MLB trade deadline live updates: Latest rumors, news and trades
MLB trade deadline live updates: Latest rumors, news and trades
Steve Gardner and John Leuzzi, USA TODAYTue, July 28, 2026 at 2:04 PM UTC
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The expected MLB trade deadline frenzy got off to an unofficial start on Saturday, July 25, with the Boston Red Sox and Washington Nationals making a good, old-fashioned pitching-for-hitting swap.
But as the clock ticks down to the Aug. 3 deadline, teams are getting even more anxious to make deals that could potentially help them win a 2026 World Series ring.
First off, there are the most obvious trade candidates – players who are in the final year of their contracts and players who could benefit from a change of scenery.
But there are also under-the-radar sleepers who could end up being the missing piece for any number of playoff contenders.
Who will be dealt and who will stay put? We have six days to find out the answers.
When is the MLB trade deadline?
Teams must have their trade details finalized and submitted to the league office by the deadline in order for any acquired players to be eligible for the playoffs. After that, players on 40-man rosters can't be traded.
When: Monday, Aug. 3
Time: 6 p.m. ET
Will Orioles trade Adley Rutschman?
Could catcher Adley Rutschman’s time in Baltimore be coming to a close? ESPN’s Jeff Passan said he believes the three-time All-Star, who is currently on the injured list, is “likelier” to be traded in the offseason than at the deadline.
“The problem is, it’s just the teams that need catchers right now. They’re all in the American League East. Are the Orioles really going to watch Adley Rutschman haunting them on the short porch at Yankee Stadium or turning around to the right side and hitting a ball over the monster for the Red Sox at Fenway Park? Or going down to Tampa?” Passan said on his Tuesday podcast.
Passan notes that a week ago, he’d thought Rutschman, who is hitting .251 with just eight home runs, would have been dealt by the Aug. 3 deadline, but his outlook has changed with the O's catcher on the injured list with left wrist inflammation.
"I think Adley Rutschman is probably likelier to go in the offseason," he said. "I do not anticipate that he will be a Baltimore Oriole by the start of the 2027 season, wherever that is.”
Phillies scouting starting pitchers
There’s no denying the Philadelphia Phillies' desperate need of a back-end starting pitcher. Saturday’s 3-1 loss to the New York Yankees marked the 11th straight loss for the Phillies out of the fifth rotation spot, which was once held by the franchise’s top pitching prospect, Andrew Painter, before he was optioned to Class AAA Lehigh Valley on June 18.
The Athletic's Matt Gelb reported on Tuesday the Phillies have had their scouts looking at possible trade targets, including Mets right-handers Freddy Peralta and Clay Holmes, as well as Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman, among others.
“Over the weekend, they had a scout in New York who saw Freddy Peralta pitch — along with other potential Mets targets," Gelb wrote. "They have been tracking Clay Holmes’ rehab and will probably have someone at his minor-league outing Tuesday in Florida.
"They had a scout in Boston see Kevin Gausman pitch for the Toronto Blue Jays. They will continue to watch the Blue Jays, who have several players who would hypothetically fit the Phillies. They had someone watching Washington Nationals lefty Foster Griffin. They have had a scout on the San Francisco Giants, who have veteran lefty Robbie Ray. They’ve had in-person looks at the Kansas City Royals and Colorado Rockies.”
Mariners have pitching to trade
The Seattle Mariners could be both a buyer AND a seller at the trade deadline, considering their surplus of pitching and distinct need for offense.
Seattle currently has six starters in the rotation, as well as MLB-ready prospects Kade Anderson and Ryan Sloan cooling their heels in the minors.
"The Mariners would like to use a starting pitcher to go out and get a bat — preferably a right-handed hitting bat," ESPN's Jeff Passan said on his Tuesday podcast. "Not a whole lot of outfield help. Maybe they go for an infielder there."
Passan notes that while Seattle would love to deal veteran starter Luis Castillo for offense, they'd probably get more in return for 27-year-old right-hander Emerson Hancock, who's under team control through the 2030 season.
"It makes a lot more sense that the Mariners would deal Hancock. I do expect him to go," Passan said.
Marlins pitcher (not THAT one) drawing attention
Former NL Cy Young award winner Sandy Alcantara has been the subject of trade rumors for several years now, but though it all, he's still a member of the Miami Marlins.
While the rumors have not abated on Alcantara, another Marlins pitcher is also drawing attention, according to Marlins TV host Craig Mish.
Mish says the team is "getting a ton of calls and interest" regarding right-hander Braxton Garrett. The 28-year-old Garrett made his MLB debut in 2020 and made 30 starts for the Marlins in 2023, but he's been at Class AAA Jacksonville for most of this season.
In 16 appearances (15 starts) there, Garrett has posted a 2.43 ERA with 85 strikeouts in 77 2/3 innings. However, he's bombed (7 ER in 4 1/3 IP) in two abbreviated 2026 starts for the Marlins.
As Mish writes, a "change of scenery" might benefit both parties.
