Major League Baseball 2026 Trade Deadline Review & Predictions
The 2026 Major League Baseball trade deadline might see many last-minute deals, similar to 2024, when teams exceeded expectations with key trades. Stay tuned.
Video Transcript
Let's not forget- Yeah we got a trade deadline still in Major League Baseball- True too here, Craig, which, you know, mo- we always say this every year.
It's like, "Oh boy, get ready.
Teams are gonna load up."
And then usually inevitably the trade deadline comes and goes and we're like, "Eh, that, it really wasn't what I thought it was gonna be."
There aren't really big, big names that move the needle you're expecting, this trade deadline, is there?
I think the 2024 trade deadline lived up to the billing.
There were, like, 40 trades- or something like that.
So, not to defend the, the deadline, but it- two years ago we did have a monster one.
Yeah.
Last year, not as much.
You know, I, I don't know what we're gonna get this year, Joe.
There's a lot of factors playing into this thing.
They say the collective bargaining agreement is the main factor.
I think that's the second factor.
I think the- main factor of all, Joe, is you have 23 teams that are still alive for the playoffs in Major League Baseball.
How do you figure out how those 23 teams are gonna poach guys from the seven teams that are not?
Like, I- it's, it's impossible.
Everyone's gonna be fighting each other for those players.
So what does that mean?
It means we still will have a trade deadline.
It means those seven teams, maybe eight, maybe nine by the time this goes off in, in a week and a half, maybe there'll be more trades.
But it also means this, Joe, it's going down to the last minute.
If, if you're one of these teams- Yeah why would you take an offer now on any player when you have 20, 22 organizations that are willing to play this right down to the wire?
So I know we want action in this industry.
We want fun.
I remember when, you know, when Ya- when everyone was saying Giannis had to get traded at the deadline.
He has to- Yeah or they're gonna l- l- lose their leverage.
Remember that?
Why?
Because we want- Yeah transactions?
We wanna come on a show like this and talk about it?
Get the bleep outta here.
They opened up the door to every team in the NBA as soon as the season ended, and the Heat gave them the best offer.
A lot of times the best offers in sports come in the off-season because you simply don't know who's gonna be in, Joe, who's gonna be out.
Who's to say, I'll give you a team.
Who's to say, Joe, next year that the Cincinnati Reds don't wanna spend 200 million?
Do you know?
No.
Do I know?
No.
I don't know.
So wh- why wouldn't they wait?
Why wouldn't some teams wait until the end of the season to make those sort of things?
But, you know, Luis Arias of the Giants is a player that I would almost assure you will be dealt.
The Mets will have some players to be traded.
The A's will.
The Rockies will.
And then, Joe, we're starting to get thin here.
Like at that point, who's in?
Who's out?
I think that's predominantly the reason you're gonna see very little until August the 2nd or August the 3rd.
Well, I think you first also, it depends on who considers themselves still alive.
Who are sellers?
Who are buyers?
And I think the team at the top is Detroit.
What are you, Detroit?
You've been playing much better- I don't know baseball over the last month that you got a little bit healthier.
But, y- are you trading Skubal at the deadline?
Nobody's I- Half the time you hear, "Yes, Skubal's gonna wear a different uniform."
Half the time you hear, "No."
what about Mize?
Is Mize in the long-term pl- You know, there are some teams, I don't know, Craig, and maybe this is because parity is running rampant or maybe like you said, maybe teams are just saying, "You know what?
With the, looming lockout possibly coming up, maybe we just..." Nobody's a seller at this point.
But it, I, I think a lot of this is all gonna come down to figuring out which teams are saying, "You know what?
Now's the time to hit the reset button and move on."
'Cause if Detroit is one of them, that's a team there's a lot of teams gonna be calling and trying to make moves.
Right.
But, but Joe, that's a great point.
Think about it if you're Detroit right now.
What is the advantage of doing a deal now?
None.
Right.
You may as well wait, right, until the last second, until you have to make that deal.
No one wants to hear it because, they think that people like us just wanna, you know, hype things up or get clicks.
I'm giving you the reality of the situation.
The Tigers' best course of action is to wait until 5:59 Eastern Time on trade deadline day to make a deal.
Now, if you want my opinion on this, I think the Tigers will look in the mirror and they'll play 500 ball over the next 10 days, and I think that they will trade Skubal at the deadline.
I do.
And I think it's gonna be a tough deal for Detroit, it'll be a tough deal for their fans, but it is the right deal to make.
They're not a good team.
A- and maybe they're a little bit above average.
They can look at Cleveland, Joe, and point to the Guardians and say, "Hey, that team won 10 games in a row and ended up beating us in September," and say, "Why can't we be the same team?"
They're not.
They're not that good.
They're not.
Nope.
So I would anticipate it, but let's not get excited about it until 5:59 Eastern on trade deadline day.
Yep.
Because that's when they're gonna decide whether or Well, they'll, they'll decide a couple days before that they're gonna do it, but they're not gonna make that trade until they absolutely have to at the last minute.
But I do think he'll be moved and, when he's pitching for the Dodgers in a few weeks, you'll be very excited to see him pitching in LA as well.
