Major League Baseball’s Aug. 3 trade deadline is mere days away, and teams are busy making plans in advance of that important date on the calendar. That means trade rumors aplenty. Friday is no exception, and you can find the latest dose of trade talk just below. 

MLB trade deadline landing spots: Predicting new teams for Tarik Skubal, Mason Miller, CJ Abrams, more

Mike Axisa

Padres likely to keep Miller

While the Padres are presently lugging around a -21 run differential, at the same time, they’re a game above .500 going into their weekend series against the Giants. That’s good enough for contention in the National League, and that’s why San Diego right now seems inclined to at least hold at the deadline. On that front, the Padres as such are likely to keep lights-out closer Mason Miller through Monday, ESPN reports. Miller and his huge fastball have been better than ever this season, and he’s under team control for another three full seasons. Yes, he’d command a high price at the deadline, but Miller is essential to the Padres’ hopes in the here and now. 

Brewers willing to take on Skubal’s salary

If the Tigers do indeed opt to trade ace Tarik Skubal, who’s far and away the top talent theoretically on the trade market right now, then the Dodgers, Brewers, and Rays seem like the favorites heading into the weekend. Skubal is in his walk year, and he’s owed the balance of a $32 million salary for this season. That’s obviously no impediment for the Dodgers, who have deep resources and major buy-in from ownership. But what about the small-market Brewers and Rays? Count Milwaukee in. The Brewers are indeed willing to take on Skubal’s remaining tab in trade, the Athletic reports. That means the Brewers, who also have a deep farm system to trade from, should be considered real competitors for the Dodgers, both when it comes to the National League pennant and the ongoing Skubal derby. 

Mets scratch Freddy Peralta as interest picks up

Right-hander Freddy Peralta, a pending free agent, has been scratched from his scheduled Friday night start as the deadline approaches, which means he’s almost certainly bound elsewhere. While Peralta has struggled in 2026, he has a much stronger recent track record going for him — from 2023-25, Peralta had an ERA+ of 124 and topped 30 starts and 200 strikeouts in each of those three seasons. As such, he’s expected to have a healthy market for his services leading up to Monday’s trade deadline. Speaking of which, the Mets and lead executive David Stearns will be seeking a top-100 overall prospect in exchange for Peralta, the Athletic reports. The Braves, Cubs, Rays, and Phillies may be among the teams with interest. 

Yankees still seeking catching help

The Yankees are in search of an upgrade at catcher in advance of the deadline. While contenders are usually hesitant to add a new starting catcher in the middle of the season, the Yankees’ desperate situation is such that they’re willing to overlook such concerns. On that front, the New York Post reports that the Yanks are engaged in discussions with the Rockies about their catcher, Hunter Goodman. 

The Yankees are not alone in their interest in Goodman, and the price will be high considering that he still has multiple years of team control remaining. With the Twins now buyers and thus seemingly no longer willing to engage on Ryan Jeffers, New York’s options for a sorely needed upgrade at the position may be quite limited. They’ve also been linked to Adley Rutschman, but it’s not certain the Orioles are willing to trade him, especially to a division rival. 

Tigers scratch Mize ahead of deadline

Tigers right-hander Casey Mize was slated to start on Friday against the A’s, but Detroit has altered those plans and will instead go with a bullpen game, as MLB.com notes. The decision suggests the Tigers are listening to trade offers for the 29-year-old Mize. While most of the attention when it comes to the Tigers surrounds whether or not they’ll trade Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal, Mize himself is a pending free agent who’s having a strong 2026. The former No. 1 overall pick will no doubt drum up interest on the market. 

Brewers, Pirates interested in Weaver; other relievers also on the block

As part of the Mets’ forthcoming/ongoing fire sale, reliever Luke Weaver seems likely to be shipped off to a contender. Quality relievers are of course of broad interest to contenders this time of year, and the Athletic names the Brewers and Pirates as possible pursuers of a trade for the 32-year-old right-hander. Weaver is in the first year of a two-year, $22 million contract, and he’s been a highly effective bullpenner since converting from a starting role for the 2024 season. 

Speaking of the Mets’ bullpen, the Pirates also have interest in right-hander Huascar Brazobán, the New York Post reports. Brazobán has been among the Mets’ more effective high-leverage arms this year and has three more years of team control.

