The time for Major League Baseball teams to make trades this season is over now that the trade deadline officially passed at 6:00 p.m. EDT on August 3rd. Many big-name players were traded to new teams in what was one of the busiest and most consequential trade deadlines in baseball history. Let's take a look at the biggest trades and evaluate where teams stand following the moves that were made.

Luke Weaver to the Pittsburgh Pirates

Terms:

• Pirates receive RHP Luke Weaver

• Mets receive SS Sammy Stafura

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 57-58, which means they are only 3.5 games out of a Wild Card spot. If they want to keep their playoff hopes alive, then they will need a better performance from their bullpen, which is tied for the seventh-most blown saves this season with 20. Luke Weaver can step in and immediately become Pittsburgh's closing pitcher. His 1.84 ERA is the best mark amongst Pirates players who have pitched at least 30 innings this year. If the Pirates can utilize Weaver properly and figure out how to hold onto late leads, then they might be able to make a late-season playoff push.

The New York Mets are clearly a lost cause. The fact that they can get value for Weaver is pretty incredible. They add Sammy Stafura, who is now New York's #11 ranked prospect. If the Mets end up parting ways with Francisco Lindor at some point, then they will have plenty of shortstops to step up and potentially take his place. Also, if closer Devin Williams can get back on track, then they won't end up missing Weaver's services all that much.

Luis Castillo to the Chicago White Sox

Terms:

• White Sox receive RHP Luis Castillo

• Mariners receive RHP Seranthony Domínguez, OF Nolan Jones, and C/OF Boston Smith (minors)

The White Sox have a three-game lead in the AL Central, so they needed to make some type of move to stay ahead of the Cleveland Guardians. They parted ways with a reliever, an outfielder, and a minor leaguer for another starting pitcher. Despite a high ERA, Castillo balances out Chicago's starting rotation by giving the Sox a third right-handed pitcher. Now, they have three righty and three lefty starters. And with multiple playoff starts over the last few years, Castillo's veteran presence and understanding of big-game situations will be a huge plus if the Sox do make the postseason.

Though Seattle is four games below .500, it is only two games back from a playoff spot. This trade frees up almost $30 million and brings in additional help for the bullpen, which is 24th in saves this season (25). Nolan Jones gives the outfield more depth and could be a decent replacement if the Mariners let Randy Arozarena walk in free agency. Lastly, Boston Smith becomes Seattle's #14 prospect and the farm system's second-best catcher if that's the position he decides to go with in the Majors.

Foster Griffin to the Cleveland Guardians

Terms:

• Guardians receive LHP Foster Griffin

• Nationals receive LHP Will Dion, LHP Josh Hartle, RHP Kendeglys Virguez, and OF Nick Mitchell

As a team that is best known for strong pitching (seventh in the league in ERA, 3.75), it makes sense that Cleveland would want to shore up its starting rotation. Griffin has a 3.06 ERA this season, which ranks second amongst the Guardians' starting pitchers. He also gives Cleveland another reliable lefty, which means more rest days in between starts for Parker Messick and Gavin Williams. The best part about this trade is that the Guardians didn't have to give up any starters in the deal. Every player they sent to Washington is a minor leaguer.

Not too long ago, the Nats were in the thick of the playoff race. Today, though, they are five games below .500 and have lost seven straight. Considering how stacked the National League is, it appears that Washington is waving the white flag on the 2026 season. That's why it makes sense that they would add three pitching prospects and a minor league outfielder. Unfortunately, this trade will be a tough pill for Nats fans to swallow since only one of the four guys they received is ranked as one of Washington's best prospects (Josh Hartle, #25). But that doesn't mean those other guys can't one day become good.

