MLB Power Rankings: Grading each team's trade deadline

It's the seventh edition of theScore's MLB Power Rankings for the 2026 season. Here we grade each team's trade deadline.

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1. Los Angeles Dodgers

The rich get richer. By landing reigning back-to-back AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal from the Detroit Tigers for a three-player package centered around outfield prospect Zyhir Hope, the reigning back-to-back champions bolstered an already terrifying rotation. Andrew Friedman and Co. did some good work around the margins, too, adding catching depth in Ben Rortvedt and Hunter Feduccia as well as former All-Star lefty Kris Bubic - he's injured right now, but can be stashed away until October. How can anyone stop the Dodgers? Grade: A+

2. Milwaukee Brewers

The additions of Dustin May, JoJo Romero, and Antonio Senzatela seem underwhelming after Milwaukee reportedly took an unsuccessful run at Skubal. The Brewers could end up facing the ace in the playoffs instead of pairing him with Jacob Misiorowski in an attempt to dethrone the Dodgers. Milwaukee needed to get out of its comfort zone and take a big swing. Nobody will be surprised if the Brewers come up short again in October despite a great regular season. Grade: C-

3. Chicago Cubs

The Cubs had needs, and they did a terrific job of getting what they were looking for. Jed Hoyer beefed up the rotation by acquiring Kevin Gausman and Clay Holmes (who is nearing a return from a fractured fibula) while adding strikeout stuff to the bullpen in Ryan Zeferjahn. Tyrone Taylor, who's been mashing since the beginning of July, gives the Cubs another solid piece in the outfield. Trading away Moisés Ballesteros and Jefferson Rojas was a hefty price to pay, however, which is why Chicago didn't receive an A. Grade: B+

4. Atlanta Braves

What a disappointing deadline for the Braves. This felt like an opportunity for Atlanta to really load up for the postseason, but the team focused on more complementary pieces instead. That's fine - and maybe those role players will end up making significant contributions - but it would have been nice to see the Braves build a roster that could really challenge the Dodgers. The rotation still seems way too thin. Grade: C+

5. Tampa Bay Rays

The AL's best team went all-in, landing rental ace Freddy Peralta and future franchise catcher Liam Hicks. Peralta's having a rough year, but he's got plenty of big-game experience, and the Rays' pitching laboratory could fix him quickly. Hicks is the real prize: a controllable catcher who solves a major problem in both the short and long term. Don't sleep on reliever Tyler Wells, who was acquired from Baltimore in the midst of a very good season. Grade: A

6. Boston Red Sox

The Red Sox addressed significant needs: a catcher in Adley Rutschman, a left-handed reliever in Erik Miller, and a utility bat in Eli White. Those additions should complement what's emerged as a strong core for one of baseball's hottest teams. Boston parted with a significant portion of its minor-league system and sold low on Marcelo Mayer, but this roster has as legit a chance to contend for a title as any team in the AL. Grade: B+

7. New York Yankees

Adding Luis García Jr. from the Nats for four prospects was some smooth work by Brian Cashman, as was bringing in depth bat Heliot Ramos. But the Yankees have a major hole at catcher, and they didn't plug it. Meanwhile, their division rivals in Boston and Tampa Bay got better behind the plate. Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger will come back, but great catching is hard to find. There was no reason the Yankees shouldn't have pushed harder for Adley Rutschman, Liam Hicks, Ryan Jeffers, or any of the other big names available at the position. Failing to add another backstop​ could haunt them come October. Grade: C

8. San Diego Padres

The Padres couldn't really sell considering most of their players had little trade value, so A.J. Preller deserves a lot of credit for bringing in veteran starters Robbie Ray and Casey Mize to prop up an injured rotation. When healthy, that duo plus Michael King will form a decent enough trio come playoff time. Unless San Diego got an unbelievable offer for Mason Miller, it was better to hang onto him considering the price Preller paid last season for the star closer. Grade: B

9. Houston Astros

Houston was relatively quiet at the deadline. The Astros strengthened their outfield defense by acquiring Daulton Varsho, although his glove and bat have declined. The 2024 Gold Glover has just seven homers this year after going deep 20 times in 71 games last season. Owner Jim Crane reportedly nixed a deal to send Bryan Abreu to the Twins for Trevor Larnach. The Astros are playing their best baseball of the season, but they played it safe Monday. Grade: C-

10. Philadelphia Phillies

Bryce Harper asked for additions and Dave Dombrowski delivered by acquiring three-time batting champ Luis Arraez, who's having his best season since 2023. The Phillies will have to make a number of defensive adjustments to accommodate Arraez playing second base, like moving Bryson Stott to third, Alec Bohm to first, and Harper to the outfield. While this could be problematic, the Phillies are better after adding the contact specialist and beefing up the bullpen with Brooks Raley and Caleb Kilian. Not upgrading their fifth starter is a big miss, though. Grade: B-

