It still feels like the season just started, but the All-Star break is a little over a month away and the trade deadline is exactly two months out. This summer's deadline is 6 p.m. ET on Monday, Aug. 3. Commissioner Rob Manfred can schedule the deadline anytime between July 28 and Aug. 3, and he typically picks a day with a light schedule to minimize roster disruptions. There are only eight games on the schedule on Aug. 3, so there we have it.
There has already been one notable-ish trade this season (Patrick Bailey to the Guardians), though the biggest moves are weeks away. With that in mind, here are the top 10 trade candidates two months out from deadline day. We'll revisit and revise this list as we get closer to Aug. 3 and have a better idea which teams are in postseason contention and which teams might sell.
1. Tarik Skubal, LHP, Tigers
The Tigers have crashed so hard and so fast that a Tarik Skubal trade now appears more likely than not. They'll have to turn things around right away (as in, today) and climb back into the postseason race quickly to entertain keeping him. Skubal is working his way back from his NanoScope elbow surgery and is on track to return in mid-June. That will give potential trade partners plenty of time to evaluate him and make sure he's still a dominator before diving into serious trade discussions.
Skubal, the two-time reigning Cy Young Award winner, will be a free agent after the season and it's kind of an open secret that the Tigers won't meet agent Scott Boras' asking price to keep him long-term. Rental aces don't fetch franchise-changing trade packages (think Zack Greinke to the Angels, Cliff Lee to the Phillies, David Price to the Blue Jays, CC Sabathia to the Brewers), though perhaps the bidding war for Skubal will be fierce and net the Tigers multiple Grade-A prospects and young big leaguers. Detroit surely hopes that will be the case.
If the Tigers do go ahead and sell, other rentals like Casey Mize and Gleyber Torres could find themselves on the move as well, though both are currently on the injured list (Mize has a groin strain, Torres an oblique issue). What about Justin Verlander? He's working his way back from a hip issue and returning to the Tigers this season felt like a storybook end to a Hall of Fame career. If Verlander wants to chase a ring, though, my guess is Detroit would do right by him and work out a trade with his preferred team.
Possible landing spots: For Skubal specifically, it's basically every contender. Start with the Braves, Blue Jays, Cubs, Dodgers, Padres, and Yankees. If the Tigers are smart, they'll pay down some (or all) of the $9 million or so that will still be owed to Skubal at the deadline to improve the return and get more teams involved. In that case, smaller-market teams like the Athletics, Brewers, and Rays could make a run at him.
2. Freddy Peralta, RHP, Mets
Similar to the Tigers with Skubal, a colossally disappointing season will force the Mets to entertain trading their rental ace. Freddy Peralta is not Skubal, but he is a reliably above-average starter who is not out of place near the front of a contender's postseason rotation. He never misses a start, either, even if he will frustrate you with high pitch counts and five-and-fly starts. The fact that Peralta will be owed less than $3 million at the deadline will make him an appealing, more cost-efficient alternative to Skubal.
The Mets have several others they could shop at the deadline, including Clay Holmes. Holmes is not expected back from his broken leg until mid-August, which complicates things, but he was so good before the injury that I bet there will be interest. Injured pitchers get traded all the time. Shane Bieber did not throw a pitch last year before going to the Blue Jays at the deadline, for example. Holmes has a $12 million player option for 2027 that he seems likely to decline barring something unforeseen, so he's essentially a rental.
Possible landing spots: The same teams that pursue Skubal also figure to pursue Peralta, and in some cases Peralta might even be Plan A given his bargain salary. The Cubs have already kicked the tires. For the sake of variety, let's also list the Diamondbacks and White Sox (!) as potential Peralta destinations.
3. Aroldis Chapman, LHP, Red Sox
Aroldis Chapman has been traded twice at the deadline and both were major win-win trades. His 2016 trade from the Yankees to the Cubs helped Chicago win their first World Series in 108 years and netted the Yankees a future All-Star in Gleyber Torres. His 2023 trade from the Royals to the Rangers lifted Texas to the first World Series title in franchise history, and the Royals received ace Cole Ragans in return. If nothing else, there's some good juju. Chapman deadline trades have been home runs for both sides.
The Red Sox are well under .500 because the offense is weak. Even in the watered-down American League, they have an uphill climb to get into the postseason. Chapman's contract includes a $13 million option for 2027 that vests with 40 innings this year, so he's not really a rental, which could appeal to some teams. Even at age 38, Chapman has again been out-of-this-world good this season. The Red Sox could also move rental righty Sonny Gray. What about an outfielder like Jarren Duran? It's past time to clear the lefty-hitting outfielder logjam.
