The hottest MLB trade deadline debates on Reddit, answered

The All-Star break is getting closer, and you know what that means: so is the trade deadline, which this year falls on Aug. 3.

The Tarik Skubal conversation will dominate the airwaves and internet for as long as the Detroit Tigers remain near the AL Central cellar. But the other top starting pitchers in the rumor mill  — Freddy Peralta, Reid Detmers and Joe Ryan, among others — will surely be names to monitor. I did an AMA on Reddit on Tuesday to answer fans' most pressing questions. Let's dive in.

Do you think the Brewers will actually make a big move this year or just stand pat as usual?

This is the year when the Brewers should send it. They tried for Eugenio Suarez last summer and didn’t land him (it wasn’t for a lack of effort). This year, Milwaukee could once again use some thump in the lineup. But the name that Matt Arnold and the front office should target is none other than Skubal.

Imagine a Brewers playoff rotation headlined by Skubal and followed by Jacob Misiorowski and Kyle Harrison. They’d be a matchup nightmare, and a serious threat to dethrone the Dodgers in the National League. Milwaukee also has the top-rated farm system in baseball, so they absolutely have the prospect capital to make it happen. 

There will be plenty of other suitors in the Skubal sweepstakes, with the Dodgers, Blue Jays, Yankees, Braves, Phillies and Rays among the teams to keep an eye on.

You mentioned Matt Chapman’s fit with the Phillies, how do you see the Phillies trade deadline shaping up?

It’s Dave Dombrowski. Being aggressive and attempting to swing big is in his nature, and I can see him trying that once again with the Phillies at 43-36 and only 5.5 games back in the National League East entering play on Wednesday.

Like I mentioned above, Skubal would be a strong addition to the rotation — but that doesn’t feel the most likely. Rival executives believe that Matt Chapman would be a great fit in Philly, and he’d slot into the third base spot for both the short and long term. It’s unclear, though, if the Phillies would be willing to take on a contract like Chapman’s, and that’s the complication with any potential deal involving him (or any of the Giants’ stars, for that matter).

Starting pitching and outfield are among the things on the Phillies’ radar. But this feels like a year where Dombrowski will be aggressive on the market.

Do you see any top contenders making moves?

I absolutely do. The Dodgers will be a threat for Skubal. The Phillies, as noted above, could be active. AJ Preller is AJ Preller. The Yankees could show interest in a Ryan Jeffers or CJ Abrams type, as both make sense for their needs. The Brewers and Rays also make sense for Skubal. (I just keep envisioning Skubal, Misiorowski and Harrison together and … man.) Atlanta and Alex Anthopoulos could attempt to make a splash, perhaps in the rotation. Toronto is a team to keep an eye on with a few needs, including another starting pitcher.

So yes, I can absolutely see top contenders making moves. But with so many teams bunched up and hopeful of competing for a playoff spot, could that limit the amount of sellers — and thus make it a sellers’ market? That’s something to keep an eye on.

Hey Robert, besides Tarik Skubal, who is the top player you see being traded at the deadline?

I’ll go with Freddy Peralta. He just had a clunker against the Phillies, but as a highly productive right-handed starter on an $8 million salary, Peralta has many fans across baseball who are watching him closely. I believe that he’ll be traded with the Mets struggling. 

Another name to keep an eye on: Joe Ryan. I don’t know if I’d consider this likely — the Twins didn’t move him last year despite an epic deadline selloff — but his performance, and the fact he’s controllable in 2027, makes him incredibly intriguing. We've seen in the past teams the Brewers move stars who are not signed long-term (Corbin Burnes, Josh Hader and Devin Williams). Could the Twins follow suit?

Any unexpected trade candidates we should be keeping an eye on? A lot of the same names are making the rounds in the rumor mill right now.

The name that I can see drawing interest is Washington Nationals outfielder Jacob Young. The Nationals really like him, but so do other teams. He drew interest in the offseason, and with how teams prioritize run prevention, there are few better than Young in center field. I expect him to get plenty of interest once again this deadline.

Paul Toboni, the Nationals’ president of baseball operations, listens on everyone. It’s what he does. It’s what led to the MacKenzie Gore trade. I don’t think Young is traded, but all it takes is one team.

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