Finding perfect MLB trade deadline fits between hated rivals

The MLB trade deadline will bring tons of deals, but a common theme will almost certainly be teams avoiding trading with bitter rivals. There's one obvious reason for this: nobody wants to see a player flourish on a rival team. There are sure to be some exceptions, but the odds of seeing a truly impactful player going from one rival to another are slim, if not none.

In an ideal world in which the rivalries didn't matter much, though, these trade fits would make too much sense not to gain tons of smoke.

Francisco Lindor to the Braves

A Francisco Lindor trade is unlikely for a variety of reasons. His contract is enormous, he isn't having his best year, it'd be tough for the New York Mets to find a replacement, and he has a full no-trade clause. The odds of him being traded are slim because of those factors, and the odds of him being traded to the Atlanta Braves, of all teams, with five years left on his deal after this one, are even slimmer.

We can't deny that Lindor fits in Atlanta, though. The Braves have been searching for a permanent solution really since Dansby Swanson left as a free agent in the 2022 offseason, and while Lindor is sure to regress, he's finished in the top 10 in the NL MVP balloting in each of the last four seasons. It goes without saying that he'd be a major upgrade over the likes of Ha-Seong Kim and Jim Jarvis and might even put the Braves on the same level as the Dodgers in the NL.

Jeremy Pena to the Yankees

Another shortstop probably unlikely to get traded is Jeremy Pena of the Houston Astros. The Astros hope to be buyers, so trading Pena wouldn't make sense in that world, but Houston is now five games under .500 and on the outside looking in when looking at the playoff picture. The Astros could very well decide to trade Pena now, when he still has an additional year of club control, and receive a massive return.

A team like the New York Yankees would theoretically be over the moon acquiring a shortstop of Pena's caliber (and the same can be said about Lindor). He's an all-around star, and what the Yankees have at shortstop right now (Anthony Volpe and Jose Caballero) doesn't even come close to that. These teams are unlikely to match up in a blockbuster like this given their recent postseason bouts, but we can dream, right?

Kevin Gausman to the Orioles

This one would be particularly interesting because Kevin Gausman spent parts of six seasons with the Baltimore Orioles. He wasn't close to the pitcher he is now, though. Even in a bit of a down year, Gausman remains a viable mid-rotation arm at worst, and he'd dramatically improve the floor and ceiling of an Orioles rotation that needs an upgrade at the deadline if they want to compete.

This one is somewhat plausible because Gausman is a free agent after the year. If the Toronto Blue Jays elect to sell (which is becoming more and more likely by the day), Gausman pitching for a couple of months with a division rival in a year they're already giving up on won't sting quite as much. Still, we'll believe it'll happen if and when we see it.

Joe Ryan to the White Sox

Joe Ryan is a player I'm unsure will get moved. The Minnesota Twins elected to hold onto him despite selling half their roster at last year's trade deadline, and while the odds are certainly against them winning a World Series title, they're only 3.5 games back of a playoff spot. If they do trade Ryan, they probably won't want to send him to an AL Central foe knowing that he's under control through the 2027 campaign.

That makes seeing him in a Chicago White Sox uniform difficult to envision, but man, this fit makes so much sense. The White Sox lead the way in the AL Central, and they sure could use a frontline starter to pair with Davis Martin. They've entered their contention window earlier than expected, and it'd be cool to see Chris Getz get aggressive to put the White Sox in position to contend in a weak American League.

Josh Hader to the Mariners

As mentioned above, the Astros want to compete, so a Josh Hader trade probably isn't very realistic. The fact that he has two years and $38 million remaining on his contract after this year, plus a full no-trade clause, makes Hader even harder to move. With that being said, he remains one of the league's best relievers, and that's something the Seattle Mariners could use.

Andres Munoz has had a down year and Matt Brash is out until sometime in August at the earliest, so the need for a leverage reliever is clear. Hader would give the Mariners one of the best bullpens in the sport, which is fun to envision given how good their rotation already is, but the odds of the Astros making this dream a reality are quite slim.

