5 Teams Who Most Improved Their Playoff Hopes at the Deadline

Now that the 2026 MLB trade deadline has come and gone, teams have decided whether they are legitimate World Series contenders or destined to miss the postseason. While some teams did more than others, every organization has chosen a path for the remainder of the 2026 campaign and adjusted its roster accordingly.

This year’s deadline saw Cy Young winners, franchise icons, and top prospects get dealt all across baseball, making it one for the record books. Even though many teams hovered around the .500 mark, they still had to decide whether they were buyers, sellers, or a combination of both.

This article won’t necessarily highlight teams that were already among the best teams in baseball, but rather the ones that used the trade deadline to transform themselves into legitimate contenders. While there were others who had similarly impressive deadline performances, it’s worth giving recognition to the organizations that look far more intimidating now than they did a week ago.

The Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cleveland Guardians, Minnesota Twins, and San Diego Padres acquired strong players to bolster their World Series chances, and here’s a look at how they did it.

Chicago Cubs

Acquired: RHP Kevin Gausman, RHP Clay Holmes, LHP Braxton Garrett, LF Tyrone Taylor, RHP Ryan Zeferjahn
Traded: RHP Jameson Taillon, C/DH Moises Ballesteros, CF Brett Bateman, RHP Jace Beck, 1B Jonathon Long, SS Jefferson Rojas, INF Ty Southisene, RHP Mason McGwire

The Chicago Cubs were one of the most active teams at this year’s deadline, seeking to greatly improve their pitching staff. Cubs starters have collectively posted a 4.22 ERA and 4.71 FIP this season while ranking fourth-worst in MLB in fWAR (4.2), so adding the likes of Kevin Gausman, Clay Holmes, and Braxton Garrett will prove to be extremely beneficial.

The Cubs recently placed starter Ben Brown (1.85 ERA) on the 60-Day IL and designated starter Jameson Taillon for assignment, making the addition of top pitching talent exactly what the team needed.

Gausman is one of three pitchers with at least 1,100 strikeouts and 1,000 innings pitched since 2021, and he owns a career 3.83 postseason ERA. He’ll headline Chicago’s rotation nicely as their ace down the stretch.

Holmes has a 2.39 ERA this season and is slated to return from the 60-Day IL very soon after fracturing his right fibula on a line drive earlier this season. In his second career season as a full-time starter, he performed extremely well for the Mets and will be a valuable arm in the Cubs’ rotation. He also has a $12 million player option next season.

Garrett hasn’t pitched in the majors since May but has posted a 2.90 ERA at the Triple-A level this season, so he could prove valuable in a leverage role as well.

Of the prospects Chicago traded away at this year’s deadline, Bateman and Southisene are two solid players heading to the Blue Jays, while Moises Ballesteros will likely be the Angels’ starting catcher or designated hitter for the foreseeable future.

Jefferson Rojas is now the Mets’ No. 1 prospect and has great potential. Overall, the Cubs did what any fan would want their team to do at the trade deadline: trade prospects to build a roster capable of competing for a World Series.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Acquired: RHP Luke Weaver, RHP Kirby Yates, RHP Camilo Doval, RHP Lake Bachar, RHP Andrew Moore
Traded: RHP Hunter Stratton, RHP Brandan Bidois, RHP Kyle Robinson, SS Sammy Stafura, C Omar Alfonzo, OF Luis Cruz, LF Brian Sanchez, INF Hyun Seung Lee

The Pittsburgh Pirates focused exclusively on their bullpen at this year’s deadline, as they entered deadline day with a collective 4.34 ERA from their relievers while their offense had been one of the league’s most potent groups. Not only did the Pirates acquire strong relief options, but they added All-Star-caliber arms.

Luke Weaver has posted a 1.84 ERA this season over 44 innings for the Mets with a 45/11 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and he has another year remaining on his contract that the Pirates will gladly keep him for. Kirby Yates posted a 3.95 ERA in 31 games for the Angels this year and has pitched three separate seasons with an ERA below 2.20. Yates is 39 years old and may be in the twilight of his career, but he brings more stability to the Pirates’ bullpen.

Camilo Doval, however, is a more volatile reliever who can be either dominant or ineffective on any given day, but he’s only a few years removed from a 2023 season in which he posted a 2.93 ERA while leading the NL in games pitched (60) and saves (39). Doval will be a leverage reliever for the Pirates, and they’ll have to choose the right spots to use him, but the fact that Pittsburgh added him is encouraging enough for Pirates fans.

Lake Bachar has been a strong option all year long for the Marlins and is capable of pitching multiple innings at a time, giving the Pirates another long relief or leverage option. Pittsburgh hasn’t made the playoffs since 2015, and this is the first time in a long time they’ve bought at the deadline.

Not only were they buyers, but they were one of the most successful teams at improving their weaknesses this year. They could be a sneaky contender for a playoff spot down the stretch thanks to these improvements to the back end of their pitching staff.

