Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- Ten MLB teams currently holding the best records face critical decisions ahead of the trade deadline to improve their rosters.
- Each club has a specific need, from rotation depth to power bats, and the right acquisition could shape their playoff chances.
- The race for impact players will test each team's farm system resources and willingness to make win-now moves.
We're at a bit of an awkward point in the MLB calendar: far enough into the 2026 season to have an idea of which teams are good and not, but not close enough to the trade deadline to know which teams are going to be buyers and sellers. With that being said, there's a good chance that the teams with the 10 best records in the standings at this point will likely be buyers — at least to an extent.
Knowing that these teams should be looking to improve by August's deadline, let's take a look at the best player each club should attempt to acquire.
Atlanta Braves
- Current record: 46-25
- Best trade target: Tarik Skubal
You could conceivably put Tarik Skubal as the answer for all 10 teams on this list and I wouldn't blame you, but Skubal makes a lot of sense for the Atlanta Braves in particular. Not only do the Braves have the best record in the sport to this point, but they have a clear need for a starting pitcher with Spencer Strider, Spencer Schwellenbach, Hurston Waldrep and AJ Smith-Shawver all on the IL.
The uncertainty of when or if those guys will pitch for the Braves down the stretch this season — and how they'll look if they're able to take the mound — should lead to an aggressive deadline push from Alex Anthopoulos. We know this team can score, and that their bullpen is as good as anybody's, but the rotation beyond Chris Sale is hard to trust.
Atlanta's farm system is good enough to acquire Skubal, and even if they're unlikely to re-sign him in the offseason, the chance to have him for the coming postseason run would make a deal more than worthwhile.
Los Angeles Dodgers
- Current record: 46-27
- Best trade target: Aroldis Chapman
Skubal is the best player the Los Angeles Dodgers can acquire, and they should probably be considered the favorites for his services. But do they need him? I mean, even without Skubal — and with both Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow hurt — the Dodgers still have one of MLB's best rotations with Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani leading the way. Something the Dodgers don't have, though, is an elite bullpen.
They hoped to have one when they signed Edwin Diaz to a three-year deal in the offseason, but Diaz didn't quite look like himself before landing on the IL in late April, and who knows how good he'll be when he returns? Aroldis Chapman might be the best reliever in the sport right now not named Mason Miller, and he has all kinds of postseason experience for the Dodgers to lean on.
He'd probably be the best reliever available at the deadline, making him a fairly expensive rental, but the Dodgers shouldn't and won't care about that. Chapman would make them even more formidable in October.
Milwaukee Brewers
- Current record: 43-26
- Best trade target: Byron Buxton
The Milwaukee Brewers rarely make big splashes, but perhaps this season could be an exception. Jacob Misiorowski looks like the best pitcher in the sport, Jackson Chourio is playing at an MVP-caliber level and the team has the third-best record in the Majors right now. Why not go out and address their biggest glaring need: more power?
Byron Buxton has hit 23 home runs this season, more than anyone not named Yordan Alvarez or Kyle Schwarber and 10 more than any Brewers player. Injuries are obviously a concern, but Buxton is a well-rounded superstar when healthy, and he's on a reasonable contract, too (two years, $30.2 million after this season).
Buxton has been reluctant to waive his no-trade clause, but the Brewers could be a good enough team to convince him to jump ship, and with arguably the best farm system in the sport, they have enough to overwhelm the Twins with an offer and not even sweat it. If Milwaukee wants to overtake the Dodgers at long last, this is the kind of move they should be making.
New York Yankees
- Current record: 43-27
- Best trade target: Ryan Jeffers
The New York Yankees have a couple of glaring needs, but their need for a righty-hitting catcher really sticks out. Austin Wells has gone just 5-for-50 against lefties this season, and neither J.C. Escarra nor Ali Sanchez has a track record of hitting lefties either. Ryan Jeffers, though, does.
Jeffers is in the midst of a career year, slashing .295/.408/.541 with seven home runs and 26 RBI in 37 games, and he has a career .852 OPS against southpaws. He's injured right now and is a free agent after the year, but the Yankees should be in win-now mode. A platoon consisting of Jeffers and Wells would turn New York's catching situation from a weakness into a strength, making them even heavier favorites to win the AL.
Tampa Bay Rays
- Current record: 41-28
- Best trade target: Freddy Peralta
The trio of Drew Rasmussen, Shane McClanahan and Nick Martinez has been awesome this season, but both Rasmussen and McClanahan have extensive injury histories, Martinez has overperformed his advanced metrics and the Tampa Bay Rays' rotation depth behind them is lacking. Adding a stabilizer should be the team's top deadline priority, and that's what Freddy Peralta can provide.