Possible landing spots: Two of Chapman's former teams stand out as contenders that need bullpen/closer help: the Cubs and Pirates. On the field, a reunion with the Yankees makes sense, though I don't think either side would be enthusiastic about it. I wouldn't rule out the Mariners as a possible landing spot for Chapman. There's no such thing as too many good relievers.
4. Sandy Alcantara, RHP, Marlins
The Marlins need to add pitching, not subtract it, but they're a fringe contender at best and Sandy Alcantara's trade value only goes down from here. Trade him at the deadline and his new team gets him for two postseasons. Wait until the offseason or next year's trade deadline (assuming his $21 million club option for 2027 gets picked up) and you only get one postseason of Alcantara. That won't net nearly the same return (there's also the injury risk). It's getting to be now-or-never time for the Marlins.
Alcantara hasn't been bad, but he hasn't been the same guy since returning from Tommy John surgery. He's been unable to solve lefties the last two years and his fastball command, specifically his ability to elevate four-seamers for swings and misses, is not what it was during his Cy Young peak. Alcantara is good for six innings every fifth day and that has a lot of value. You'll just have to live with platoon problems and a lot of balls in play, given his below-average strikeout rate.
Possible landing spots: We can reasonably assume the team that trades for Alcantara will do so with the intention of picking up the option, thus making him a multi-year addition. That opens up the market to teams that may be only on the fringes of the postseason race this year, but plan to be all-in next year. Think Astros, Cardinals, Orioles, Reds, etc.
5. Ryan Jeffers, C, Twins
The AL is mediocre enough that the Twins are hanging around the wild-card race, potentially setting up an interesting deadline decision with Ryan Jeffers. He's a rental, so trading him makes sense, but he's injured (hamate surgery), which could cut into the offers. Also, teams don't like trading for new starting catchers during the season unless it's absolutely necessary because they have to learn so much on the fly. New pitching staff, new game plans, new coaches, the works. It's a lot to ask.
Here's another thing: Good catchers are hard to find. There's a reason so few high-end catchers hit free agency. Teams lock these guys up when they get one. Keeping Jeffers at the trade deadline and extending him is a perfectly reasonable strategy for the Twins, if not downright smart. As good as Jeffers is, there's a world where things don't come together at the deadline and he remains a Twin. Worst-case scenario, Minnesota can make him the qualifying offer after the season and get a high draft pick if he leaves as a free agent.
Possible landing spots: Because he's a rental, only contenders will pursue Jeffers, and shockingly few contenders need a catcher. The Athletics (Shea Langeliers), Blue Jays (Alejandro Kirk), Braves (Drake Baldwin), Brewers (Willson Contreras), Cubs (Carson Kelly), Dodgers (Will Smith), Mariners (Cal Raleigh), and Phillies (J.T. Realmuto) are all set behind the plate. Unless one of those teams gets hit with an injury, they figure to show no interest in Jeffers. The lack of a bidding war could further suppress offers.
The Padres are an obvious fit for Jeffers given their need behind the plate and their need for offense in general. The Rays are a near lock for the postseason and could stand to make an upgrade at the position. The Yankees are getting very little from Austin Wells offensively. Would they jump into the bidding for Jeffers in a depressed market, especially since there are only so many other ways they could realistically improve their team?
6. Taylor Ward, OF, Orioles
There is a paucity of right-handed hitting outfielders throughout baseball right now. Only eight of the top 20 outfielders by WAR hit right-handed, and guys like Aaron Judge, Andy Pages and Julio Rodríguez aren't moving at the deadline. Taylor Ward, a rental who hit 36 homers in 2025 and has been hovering around a .400 on-base percentage in 2026, could be a very hot commodity in a few weeks. The O's can't seem to build any momentum to get back into the postseason race. Ward will be in demand and trading him quickly could become a no-brainer.
Possible landing spots: The Phillies are at the front of the line. Their outfield has been one of the least productive in baseball and they badly need a righty bat around Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber. The Guardians perpetually need more offense from their outfield, so they belong in the mix too. Ditto the Padres. The Braves could get involved to protect against Dominic Smith cooling down and Mike Yastrzemski never fully launching.
