MLB trade deadline — LatestMajor League Baseball teams are preparing for Monday’s trade deadline as they enter the stretch run of the season.The biggest piece of the trade season, Tarik Skubal, moved from Detroit to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a blockbuster deal on Saturday night.More starting pitching dominoes fell on Sunday as as the Tampa Bay Rays have acquired Freddy Peralta from the New York Mets and the Chicago Cubs got Kevin Gausman from the Toronto Blue Jays. The New York Yankees also made a big move, acquiring first baseman Luis García Jr. from the Washington Nationals to add a strong left-handed bat to their lineup.What other moves will be made? Follow along for the latest news, analysis and insight from The Athletic’s baseball staff.Deadline: 6 p.m. ET on MondayJoin the conversation here or email live@theathletic.com White Sox move for Brazobán ReutersChicago White Sox acquiring RH reliever Huascar Brazobán from the New York Mets, for Class AA RHP Gabe Davis and Class AAA RHP Zach Franklin, sources tell The Athletic. All the latest on this one, below.Dodgers' rotation plans after getting Skubal Getty Images Was Tarik Skubal a need? Not an “acute” one, said longtime president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman. But for an organization hellbent on a historic three-peat, Skubal was certainly a want. As the Detroit Tigers became more open to discussions, the Dodgers became more ambitious. It did not take long for them to land yet another superstar.“Watching playoff baseball, outside of when the Dodgers play, is fun for me,” Friedman said from Dodger Stadium on Sunday afternoon. “To not have a rooting interest and just sit back and enjoy the theater of October baseball, watching Tarik Skubal pitch in the playoffs last year was must-see TV. I was in awe watching the energy, the dominance he exhibited there.“I can’t wait to see it in Dodger blue.”What does this mean for the Dodgers’ rotation, both for the final two months of the regular season and for the postseason? And did uncertainty regarding the health of several starters change the team’s thoughts in pursuing Skubal? Friedman pushed back on the latter point, and reiterated his belief that his rotation should be at full strength before the playoffs begin.What to the Giants see in Anthony Molina? Getty Images Full disclaimer: I am not a scout, a baseball executive or anyone you should trust when it comes to analyzing prospect returns. Please forget this when I write up some trade deadline grades on Monday, which will be both astute and well-researched. They’ll make you laugh, but they’ll also make you think.The disclaimer is necessary because when I don’t understand something a baseball team does, I assume the problem is me. When I was a teenager, I assumed (like everyone else on Usenet) that I was one of the top 30 baseball minds in the country. The game has a way of humbling you and making you look like a ding-dong. Over the decades, it did just that, and now it’s much easier to say, “Well, I’m sure they had their reasons,” when a team acquires a player whose stats don’t immediately jump off the page.Which brings us to the Giants’ return for right-handed starter Tyler Mahle. While Mahle’s 5.13 ERA leaves much to be desired, he’d been trending in the right direction, with a 3.79 ERA since returning from the IL. His prorated salary for the rest of the season would work on just about any team looking for pitching. The Mets got a couple of interesting prospects for rental Freddy Peralta, so the greediest of Giants fans could actually hope for a real return in a pitching-starved market.Instead, the return was a 24-year-old right-handed reliever, Anthony Molina, with more than 55 games of major-league experience. His career ERA is 6.89 in 99⅓ IP, and he’ll be arbitration-eligible after next season, so he’s definitely not the typical prospect teams usually get for a veteran at the deadline. He was acquired to join the major-league bullpen, most likely, and be a part of the Giants’ plans to build a better team for 2027.And here’s where the reasoning would go as to why the Giants are expecting that out of Molina. It’s certainly not because of past major-league performance, so there’s something of a checklist to run through. You ask yourself if he throws harder than the average reliever, or if he misses bats. If he doesn’t miss bats, then you ask yourself if he throws a wicked sinker and gets grounder after grounder. Is his delivery funky? Is his control holding him back? Does he have an outlier pitch, with induced vertical break or advanced spin rates, or does he just need to throw one of his best pitches more often?The answer to all of the above is “no.” Baseball Savant is helpful enough to include a “load random video” feature on each player’s page, and in this case, it allows you to play video after video of a player. In this case, you get a seemingly unending loop of Just A Guy. If it were a few decades ago, he’d come in a yellow box that reads “RELIEVER.”The Giants, though, see something. They have to, otherwise they could have waited until the deadline for something that excited them more. They made a deal happen early to get their guy.Here’s their guy. If you have any theories, please share, because I’m fresh out. Here’s another reliever from the