It’s less than one week from the Aug. 3 MLB trade deadline -- and this year’s edition needs a kick start to get the action going.
While we wait for this summer’s first blockbuster deal, we asked our MLB experts to give us their best trade proposal for some of the hottest names swirling in the deadline rumor mill with the only rule being they have to be on our latest ranking of the top 100 MLB trade candidates.
Where did our experts send Tarik Skubal and Mason Miller? Which teams landed an impact bat? And what should the teams most in need of a boost in the next week do? Let’s dig in.
Tarik Skubal blockbusters
Detroit Tigers trade Skubal to Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers recognize the opportunity this season presents. They haven’t won a World Series in their 58 years of existence, and they are in the midst of a season in which they’ve got the game’s most dominant pitcher in Jacob Misiorowski, a deep well of arms beyond him, a lineup with depth and good gloves aplenty. This is the time to push, so how about a package of RHP Logan Henderson, 2B Josh Adamczewski and infielder Ricki Moneys for Skubal.
And as painful as it would be to give up a good rotation piece in Henderson, a surefire big leaguer in Adamczewski and a high-ceiling talent in Moneys, Milwaukee’s farm depth allows this sort of deal. Models don’t like it, but this isn’t the time to listen to them. It’s time to headline a rotation with Skubal and Misiorowski and let the rest take care of itself. -- Jeff Passan
Detroit Tigers trade Skubal to the Tampa Bay Rays
I love when small payroll teams go for it, so the Brewers or Rays are my favorite potential Skubal destinations; both have the farm system to make it happen comfortably. My assumption is OF Theo Gillen is off the table, but anyone else could be considered other than 2026 draftees who aren’t eligible to be traded, so let’s send C Caden Bodine, SS Cooper Flemming, RHP Michael Forret back to Detroit.
Fans underrate how often deals for players such as Skubal are less about how good the top player is (usually none of the top 50 prospects in the sport is on the table), but more about how many top 150 or top 200 prospects a team can get into the offer to manage the risk, ideally with more position players than pitchers; that’s what this deal does.
Teams like to trade for players from recent drafts because they had organization-wide discussions and meetings/workouts with the player along with fresh data; Bodine was the No. 30 pick in the 2025 draft and Flemming was the No. 53 overall pick in the same draft. Both are arrow-up since then, with Bodine easily in my top 100 and Flemming likely on the list, too; both also fit the general trends the Tigers tend to follow in the draft of lefty/switch-hitters at up-the-middle positions. Forret is in Triple-A with starter traits and could potentially take Skubal’s rotation spot next season. -- Kiley McDaniel
Mason Miller blockbusters
San Diego Padres trade Miller to Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee’s farm system is so full, it’s bordering on gluttonous. A return of Josh Adamczewski, Braylon Payne, Bishop Letson and Sal Frelick would be a healthy one for San Diego, while the Brewers get the opportunity to acquire baseball’s best reliever -- one who can influence four pennant races -- without surrendering any of their top five prospects, according to ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel top 10 list.
Without adding an impact piece at this deadline, the greatest two-year stretch in Brewers history could ultimately be remembered as little more than a footnote thanks to the Dodgers’ dominance. -- Paul Hembekides
San Diego Padres trade Miller to Chicago White Sox
Much of the ChiSox trade speculation has centered around rotation additions. They definitely could use a starter, but they don’t need to take a big swing with that group. They would get more out of adding Miller as the ultimate back-of-the-bullpen hammer, not just for the stretch run and (possibly) the playoffs, but for at least the next three seasons, during which Miller is under club control.
The Padres need to build out their system for general manager A.J. Preller’s next spree and the White Sox are a good match for San Diego in this regard. After landing Roch Cholowsky with the No. 1 pick in the draft, Chicago is positioned to tap into its organizational depth in the infield so I could see a deal here centered around Billy Carlson (ideally) or Caleb Bonemer (if that’s what it takes). It’s aggressive, but Miller is really good and would be more than just a rental. -- Bradford Doolittle
Deals for star hitters
New York Mets trade Francisco Lindor to New York Yankees
You don’t normally see players going from the Mets to the Yankees, especially not stars of this caliber. But in this fantasy world we’re operating, emotions aren’t a factor.
