Which team won the 2026 MLB trade deadline? The biggest winners and losers

This year’s trade deadline had a bit of everything, from huge names moving to surprise sellers to “wait, that guy went there?" 

Now that the dust has settled, it’s time to break down the teams that did the best this deadline season, and those that left us scratching our heads and/or wanting more. 

Which teams won and lost the 2026 MLB trade deadline?

With SeatGeek serving as the Official Ticket Marketplace of MLB, we followed the trade deadline very closely, and after examining all of the moves, we’ve put together our biggest winners and losers of the deadline, as well as one team that’s kind of in both camps.  

Winner: Dodgers nab the best available player

It felt inevitable that the Dodgers would land the best player available in two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal, and, well, that’s what happened. The Dodgers add another ace to a loaded rotation and are still the clear best team in baseball. 

There are a lot of debates about whether the Dodgers are ruining baseball, but they went out and got the best pitcher in large part because they have arguably the game’s best farm system as well. They got Skubal without giving away any of their real premier talent at the top of the farm, and they now have a workhorse ace that will help their three-peat chances. Plus, a strong finish to the year and World Series run will only further incentivize Skubal to sign with the Dodgers in his pending free agency. 

The best team made the best move for the best player. 

Loser: Tigers don’t get enough for Skubal

Look, I don’t think the Tigers’ return from the Dodgers in the Skubal trade is as bad as some are making it out to be, but it was still on the light side. Outfielder Zyhir Hope is a top-100 prospect who has torn up Double-A this year, and that was certainly a great get. Brady Smith is a 2023 third-rounder who is in High-A. Pitcher River Ryan is still technically prospect eligible, but he’s 27 years old and is recovering from Tommy John. He’s got potential, sure, but he’s on the older side and is coming back from a major injury. 

All three could turn out to be great gets for Detroit, but the Dodgers have a loaded farm system, and it feels like the Tigers could have held out for a greater return from L.A., or gotten a better offer from another team. Trading Skubal for this package two full days before the deadline is strange considering how many teams reportedly were in on the star lefty. Additionally, the Tigers traded starter Casey Mize – another pending free agent – to San Diego and got the Padres’ top pitching prospect in lefty Kash Mayfield. Hope is a better prospect than Mayfield is, but Mayfield is still a very noteworthy prospect who was acquired for a player of very different caliber than Skubal.

And regardless of how well these prospects turn out for the Tigers, it’s always a hard sell to trade a former Cy Young winner in his prime, even if the odds he re-signs with you long-term are slim to none. 

Winner: Cubs acquire much-needed rotation help

The Cubs needed starting pitching help, and hey, they got starting pitching help.

The additions of Kevin Gausman and Clay Holmes don’t knock your socks off, but this Cubs rotation has been a problem all year long. Even with Gausman in the worst year of his five-year contract, he’ll provide stability to the rotation, which is something the Cubs really haven’t had in 2026. Holmes could provide a higher ceiling for the team, but it’s important to note he’s working his way back from a broken leg that’s kept him out since May 15. Still, he’s been great since turning into a starting pitcher last year, and he, Gausman and Shota Imanaga are a capable rotation trio that can help Chicago this postseason. 

The Cubs filled their needs with rentals, but they’re quality rentals that didn’t cost the team much. That’s always an added bonus. 

Loser: Brewers don’t swing big like expected

If Skubal didn’t land in L.A., many thought he’d be a Brewer. Milwaukee didn’t land the star lefty, and really, the team didn’t land much of anything this deadline despite being well positioned to do so. The Brewers are one of baseball’s best teams and have a very strong farm system and savvy front office, and it felt like time for a blockbuster. 

The Brewers did get better, mind you. Antonio Senzatela from the Rockies was a nice get for the bullpen, and the team also got starter Dustin May (4.38 ERA) and lefty reliever JoJo Romero from the Cardinals. But it felt like Milwaukee could have done more, and the team probably should have. The Brewers are still the top competition for the Dodgers in the National League, but one team got Skubal and the other added two relievers and a back-end starter. 

Winner: Red Sox add All-Star catcher from rival

Arguably the biggest non-Skubal trade of the deadline was the Red Sox acquiring three-time All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman from the Orioles. The Red Sox gave up a big prospect price for Rutschman, but he’s signed through the end of next year and gives Boston a major upgrade at catcher both at and behind the plate. 

Boston buying seemed insane just a month ago, but the Sox are baseball’s hottest team. The front office added an impact player who will help them right away and next season, and in a wide-open American League, there’s a case that Boston is the team to beat right now. And poaching a player of Rutschman’s caliber from a division rival certainly doesn’t hurt. 

Loser: Orioles selling feels wrong

As I mentioned, the Red Sox gave up a lot to get Rutschman. Some reports have surfaced that feel the Red Sox gave up far too much here. So yes, it’s hard to fault the Orioles for getting a nice boost to the farm system in trading Rutschman. 

But the Orioles selling at all doesn’t feel right. They made a big splash this offseason for Pete Alonso, and while things haven’t gone to plan, they entered Monday 2.5 games out of a Wild Card spot. 

Rutschman lost some of his shine after a tremendous start to his career, but he returned to All-Star form this year and is a great defender behind the plate while providing great at-bats and thump as a switch-hitter. The team was never able to extend him, and they wound up signing rookie catcher Samuel Basallo to an extension this winter. Gunnar Henderson, who is in a down year but is an elite talent, also hasn’t signed an extension. 

Selling now is strange, and it feels stranger now that Alonso signed with the O’s in the first place. It’s a one foot in, one foot out situation when it comes to short-term contention, and even though they got a good farm system refresh, the Orioles probably should have stood the course. 

