Top Players Who Could Be on the Block at the Trade Deadline

We’re just over two months into the MLB season, and teams are just starting to settle into the swing of things and find their identities in 2026. But it’s always important to take a look forward.

This year’s trade deadline is August 3, and by then the storylines we’ve seen play out already in 2026 will be fully grown and teams will have a better idea of what their seasons have in store.

The first month or two of a season isn’t always the be-all and end-all of a team’s success over the course of an entire season, but when looking at what some teams have achieved (or lack thereof) so far in 2026 we can make some deductions on what superstar names could find themselves close to donning new uniforms at this year’s trade deadline.

At the 2025 deadline, major names were traded like Mason Miller, Eugenio Suárez, Josh Naylor, and Jhoan Duran, just to name a few. For rebuilding ball clubs, the deadline can be a team’s biggest opportunity to reverse the fortunes for their franchise and reestablish new stars and names for their fanbase to root for.

It can also be a time where competing teams push the chips forward and go all in.

Here’s a closer look at some of the biggest names that could find themselves in new organizations come this year’s trade deadline.

Stats were taken prior to play on June 9.

Tarik Skubal (LHP, Detroit Tigers)

The most interesting name to keep an eye on as the season progresses toward the trade deadline is undoubtedly Tarik Skubal, the two-time reigning American League Cy Young winner.

Skubal is in his final year of team control with the Tigers, and the two sides have been notably far apart on contract negotiations. It seems like a done-deal right now that he’s going to be dealt at this year’s deadline, and it’s just a matter of where.

Coming off back-to-back Cy Young wins, Skubal has had yet another formidable season in 2026 with a 2.70 ERA through his first 43.1 innings and his 3.6% walk rate is the best among all MLB starters this season (min. 40 IP).

Skubal has been on the 15-day IL since May 4 and the Tigers are 9-21 in his absence, currently sitting tied for last place in the AL Central, so there isn’t necessarily an obvious possibility that they’ll need him to help contend for a playoff spot down the stretch.

He recently threw a rehab outing for Detroit’s High-A affiliate, bringing himself closer to a potential return to build up his trade value even more, if such a thing is even possible given his success over the last two seasons.

Skubal could become the first pitcher since 2012 to be traded within two years of winning a Cy Young Award, and a trade from him would net Detroit a good haul.

The Tigers aren’t necessarily out of a contention window with young pieces like Kevin McGonigle and Riley Greene spearheading their team, along with how poor the American League is performing as a whole this season, but Skubal could net the Tigers a franchise-altering package at the deadline.

The only thing that seems certain is that his time in Detroit appears to be coming to a close.

Freddy Peralta (RHP, New York Mets)

Right-handed starter Freddy Peralta was acquired by the Mets from the Milwaukee Brewers in a blockbuster deal this past offseason that cost the Mets prospects Jett Williams (Just Baseball’s No. 37 prospect) and Brandon Sproat.

In his first season in Queens, Peralta has a 3.63 ERA through his first 13 starts with 74 strikeouts over 72.0 innings and a 1.0 fWAR.

The kicker in Peralta being a potential trade deadline candidate is not specifically due to his on-field production, but rather a combination of being an unrestricted free agent after 2026 and the Mets having a 27-35 record (3rd-worst in NL) after spending on Peralta and other marquee free agents over the offseason.

Peralta, like Skubal, would be purely a rental arm for the remainder of the 2026 season unless his new team would be able to sign him to an extension.

It wouldn’t be a bad idea for a team to take a big chance on Peralta, as we’ve seen these types of deals play out well before. One only has to look back to when CC Sabathia was traded in 2008 from Cleveland to Milwaukee and helped bring the Brewers back to the playoffs with a 1.65 ERA, seven complete games, and a ridiculous 4.7 fWAR in the second half of his season.

Any team making this type of move is looking for the next ’08 Sabathia, and even if he leaves after this season it would still be worth it if he plays amazingly for them.

It’s more than likely that Peralta will test free agency following the 2026 season and seek a long-term, high-AAV contract as one of the best pitchers on the market. The Mets have a star-studded roster and although Peralta is their ace at the moment, he could find himself donning a new uniform yet again at this year’s trade deadline.

Yordan Alvarez (DH/LF, Houston Astros)

In 2023, Yordan Alvarez signed a six-year, $115 million extension with the Houston Astros and he’s been undoubtedly one of the best hitters in MLB ever since he first stepped on a big-league field.

He has a career 165 wRC+ and already has a trophy case full of achievements including a 2019 AL Rookie of the Year Award, three All-Star nods, a Silver Slugger (DH, 2022), and a 2021 ALCS MVP Award.

Alvarez is the only Astros hitter this season with an OPS over .825 (min. 5 GP) and is one of two with at least 10 home runs — Alvarez leads the American League with 22 home runs and all of MLB with a 1.066 OPS. He’s been essentially a one-man wrecking crew for Houston with an MLB-best 189 wRC+ after reaching at least 150 wRC+ in five other seasons.

He has a unique combination of elite contact and power skills and has had a wRC+ of at least 137 in every season except for 2025, where he slumped through a 48-game abridged season where he both fractured his right hand and sprained his left ankle.

The Astros have a 31-37 record, tied for their least wins through their first 68 games of a season since 2013 — a year where they lost a franchise record 111 games. It seems at the moment as though Houston will miss the playoffs for a consecutive season (first time since 2006-14) and they could decide to move on from their generational slugger in favor of some younger talent to improve them in the future.