The Yankees need to address shortstop and could use another difference-making player with Aaron Judge nursing a rib injury. Lindor, who has full no-trade protection at this point, can stay in New York and play for a contender. And the Mets would be able to shed a big contract while breaking up the Lindor dynamic with Juan Soto, which clearly is not working.
How much of Lindor’s remaining contract -- five years and $160 million after this season -- the Mets are willing to absorb will impact what kind of talent they want back. The Yankees wouldn’t offer George Lombard Jr. -- who can come up and play third base, another position of need. But maybe they can offer another shortstop in Dax Kilby, last year’s No. 39 overall pick. -- Jorge Castillo
Houston Astros trade Jeremy Pena to Boston Red Sox
It’s remarkable that Boston’s winning streak came with Tsung-Che Cheng starting at shortstop -- after all, he was claimed four times on waivers this offseason (the Rays, Mets, Nationals and finally the Red Sox) and was essentially fifth on the Boston depth chart at the position. Which means: Pena would be the perfect addition for the Red Sox. He’s an upgrade on defense and would give the lineup a much-needed right-handed bat. He’s under team control for another season, which allows the Red Sox flexibility with top prospect Franklin Arias.
While reports indicate the Astros are unlikely to conduct a complete teardown, this doesn’t have to be that type of trade. Maybe Mayer is part of the trade. The Red Sox have pitching prospects such as Anthony Eyanson and Kyson Witherspoon who should interest the Astros. On paper, this looks like a no-brainer for both teams. -- David Schoenfield
Minnesota Twins trade Byron Buxton to Philadelphia Phillies
Buxton has been long-rumored to be a Phillies target, and it makes sense, being that his skill set would address multiple of the team’s shortcomings -- and in this fantasy world, he is willing to waive his no-trade clause.
He’s a great-to-elite defensive center fielder, whereas the Phillies are one of the majors’ worst defensive teams and down an outfielder besides with Adolis Garcia lost to the season. Buxton also has a potent right-handed bat, whereas the Phillies have the game’s worst wOBA from that side (.280).
Our package going back to Minnesota features OF Justin Crawford and SPs Gage Wood and Cade Obermueller. Crawford gives the Twins a potential long-term replacement for Buxton, and Wood and Obermueller provide future pieces for a rotation that has been bottom 10 in ERA in each of the past three seasons. -- Tristan Cockcroft
Minnesota Twins trade Ryan Jeffers to New York Yankees
Ryan Jeffers has made sense for the Yankees since the offseason when a right-handed-hitting catcher was an obvious need. Now that need is glaring for New York, whose catchers have combined for the second-lowest OPS and wRC+ in the majors this season. The question is will the Twins, just 2½ games out of a playoff spot, unload the impending free agent at his peak value? It doesn’t sound like it. A source recently told ESPN that owner Tom Pohlad intends to keep the team together.
One could argue that the Twins should attempt to thread the needle. They have scored the most runs in the AL with Jeffers playing in just 44 games due to a hamate fracture and they used their top two picks in this year’s draft on catchers, including No. 3 overall on Vahn Lackey. They could move Jeffers, who is enjoying a career season and in line for a hefty contract this offseason, and address weaknesses, especially the bullpen, for the stretch run. It could come down to how the next 10 days play out. -- Jorge Castillo
Deals for starting rotation help
Cincinnati Reds trade Brady Singer to Chicago White Sox
The White Sox are likely to be aggressive at the deadline but how much money they can absorb is another question. Robbie Ray is costly. Singer is less so. He’ll be due around $4 million for the final couple of months and can fit nicely into the back of the rotation.
The prospect needed should be someone just outside Chicago’s top 10 and RHP Mason Adams fits that bill as he’s just back from Tommy John surgery. It’s a flier on a decent-looking prospect, if he’s back to his presurgery form, for Cincinnati in exchange for a short-term fix for Chicago. -- Jesse Rogers
New York Mets trade Clay Holmes to Chicago White Sox
The White Sox are legit, especially with their offense in a wide-open AL, and they need more starting pitching. Holmes is quite legit, too, when healthy, and he can pitch in multiple roles. He would fit in nicely as Chicago’s No. 3 starter, and he has playoff experience as a reliever.
David Sandlin, whom the Sox traded for last offseason, throws hard and he might have a bright future, but he isn’t helping in 2026. He would help the Mets next year. -- Eric Karabell
