2026 MLB trade deadline predictions: Top player targets for playoff contenders

The summer months are arguably the most important when it comes to an MLB season. Contenders are becoming more established, as are pretenders, and teams in the middle of the pack are trying desperately to separate themselves from the .500 mark. This all leads to one very important stretch of time: trade season. 

The 2026 MLB trade deadline is set for Monday, Aug. 3, at 6 p.m. ET. Trades, of course, can happen well before then, but most of the action will come in the first few days of August, including right up against the deadline itself. Some teams will try to be aggressive earlier, while some will attempt to wait as late as they can as they decide whether they’re a buyer or seller. 

Best MLB trade deadline fits for 2026 playoff contenders

With SeatGeek serving as the Official Ticket Marketplace of MLB, we’ve been keeping close tabs on all 30 teams as well as top players all season long. Here, we identify ideal trade fits and predictions for top contenders. Just note that we’re not doing repeat players, meaning while a certain star Detroit pitcher may be an ideal fit for many teams mentioned, we’re only going to list him for one squad. 

National League trade fits

Philadelphia Phillies: Detroit Tigers LHP Tarik Skubal

Let’s start with the biggest fish in the ocean, shall we? There are a lot of directions you can go for Skubal, as basically every contender is going to be targeting him with the Tigers having fallen out of contention thanks to a dreadful month of May. The Dodgers, Cubs, Braves and Brewers – among others – all make a lot of sense for the two-time Cy Young winner. I’ll go a different route, though, with the Phillies. 

Philly has gotten back into contention after a poor start to the year, and the Phillies look like a legit contender in the National League. It’s a veteran roster, so this core will only have so many more chances to contend. Why not target a stud in Skubal and give your team a starting rotation trio of Skubal, Cristopher Sanchez and Zack Wheeler? That would be devastating for any team to face in a playoff series, and the Phillies need to load up in order to take down the Dodgers in a potential postseason matchup. Skubal to Philly would be awfully fun. 

I’d also keep an eye out for any Mike Trout rumblings given the Angels are a mess and he grew up a Phillies fan. Trout owns a full no-trade clause, so he can help sway his destination if needed. 

Los Angeles Dodgers: Detroit Tigers IF Gleyber Torres

Speaking of the Dodgers, you figure they’ll be aggressive once again in their three-peat quest. The roster is loaded, and while a run at Skubal or another top pitcher makes a lot of sense, second base has been a weak spot, with Alex Freeland getting the bulk of the ABs out of that position. Torres is doing what he usually does, which is hitting for average, getting on base and OPSing nearly .800. It may not be the splashiest move the Dodgers could make, but it’s one that would certainly check a lot of boxes for a top contender. 

Chicago Cubs: New York Mets RHP Freddy Peralta 

The Mets traded for Peralta from Milwaukee to anchor their rotation in a bid to make a deep playoff run. The veteran right-hander started the year well enough before struggling more of late, and New York has fallen out of contention in a major way. With Peralta a pending free agent and having the worst year of his career, it makes sense for the Mets to trade him given he may not want to come back after how poor 2026 has gone for him and the club. Many teams will call on Peralta, but the Cubs make the most sense for a few reasons. First, they need starting pitching reinforcements more than really any other top contender. And second, Peralta pitched for Cubs manager Craig Counsell for many years in Milwaukee, so there’s a clear connection and fit there.

St. Louis Cardinals: Los Angeles Angels LHP Reid Detmers

The Cardinals are another team that will be looking for pitching help this summer. St. Louis has been a pleasant surprise this year, but there are major questions about a rotation that is currently anchored by Michael McGreevy and Andre Pallante. The lineup is young but dangerous, so the rotation must be where the Cards target. What I’d note is that the Cardinals are a young squad overall, so targeting pitching help that comes with club control makes the most sense. Enter Detmers, who’s enjoying a breakout campaign after spending 2025 in the bullpen. Detmers owns a 4.13 ERA and comes with two more full seasons of club control. The Cardinals have one of baseball’s better farm systems and the Angels should look to add as many prospects as they can this summer. 