Francisco Alvarez to the Yankees

While the Yankees could use a shortstop, catcher is a far bigger need. Austin Wells has, to put it simple, not gotten the job done, and there's no real replacement in the organization. Wells is probably fine enough in a platoon role thanks to his defense behind the plate, but the Yankees need a right-handed complement. That's where a guy like Francisco Alvarez could help.

Alvarez having reverse splits this season isn't ideal, but he's been about as good against lefties as he has been against righties in his career, and he'd give the Yankees a true power threat behind the plate. His defense is a concern, and he's never been able to get through a season fully healthy, but the bat would be such an upgrade that it'd be easy to overlook the weaknesses. In theory, a trade that would see the Mets sending Alvarez to the Bronx in exchange for a starting pitcher could work for both sides. The Mets and Yankees just never make trades this big, so it's hard to see this happening.

Adley Rutschman to the Red Sox

Adley Rutschman is another catcher who has been in some trade rumors. It might make some sense for the Baltimore Orioles to trade him given the fact that he's only under control for one more year after this one and that they already have their long-term catcher, Samuel Basallo, in place, and the Boston Red Sox would work as an ideal landing spot on paper. Carlos Narvaez has regressed following a breakout 2025 campaign, and it's not like Connor Wong provides much offensive upside either. Rutschman, meanwhile, is a switch-hitting All-Star who'd greatly increase Boston's ceiling.

Unfortunately, the Orioles are directly competing with Boston for a Wild Card spot. Even if the Orioles decide to trade Rutschman (which is already unlikely), what're the odds they'll send him to a team within their division that they're right behind in the Wild Card hunt? Probably zero.

Reid Detmers to the Dodgers

Reid Detmers has quietly become one of the most intriguing trade candidates to watch. He's tied for ninth among all qualified pitchers with 3.0 fWAR, and his 20% K-BB% is tied for 14th. His ERA is a bit high, but as his 3.22 FIP would indicate, he's gotten very unlucky. This fact, combined with him having an additional two years of club control, makes him a very valuable asset for the Los Angeles Angels to dangle.

And he's the kind of pitcher who'd presumably flourish on the other L.A. team. The Los Angeles Dodgers could use a starter with Tyler Glasnow out for another while and Shohei Ohtani not pitching for who knows how long, and Detmers gives them a cost-controlled option for a couple of years, which could prove to be beneficial if a salary cap were ever to come about. The unfortunate reality, though, is that the last team Arte Moreno would want to trade with, especially when discussing a player of Detmers' caliber, is the cross-town rival Dodgers.

Mason Miller to the Dodgers

Speaking of teams that'd never realistically trade a star to the Dodgers, let's talk about San Diego Padres closer Mason Miller. The Padres shocked the MLB world by trading Leo De Vries to acquire Miller at last year's deadline, and he's somehow exceeded expectations as San Diego's closer. The Padres are rumored to be considering trading him in what could be a lost year for them, and if we're being honest, if they were looking for the best return, they should trade him to the Dodgers.

The Dodgers have arguably the best farm system in the sport, so trading Miller there would give the Padres a chance to completely restock what's become a barren system. The Dodgers could use bullpen help too, as Edwin Diaz's first year in Los Angeles has not gone to plan. Ultimately, though, giving the Dodgers three years of control of Miller, the best closer in the sport, is completely unrealistic. They are division rivals, and even if the Padres were to be waving the white flag on 2026, they'll hope to compete in 2027. Doing so becomes much more challenging if the Dodgers get their hands on Miller. If the Padres trade Miller, it'll almost certainly be to any other team.

More MLB news and analysis:

• MLB playoff picture, bracket and predictions after 100 games
• The definitive list of MLB trade deadline buyers and sellers, according to an MLB Insider
• Updated NL Cy Young rankings after Jacob Misiorowski shortened return for the Brewers
• How the Phillies can catch up with the Dodgers in 4 trade deadline moves
• The secret to Rafael Devers' turnaround is ridiculously simple

This article was originally published on fansided.com as Finding perfect MLB trade deadline fits between hated rivals.