7. Robbie Ray, LHP, Giants
Luis Arraez is a rental and performing well, so he is the more obvious candidate for a trade, though he's been such a great fit with the Giants that it wouldn't surprise me if they extend him. Robbie Ray has been homer-prone and is having a tough year overall. You can squint and see the No. 2-3 starter upside, though, and there is always so much demand for pitching at the deadline that I'm sure there will be interest in him. Ray will have about $8 million left on his contract at the deadline and the Giants may have to pay some of that to facilitate a trade. He'll be a free agent after the season.
Possible landing spots: Pitching-needy contenders with limited prospect capital are most likely to pivot toward Ray and away from Alcantara, Peralta, and Skubal. We can put the D-backs, Cubs, and Padres in that bucket. Perhaps the Phillies would get involved to add depth with Andrew Painter's workload climbing?
8. Antonio Senzatela, RHP, Rockies
Colorado's new front office and pitching folks have tweaked some things with their incumbent pitchers. In Antonio Senzatela's case, he's added a cutter, which he is using in tandem with his sinker to limit hard contact more than miss bats. It's also helped that Senzatela has gained three ticks of velocity with the move to the bullpen. There were times in the last few years when Senzatela appeared to be on the verge of getting released. Now he's a trusted high-leverage reliever with tangible reasons to believe in the improvement.
Lots of relievers are traded at the deadline every summer. Other non-elite relievers like Senzatela who could be moved before Aug. 3 include Drew Anderson (Tigers), Danny Coulombe, (Red Sox), Pete Fairbanks (Marlins), Andrew Kittredge (Orioles), A.J. Minter (Mets), and Matt Strahm (Royals). All are rentals or have contract options so pricey that they will be declined. (Senzatela's contract includes a $14 million club option for 2027. Hard to see that getting picked up, even as good as he's been.)
Possible landing spots: Every contender, both big market and small market, will be on the hunt for relief help at the deadline. The Cubs, Pirates, and Yankees have a greater need for a bullpen jolt than most.
9. Jeremy Peña, SS, Astros
I'm not saying it will happen or even that it's likely to happen; I'm just saying I can see how it would happen. The Astros are a fringe contender, Jeremy Peña will be a free agent after next season and he's a Scott Boras client. The chances for an extension are small and Houston has let several franchise stars leave as free agents (Alex Bregman, Carlos Correa, George Springer, etc.). Is it really so hard to imagine the same happening with Peña after next year? I don't think so.
Either Mauricio Dubón or Ha-Seong Kim will be the top free-agent shortstop this winter. It's a bleak class. More than a few teams would be happy to engage the Astros about Peña now to avoid needing a shortstop in the offseason. If the trade package includes a young shortstop prospect to replace Peña and some desperately needed pitching, don't the Astros have to consider it? Yordan Alvarez, Hunter Brown, and Josh Hader are under contract/team control through 2028. There's no rush to move them. The stars could align for a Peña trade, though.
Possible landing spots: The Guardians, for sure, then there's the Padres, Rays, Tigers, and Yankees. The Dodgers never let good stand in the way of great. Shifting Mookie Betts back over to second base to make room for Peña can't be ruled out. Again, I'm not saying a Peña trade will happen or is likely to happen. I'm just saying I can see how it would happen at the deadline.
10. Dodgers outfield prospects
The two-time defending World Series champions have the 11th (Josue De Paula), 23rd (Eduardo Quintero), 35th (Mike Sirota), and 46th (Zyhir Hope) best prospects in baseball in their farm system, according to Baseball America, and they're all outfielders. There's also James Tibbs III, who ranks among the minor-league home run leaders. Quintero is in Single-A. The others are in Double-A or above, and not too far away from the big leagues. The Dodgers have a full outfield (Teoscar Hernández, Andy Pages, Kyle Tucker) and Shohei Ohtani at DH. There's only so much room at the inn, you know?
This is much easier said than done, of course, but keeping the outfield prospect(s) you like best and trading the rest for MLB players as you look to threepeat is such an obvious move for the Dodgers. The second base situation isn't so great and they could always bring in more pitching. If nothing else, I would expect the Dodgers to look to trade from their prospect outfield depth at the deadline. It's a logjam and there are only so many roster spots to go around. Something will have to give at some point.
Possible landing spots: The nightmare scenario for the rest of baseball is the Dodgers putting these four outfield prospects on the table and telling the Tigers to pick two to start a Skubal trade package. That may not get it done because Detroit may evaluate these players differently than the Dodgers or public prospect writers, but I reckon it would at least get their attention.
