Grading the Top 5 Trades of the 2026 MLB Trade Deadline
I didn’t get to talk too much about the MLB Trade Deadline because of my 100th article, but I still wanted to go back and grade the top 5 trades of the deadline from both teams’ perspectives. So, let's start with No. 5.
5) Clay Holmes, Tyrone Taylor: Mets → Cubs
The Cubs were pretty active at the deadline, adding Kevin Gausman and two other pitchers in separate deals. (Thank you, Jed Hoyer.)
The Mets got the Cubs’ No. 1 prospect, 3B/SS Jefferson Rojas. Rojas is having a bit of a down year, hitting .269 with a .799 OPS, but I still think he has a legitimate chance to become a big-league regular. His defense is a big reason why.
Taylor absolutely mashes lefties, hitting .290 against them, but outside of that, he’s having one of his worst offensive seasons. He still brings some solid tools, though, including 29 sprint speed and arm strength that ranks in the top 15% of baseball.
Clay Holmes is an interesting one. He has a 2.86 ERA, but is just 4-5 with a 1.165 WHIP. He’s also a two-time All-Star who has dealt with injuries, so I’m curious to see what he can do at Wrigley. The more pitcher-friendly park and better defense behind him certainly shouldn’t hurt.
Mets grade: B-
Cubs grade: B
4) Luis Arraez, Caleb Kilian: Giants → Phillies
There was never really much doubt that the Giants were going to sell at the deadline. It was just a matter of who they were willing to move.
The Giants got two pitching prospects in return: Ramon Marquez and Marty Gair.
Marquez was previously ranked as the No. 7 prospect in the Giants’ system, and his numbers this year have been excellent: a 2.14 ERA and 0.83 WHIP in 2026.
Gair’s numbers are pretty solid, although the 4.50-ish ERA definitely sticks out. He isn’t a highly touted prospect, but he did recently win Pitcher of the Month in the minors.
Caleb Kilian, on the other hand, is pretty much a failed experiment. He’s already been through three organizations in four years, and each time he’s struggled to keep his ERA under 4.00 or his WHIP under 1.30.
Luis Arraez could win his fourth batting title in five years. I don't think I need to explain what Arraez brings to the table. He has basically zero power, is an average runner and a little above-average fielder, but he’s an elite contact hitter who gets on base a ton. For a team trying to win in October, it's hard to ask for a better contact hitter.
Giants grade: C
Phillies grade: B+
3) Adley Rutschman, Jake Rogers: Orioles → Red Sox
This one shocked the baseball world. A lot.
I already made a YouTube video on this trade (you can check it out here), but of course I wanted to share my thoughts here too.
The Orioles got an absolute haul from the Red Sox: Anthony Eyanson, Kyson Witherspoon, Enddy Azocar, Carlos Narváez and Harold Rivas.
Anthony Eyanson, ranked the No. 49 prospect on MLB Pipeline, has been dominant this year, going 4-0 with a 1.32 ERA and a 0.89 WHIP through 16 starts.
Kyson Witherspoon has a fastball that can reach 98 miles per hour and a pretty deep pitch mix. Scouts love him and believe he could become a very good big-league pitcher.
Enddy Azocar has been tearing up High-A, hitting 18 home runs with an .881 OPS and a .540 slugging percentage.
Carlos Narváez is a defense-first backup catcher who struggles badly offensively, but he can still provide some solid defensive depth.
Harold Rivas is an 18-year-old outfielder who was the No. 32 prospect in the 2025 international signing class. He was also ranked as Boston’s No. 13 prospect this year by MLB Pipeline. He has 60/80 grade speed and a .429 SLG in 2026.
Adley Rutschman was just activated from the IL, but he’s been nowhere near his 2023 peak. So far with the Red Sox, he’s hitting just .167.
Note: Catcher Jake Rogers was just claimed off waivers and is headed to the White Sox.
Orioles grade: A
Red Sox grade: D
2) Freddy Peralta: Mets → Rays
The Rays missed out on Skubal (who I will get to in a minute) but they did acquire his replacement in Peralta.
The Mets received 3 prospects in return.
Smith is 22 and has a .672 OPS this season. His defense is probably his biggest strength right now, but there are still plenty of questions about whether he'll hit enough.
Gary Gill is a 21-year-old right-handed pitching prospect who has recorded a 4.49 ERA across 20 starts this season. He has struck out 87 batters over 108.1 innings.
Emilien Pitre is a 23-year-old infield prospect who has posted an .855 OPS across 88 games this season, along with 70 walks and 32 stolen bases. He has been particularly impressive in Double-A, where he owns a .943 OPS, making him the prospect with the most potential in the deal.
Peralta is having the worst season of his career, posting a 5.33 ERA and 1.50 WHIP. Still, he’s a two-time All-Star and had an ERA under 4.00 in each of the previous three seasons. I wouldn't bet on this being the version of Peralta we see for long.
Mets grade: C+
Rays grade: B-
1) Tarik Skubal: Tigers → Dodgers
I’m sorry, Tigers fans, but the Tigers absolutely got fleeced in this trade.
I also made a YouTube video about this trade (watch it here if you want), but I wanted to share my thoughts here as well.
The Tigers received three prospects from Los Angeles:
Zyhir Hope has a chance to develop into a future All-Star, and his production so far gives him a pretty strong case for that kind of upside.
River Ryan made his MLB debut with the Dodgers in 2024 and looked really promising before suffering an elbow injury that kept him out for nearly two years. He returned this year and has posted a 4.46 ERA over 36⅓ innings at Triple-A.
Brady Smith has racked up 117 strikeouts in roughly 80 innings. The problem is that his results haven't matched the strikeout numbers. He has a 4.31 ERA, a 1-7 record this season, and a career record of just 1-10.
As for Tarik Skubal, he currently has a 2.93 ERA and a 0.929 WHIP. Those numbers are obviously impressive, but this has actually been a down year for Skubal compared to what we've seen from him recently. In 2024 and 2025, he was among the MLB leaders in virtually every major pitching metric. I wouldn't be surprised if we see another dominant Skubal season in 2027.
Tigers grade: D
Dodgers grade: A+
Thanks for reading!