The 10 people who could shape this MLB trade deadline

The 2026 MLB trade deadline is less than two weeks away, and it is poised to be one of the most active stretches we’ve seen in recent years. With so many teams in contention, the action should pick up soon and carry on at a furious pace until 6 p.m. ET on Aug. 3.

The amount of top-tier players available currently looks pretty thin, so it should be a seller’s market. That means teams will have to pay handsomely to land real upgrades. From All-Stars to general managers to prospects, there are several key names to watch for over the next two weeks. We’ve compiled them below.

2026 MLB Trade Deadline Big Board: Predicting Where the Top Available Players Will Land

Tarik Skubal

Indications are that the Tigers won’t trade Skubal, but until 6:01 p.m. ET on Aug. 3, his name will be hanging over this year’s trade deadline. The Tigers have a long way to go to reach the postseason and risk their most prized asset walking away into free agency with nothing but draft pick compensation coming back. 

Skubal missed more than a month this season after having loose bodies removed from his pitching elbow. Since his return on June 13, the two-time reigning AL Cy Young winner has rounded into form and remains one of the game’s most dominant pitchers. He entered this week 6–5 with a 2.83 ERA, a 0.93 WHIP and 98 strikeouts against 11 walks in 82 ⅔ innings. 

Despite his status as a rental, acquiring Skubal won’t be cheap. Maybe the Tigers opt to hold him, but the smart move would be to get as much in return as they can.

Craig Breslow 

A 15-game winning streak has catapulted the Red Sox from afterthought to contender as we approach the deadline, and now general manager Craig Breslow has decisions to make. Does he go all-in to continue this run, or stay the course? Frankly, the results of whatever he chooses will determine his job status at the end of the season. 

The Red Sox desperately need a right-handed bat and an upgrade at catcher. How much, if any, of his prospect capital is Breslow willing to surrender in search of contention? He’ll be closely watched over the next two weeks. 

George Lombard Jr. 

The Yankees are signaling they will be all-in on this season despite not having Aaron Judge healthy. If that’s true, they’ll need to add to a roster that feels incomplete as currently constructed. New York needs an upgrade at catcher, multiple bullpen arms and potentially another starting pitcher. Filling those needs will put pressure on Brian Cashman to put his best prospects in play to land the significant upgrades needed to compete with MLB’s top contender. George Lombard Jr. is the guy every team will ask about.

Lombard is the Yankees’ top prospect and is not far from the big leagues. The 21-year-old shortstop entered the week slashing .244/.388/.415 with five home runs, 16 RBIs and a 116 wRC+ in 44 Triple A games this season. In 66 games across three levels this year, he boasts an .893 OPS and 11 home runs. 

Cashman will have to decide if a shot at a deep run this year is worth potentially moving guys like Lombard, Dax Kilby and Carlos Lagrange.

A.J. Preller

The other 29 MLB teams are always in a constant state of expecting A.J. Preller to make a big deal. Even rumors of megatrades can set the league buzzing, as they did this offseason when the Padres and Mets discussed a potential big swap that never materialized. Preller will almost certainly swing some deals ahead of this year’s deadline, but we may be seeing a different strategy. 

The Padres have been all-in all the time since 2020 and, frankly, it hasn’t worked. While watching countless future All-Stars go to other teams, San Diego has had unprecedented success as an organization but has been nowhere near the goal of winning a championship. The results of those short-sighted deals are now apparent. The Padres now possess an expensive, aging roster that has played uninspired baseball for much of the 2026 season. The team is missing too many pieces to make a legitimate World Series run. Buying would make no sense. 

With a new ownership group coming in, it may be time to move some pieces and retool with an eye toward the future. 

Will Preller go against his nature and sell at the deadline? It will be fascinating to see what happens. 

Joe Ryan

If Skubal isn’t traded, Joe Ryan becomes the top starting pitcher available on the market. Regardless of what the Tigers decide to do, the 30-year-old righty should bring back a haul for the Twins. 

After solid seasons in 2024 and ‘25, Ryan has taken things to another level this year. The two-time All-Star is 6–6 with a 3.38 ERA, a 1.10 WHIP, and 131 strikeouts against 25 walks in 114 1/3 innings. 

Ryan’s contract carries a $13 million mutual option for 2027 that he’s almost certain to decline, so he’ll be a rental. Given that we’re almost certain to see a seller’s market for starting pitching, Minnesota would be wise to take advantage. They should receive an excellent package in return. 

David Stearns

I was confused by David Stearns’s moves this offseason, and things have been far worse than even I imagined. The team’s president of baseball operations has repeatedly made massive mistakes that have taken the Mets from a potential contender to a cautionary tale. Now he has to decide what’s next. 