CJ Abrams (SS, Washington Nationals)

CJ Abrams has quietly been one of the most impressive hitters in baseball this season, posing as one half of the two-headed monster that is the combination of himself and James Wood at the top of the Nationals’ lineup.

Coming off back-to-back seasons with 29-plus doubles, 19-plus home runs, 31 stolen bases, and greater than a 105 wRC+, Abrams had all the workings of a great offensive shortstop in this league and he’s shown it yet again in 2026.

Through his first 66 games of 2026, Abrams is slashing .289/.382/.533 (all career highs) with 14 HR, 51 RBI (second in MLB), 10 SB, 2.5 fWAR (tied for fourth among primary shortstops), and a whopping 154 wRC+ (second on Washington, min. 35 GP).

He’s been one of the most outstanding hitters in the league this season, and it’s worth wondering whether this will push him to stay in Washington or be traded away.

Abrams is currently in the first of three arbitration-eligible years and will become an unrestricted free agent following the 2028 season. The only active Nationals player with a contract extending past 2028 is catcher Keibert Ruiz, so it appears that Washington isn’t currently building their core with veterans at the moment.

This could indicate that they’ll move on from Abrams sooner rather than later to capitalize on his value, but that will depend on how the Nats’ 34-33 record plays out over the coming months.

Jeremy Peña (SS, Houston Astros)

From one star shortstop to another, 2022 ALCS and World Series MVP Jeremy Peña also appears on this list as a potential young bat that could be swapped for parts.

Peña finished 10th in AL MVP voting last season and received his first All-Star selection while hitting .304/.363/.477 with 17 HR, 20 SB, a 5.7 fWAR, and a 135 wRC+.

In 2026, Peña is picking up where he left off last year with a slash line of .288/.356/.424 and a 121 wRC+ to go along with 1.0 fWAR through his first 30 games. He’s one of the premier young shortstops in the game and has been a big part of Houston’s offense so far this season.

Peña’s situation is similar to that of Yordan Alvarez where a hitter in his prime could be traded at this year’s deadline in the midst of the Astros’ poor performance this season. While Peña represents one of the most crucial and impactful parts of Houston’s lineup, one must at least consider the possibility that his value on the market will be paramount.

With a combination of there being hardly any marquee free-agent shortstops becoming available this offseason and Peña becoming an unrestricted free agent following next season, it’s more than likely that the Astros will move on from him and look to build for the future instead.

Byron Buxton (CF, Minnesota Twins)

Byron Buxton has long been one of the most impressive yet confusing players in MLB, consistently proving that he’s one of the most well-rounded players of his generation but not being healthy enough to stay on the field.

Buxton is in the midst of what will be his one of his most impressive seasons, slashing .257/.319/.549 with 18 home runs, 28 RBI, a 136 wRC+, and 2.1 fWAR through his first 55 games.

Buxton is in the fifth year of a seven-year, $100 million pact he signed with the Twins in 2022, giving them control over him for the next two seasons following 2026. The Twins currently sit in third place in the AL Central with a 30-37 record, so they’re not necessarily in a window of contention at the moment and Buxton is one of just three Twins hitters with a wRC+ above 100 (min. 30 GP).

Minnesota has won just one playoff series since 2002 (2023 ALWC vs. Toronto) and they’ve missed the playoffs in four of the last five seasons, so if they’re not in a win-now mentality at the moment they might feel the need to move on from Buxton.

He’s under an incredibly team-friendly contract, paying him just over $14 million per season, the ninth-most among all active outfielders.

While Buxton is one of the most entertaining and enjoyable players to watch, the reality is that he’s only played in 100+ games twice out of the last eight seasons, and you don’t know when injury might strike again. It’s unfortunate that his career has been so plagued with injuries thus far, but the Twins and other potential trade destinations have to keep his health record in mind — Minnesota could decide to capitalize on his healthy performance this season.

The last wrinkle with Buxton’s contract is that he has a full no-trade clause, allowing him the ability to refuse any potential trades. If Minnesota has considered moving on from their star center fielder, it’s going to have to be the right fit for Buxton.

Joe Ryan (RHP, Minnesota Twins)

Moving on to another Minnesota Twin, Joe Ryan is the ace of their pitching staff and has been a very strong option since being acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for veteran slugger Nelson Cruz in 2021.

Ryan was an All-Star for the first time last season and has posted an fWAR at or above 2.2 in every single season aside from his rookie year in 2021.

In 2026, Ryan has a 3.07 ERA and 2.93 FIP through his first 14 starts with 84 strikeouts and just 19 walks over 76.1 innings alongside a 2.1 fWAR, tied for the fourth-best mark among all pitchers in the American League. Ryan’s ability to control walks and strike hitters out at an elite level has been incredible, never having a strikeout rate below 25% and only allowing his walk rate to exceed higher than 6% once in his career.

Ryan has a $13 million mutual option in his contract with the Twins for the 2027 season and will become an unrestricted free agent afterwards, so there’s not much more time for the two sides to negotiate an extension, if there’s one in the cards at all.

He’s been one of the most reliable starters in the game over the last five years and could net Minnesota a very nice trade package if dealt at this year’s deadline with a potential extra year left on his contract.

Similarly to Buxton, the Twins could seek to improve their farm system and build for the future while cutting ties with their veteran leaders of the current squad. They don’t have an easy path to turning things around this season, so it’s more than likely that Ryan’s time in Minnesota is dwindling.