Tarik Skubal<\/p>\n
Indications are that the Tigers won\u2019t trade Skubal, but until 6:01 p.m. ET on Aug. 3, his name will be hanging over this year\u2019s trade deadline. The Tigers have a long way to go to reach the postseason and risk their most prized asset walking away into free agency with nothing but draft pick compensation coming back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Skubal missed more than a month this season after having loose bodies removed from his pitching elbow. Since his return on June 13, the two-time reigning AL Cy Young winner has rounded into form and remains one of the game\u2019s most dominant pitchers. He entered this week 6\u20135 with a 2.83 ERA, a 0.93 WHIP and 98 strikeouts against 11 walks in 82 \u2154 innings.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Despite his status as a rental, acquiring Skubal won\u2019t be cheap. Maybe the Tigers opt to hold him, but the smart move would be to get as much in return as they can.<\/p>\n
Craig Breslow\u00a0<\/p>\n
A 15-game winning streak has catapulted the Red Sox from afterthought to contender as we approach the deadline, and now general manager Craig Breslow has decisions to make. Does he go all-in to continue this run, or stay the course? Frankly, the results of whatever he chooses will determine his job status at the end of the season.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Red Sox desperately need a right-handed bat and an upgrade at catcher. How much, if any, of his prospect capital is Breslow willing to surrender in search of contention? He\u2019ll be closely watched over the next two weeks.\u00a0<\/p>\n
George Lombard Jr.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Yankees are signaling they will be all-in on this season despite not having Aaron Judge healthy. If that\u2019s true, they\u2019ll need to add to a roster that feels incomplete as currently constructed. New York needs an upgrade at catcher, multiple bullpen arms and potentially another starting pitcher. Filling those needs will put pressure on Brian Cashman to put his best prospects in play to land the significant upgrades needed to compete with MLB\u2019s top contender. George Lombard Jr. is the guy every team will ask about.<\/p>\n
Lombard is the Yankees\u2019 top prospect and is not far from the big leagues. The 21-year-old shortstop entered the week slashing .244\/.388\/.415 with five home runs, 16 RBIs and a 116 wRC+ in 44 Triple A games this season. In 66 games across three levels this year, he boasts an .893 OPS and 11 home runs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cashman will have to decide if a shot at a deep run this year is worth potentially moving guys like Lombard, Dax Kilby and Carlos Lagrange.<\/p>\n
A.J. Preller<\/p>\n
The other 29 MLB teams are always in a constant state of expecting A.J. Preller to make a big deal. Even rumors of megatrades can set the league buzzing, as they did this offseason when the Padres and Mets discussed a potential big swap that never materialized. Preller will almost certainly swing some deals ahead of this year\u2019s deadline, but we may be seeing a different strategy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Padres have been all-in all the time since 2020 and, frankly, it hasn\u2019t worked. While watching countless future All-Stars go to other teams, San Diego has had unprecedented success as an organization but has been nowhere near the goal of winning a championship. The results of those short-sighted deals are now apparent. The Padres now possess an expensive, aging roster that has played uninspired baseball for much of the 2026 season. The team is missing too many pieces to make a legitimate World Series run. Buying would make no sense.\u00a0<\/p>\n
With a new ownership group coming in, it may be time to move some pieces and retool with an eye toward the future.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Will Preller go against his nature and sell at the deadline? It will be fascinating to see what happens.\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"Minnesota](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01ky69a7jfa0ey044f7m.jpg\" "\\"Minnesota")
<\/p>\n
Along with Skubal, Joe Ryan will be among the most sought-after starting pitchers heading into this year’s trade deadline. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n
Joe Ryan<\/p>\n
If Skubal isn\u2019t traded, Joe Ryan becomes the top starting pitcher available on the market. Regardless of what the Tigers decide to do, the 30-year-old righty should bring back a haul for the Twins.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After solid seasons in 2024 and \u201825, Ryan has taken things to another level this year. The two-time All-Star is 6\u20136 with a 3.38 ERA, a 1.10 WHIP, and 131 strikeouts against 25 walks in 114 1\/3 innings.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ryan\u2019s contract carries a $13 million mutual option for 2027 that he\u2019s almost certain to decline, so he\u2019ll be a rental. Given that we\u2019re almost certain to see a seller\u2019s market for starting pitching, Minnesota would be wise to take advantage. They should receive an excellent package in return.\u00a0<\/p>\n
David Stearns<\/p>\n
I was confused by David Stearns\u2019s moves this offseason<\/a>, and things have been far worse than even I imagined. The team\u2019s president of baseball operations has repeatedly made massive mistakes that have taken the Mets from a potential contender to a cautionary tale. Now he has to decide what\u2019s next.\u00a0<\/p>\n New York is out of contention and set to sell at the deadline. Luckily for Stearns, he has plenty of pieces teams will be eager to acquire. Freddy Peralta, whom he landed in a big trade this offseason, likely tops the list, and it looks like his time in Queens will be brief. Fellow offseason addition Luke Weaver could also be on his way out, as could starter Clay Holmes and relievers Brooks Raley, A.J. Minter and Huascar Brazob\u00e1n.\u00a0<\/p>\n Then there are the guys with big contracts who are dramatically underperforming. Could Stearns get bold and find a buyer for Bo Bichette or Francisco Lindor? Stranger things have happened and this is likely to be a seller\u2019s market.\u00a0<\/p>\n What Stearns does in the next two weeks could wind up defining his tenure with the Mets. He has a chance to retool his roster and restock his farm system if he\u2019s aggressive. It would give him the chance at a reset and to make up for the many mistakes he\u2019s made to this point.<\/p>\n Mason Miller<\/p>\n Mason Miller is the no-doubt best relilef pitcher in baseball and is poised to be that guy for the foreseeable future. The Padres star is not just the league\u2019s top closer; he\u2019s likely the most unhittable hurler in the game. In 40 games this season, Miller is 2\u20131 with a 0.86 ERA, a 0.86 WHIP, 25 saves in 25 chances and 78 strikeouts in 41 1\/3 innings. Among pitchers who have thrown at least 40 innings, he leads MLB in ERA, FIP (0.51), strikeouts per nine (16.85), strikeout rate (48.8%) and average fastball velocity (101.3 mph).\u00a0<\/p>\n Several contenders covet him, thanks not only to his elite stuff, but also due to the fact he won\u2019t be a free agent until after the 2029 campaign.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Padres acquired Miller at last year\u2019s deadline in a trade that made little sense<\/a>. San Diego already possessed the best bullpen in baseball and an elite closer in Robert Su\u00e1rez. Despite that, GM A.J. Preller vastly overpaid to add Miller. Rumors suggest that with the Padres far from World Series contention, Preller is willing to recoup some of the value he lost when he traded for Miller last year.\u00a0<\/p>\n There\u2019s no guarantee that a deal happens, but Miller\u2019s name will be one of the biggest connected to possible trades. The market for closers may be held up by teams waiting to see if Preller will actually deal him.<\/p>\n Paul Toboni<\/p>\n Paul Toboni has benefitted from many of the deals his predecessor Mike Rizzo made to set the Nationals up for the future. While Rizzo was fired last year with Washington out of contention, this year\u2019s squad has arguably the best offense in baseball and is in contention for a wild-card spot. Few expected this outcome.\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/assets.minutemediacdn.com\/platform\/google_discover_icon.svg\"){kind=icon}
Add us as a preferred source on Google