Dustin May and JoJo Romero to the Milwaukee Brewers

Terms:

• Brewers receive RHP Dustin May and LHP JoJo Romero

• Cardinals receive OF Alexander Frias and OF Carson Ragsdale

Though they missed out on landing Tarik Skubal, the Brewers still added two arms to their pitching rotation: starting righty Dustin May and lefty reliever JoJo Romero. May already has 106 strikeouts on the season, which is good for 53rd in the MLB. He will fit right in with a Milwaukee rotation that is second in the league in strikeouts this year (1,105). While JoJo Romero is dealing with a minor injury, he is one of just three left-handed relief pitchers on the Brewers' roster, so he will provide valuable depth to the bullpen later on in the season and during the playoffs.

The Cardinals seem to be in a similar situation to the Nationals. Though they have a better record (56-58), there's no way they will be able to catch the Cubs or Brewers for first place in the NL Central. Meanwhile, it seems unlikely they will earn a Wild Card berth. The Cards are admitting defeat on the season and planning for the future. They should be thrilled that they acquired Frias, who has emerged as the fourth-best prospect in St. Louis. Also, Ragsdale is now the third-best outfielder in the Cards' farm system.

Liam Hicks and Freddy Peralta to the Tampa Bay Rays

Terms for Hicks:

• Rays receive C/1B Liam Hicks

• Marlins receive INF Brayden Taylor, RHP Jacob Kisting, and SS Adrian Santana

This was one of the most exciting moves of the trade deadline. Out of all the players who have taken a swing this season as a designated hitter, Hicks ranks seventh in batting average (.282). He is also fifth amongst qualified DHs in slugging percentage (.432). With Yandy Diaz already manning the DH spot for the Rays, Hicks will probably slide in as the new starting catcher. Between Diaz, Hicks, and Junior Caminero, the Rays are well positioned to make a deep postseason run since Hicks will bring more power and efficient hitting to the back end of Tampa's starting lineup.

The Miami Marlins are not out of the playoff race just yet, but they do have an uphill battle. Even if the Marlins made the postseason, they probably weren't going to go on an extended run. Plus, Hicks' value will never be higher than it is right now. That's why they traded him. In return, they got three top-30 prospects to add to their farm system (#10 Taylor, #23 Kisting, and #29 Santana). Having talented young guys on cheap contracts will be incredibly important for Miami to remain competitive long-term.

Terms for Peralta:

• Rays receive RHP Freddy Peralta

• Mets receive OF Aidan Smith, 2B Émilien Pitre, and RHP Gary Gill Hill

If he can return to his Milwaukee Brewers form, then Freddy Peralta could end up becoming the second-best pitcher in Tampa's rotation. That idea doesn't seem so farfetched, since we're less than a year removed from the 2025 season, where Peralta had the seventh-best ERA in the Majors (2.70). Peralta was probably weighed down by the toxicity of playing for the New York Mets. In all likelihood, a new team and a winning situation will be the spark Peralta needs to return to his All-Star ways. Don't be surprised if his ERA drops from 4.99 to 4.00 over his next few starts.

As we mentioned previously, the Mets are nowhere close to being competitive this season, so they might as well try to get something in return for the investment they made into Peralta during the off-season. What they got for Peralta was less than what they sent away to trade for him. However, New York still came away from this deal with three top-30 prospects, which at least gives Mets fans something to feel hopeful about.

Luis García Jr. and Heliot Ramos to the New York Yankees

Terms for García:

• Yankees receive INF Luis García Jr.

• Nationals receive RHP Jake Bird, RHP Jack Cebert, RHP Ben Grable, and RHP Yovanny Cruz

The Yankees are dealing with injuries to several key offensive contributors, so they pulled the trigger on a 26-year-old first baseman to add some more firepower to the starting lineup. Not only is the kid a native New Yorker, but he's tied for 11th in the league in home runs (24), tied for 21st in batting average (.285), and ranks fifth in RBIs (78). The trade is already paying dividends because García had two hits, a home run, and two RBIs in his first game with the Yanks. Though he's only under a one-year contract, it wouldn't be surprising to see the Yankees offer him a long-term extension this coming off-season.