Atlanta Braves: Minnesota Twins RHP Joe Ryan

The Braves are top five in team ERA, but they could stand to get some help in the rotation. Chris Sale has been great, but Bryce Elder has cooled off after a hot start to the year, Grant Holmes is a slightly above-average arm this year and Martin Perez is currently the team’s No. 2 arm as Spencer Strider is back on the IL. Ryan is going to be one of the top names on the market this deadline season, and he’s once again been a very good and reliable arm for Minnesota. He’d greatly help the Braves right now, and he comes with a mutual option for 2027, which could keep him in Atlanta next season. Ryan had a 4.91 ERA in June after a 1.73 ERA in May, but you know what you’re getting with him, which isn’t always a thing when it comes to midseason acquisitions. 

San Diego Padres: Minnesota Twins OF Byron Buxton

Padres GM A.J. Preller is never afraid to take a big swing in the trade market, and prying Buxton away from the Twins would be just that. Buxton is having maybe the best year of his career to date as he’s been one of the game’s top home run hitters in 2026, and with the Twins falling out of contention, they’ll likely take calls on him. One issue is Buxton has a full no-trade clause on his contract that has him signed through 2028, but if he wants to contend, San Diego isn’t a bad place to wind up. Plus, the Padres’ lineup has been horrible this year and needs help wherever they can get it. Buxton coming in to play outfield and/or DH would give San Diego a shot in the arm it desperately needs to kickstart its offense. 

Milwaukee Brewers: Detroit Tigers RHP Casey Mize

While all eyes are on the Tigers and Skubal, it’s easy to forget they have another great arm who’s a pending free agent in Mize. The 2018 No. 1 overall pick was an All-Star last year and has been excellent with a 2.64 ERA this season in 13 starts. Mize being a pending free agent should incentivize the Tigers to move him. The Brewers are built on pitching, but outside of Cy Young favorite Jacob Misiorowski and Kyle Harrison, there’s a bit of uncertainty in the rotation. Mize would be a stabilizing force for Milwaukee’s pitching staff and give the Brewers a major boost over the final two months of the regular season into the playoffs with a loaded trio atop the rotation. 

Miami Marlins: Kansas City Royals RHP Michael Wacha

It’s strange to have the Marlins included as a contender and potential buyer, but a 20-win month of June has Miami firmly in the playoff chase. There are a few directions the team could go this summer, but I like the idea of Wacha to Miami. The Marlins have a former Cy Young winner in Sandy Alcantara atop the rotation alongside breakout arm Max Meyer, but Eury Perez as the No. 3 guy has been hit and miss. Plus, Miami only has one other arm – Janson Junk – who’s made more than 10 starts this year. Wacha is very consistent and has had a sub-4 ERA each of the last four seasons. He’s reliable, eats innings and also will be under contract through at least 2027. Wacha checks a lot of boxes for a young team like Miami. 

Pittsburgh Pirates: Boston Red Sox LHP Aroldis Chapman

The Pirates are firmly in the playoff chase as well. The rotation has actually been carried by one of baseball’s better and more surprising lineups, but the Pirates’ bullpen is the clear weak spot as it’s among the worst units in the game. They could look to an old friend in Chapman, who pitched for Pittsburgh in 2024. Chapman has been incredible these last two years in Boston, and as a pending free agent, he’ll likely be on the move again at the deadline. The Pirates desperately need back-end help, and Chapman fits the bill in more ways than one. 

American League trade fits

Seattle Mariners: Chicago Cubs OF Seiya Suzuki

The Mariners have been abysmal against left-handed pitching this year, and that’s the No. 1 area they must address this summer barring injuries to key players. The main spots Seattle can target here are right field and DH. Baltimore’s Taylor Ward and Boston’s Willson Contreras make a lot of sense, but a trade with another top contender in the Cubs for Suzuki is one I’d keep an eye on. The Cubs likely don’t want to trade from their everyday lineup, but they really need starting pitching help. The Mariners have a rare surplus in that department, utilizing either a six-man rotation or a maligned “piggyback” approach that’s had mixed results. Trading a starting pitcher for Suzuki would help both clubs now, which isn’t always the case with summer trades. 

New York Yankees: Minnesota Twins C Ryan Jeffers 

The Yankees are another team that could go many different directions at the deadline. Catcher is a clear area of need, though. The Yankees have gotten next to no offensive production behind the dish from Austin Wells and Co., so Jeffers would provide a clear upgrade.

