2026 MLB Trade Deadline Preview: Buyers, Sellers & Baseball’s Biggest Questions
Author’s Note: Before we dive in, I’d be doing both myself and Mentally on IR a disservice if I didn’t mention this.
Mentally on IR was the first outlet to report the Dodgers acquiring Tarik Skubal, more than two hours before the national confirmations. About two hours later, Jeff Passan and Jon Heyman decided to join the party.
Better late than never.
In all seriousness, it was a huge moment for this brand. If you’ve read, shared, commented, or supported Mentally on IR in any way, thank you. Moments like this are exactly why I started this site, and hopefully it’s just the first of many.
Now…
The biggest fish is off the board.
Tarik Skubal is officially a Dodger.
Because of course he is.
Every trade deadline, baseball fans convince themselves this is finally the year the Dodgers won’t land the biggest name available.
Every trade deadline, Andrew Friedman reminds everyone why he’s one of the best executives in baseball.
The rich just got richer.
But here’s the scary part.
The trade deadline didn’t end with the Skubal deal.
It started.
The Dodgers have officially put the rest of baseball into panic mode.
Every contender that missed out is now staring at the board asking themselves the same question.
Now what?
Because once the biggest prize comes off the board, the price for everyone else immediately goes up.
Yesterday’s overpay is today’s market value.
If you’re the Twins, Brewers, Marlins, Orioles, or any other team holding valuable pieces, congratulations.
You just got a raise.
The Yankees don’t need pitching.
They’ve had pitching.
They need hitters.
A catcher.
A third baseman.
A shortstop.
Aaron Judge can only carry an offense so far before October rolls around and everyone starts blaming him for not hitting .400 against playoff pitching. Maybe, just maybe, asking one guy to drag an entire lineup through October isn’t the greatest roster construction strategy. That said, Judge needs to be better in October.
If Brian Cashman wants another parade in the Bronx, he should be shopping for bats. Plural.. BATS.
The Phillies still need another late inning bullpen arm.
The Cubs continue to be baseball’s biggest mystery.
Are they buying?
Are they selling?
I honestly don’t think they know.
Then there are the Mets.
The Dodgers just landed Tarik Skubal.
The Phillies are almost certainly going to improve.
The Braves are always lurking.
And David Stearns?
As of right now, it feels like he’s sitting in his office with his thumb firmly planted with his thumb up his butt.
The Mets have been a dumpster fire from Opening Day on.
And we sit here, waiting for the fire sale to begin.
Steve Cohen didn’t buy the Mets so everyone could admire how patient the front office is.
This isn’t the time to admire your prospect rankings.
It’s time to improve the baseball franchise and the only way to do that is to tear it all down.
Sorry David Stearns, you’re 7 infielder strategy and playing guys out of position all over the diamond has been a colossal failure.
Then there’s San Diego.
Every season someone convinces themselves A.J. Preller is finally going to sell.
Every season A.J. Preller convinces himself he’s one move away from a parade.
Maybe this is finally the year the Padres decide to cash in some assets.
I’ll believe it when I see it.
History says Preller would rather double down than fold.
The beauty of the MLB Trade Deadline isn’t the blockbuster itself.
It’s everything that happens afterward.
One trade changes the entire market.
General managers start making calls they weren’t planning on making twelve hours earlier.
Players who were supposedly untouchable suddenly become available.
Prospects magically become expendable.
And every fan base convinces itself that trading three Top 100 prospects is perfectly reasonable because “flags fly forever.”
By 6:00 p.m. ET on August 3, we’ll know who actually believes they’re a World Series contender.
Somebody is going all in.
Somebody is going to overpay.
Somebody is going to pull off highway robbery.
And somebody is going to stand behind a microphone explaining that not making a move was actually the smart move because they “believe in the group.”
Translation?
Ownership didn’t want to write the check.
So charge your phone.
Pretend to work.
Refresh Twitter every thirty seconds.
The Dodgers fired the first shot.
Now the rest of baseball has until 6:00 p.m. ET on August 3 to decide whether they’re going to answer…or watch Los Angeles become even more dangerous.