Peralta is not having his best year, as his 3.90 ERA and career-low 22.7 percent strikeout rate would inidicate, but he's as safe a bet as any starter available to provide durability and quality innings. He won't go seven, but he should go five or six frames while giving his team a chance to win just about every time out.
Peralta's rental status and affordable $8 million price tag make him a realistic Rays trade target that wouldn't involve them blowing up their farm system.
St. Louis Cardinals
- Current record: 39-31
- Best trade target: Joe Ryan
The St. Louis Cardinals are in an interesting spot. On one hand, the plan for this season was to let young players develop and to continue stockpiling assets at the trade deadline by trading their veterans for prospects. On the other hand, the Cardinals suddenly have the sixth-best record in the sport, and they could clearly make the playoffs.
Given how well they've played, it'd be a disservice for Chaim Bloom to do anything but make the team better this summer. While I don't think trading for a rental like Tarik Skubal makes much sense for them, I do think acquiring a starter with an extra year of control like Joe Ryan could be something Bloom considers.
Would it cost a lot? Absolutely. Would it be worthwhile? Absolutely. While the Cardinals' position player core continues to impress, it's clear that, while guys like Dustin May and Michael McGreevy have been good, this team lacks a legitimate ace. Ryan is that to a tee, and he's under cheap control through 2027. With no long-term contracts on their books, the Cardinals could also extend him if they want, giving them the ace they lack in 2026 and beyond — and making the prospect haul it'd take to get him feel more feasible to part with.
Chicago White Sox
- Current record: 38-32
- Best trade target: Reid Detmers
The Chicago White Sox are in the same boat as the Cardinals: Nobody expected them to be leading the AL Central at this point, but they are, and I have little reason to expect a massive fall-off any time soon. The White Sox shouldn't be too aggressive with pursuing rentals, but a guy like Reid Detmers (who also makes a lot of sense for St. Louis) would be an ideal target.
His 4.00 ERA doesn't stand out, but he leads the AL in K/9 (10.8) and he has a 2.87 FIP. If he didn't have an atrocious Angels defense behind him, we'd be talking about Detmers as one of the best pitchers in the AL. Detmers is under cheap club control through 2028, and he could lead the White Sox rotation, which could use a lot of help, for years to come.
Cleveland Guardians
- Current record: 39-33
- Best trade target: Jo Adell
The Cleveland Guardians' lineup is as good as it's been in years, but it's awfully lefty-heavy. Their best right-handed hitter (other than switch-hitters like Jose Ramirez and Angel Martinez) is probably Rhys Hoskins. Their outfielders (Martinez, Chase DeLauter, Steven Kwan, Daniel Schneeman) are all left-handed or switch-hitters. They could use a right-handed bopper, and Jo Adell fits that to a tee.
Adell has disappointed a bit following his 37-home run breakout last season, but even while he has a .703 OPS overall, he has a .949 OPS against lefties. That mark would make him Cleveland's best hitter against southpaws not named Ramirez. Knowing that and that he's under cheap control through next season makes Adell an easy fit for a Guardians team that values cheap and flexible contracts.
Philadelphia Phillies
- Current record: 39-33
- Best trade target: Seiya Suzuki
As badly as the Guardians might need a right-handed outfielder, the Philadelphia Phillies' need is far more dire, especially after Adolis Garcia suffered what could be a season-ending injury. While I don't believe Seiya Suzuki and his $19 million salary are a realistic fit in Cleveland, I do think a desperate Phillies team, more willing to spend, is a perfect fit.
Like Adell, Suzuki has not had a good year by his standards, but he's been better lately, and he has a career .835 OPS against left-handed pitching. The Phillies are a bit limited with what they can do given the state of their farm system, but Suzuki (assuming he'd waive his no-trade clause and that the Cubs are sellers, neither of which is a guarantee) is a player who can help the Phillies a ton in what could be their final chance to win a World Series with their aging core.
San Diego Padres
- Current record: 37-34
- Best trade target: Tarik Skubal
Should the San Diego Padres trade for Tarik Skubal? My answer would be no, given how they've played this season. A.J. Preller almost certainly thinks differently, though, and knowing how he operates, it'd be shocking if they weren't in the running, especially with their farm system performing better than anticipated entering the year (thanks largely to the resurgent Ethan Salas).
Offense has been the Padres' biggest weakness, but there isn't much the team can do other than hope guys like Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill wake up. There is work they can do to address an unreliable starting rotation, though, and Skubal, obviously, would be as good as it gets in that regard.
All of a sudden, a dynamic duo of Skubal and Michael King atop the rotation with the hope of getting good outings from guys like Nick Pivetta, Randy Vasquez and even Joe Musgrove in October, would look a lot better. It'd cost a lot, but it'd make the Padres much better and ensure that the Dodgers can't get him (at least right now), and those reasons could lead to Preller pulling the trigger.
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