New York is out of contention and set to sell at the deadline. Luckily for Stearns, he has plenty of pieces teams will be eager to acquire. Freddy Peralta, whom he landed in a big trade this offseason, likely tops the list, and it looks like his time in Queens will be brief. Fellow offseason addition Luke Weaver could also be on his way out, as could starter Clay Holmes and relievers Brooks Raley, A.J. Minter and Huascar Brazobán. 

Then there are the guys with big contracts who are dramatically underperforming. Could Stearns get bold and find a buyer for Bo Bichette or Francisco Lindor? Stranger things have happened and this is likely to be a seller’s market. 

What Stearns does in the next two weeks could wind up defining his tenure with the Mets. He has a chance to retool his roster and restock his farm system if he’s aggressive. It would give him the chance at a reset and to make up for the many mistakes he’s made to this point.

Mason Miller

Mason Miller is the no-doubt best relilef pitcher in baseball and is poised to be that guy for the foreseeable future. The Padres star is not just the league’s top closer; he’s likely the most unhittable hurler in the game. In 40 games this season, Miller is 2–1 with a 0.86 ERA, a 0.86 WHIP, 25 saves in 25 chances and 78 strikeouts in 41 1/3 innings. Among pitchers who have thrown at least 40 innings, he leads MLB in ERA, FIP (0.51), strikeouts per nine (16.85), strikeout rate (48.8%) and average fastball velocity (101.3 mph). 

Several contenders covet him, thanks not only to his elite stuff, but also due to the fact he won’t be a free agent until after the 2029 campaign. 

The Padres acquired Miller at last year’s deadline in a trade that made little sense. San Diego already possessed the best bullpen in baseball and an elite closer in Robert Suárez. Despite that, GM A.J. Preller vastly overpaid to add Miller. Rumors suggest that with the Padres far from World Series contention, Preller is willing to recoup some of the value he lost when he traded for Miller last year. 

There’s no guarantee that a deal happens, but Miller’s name will be one of the biggest connected to possible trades. The market for closers may be held up by teams waiting to see if Preller will actually deal him.

Paul Toboni

Paul Toboni has benefitted from many of the deals his predecessor Mike Rizzo made to set the Nationals up for the future. While Rizzo was fired last year with Washington out of contention, this year’s squad has arguably the best offense in baseball and is in contention for a wild-card spot. Few expected this outcome. 

Over the next two weeks, Toboni has some serious decisions to make. He’s been shopping shortstop CJ Abrams for a few months, but how likely is he to move an All-Star if his team is contending? James Wood is the heart of the franchise and clearly not going anywhere, but it’s possible Toboni could opt to trade from strengths to keep the focus on the future. 

The Nationals need to find pitching depth, not just for 2026, but the future as well. They could buy, sell or do a little of both. It’s Toboni’s first chance to make moves, and no one knows what he’ll do. 

We’ll soon find out the direction he plans to take the franchise.

Luis Arraez

After struggling for much of the 2025 season, Luis Arráez has had a nice bounce-back in ‘26. He signed a one-year, $12 million deal with the Giants in the offseason and has produced far more than expected. As a result, he’s almost sure to be dealt before the deadline as San Francisco is far from contention. 

Arráez is currently slashing .320/.359/.446, with four home runs and 37 RBIs. His wRC+ of 122 is his highest since 2023, and he already has 3.5 fWAR, which would be a career high. As always, he’s striking out very little, but is also walking more this year while slugging a career-best .450. 

The 29-year-old three-time batting champion will be a nice addition to a team needing to put more balls in play. He’ll be a solid offensive upgrade, and there should be a battle for his services. The Giants are likely to net a nice prospect return for him.

Dodgers outfield prospects

As if they need to add more good players, the Dodgers appear poised to add at the deadline. While their big league roster is loaded, the farm system is also stacked, with six outfielders near the top of it. Given that the team already has several good big leaguers blocking them, it’s likely a number will be dealt before the deadline to clear space. 

Top prospects Josue De Paula, Mike Sirota and Zyhir Hope are likely to stay with the organization unless L.A. really swings for the fences on a deal. But Eduardo Quintero, Charles Davalan and James Tibbs III could all probably be grabbed for the right price. Tibbs appears big-league ready, while Quintero and Davalan are having solid seasons in High A.

If the Dodgers call teams, you can bet all six of those outfielders will be up for discussion. If L.A. is going all-in to chase a third-straight World Series title, it will likely have to part with some of them.

More MLB from Sports Illustrated

• Comparing the 2026 Red Sox to the Last Sox Team to Win 15 in a Row
• MLB Trade Candidate Rankings, Deadline Predictions 2.0: Tarik Skubal Out of No. 1 Spot
• Three Realistic Trade Packages for Nationals Shortstop CJ Abrams
• On-Field Batting Practice Is Dead. Here’s How All-Star Sluggers Prepare to Hit.
• SI:AM | Do You Realize How Bad Cal Raleigh Has Been?

This article was originally published on www.si.com as The 10 People Who Could Shape This MLB Trade Deadline.