Cleveland Guardians

Acquired: LHP Foster Griffin, OF Jo Adell, 1B/DH Nathaniel Lowe, OF Blake Perkins, RHP Craig Yoho
Traded: C Bo Naylor, RHP Will Dion, RHP Codi Heuer, 2B Juan Brito, RHP Alejandro Rivera, LHP Josh Hartle, OF Nick Mitchell, RHP Kendeglys Virguez, C Jacob Cozart

Another one of MLB’s best deadline performances this year came from the Cleveland Guardians, who acquired starter Foster Griffin and strong bats to bolster their lineup.

Griffin signed a one-year, $5.5 million deal with the Washington Nationals for the 2026 season after pitching in Japan for three years, and he has been an amazing breakout performer this year. After making the NL All-Star roster, Griffin was acquired by Cleveland for a four-player package thanks to his 3.06 ERA over 129.1 innings this season.

Guardians hitters collectively hit .231/.310/.370 with a 93 wRC+ heading into the trade deadline, so they went out and acquired Jo Adell, who hit 37 home runs a year ago, and Nathaniel Lowe, who posted a 120 wRC+. With the third-fewest home runs in baseball, Cleveland seriously needed a power boost at the deadline, and they did exactly that.

The Guardians also acquired a solid reliever in Craig Yoho, who posted a 0.85 WHIP over 20 innings for Milwaukee this season, making the overall deadline haul even more impressive for Cleveland. They gave up MLB-caliber players in Bo Naylor, Will Dion, Codi Heuer, and Juan Brito, but in order to improve your squad for the current season, you have to move on from some roster pieces.

Cleveland did a great job identifying its weaknesses and establishing itself as a better all-around team.

Minnesota Twins

Acquired: RHP Jeff Hoffman, LHP AJ Minter, RHP Dean Kremer
Traded: RHP John Klein, SS Bruin Agbayani, LHP Dasan Hill, 2B Damaury Pena, OF Jhomnardo Reyes, 3B Billy Amick

The Minnesota Twins didn’t go crazy with the number of trades they made at the deadline, but they bolstered the back end of their bullpen with some strong acquisitions. Namely, Jeff Hoffman, who has been one of MLB’s best strikeout artists this season, and A.J. Minter, who owns a 2.35 ERA with just two walks over 20 innings.

Minnesota’s bullpen had a 4.91 ERA prior to August 3, and bringing in a solid left-handed and right-handed leverage arm will make their pitching staff more reliable and intimidating late in games. Hoffman posted a 0.87 ERA over his last 21 appearances for the Blue Jays and had a 28/8 strikeout-to-walk ratio, making him one of the game’s elite closers this year.

Hoffman will always be linked to surrendering the game-tying home run in Game 7 of the World Series last season, but he’s also shown that he can be one of the most dominant pitchers in the league.

Dean Kremer doesn’t move the needle much in terms of trade value, but he can be a valuable addition to the Twins’ bullpen or the back end of their rotation. He was a solid starting pitcher for the Orioles for many years, with four straight seasons of 120-plus innings pitched and a 4.20 ERA or lower. Kremer can be a depth option for Minnesota as they make a playoff push, especially alongside notable starters like Joe Ryan, Taj Bradley, Connor Prielipp, Bailey Ober, and Zebby Matthews.

San Diego Padres

Acquired: LHP Robbie Ray, RHP Casey Mize, LHP Gage Workman, RHP Hunter Stratton
Traded: LHP Kash Mayfield, LHP Jackson Wolf, RHP Miguel Mendez, RHP Andrew Moore, SS Joniel Hernandez

The San Diego Padres made some strong additions to their pitching staff as well, including a last-minute deal that landed them Casey Mize and Gage Workman from the Detroit Tigers.

Mize was the first overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft, and he’s pitched to an incredible 2.70 ERA with a 0.99 WHIP through 16 starts this season. He’s followed up his 2025 All-Star campaign with another strong performance and is certainly a great pickup for the Padres.

San Diego acquired another impressive pitcher in 2021 AL Cy Young-winning left-hander Robbie Ray, who has been excellent for their division rival San Francisco Giants. Ray, also a 2025 All-Star, posted a 1.65 ERA over his final 10 starts heading into the deadline, making him a slam-dunk candidate to be moved from a struggling Giants squad.

Detroit gave up a promising young prospect in the Mize/Workman deal in left-handed pitcher Kash Mayfield. Mayfield has a 3.54 ERA across 53.1 innings at the High-A level and is now a borderline top five prospect for the Tigers. The Padres have a difficult task ahead of them, sitting at a 58-54 record heading into the deadline and trailing both the surging Diamondbacks and superstar Dodgers in the NL West.

One thing is certain: the Padres are clearly going for it this season and looking for their fifth postseason appearance in the last eight seasons. Surpassing the surging Diamondbacks and superstar Dodgers might be a tall task, but these acquisitions certainly bring them closer to making it happen than they otherwise would have been.