, especially from the right side, and especially given Soler's previous postseason highs.
18. C Ryan Jeffers, Minnesota Twins
Jeffers got off to a scorching start at the plate this season (.949 OPS) before fracturing the hamate bone on his left wrist. That means his health is a huge question mark — as is what he'll look like even if he does manage to return to the lineup in a month or so. Add to that the uncertainty surrounding whether the Twins will actually be sellers, and it knocks him down the list a bit. Unlike Ryan, though, he's set to hit free agency this winter, which makes him far more likely to move if Minnesota does backslide a bit. There would be a huge market for a legit two-way catcher that could force the Twins to pull the trigger.
19. C Adley Rutschman, Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore's recent revival has cooled the jets somewhat on talk of a Rutschman trade. I still think it's worth keeping on your radar, though: This team hasn't exactly earned the benefit of the doubt, and if this all-in season goes pear-shaped, why wouldn't they consider moving on while the former No. 1 overall pick's stock is sky high? The O's already have his heir apparent on the roster in Samuel Basallo. Plus, the fact that the two sides haven't come particularly close to an extension suggests they don't exactly see eye-to-eye. Baltimore can talk itself into running it back one more time in 2027 ... or they could opt to sell while Rutschman is healthy and hitting well for the first time in years, knowing that he'll walk next winter.
20. LHP Kris Bubic, Kansas City Royals
Why not one last Royals starter for the road? Unlike Lugo and Wacha, Bubic is set to become a free agent at season's end, meaning Kansas City will really have no reason to hang on to him past the deadline if they're well and truly out of it. The lefty has taken a step back from his sensational 2025 campaign, but he's still got a devastating changeup that makes him a weapon against both righties and lefties.
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