Jeffers got off to a monster start to 2026 in Minnesota, but he’s been out since mid-May with a broken bone in his left hand. He’s expected back soon, though, and he’d be a great low-cost add for the Yankees – or any top contender – given he’s an elite hitting catcher who is a pending free agent. The AL is shaping up to be the Yankees’ to lose, and adding a healthy Jeffers to the mix would help them out tremendously.

Tampa Bay Rays: Colorado Rockies C Hunter Goodman

The Yankees aren’t the only AL East team that could use an upgrade at catcher. The Rays have also had issues getting production from their backstops, and they could stand to add hitting help in general to assist the elite trio of Junior Caminero, Yandy Diaz and Jonathan Aranda. Goodman would be a monster get for Tampa Bay. 

Now, acquiring him from Colorado would cost a lot, but the Rays have one of the better front offices when it comes to making moves. Goodman is signed through 2029, so the Rockies aren’t necessarily inclined to move the 26-year-old backstop, but his stock has never been higher – 27 home runs to date – and the Rockies aren’t contending any time soon. The Rays regularly have an elite farm system, so the Rockies could replenish their weak prospect pool with a blockbuster move here. 

Cleveland Guardians: Boston Red Sox 1B/DH Willson Contreras

Contreras will be a big name to watch this summer. He’s having a monster year for the Red Sox, who have played better of late but aren’t really in the playoff hunt at this stage. The slugger is signed through 2027 and has a 2028 team option on his deal, so if Boston feels it will contend next year, the team may be inclined to keep Contreras past the deadline. But if the Red Sox opt to listen to calls, Contreras could yield a big return. 

Enter Cleveland, which needs offensive upgrades in a big way. First base and DH have been weak spots between Kyle Manzardo and Rhys Hoskins, and adding Contreras would take the struggling Hoskins out of the lineup and give the Guardians a major boost. Whether the Sox want to trade Contreras is one thing, but he’d be an incredible fit in Cleveland. 

Chicago White Sox: Boston Red Sox RHP Sonny Gray

It’s awesome that the White Sox are looking like a playoff team after some awful years from 2022-25. Chicago’s young lineup is fun, dangerous and confident, and the rotation has been pretty darn good as well thanks to Davis Martin and Sean Burke. Adding a proven veteran arm who is still pitching at a high level makes a ton of sense for the White Sox, so how about trading with the other Sox squad in Boston for Gray? 

The veteran right-hander has been elite this year with a 2.61 ERA, 10-1 record and 2.2 bWAR for Boston, but the Red Sox may very well sell this deadline. Gray has a team option for 2027, which could be intriguing for Chicago if the White Sox feel they’re set to contend next year as well. He’d bring a veteran presence and true stabilizing force to a young team that could use a player like that. Gray also brings a career 3.26 ERA over six postseason starts to the mix. 

Texas Rangers: San Francisco Giants IF Luis Arraez

The Rangers are right in the thick of things in a weak AL West this year, and much like last year, they could stand for some offensive upgrades. A clear spot to improve is second base. Josh Smith has struggled and Ezequiel Duran is best used as a utility guy who can play all over the diamond. Arraez is playing the best second base defense of his career this year, and he’s also having his best slugging season in years while also hitting well over .300. The pending free agent almost certainly will get dealt this summer, and Texas should be among his most interested suitors. Arraez would greatly assist a lineup that really just needs to be average in order to pair up with the team’s great rotation. 

Houston Astros: Baltimore Orioles OF Taylor Ward

I thought for sure I’d be writing about a starting pitcher here, but the Astros’ rotation has been better of late as the team has started to make a push up the AL West standings. The Astros don’t need to feel like they need to make an all-in move given how they’ve played for most of the year, but with the AL West wide open, adding around the margins would help a lot. Enter Ward. He’s been essentially a league-average bat in Baltimore, and his power numbers are way down. It’s important to note Baltimore is a tough place for right-handed hitters to slug given how far away the left field fence is, and he’s been way better on the road compared to at home in 2026. Compare that to Houston and the Crawford Boxes and Ward could hit 12+ homers easily between August and September if he’s dealt to the Astros.

Houston also needs outfield help in a bad way. Regular outfielders like Cam Smith, Jake Meyers and Joey Loperfido all have OPS marks under .700. Ward is a slightly above-average bat this year, but he profiles exceptionally well in Houston after struggling to homer in Baltimore.