The Nationals' pitching woes have been well-documented, so they got a reliever and three highly-touted prospects in this deal. Granted, I would've held onto García since he is under team control through 2027, but I guess that's why I'm not an MLB general manager. They got a decent relief pitcher in Jake Bird. But the prospects are the really exciting part in this deal. Cebert, Grabel, and Cruz are now the #7, #11, and #13 pitchers in Washington's farm system. At least one of them will turn out to be a valuable contributor in the long-run.

Terms for Ramos:

• Yankees receive OF Heliot Ramos

• Giants receive LHP Henry Lalane and IF Kaeden Kent

As we just noted, the Yankees are dealing with injuries, and the outfield has been hit the worst amongst all of New York's position groups. Cody Bellinger, Aaron Judge, and Giancarlo Stanton are all currently on the injured list. Bellinger may only be there for 10 days, but we still don't have a return date for Aaron Judge. Ramos isn't the type of producer that the other three guys are, but he has a respectable .728 OPS this season, which will make up for some of the lost production from Aaron Judge. Plus, his .260 batting average would currently be good for 65th in the Majors.

The Giants are another team that has no reason to try and be competitive this season. They're 18 games below .500 and have the fifth-lowest winning percentage in all of baseball. There's no point in holding onto Ramos, when he will demand a new contract in the off-season. So, San Fran traded a guy they were probably not going to keep anyway for two top-30 prospects (#9 Lalane and #22 Kent). That's a pretty good move in my book.

Ryan Zeferjahn, Clay Holmes, Tyrone Taylor, Kevin Gausman to the Chicago Cubs

Terms for Zeferjahn:

• Cubs receive RHP Ryan Zeferjahn

• Angels receive C Moisés Ballesteros and RHP Mason McGwire

Because the Cubs made so many moves for pitchers, I'm going to keep the evaluation of each trade fairly brief. Zeferjah is a decent relief pitcher who should be able to fill in nicely for closer Daniel Palencia, who is on the injured list. He could eventually split closing duties with Palencia.

If they're not the worst, then the Angels are one of the worst groups in the MLB. They have no reason to hold on to Zeferjahn when they can get young prospects out of the deal. The jury is still out on Ballesteros, but the good news is that Mason McGwire is now the seventh-best right-handed pitching prospect in LA's farm system.

Terms for Taylor and Holmes:

• Cubs receive RHP Clay Holmes and OF Tyrone Taylor

• Mets receive INF Jefferson Rojas

The Cubs needed a bona fide starting pitcher, and Clay Holmes can be that guy in Chicago. Even though he's injured, his 2.39 ERA will be incredibly valuable to the Cubs' starting rotation when he returns to the field. In the meantime, Tyrone Taylor adds outfield depth, which is important since Matt Shaw is currently injured.

This was a win-win trade for both sides. The Mets have a new top prospect in their farm system, and his name is Jefferson Rojas. If there is baseball in 2027, he will likely take the field for New York sometime next year. If things continue to go south with Francisco Lindor, then Rojas will almost certainly be his eventual replacement.

Terms for Gausman:

• Cubs receive RHP Kevin Gausman

• Blue Jays receive INF Ty Southisene and OF Brett Bateman

Chicago is dealing with injuries to four different starting pitchers, which means Gausman can step in and temporarily be the team's ace. Gausman is less than a year removed from starting two World Series games, so he should easily be able to come in and provide quality starts in the regular season and the playoffs. The Cubs' pitching staff should be much better from here on out.

The Blue Jays are out of it. They're eight games below .500 and have five teams ahead of them for the last wild card spot in the American League. By getting rid of Gausman, who was having a down year compared to last season, they added two guys who are ranked in the top-20 in their farm system.