people who built the 2026 Giants bullpen, and he’s way more Giants-coded already than he should be. Hopefully the rest of the deadline has more zip for a team that has a lot of important work to do at the deadline.Big Board No. 55: Jeff Hoffman ReutersValue: Risky reliever with upsiderPoor fastball command has long rendered Jeff Hoffman’s fastball less effective than a high-90s, two-plane-riding four-seam should be. That flaw explains some of the ups and downs of his last few seasons, as he’s moved in and out of the closer’s role in Toronto. But this year he’s pushed the slider usage further than he’s ever taken it, and at least by strikeouts and walks it’s been incredibly effective: His strikeout minus walk rate is top 10 among qualified relievers. That sort of thing is more predictive than his current low-fours ERA, but there’s risk here still.Have Braves already made their big move? Imagn ImagesBraves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos didn’t rule out adding another starter before Monday’s trade deadline, but his answer also didn’t sound reassuring.“I don't know because look, here's the thing. You don't know how guys perform and so on. So, we'll see what's going to come. We're obviously, everyone's engaged at this time of year, right? So, we'll see when we get to 6 o'clock tomorrow.”Anthopoulos went on to say: “If you'd asked me last night, were we close to a deal for any starter, I would have said ‘No.’ If you asked me earlier in the day, I would have said ‘No.” If you'd asked me in the last hour and a half, I would have said ‘Yeah.’ So that's how quickly it moves.”It better get moving because this doesn't move the needle for the Braves. Tyler Mahle isn’t much better than Grant Holmes and Martin Perez, but does do something Braves pitcher have struggled with — going deep into games and not overtaxing the bullpen. Mahle has pitched into the sixth inning in three of his last four starts, and in eight total turns this year.The field is thinning out for the Braves. Kevin Gausman and Freddy Peralta went off the market today to the Chicago Cubs and Tampa Bay Rays, respectively.Casey Mize seems to be the ideal target as scouts from the Tigers recently cross-checking infield defense down in the Braves High A affiliate leading up to the deadline.Since it was fairly cheap to get Mahle — only having to send Anthony Molina, a waver-wire claim from December 2025 — Robbie Ray shouldn’t come with that much of a price tag.Angels pitchers Jose Soriano and Reid Detmers are strong options, but will be expensive investments since both pitchers are under control until 2029.Big Board No. 54: Ty France ReutersValue: Veteran bat having throwback seasonAn All-Star in 2022 with Seattle, Ty France is having a nice all-around season this year at 31, back with the team he debuted with. After turning himself into a Gold Glove first baseman last year, he’s rediscovered his offense. He’s already hit more home runs than he has in any year since that All-Star campaign, a result of pulling the ball in the air more often. In a market where the first-base options and right-handed bats might make you bored, though, what do you have to lose with France?Braves' plans for Mahle Getty Images Tyler Mahle will be inserted into the Braves starting rotation and is set to debut this weekend in New York against the Yankees, president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos told reporters on a call.“He's thrown the ball well since he's been back from the IL,” Anthopoulos said. “(Thows) strikes and good with the running game as well. … So we think there's some upside there.”Since returning from a hamstring injury in June, Mahle has posted a 3.79 ERA across seven starts. Two outings ago, he held the Milwaukee Brewers scoreless over six innings in a winning effort. He relies on a four-seam fastball that averages 92.6 mph and complements it with a splitter and cutter.The Braves had interest in Mahle during free agency in 2024, but ended up signing with the Rangers, going to have the best season of his career in 2025 with a 2.18 ERA.The right-hander has success against lefties, holding those hitters to a .230 average, but struggles against righties who are hitting .305 with a .848 OPS.It was revealed that Reynaldo Lopez, who went on the injured list with left knee inflammation on Sunday, had an MRI that showed “no structural damage” and should have a short stint on the injured list, Braves manager Walt Weiss said. Mahle should take that spot.Jim Bowden's trade grades Getty Images Instagrades: Here's how former MLB general manager Jim Bowden is grading the biggest deals that have gone down thus far...Tarik Skubal deal: Dodgers A+; Tigers A -Freddy Peralta deal: Tampa Bay B; Mets C+ PLuis Castillo deal: White Sox C; Seattle BLane Thomas deal: Atlanta B; Kansas City A-Luis García Jr. deal: Yankees B+; Nationals BKevin Gausman deal: Cubs B-; Jays A-Tyler Mahle deal: Braves C; Giants D+Big Board No. 53: JJ Bleday ReutersValue: Cost-controlled outfielder with good numbersJJ Bleday was a first-round pick of a team that traded him away. He had a breakout 2024 but was non-tendered in 2025. He signed with the Reds this offseason, didn’t make the Opening Day roster, and now has the best offensive numbers on the team. Bleday’s career has been a roller coaster, but his highs