Winner: Rays bring in three impact pieces

Tampa Bay didn’t land an ace-type arm like some expected given their reported ties to the Skubal market, but the team made three strong additions to help the Rays improve their chances of being the top team in the American League this year. 

Freddy Peralta is the clear headliner given name brand alone. The veteran right-hander owns an ERA of 4.99 in the worst year of his career with the Mets, so he’s got to be over the moon to join a contender like the Rays, who have a long track record of pitching excellence. Peralta is a pending free agent, so you know he’s incentivized to finish 2026 on a strong note. He’ll give the Rays a potent fourth option along with All-Stars Nick Martinez and Drew Rasmussen as well as Shane McClanahan. 

Adding Liam Hicks is also a great move for Tampa Bay both in the short term and moving forward. Catcher has been a glaring offensive weakness for the Rays this year, and Hicks is OPSing just below .800 on the year and puts together some great at-bats on a regular basis. His defensive work behind the plate could use some improvement, but he can play first base as well. He’ll likely be focusing on catching with Jonathan Aranda and Yandy Diaz handling first base and DH duties.

Tampa also added Tyler Wells to the bullpen from Baltimore. The big right-hander has great metrics and has been a standout in the Orioles’ bullpen this year. Every contender needs more bullpen help, and Wells can be a leverage arm for a Tampa team set to play in plenty of big games moving forward. 

There were no blockbusters, really, for the Rays, but these were three great additions that helps the club in a big way and further cements the team’s status as the best team in the American League right now. 

Loser: Philly’s new bat comes at expense of defense

On one hand, the Phillies’ addition of Luis Arraez is awesome. He’s a three-time batting champ who is in the midst of a great season, leading MLB in batting average once again while also slugging more than he has in years. Add in that he’s improved defensively at second base, and Arraez is a phenomenal get for Philly. 

When it comes to the lineup, it’s great! Arraez slots in as a leadoff hitter who can set the table for standouts Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber. The lineup needed depth, especially with big names like Trea Turner and Alec Bohm having down years. 

But the Phillies’ defense is going to be a mess. Yes, Arraez is an above-average defender at second base this year, but Philly, which ranks as one of baseball’s worst defending teams, has to do some major maneuvering to make the trade work. Bryson Stott moves from second to third base, Bohm moves from third to first and Harper moves from first base to right field for the first time since 2022. 

There’s no denying the Phillies’ lineup got better, but the defense was already a big issue, and Arraez’s arrival further complicates things. 

Winner: Guardians drastically improve roster

The Guardians, who entered Monday three games back of Chicago in the AL Central, were one of the more aggressive teams at the deadline, adding outfielder Jo Adell, first baseman Nathaniel Lowe and All-Star lefty Foster Griffin to the mix for this stretch run.

Lowe is a pending free agent with an OPS north of .800, and he improves the team’s prospects at first base or DH, both of which have been glaring weak spots in 2026. Additionally, the team really just needed more offense wherever it could get it, so Lowe checks plenty of boxes. 

Adell is an intriguing addition. The former top prospect has seen his power numbers dip after swatting 37 homers in 2025, but he’s super athletic, has game-changing power and, if he gets hot, can carry this lineup for an extended stretch. He’s also signed through next year, so if things click this year, Adell could be an impact player for the Guards next year, too. 

Griffin is the headliner of this deadline for the Guardians, though. After spending three years in Japan, the lefty returned to MLB this year with Washington and made the All-Star Game and sports an ERA just north of 3 for the year. He, Gavin Williams and Parker Messick now make up the top three of this rotation, which will be critical down the stretch. 

These were three smart moves that Cleveland made, and all were cost-effective to boot. It’s not the sexiest deadline a contender has ever had – or had this year – but it’s a very good one that should drastically improve the Guardians’ overall strength of roster and postseason chances over these final two months. 

Loser: Braves simply don’t do enough

Marginal additions were the name of the game for the Braves, who added platoon/fourth outfielder Lane Thomas, veteran lefty Brett Suter and three pitchers with fewer than 10 MLB appearances combined in 2026. 

Atlanta has a good roster, but some guys are banged up while others are in the midst of down years. At minimum, the Braves needed to at least add one impact starting pitcher. They’d been tied to Skubal, and some reports suggest they tried to land Jacob deGrom, who invoked his no-trade clause, but rentals like Gausman, Robbie Ray, Case Mize, Clay Homes and others all made a ton of sense for Atlanta to go out and acquire. Instead, the team added right-hander Tyler Mahle and his 5+ ERA. 

The Braves will almost certainly make the playoffs, and they likely will win the NL East. But they don’t appear to be as serious of a World Series contender as they looked early in 2026. 

Somewhere in the middle: Padres’ spend too much for rentals

The Padres upgraded a rotation that really needed help by adding rental arms Robbie Ray and Casey Mize. Both were All-Stars last year, and both have been great in 2026, with Ray sporting an ERA just north of 3 while Mize has a 2.70 mark on the year. Those two slot in as reliable No. 2 and 3 options behind Michael King who, at his best, is a top-10 pitcher in baseball. They also held on to ace reliever Mason Miller despite rumblings he could be available.

But the cost for those two pending free agents was steep. Sure, San Diego’s farm system isn’t what it once was, but the Padres parted with three top-10 prospects with pitcher Miguel Mendez and shortstop Joniel Hernandez heading to San Francisco and lefty pitcher Kash Mayfield going to Detroit. 

I don’t want to criticize teams for really going for it. Fans deserve as much, and too many teams – like the Orioles, for instance – that are on the bubble go the easy route and sell. But this felt like maybe two overpays on San Diego’s part for a roster that is certainly playoff worthy, but maybe not a true threat to the Dodgers’ reign of dominance like many thought it could be.