Robbie Ray and Casey Mize to the San Diego Padres

Terms for Ray:

• Padres receive LHP Robbie Ray and cash

• Giants receive RHP Miguel Mendez and SS Joniel Hernandez

The Padres are right there with the Arizona Diamondbacks, trailing them by one game for the last Wild Card spot in the National League. They needed pitching help considering they're currently tied for 15th in team ERA (4.15). Ray has a 3.08 ERA, which ranks 15th in the Majors among qualified pitchers. His ERA has been even better since the beginning of July (2.00). With two starters on the 60-day injured list, Robbie Ray will be one of the Padres' top-three pitchers for the remainder of the regular season. From there, it'll be interesting to see where he fits in the rotation, given his 7.43 career postseason ERA.

This was a good move that bolsters the Giants' farm system. Miguel Mendez is now the fourth-best right-handed pitcher in San Francisco's prospect pool. He could end up making his MLB debut next season (if there even is a season). Plus, Joniel Hernandez is the best pure shortstop in the Giants' farm system. He's still years away from making his MLB debut, but he's only 17 and has the tools needed to play almost anywhere on a baseball field.

Terms for Mize:

• Padres receive RHP Casey Mize and INF Gage Workman

• Tigers receive LHP Kash Mayfield and LHP Jackson Wolf

Tarik Skubal was the superstar pitcher in Detroit, but Casey Mize was arguably the second-best arm in the Tigers' rotation. He has a fantastic 2.70 ERA this season and a WHIP of 0.992. Statistically speaking, that makes Mize the best starting pitcher in San Diego. For now, Michael King will probably continue to be the Padres' number-one pitcher since he has a rapport with the catchers and the rest of the team, but the expectation is that Casey Mize will eventually emerge as the team's ace. Gage Workman was a throw-in part of this deal, but he provides more depth at the third base spot.

Following the Tarik Skubal trade, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that the Tigers decided to part ways with Mize, who will likely demand a long-term contract extension when the season ends. The Tigers are probably not going to make the playoffs now that they got rid of their two best pitchers, so they are building for the future by adding Kash Mayfield, who is the best lefty pitcher in Detroit's prospect pool.

Luis Arraez to the Philadelphia Phillies

Terms:

• Phillies receive INF Luis Arraez and RHP Caleb Kilian

• Giants receive RHP Ramon Marquez and RHP Marty Gair (High-A)

This is where we start to get into the biggest splash moves of the trade deadline. The Phillies needed to respond to the Dodgers' trades, so they made a deal for one of the most efficient hitters in baseball. We know that Philadelphia has a lot of power hitting in its lineup with Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper, but Luis Arraez has the second-best batting average in the Majors this season (.325). Among qualifying second basemen, he's first in hits (138), third in slugging percentage (.443), and third in OPS (.804). Not only will he be Philadelphia's new starting second baseman, but Arraez also provides reliable hitting further down the lineup. The fact that they also added Caleb Killian as another relief pitcher is just the cherry on top of this baseball sundae.

Acquiring Marty Gair doesn't move the needle much, but Roman Marquez should have fans excited in the Bay Area. He may be only 20 years old, but he's already the most promising pitcher in the Giants' farm system. Considering San Francisco's top-four pitching prospects are expected to be called up to the big show in 2028, at least one of those guys should emerge as a long-term starter.

Adley Rutschman to the Boston Red Sox

Terms:

• Red Sox receive C Adley Rutschman, C Jake Rogers, and cash considerations

• Orioles receive RHP Anthony Eyanson, RHP Kyson Witherspoon, OF Enddy Azocar, C Carlos Narváez, and a player to be named later or cash considerations

The Red Sox had to part with several high-quality prospects, but it was worth it to add an All-Star-level catcher in Adley Rutschman. Since making his MLB debut, the 28-year-old has won a Silver Slugger Award, played in three All-Star Games, and was named to the 2023 All-MLB First Team. Coming into the trade deadline, there were understandable concerns in Boston regarding the catcher spot. Now, though, with Rutschman and Jake Rogers, that position went from negative to a positive. More importantly, this trade shows that the Red Sox believe they are a legitimate threat to win the World Series, or - at the very least- make the playoffs. With firm control of the second wild card spot in the American League, the Sox are poised to make a deep run in the AL when the postseason begins.