have been extreme, and he’s on pace for the best season of his career. He’s cheap with good numbers and remaining team control, an intriguing combination for any team that believes he can maintain this production.Jays go for contact in Kevin Gausman trade return Getty Images There’s one clear commonality between the two prospects, outfielder Brett Bateman and infielder Ty Southisene, the Jays got back for veteran starter Kevin Gausman: Contact.The pair of young hitters have a combined three homers in 146 minor-league games this year, but are both hitting over .300 on the season with minuscule strikeout rates. We’ve seen the Jays target these high-contact players before, like Ernie Clement, minor-league infielder Josh Kasevich and recent draftee Ryan Cooney.Bateman, 25, one evaluator from another team said, brings solid centerfield play and is a “left-handed pest at the plate.” He may get on base enough to play regularly in centre, but the lack of power could relegate Bateman to a more limited role. For a Jays team that may see Daulton Varsho leave in free agency at the end of this season, or more likely in a trade in the next day, Bateman provides a real candidate to fill, or at least help fill, the outfield role. Bateman has a .431 on-base percentage in Triple A this year, with 88 hits in 81 games.Southisene, 21, Chicago’s fourth-round pick in 2024, is a similar on-base and contact hitter to Bateman. He’s played primarily shortstop in the low-minors but, the evaluator said, may profile as more of a 2B, LF or general utility player down the line. Southisene owns an .809 OPS across Single A and High A this season.Southisene ranked 19th in Keith Law’s top Cubs prospects lists to start the year. Bateman didn’t crack the top 20, though has earned more attention with his breakout season in Triple-A. Big Board No. 52: Jo Adell ReutersValue: Elite bat speed but not much else to offerA former first-round pick, Jo Adell has found himself in headlines for multiple highlight reel plays, both the good and bad kind. Unfortunately, that's about as much as he's been able to offer this season. He's walking at a career low 3.4 percent, strikes out a good deal and doesn't hit the ball particularly hard, even though he possesses elite bat speed. For now, it looks like his 2025 campaign is more of an aberration than a sign of things to come.Nationals fill massive hole in García tradeReliever Yovanny Cruz joins a Nationals bullpen that's extremely thin on an organizational level. Getty Images I had thought that Luis García Jr. would return more than a package of four relievers given that he had a year and two months remaining before free agency, but I think I misread his market. One of the four righties the Nationals received from the Yankees could end up a starter. All told, the return addresses a massive organizational need for Washington while potentially freeing up some at-bats for younger players.That’s really the impetus for this trade for Washington: their system is strong already, thanks to the 2024-25 drafts and several big trades like the MacKenzie Gore deal last offseason, but it’s heavily weighted towards position players. Their 2026 draft was also hitter-heavy, so they’re going to have to add pitching from outside the organization.Read my full breakdown of the four pitchers the Nationals got in the trade, including Yovanny Cruz (pictured above).Did the Blue Jays get fleeced? Getty Images Kevin Gausman is 35 years old now and on the downslope of his career. But he’s also less than a year removed from fronting a Toronto Blue Jays rotation (along with breakout rookie Trey Yesavage) that won the American League pennant and pushed the Los Angeles Dodgers to Game 7 of the World Series. The price the Chicago Cubs paid Toronto to acquire Gausman was... underwhelming for the Blue Jays, Andy McCullough and Stephen J. Nesbitt write as they grade the deal.Big Board No. 51: Eugenio Suarez ReutersValue: Boom-or-bust sluggerAt this time last year, Eugenio Suárez was one of the top trade targets on the market. He was having a career year at the plate, and the Mariners wound up trading three prospects to add his power bat. However, Suárez’s production cratered after the deal — 143 OPS+ before, 93 OPS+ after — and he’s continued that post-trade production this season. Suárez remains a massive home run threat, but he’s a rental with limited defensive value who gets almost all of his offensive value from the longball. He could provide two terrific months, but Suárez has so far been a negative WAR player this season.Braves make another key depth move by getting Mahle Getty Images Twenty-four hours off the heels of acquiring Lane Thomas from the Royals, the Atlanta Braves are addressing the biggest need by adding right-hander Tyler Mahle to the rotation, a team confirmed to The Athletic. It may not be the sexiest addition, but it immediately enhances their starting rotation that has been plagued all year. Mahle is building a strong July where he pitched to a 2.82 ERA. He’s struck out 22.0% of batters this season. He had his best season in 2025 with the Texas Rangers before the Giants issued him a one-year, $10 million-dollar deal. The Braves, however, are going to do more than just adding Mahle to the rotation with plenty of other quality pitchers currently on the market with less