MLB trade deadline sees flurry of deals involving Adley Rutschman, Freddy Peralta and Kevin Gausman

The Major League Baseball trade deadline has come and gone, with a number of notable names changing places as teams look to position themselves for a postseason run.

The biggest move, of course, happened on Saturday evening when the Los Angeles Dodgers acquired superstar starter and two-time reigning Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal from the Detroit Tigers. The Dodgers’ trade set off a firestorm of criticism and anger from opposing fans, though LA gave up two very good prospects for just nine to 10 starts from Skubal the rest of the regular season.

Well, there were several other big-name prospects who moved teams, including in one of the most surprising trades of the day involving former first overall draft pick, Adley Rutschman.

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Rutschman was once considered one of the top prospects in baseball himself, and mostly lived up to the hype over his first few years in the big leagues. In 2022 and 2023, Rutschman put up a combined 11.1 wins above replacement. He hit 33 home runs and a .268/.369/.439 batting line with a 13.6% walk rate against just a 16.2% strikeout rate. Along with Gunnar Henderson and Jackson Holliday, he was widely seen as a big part of the Orioles’ impressive young core.

But his 2024 was a bit underwhelming, and he’s battled injuries the last two seasons, playing in just 157 combined games thus far. Still, his 2026 has been much closer to his old self, with positive defensive contributions and offensive stats more in line with his career averages. And Baltimore, 11.5 games back in the American League East and apparently willing to concede in the race for a Wild Card spot, took advantage.

Rutschman was traded to the Boston Red Sox for Anthony Eyanson, Kyson Witherspoon, Carlos Narvaez, Enddy Azocar and a player to be named later. That’s a substantial return for Baltimore. Eyanson was ranked as the 27th best prospect in baseball by Fangraphs, and Witherspoon was the Red Sox’ first round pick just a year ago. Rutschman, though, solves Boston’s catching position for the remainder of this season and all of 2027 before he hits free agency. And gives the Red Sox a significant boost as they push for a surprising playoff spot.

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Speaking of disappointing players and the Boston Red Sox, in a stunning trade with the Giants, they sent former top prospect Marcelo Mayer to San Francisco in return for reliever Erik Miller. Mayer was once viewed as a key part of the Red Sox future, but he’s been unimpressive the last two years in limited big league opportunities.

One of the biggest deals of the pre-deadline period was the New York Mets sending Freddy Peralta to the Tampa Bay Rays for Aidan Smith, Gary Gill Hill and Emilien Pitre. An uninspiring return after the Mets gave up several top prospects to get him in the offseason. Peralta came to New York from Milwaukee as one of the best starters in baseball, including a career-best 2.70 ERA in 2025. But his 2026 has gone from career-best to career-worst. Peralta’s strikeout rate with the Mets dropped from 10.39/9 to 8.95/9, while his ERA jumped to 4.99. For Tampa, one of the best organizations at improving their players, he provided a proven postseason resume and strong track record. If they’re able to get him back to his career norms, Peralta would be a huge addition for the team already leading the AL East.

Other big deals included Kevin Gausman, one of the best starters during Toronto’s run to the World Series, heading to the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs, who desperately needed help in the rotation after a season-ending injury to Cade Horton, also brought in Clay Holmes from the Mets, sending Jefferson Rojas, their No. 2 prospect, to New York.

The Yankees, after acquiring Luis Garcia Jr. from the Nationals, also added Heliot Ramos from the Giants to upgrade their offense in the absence of Aaron Judge.

Then there’s the always aggressive San Diego Padres. Padres GM AJ Preller, known for pushing his chips in, did so again at this year’s deadline. Needing pitching, Preller acquired Robbie Ray from the Giants, then turned around and added Casey Mize, a former number one overall pick, from the Tigers. Both pitchers immediately upgrade the team’s rotation over pitchers like Randy Vasquez, Kyle Hart, JP Sears, or Walker Buehler. And sure enough, the team’s number two prospect is on his way to Detroit. Preller is nothing if not consistent.

Speaking of aggressive, the Los Angeles Angels traded former top overall prospect Jo Adell to the Guardians, as well as starter Jose Soriano to the Blue Jays. Adell, though he never quite developed the plate discipline to maximize his offensive statistics, has at least delivered hit for power. Soriano brought back top Toronto prospect Arjun Nimmala, thanks to being under team control through 2028. More importantly, though, it signaled a different mindset in Anaheim. Instead of hoarding their players on a losing team, the Angels are maximizing value as they rebuild for the future. About time.

Luis Arraez also went to the Philadelphia Phillies, an offensive upgrade for a team that’s surprisingly struggled to score runs, despite stars like Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper and Trea Turner.

All in all, Skubal was the biggest name to move, as expected, but there were a number of very interesting trades that improved teams around the margins. Some top and former top prospects were dealt, and teams like the Padres and Cubs made big upgrades over their existing options as they push for the postseason. It might have been light on superstars, but it was big on volume. And the Dodgers, as they often do, still won the deadline.

And in a sign of how few teams care about maximizing their chances of winning, a number of them sold despite being just a few games back in the Wild Card. The Orioles are 2.5 games out of the third spot, and traded Taylor Ward and Adley Rutschman. The Marlins, at 58-55 and 1.5 games back in the Wild Card, traded catcher Liam Hicks and starter Braxton Garrett. Though they did bring in reliever Victor Vodnik from the Rockies. The Mariners traded Luis Castillo, just three games back in the division and two in the Wild Card. And the Tigers sold despite being just a few games out.