It is understandably disappointing to move a franchise cornerstone like Rutschman. However, the Orioles were one of the most disappointing teams in baseball with him on the roster. It wouldn't make sense to hold onto him for the rest of the season when he would likely just leave in free agency. By making this move, Eyanson becomes the top prospect in Baltimore's farm system. Beyond that, Kyson Witherspoon is the Orioles' #7 prospect, while Enddy Azocar comes in at #8. Plus, they get back a starting catcher in Carlos Narváez.

Kris Bubic and Tarik Skubal to the Los Angeles Dodgers

Terms for Bubic:

• Dodgers receive LHP Kris Bubic

• Royals receive RHP Carlos Duran (Minors)

The Dodgers' bullpen hasn't been bad this season, but it also hasn't been elite. With Edwin Díaz on the 15-day injured list, they needed another good closer, so Los Angeles traded for Bubic, who was an All-Star just a year ago. Bubic has been dealing with injuries the last two seasons, so his value was not very high at the trade deadline. This is a low-risk, high-reward trade for the Dodgers. If it doesn't work out, then it's not a big deal because they still have Díaz. But if Bubic does return to All-Star form, then Los Angeles will have one of the best bullpens in the Majors.

In all likelihood, Bubic would've left in free agency after the season. He was probably going to demand a lofty extension, and the Royals are not in a position to pay a lot of money to a reliever who has underperformed this season. I get why they moved on from him, but it feels like they could've gotten more than just Carlos Duran, who was really bad in the one start he made for the Athletics last year.

Terms for Skubal:

• Dodgers receive LHP Tarik Skubal

• Tigers receive Zyhir Hope, RHP River Ryan, and RHP Brady Smith

THEY CAN'T KEEP GETTING AWAY WITH IT!!! The rich get richer as the Dodgers land one of the best pitchers in baseball over the last three seasons for pennies on the dollar. With this addition, the Dodgers boast one of the most intimidating starting rotations ever assembled. Tarik Skubal is the new ace, but Yoshinobu Yamamoto is a stud who was named the 2025 World Series MVP. It feels like the Dodgers barely had to give up anything to land Skubal. The sad truth is that, unlike the Tampa Bay Rays and Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles doesn't need to rely on its farm system to produce MLB-quality starters. They can just trade away unproven prospects and acquire high-level players whom they can afford to sign to long-term contracts in the off-season. Why should the Dodgers bank on a prospect working out, when they can just trade away three of them for a guy like Skubal, who has already shown he can be one of the best players in baseball? The Dodgers were already the favorites to win the World Series this season. Now, it feels like a third straight Dodgers World Series victory is inevitable.

These are horrible optics for the Detroit Tigers' owners. Who cares that they landed three top-15 prospects? Tarik Skubal has been one of the best players in recent Tigers history! Yeah, Tarik Skubal is great, but River Ryan and Kash Mayfield could be anything! They could even be Tarik Skubal!! This trade couldn't look worse for the Tigers.

The truly mind-boggling part about this whole ordeal is that it all but ensures that there will be a lockout next season. Right now, the collective bargaining agreement between the league and the MLB Players' Association is set to expire on December 2nd, 2026. With the Dodgers' wild spending, MLB owners are likely going to demand that a salary cap be instated, but the players will never agree to that because it will limit their potential future earnings. Owners will argue that their teams can't compete with the likes of the Dodgers, who have all the money in the world to spend. Therefore, the MLB needs to create a salary cap so that the Dodgers can't simply outspend every other franchise for free agents. But - as we just mentioned - the MLBPA will never agree to a salary cap. With both sides refusing to budge on this issue, a new CBA seems highly unlikely. And without a new collective bargaining agreement, baseball will not be played in 2027. So, thank you, cheap owners, for ruining baseball.