More than three weeks have passed since the 2026 MLB trade deadline, and we’ve already gotten a glimpse of the impact these players can make on their new clubs. Tarik Skubal is slowly finding his groove with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman is finally healthy for the Boston Red Sox.
It’s likely too early for some of these playoff contenders to have buyer’s remorse, but that won’t stop us from grading how the trades look to this point. We used MLB Advanced Media’s trade rankings as our baseline, but because we’re grading each team independently, our list does not represent an overall ranking.
Dodgers trade for Tarik Skubal
Dodgers grade: C+
Skubal is faring better than Kyle Tucker and Edwin Díaz, that much is for sure. He's completed six innings in three of his four starts, and his 3.38 ERA is slightly inflated from a three-run, five-inning outing against the Royals earlier this month.
Asking Skubal to immediately pull a 2008 CC Sabathia or a 2017 Justin Verlander always felt unrealistic. But given the Dodgers’ other problems both on and off the field, they should be moderately pleased with the two-time defending AL Cy Young winner’s first month in Southern California.
Tigers grade: F
This might feel overly harsh, but consider the context. We have yet to see any of the Tigers’ newest players in the majors, and Ryan is still recovering from a hamstring strain. Given that the Tigers are four games back of a Wild Card seed with only 31 games left, maybe the safest play is shutting Ryan down for the rest of the season.
Meanwhile, Hope is hitting .143 with a .554 OPS and 20 strikeouts over 67 plate appearances at Double-A Erie. Smith owns a 2.84 ERA through two starts for High-A West Michigan, but he's pitched only 6 ⅓ innings. That’s simply not enough to impress either the Tigers or us.
Adley Rutschman to the Red Sox
Red Sox grade: C-
Rutschman had a delayed start to his Red Sox career while recovering from an elbow injury, and he’s posted a .146 average with a .499 OPS in 47 plate appearances. There is still plenty of time for him to get fully healthy and regain his All-Star form, but the initial impressions aren’t overly positive.
Orioles grade: D-
Narváez has been even worse for the Orioles, hitting .073 with a .239 OPS through 45 plate appearances. He’s already been worth -0.6 bWAR in 15 games, an astounding feat that shouldn’t be possible. Considering how bad he was before being traded, it’s difficult to see Narváez as the established Opening Day starter next year.
That said, top pitching prospect Kyson Witherspoon has a 1.26 ERA in 14 ⅓ innings at High-A Frederick. But his extreme walk rate (10 free passes thus far) makes us reluctant to go any higher than a D- here.
Phillies acquire Luis Arraez
Phillies grade: C
Baseball-Reference surprisingly isn’t overly high on Arraez, valuing his post-deadline bWAR at only 0.1. He’s nonetheless hitting .308 with a .770 OPS and only three strikeouts through 81 plate appearances. Most of Arraez’s numbers are slightly below his career averages, but he's been a fine addition to the Phillies’ lineup.
Kilian allowed seven runs in 3 ⅓ innings before going on the injured list with an oblique injury. A C feels fair here, though it’s admittedly closer to a C- than a C+.
Giants grade: D+
It’s hard to get overly excited about either of these two pitchers. Marquez, who turns 21 in September, owns a 5.40 ERA through 10 innings and two starts at High-A Eugene. However, his strikeout rate is down significantly from both Single-A Clearwater (14.6%) and High-A Jersey Shore (13.8%).
Gair's 1.59 ERA and seven strikeouts over 5 ⅔ innings are offset by the three walks he's allowed for High-A Eugene. Given that he’s a slightly older prospect at 23 years old, those numbers just aren’t good enough.
Padres trade for Casey Mize
Padres grade: D
Mize began his Padres tenure horrifically, allowing eight earned runs and three walks in a 10-4 loss to Arizona on Aug. 5. He followed that up by allowing only two runs over his next 12 innings, so all seemed like it'd gotten back on track. Then came last Saturday’s 7-5 victory over Minnesota, where Mize gave up three homers and failed to make it out of the third inning.
Gage went 1-for-3 with a three-run double in that Aug. 5 loss to Arizona, though he was soon demoted to Triple-A El Paso. We’ll see whether he returns when rosters expand on Sept. 1.
Tigers grade: D+
Mayfield is recovering from a hamstring injury and has yet to make his Tigers' minor-league debut. He's spent the entire season at High-A, and it’s unclear whether the organization will simply shut him down. The 6-foot-7 Wolf owns a 3.09 ERA and an 11:4 K-BB ratio in 11 ⅔ innings at Triple-A Toledo.
Padres also add Robbie Ray
Padres grade: C
Ray has been steady for the Padres, but we won't know how valuable of a rotation piece he really is until the MLB Postseason. San Diego general manager AJ Preller made this deal because he is all-in. It's also why the Friars kept Mason Miller around. If the Pads fall flat on their face in the postseason — and that would include Ray, who has a 3.98 ERA in four starts with San Diego — then a couple of young prospects was indeed a price too steep to pay.