than 24 hours left in the trade deadline.Miller and Morejon likely staying put in San Diego Getty Images On Saturday, in the latest sign that he almost certainly will stay in San Diego, Padres closer Mason Miller threw 30 pitches in a five-out save attempt. On Sunday, set-up man Adrian Morejon filled in for Miller and delivered the kind of performance that increased the likelihood that he, too, will avoid being moved ahead of Monday’s 3 p.m. PT trade deadline.At minimum, baseball’s hardest-throwing left-hander provided general manager A.J. Preller with reason to maintain or even raise what is said to be an enormous asking price: Called upon for a four-out save, Morejon blew away the San Francisco Giants to secure a 5-4 win, San Diego’s eighth victory in nine games.The Padres (58-54) are only a game out of the National League playoff picture. Monday night, they’ll visit the Arizona Diamondbacks (59-53) for the start of a critical four-game series.Can manager Craig Stammen imagine his bullpen — the clear strength of the team — without Morejon?“I cannot,” Stammen said with a laugh.Morejon, a pending free agent, has pitched more frequently than almost any high-leverage reliever. His 52 appearances are tied for the fifth-most in the majors. He’s on pace for what would be a career-high 87 1/3 innings. The Padres do not intend for him to reach that number, but after proving his durability the past two seasons, they know they can continue to rely on the once-injury-prone 27-year-old.“It is rather amazing, the workload that he’s handling and the effectiveness that he has on the back end of that,” said Stammen, a former Padres reliever who spent four seasons playing alongside Morejon. “I see it from afar, I lived it, and we have that commonality that we can talk about a little bit, where you’re a well-used reliever and you still got to find a way to be effective. He’s got much better stuff than I ever did.“He handled a lot of tough times (earlier in his career), and he always had the physical talent. … It makes me proud to have watched him come from that to what he is now and be one of the most valuable players on our team.”Morejon ranks third among all relievers with 2.0 fWAR. The two ahead of him: Miller (3.1 fWAR) and Toronto Blue Jays closer Louis Varland (2.5 fWAR). Knowing the Padres need big-league-ready starting pitching, teams figure to continue asking about Morejon in the final hours before the deadline.“It’s just something I can’t control,” Morejon said through team interpreter Pedro Gutiérrez. “I’m a member of the San Diego Padres right now, and I have no issues with whatever our GM decides to pursue, whatever avenue he decides is the best course for this team. I’m happy to be here. I’m happy to be a member of the Padres, and I’ll continue to do my job until something else is announced.”Big Board No. 50: Yennier Cano ReutersValue: Electric controllable righty relieverYennier Cano has rebounded from a subpar 2025 with a terrific start to this season. The right-hander excels at getting ground balls with his sinker/splitter mix, and he’s become even stingier with free passes this year. With two more years of team control, Baltimore doesn’t need to move Cano, though the ups and downs of most any reliever make it tempting to sell when the value is high, especially with someone who’s already 32 years old.Source: Astros owner not letting team trade from MLB roster Getty Images Before witnessing his team’s biggest statement, Houston Astros general manager Dana Brown logged onto a Zoom call. Thirty hours remained before Monday’s 6 p.m. ET trade deadline, but Brown’s contract mandates that he sit for an interview on the Astros’ pregame radio show every Sunday. Whenever possible, Brown appears in person.This Sunday, however, Brown joined by video call from the team’s war room. Surrounding Brown, he said, were his assistant general managers, some folks with director in their titles and “of course we have (Jeff) Bagwell,” the Hall of Fame first baseman who has been a baseball operations sounding board for owner Jim Crane.Brown took a break between front-office meetings, stared into a laptop and responded to questions. His club’s ascension from average to American League contender has been a work in progress for more than two months, but it crystallized over the last 12 games. Winning 11 of them has increased Houston’s chances of making the playoffs by 35.8 percent, according to FanGraphs.It is the sort of run that squashes any scenario of standing pat or selling assets at the deadline, while prompting questions about a potential splurge. Crane is prone to producing them. He pops in and out of Houston’s war room “every now and then,” Brown said Sunday.Crane will influence how the Astros proceed. According to one source, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing negotiations, Crane has instructed Houston’s front office not to trade from its major-league roster. For an owner who has long prioritized pennants over prospects, this should be little surprise.Source: Braves get Tyler Mahle from Giants Getty Images The Atlanta Braves acquiring right-handed starting pitcher Tyler Mahle from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for right-handed reliever Anthony Molina, a league source confirms to The Athletic. FanSided first reported the deal.