Casey Schmitt injury may impact Giants' options
As one of the few definite sellers at the deadline, the San Francisco Giants have several players who should be high on any contender's list of trade targets, especially second baseman Luis Arraez and pitcher Robbie Ray.
Another popular name on the rumor mill has been utilityman Casey Schmitt, who's enjoying a career year with his .271 average, 21 homers and 55 RBI, not to mention his ability to play five different positions.
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However, he left Monday's game against the Brewers after awkwardly rounding first base and is scheduled to have an MRI today.
Giants manager Tony Vitiello said after the game he expects Schmitt to miss some time. While teams can trade for players on the injured list, Schmitt's setback will likely deplete his trade value if the Giants were even considering dealing him in the first place.
Would Nationals consider trading CJ Abrams?
The Nationals may not be finished with their deadline dealing. Sitting just one game out of the NL's third wild-card spot, the Nats − who finished 30 games under .500 last season − are bidding to return to the playoffs for the first time since they won it all in 2019.
They have the highest-scoring offense in the majors at 5.48 runs per game, but their pitching staff has the fourth-worst ERA. Acquiring left-hander Connelly Early will help once he's activated off the injured list. But there's still work to be done.
According to an unnamed source who spoke to The Athletic, the Nats will listen to trade offers for All-Star shortstop CJ Abrams, who's currently hitting .295 with 27 homers and a major league-leading 82 RBI.
In his first year of arbitration, Abrams wouldn't become a free agent until after the 2028 season. A 25-year-old star still under team control would likely bring back a significant haul, but can the Nationals find a fit?
Do the banged-up Dodgers need Skubal?
The Dodgers will have to decide whether their rotation's health can coalesce for a deep playoff run and their third-straight World Series title, or if reinforcements are needed. Skubal had injury issues himself earlier this season, having missed about five weeks with an elbow injury. Skubal returned sooner than expected after undergoing a revolutionary procedure using the NanoNeedle Scope 2.0.
Los Angeles is dealing with injuries in the rotation to Shohei Ohtani, who has inflammation and irritation in his left knee and might not return in August as originally hoped, plus Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell.
Who could the Dodgers potentially trade? Find out here.
Five teams ruining the MLB trade deadline – by winning too much
Are you tired of trade deadline gridlock? Well, the later date – Aug. 3 – has plenty to do with it, as every year the average fan forgets the most vigorous action occurs in the final 36 hours. There’s another culprit, though: Competitive balance, or, as some might cal it, mediocrity.
And that’s kept nearly two dozen teams within whiff of a playoff berth. Several simply aren’t supposed to be here. And with that in mind, we present five teams ruining the trade deadline by daring to compete, starting with the Minnesota Twins.
Read the full story and Gabe Lacques' analysis.
Rays in on Skubal sweepstakes
Tampa Bay enters Tuesday at 62-43 and the top team in the AL. So the Rays are naturally looking to add players for a deep run.
According to MLB insider Robert Murray of FanSided, that means Tarik Skubal.
Rays starting pitchers have compiled the fourth-best ERA in the major leagues, with Nick Martinez (10-2, 2.45 ERA), Drew Rasmussen (9-5, 3.07) and Shane McClanahan (9-6, 3.09) leading the way.
Murray also mentions Mets starter Freddy Peralta and Angels shortstop Zach Neto as possibilities for the Rays.
Yankees badly need outfield help
Cody Bellinger's hamstring injury is the latest in the New York Yankees' recent string of painful losses. They now have an entire outfield on the IL with Bellinger joining Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton.
GM Brian Cashman is desperately in search of depth at the position, but complicating matters is the fact that two of the team's best trade chips – Spencer Jones and Jasson Dominguez – are outfielders. And both are currently starting.
The New York Post's Jon Heyman suggests the Royals' Lane Thomas, the Reds' Spencer Steer, the Angels' Jo Adell and Jorge Soler, and the Blue Jays' George Springer could be possible trade targets.
Steer, however, is currently on the injured list with a partially torn tendon in his right wrist. And Springer, a longtime Yankee nemesis, would seem an unlikely match coming from an AL East rival.
The Yankees are also in search of catching help, which could take away resources they might otherwise need to acquire an outfielder.
What will Tigers do with ace Tarik Skubal?
Don't expect a final answer to this question until the last possible moment.
The Tigers have the talent to make the postseason. They've been playing much better since Skubal returned from elbow surgery in mid-June. But they're not quite in playoff position just yet … and likely won't be by the deadline.
The question is how close do they need to be to keep the two-time defending Cy Young award winner. Or how far back do they need to be to sell. At 50-57, Detroit is currently four games out of the third AL wild-card spot.
On the heels of a three-game losing streak, USA TODAY Sports' Bob Nightengale writes the Tigers now "have no choice but to trade Skubal." He also expects No. 2 starter Casey Mize to be dealt as well.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB trade deadline live updates: Latest rumors, news and trades
Source: “AOL Sports”