Mets begin sell-off with Minter-to-Twins trade

The Mets have traded veteran lefty reliever A.J. Minter to the Twins in exchange for a pair of prospects, the team announced Friday morning. The 32-year-old Minter is enjoying a standout season in 2026, and he’ll immediately fortify the struggling Minnesota bullpen as they angle to secure a return to the playoffs for the first time since 2023. 

As for the Mets, they’re getting a pair of infield prospects: Bruin Agbayani, the son of former Met Benny Agbayani, and Billy Amick. Agbayani, 19, was a sixth-round choice in 2025. Amick, 23, is a former second-rounder who has 23 home runs in 86 games at Double-A this season. 

For the last-place Mets and lead decision-maker David Stearns, this is just the start of what figures to be a substantial sell-off before Monday’s deadline. 

Very likely out the door before that deadline will be 40% of the current rotation — veteran right-handers Freddy Peralta and Clay Holmes, to be specific. Peralta is a pending free agent who’s struggled this season but has a much stronger recent track record. Holmes is close to returning from a fractured fibula and has been a strong rotation piece since making the conversion from reliever prior to last season. He has a player option for 2027 in his contract that he seems unlikely to exercise. Other relievers who could follow Minter out of Queens include Luke Weaver, Brooks Raley, and Huascar Brazoban. 

Dodgers eyeing Holmes

Speaking of Holmes, the Dodgers may have interest in acquiring the 33-year-old, ESPN reports. L.A. still has eyes for Tigers ace and back-to-back AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal, but if the price isn’t acceptable to them — or if Detroit opts not to trade him — then they could pivot to a rotation depth piece like Holmes. The Dodgers’ rotation is presently beset by injuries, which means the two-time defending champs are highly likely to add a starting pitcher by Monday.

The other reason the Dodgers like Skubal

Speaking of the champs and the Detroit ace, the Dodgers’ motivations for pursuing Skubal in trade are, first and foremost, that he’s the top deadline talent who’s theoretically available and he fills their rotation void (and then some). The other part of the Dodgers’ Skubal chase, though, may have to do with gamesmanship. According to the New York Post, the Dodgers also fancy Skubal because landing him would by definition keep him away from their leading pennant rivals in the National League — namely, the Brewers, Braves, and Phillies, who all have varying degrees of interest in the decorated lefty.  

Why the Dodgers seem like the favorites in the Tarik Skubal trade sweepstakes ahead of 2026 deadline

Dayn Perry

Astros chasing Webb

The Astros have been asking after Giants ace Logan Webb, USA Today reports, but San Francisco continues to tell interested parties that Webb is not available in trade. This, of course, could just be posturing on the part of the Giants designed to drive up the asking price on Webb. Or it could be that lead executive Buster Posey doesn’t presently have the appetite for the scale of rebuild a Webb trade would suggest.  

Available or not, the appeal of Webb is easy to see. The 29-year-old right-hander is a three-time All-Star who on three occasions has finished in the top six of the NL Cy Young vote. This season has not been Webb’s strongest to date, but the track record remains appealing. 

Mathews promotion may hint at May trade

The Cardinals will promote left-handed starter Quinn Mathews in time to take the mound on Saturday against the Blue Jays. The 25-year-old out of Stanford has thrived in recent weeks thanks in part to improved control, and he’s not far removed from a 2024 campaign in which he struck out more than 200 batters across four different minor-league levels. 

The promotion of Mathews, which will require the Cardinals to clear a spot on the 40-player roster, hints at what is already known — that Dustin May is very likely to be traded before the deadline. If that comes together before Mathews’ big-league debut, then Mathews could take May’s spot on the 40 and the active roster and his spot in the St. Louis rotation. 

While the 29-year-old May doesn’t have especially strong top-line results, the underlying indicators are indeed quite strong, which makes him appealing on the market. He’s also stayed healthy and enjoyed a significant velocity rebound. May’s contract includes a mutual option for 2027 that, like most mutual options, will probably not come into play. 

Red Sox still in infield market

The Red Sox, who have surged back into contention with a stellar July, thought they had largely addressed their infield problems with the recent trade with the Nationals that landed them Curtis Mead. Mead, however, suffered a wrist fracture in his first game with the Sox, and his absence is going to be a lengthy one. That may push the Sox back into the market for infield help leading up to the deadline. Possible Boston targets, according to the Athletic, include Otto Lopez and Xavier Edwards of the Marlins, Zach Neto of the Angels, and Gleyber Torres of the Tigers.