Giants grade: B+
Finally, a positive grade. recovering from a shoulder injury and debuting at Single-A, Mendez recently struck out five and allowed no runs over 2 ⅔ innings in his first Double-A start. The 17-year-old Hernandez is mashing in the Dominican Summer League, hitting .343 with three home runs, eight RBIs, and a 1.068 OPS through 41 plate appearances. Don’t be surprised to see the Giants earn an “A” grade when the season ends.
Cubs trade for Kevin Gausman
Cubs grade: B
For what it's worth, Gausman’s 4.40 ERA is bloated because of a six-run outing against the Nationals on Aug. 13. Otherwise, the two-time All-Star has provided stability to a Cubs team chasing the NL's top Wild Card spot. If he pitches at the level he did last October, then the Gausman trade has a chance to be remembered fondly in Chicago.
Blue Jays grade: A
Credit to Toronto for landing an immediate impact player in Bateman, who quickly became a mainstay in the Blue Jays' lineup. He entered play on Tuesday hitting .305 with five RBIs, three doubles, and a .704 OPS.
Southisene has enjoyed a strong start at High-A Vancouver, batting .262 with a home run, four RBIs, three stolen bases, and an .809 OPS. We’re good with giving the Blue Jays an A here.
Yankees trade for Luis Garcia Jr.
Yankees grade: B-
This might feel like a high grade, but don’t discount Garcia Jr.’s early contributions to the AL’s top Wild Card team. The 26-year-old slugger entered Tuesday with a .242 average, three home runs, and a .740 OPS. Most importantly, he’s offered the injury-ravaged Yankees another durable bat, which could prove immensely valuable given Giancarlo Stanton’s recent setback.
Nationals grade: D+
This always felt like an underwhelming return for Washington, and Cruz hasn’t helped change that narrative. He allowed five runs and five walks over his first four innings in Washington before being demoted to Triple-A.
The Nationals have gotten acceptable numbers from Bird, who owns a 3.68 ERA and nine strikeouts through 7 ⅓ innings. Cebert has walked seven batters in 10 innings at Double-A Harrisburg, continuing the control issues that plagued him in college and at Double-A Somerset. Grable has run into similar issues, with his five walks undermining the 14 strikeouts he's notched in seven innings.
Cubs land Clay Holmes
Cubs grade: A-
Holmes' lifetime strikeout rate is 22%, but it dropped to 7.9% in his first 16 innings with the Cubs. What’s going on? Luckily for the Cubs, he’s allowed only one run in his last 12 innings and looks fully healthy from the leg injury that cost him over two months.
Taylor entered Tuesday hitting .321 with an .805 OPS through 34 plate appearances. The lack of power doesn't worry us yet. He was on the 2024 Mets, who got an unexpected jolt from Jose Iglesias, and the veteran outfielder looks to do the same in Chicago.
Mets grade: A
Objectively speaking, this might be the only trade that is indisputably a win-win thus far. Rojas is hitting .281 with four home runs, 19 RBIs, and an .896 OPS in 76 plate appearances at Double-A Binghamton. Could he factor into the Mets’ 2027 plans?
Rays swing a trade for Liam Hicks
Rays grade: A+
Hicks has gone under the radar despite an excellent start to his Rays career. Welcome to playing in Tampa Bay. The 27-year-old backstop is hitting .292 with three home runs, 10 RBIs, and a .975 OPS through 60 plate appearances.
But what especially caught our interest is that Hicks has drawn ten walks to only five strikeouts. The Rays are in the driver’s seat for the AL’s top playoff seed, and their new catcher could become a household name this October.
Marlins grade: B+
So much for Taylor being on the verge of the majors. He's gone just 4-for-40 through his first 15 games, though he's already drawn 16 walks. Santana has fared far better at Double-A Pensacola, batting .276 with nine RBIs, four doubles, three steals, and a .708 OPS. Those numbers don’t immediately jump off the page, but he’s a 21-year-old potentially putting himself into the Marlins’ 2027 plans.
Kisting has been excellent at Double-A, allowing only two runs and striking out 18 in 14 innings. The 5 walks might seem slightly elevated, but he's quickly proven that he can work out of trouble. We’re comfortable giving the Marlins a B+ for now.
Blue Jays acquire José Soriano
Blue Jays grade: C-
Soriano has been mediocre in four starts, recording a 4.22 ERA and walking eight batters in 21 ⅓ innings. We won’t go so far as to call his brilliant April a 'fluke,' but expecting him to pitch at such an elite level anytime soon is a tough ask. He’s likely a back-of-the-rotation starter when next season begins.
Angels grade: C-
Nimmala is yet another minor leaguer who isn’t hitting well (only a .188 average at Double-A Rocket City) but has an above-average OPS because of his plate discipline. He's walked 11 times against only 10 strikeouts in 43 plate appearances, and he's still only 20 years old.
Micheletti and Rivero are working through their own adjustments. Micheletti owns a .160 average with two homers, seven RBIs, and a .643 OPS at Double-A, while Rivero struck out four and allowed only one run in his first start at Single-A Rancho Cucamonga.
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