11. Chicago White Sox

The White Sox addressed some question marks without going all-in to push for a division title amid their pleasantly surprising season. Chicago needed to add a veteran rotation piece, which it did in the form of Luis Castillo. The three-time All-Star has a solid resume but is going through the worst season of his 10-year career. Joey Bart adds insurance behind the plate with Kyle Teel sidelined long term. Lastly, Brenton Doyle is a glove-first option with some pop off the bench. Grade: B-

12. Miami Marlins

The Marlins teased potentially trading a number of players heading into the deadline but ultimately retained most of their core pieces. They capitalized on a breakout campaign from Liam Hicks and a solid year from Lake Bachar to beef up their farm system while adding flamethrower Victor Vodnik to their bullpen. With the Marlins back in the playoff hunt, it was a solid day of business by Peter Bendix and Co. Grade: B

13. Texas Rangers

Picking up Logan O'Hoppe from the Angels might be a nice longer-term move to help shore up their lack of catching, but the Rangers didn't act like buyers at the deadline despite being in the AL playoff race. Texas' only other trade was sending utility player Josh Smith to the Blue Jays for rookie left-hander Adam Macko. The team might have sold off more pieces, but Jacob deGrom refused to waive his no-trade clause. The Rangers are in purgatory right now, and it's hard to give them a proper grade. Grade: C

14. Seattle Mariners

The Mariners accomplished what they set out to do, subtracting from their elite rotation to add to a lineup that desperately needed a boost. What's interesting is that Seattle didn't achieve that goal via a single trade. The Mariners dumped an aging Luis Castillo's contract on the White Sox and got back high-leverage reliever Seranthony Domínguez. Taylor Ward - and his AL-leading 87 walks - probably won't cure the offense, but he certainly doesn't hurt it. Grade: C+

15. Cleveland Guardians

Perhaps the deadline's sneakiest addition was Cleveland grabbing 30-year-old rookie Foster Griffin from Washington for four prospects. Griffin should thrive with the Guardians, an organization that's known for bringing the best out of pitchers and could help him reach a new level. Jo Adell is a good change-of-scenery candidate acquired at a low cost. If he can find his old 30-homer form, he'll add some pop to a lineup that desperately needs it. The Guardians are doing their best to keep pace with the White Sox and give José Ramírez some help, and that's exactly what they should be doing. Grade: A

16. Pittsburgh Pirates

The Pirates targeted relievers to improve their troublesome bullpen, and they acquired four premium arms. The headliner is Luke Weaver, who's allowed one earned run since the beginning of May and is under contract for another season after this one. Camilo Doval and Kirby Yates also have closing experience, and Lake Bachar is a solid strikeout type. The Pirates also managed to address their needs without giving up any of their best prospects. Grade: B+

17. Arizona Diamondbacks

Despite being in contention, the Snakes made just one move before the deadline, acquiring platoon outfield bat Lars Nootbaar from St. Louis in a last-minute deal. That's not what you'd expect from a team that's fighting to hold onto a playoff spot in a crowded NL field and could have used some more upgrades. The D-Backs may regret their choice to mostly stand pat if the new-look Padres catch them. Grade: D

18. Minnesota Twins

What a difference a year makes. The Twins bulked up their bullpen with high-leverage arms Jeff Hoffman and A.J. Minter and depth starter Dean Kremer after a massive fire sale at last year's deadline. Hoffman and Minter provide swing-and-miss stuff, while Kremer is a nice option to round out the rotation. Minnesota could've done more, but after what transpired in 2025, this must feel so nice for the players and front office. Grade: B+

19. Toronto Blue Jays

The Blue Jays opted to buy, sell, and hold at the deadline. Toronto did well to get a controllable pitcher in Spencer Arrighetti, and even though Jeff Hoffman was pitching better in a setup role, it felt like it was time to move on. Replacing Kevin Gausman with José Soriano seems like a huge win. With so many other teams around the Blue Jays punting, keeping Shane Bieber and George Springer might prove beneficial. Toronto honestly could still compete for a wild-card spot this season if Vladimir Guerrero Jr. gets going. Grade: B+

20. St. Louis Cardinals

The Cardinals did what everyone expected them to do: They traded players on expiring contracts and pieces who were not in their long-term plans for prospects. Alexander Frias and Josiah Ragsdale, both acquired from the Brewers, immediately slot into St. Louis' top 10 prospects, while Daniel Eagen and Sandro Santana add more pitching to Chaim Bloom's prospect pool. Grade: B-

21. Detroit Tigers

The deadline cued some significant departures in Detroit, as ace Tarik Skubal and former first overall pick Casey Mize were traded. There will be enormous pressure on the organization's new No. 2 prospect, Zyhir Hope, as he'll always be connected to Skubal. The Tigers also need River Ryan to become an effective rotation piece. It's too early to tell how these trades will work out, but right now, the overall return seems underwhelming. Grade: B-

22. Baltimore Orioles

Despite sitting 2.5 games back of a playoff spot, the Orioles opted to sell, netting a haul of prospects. While fans were likely disappointed to see Adley Rutschman go to a division rival, Mike Elias landed a number of pieces that could really strengthen the organization long term, including Anthony Eyanson, who is now the Orioles' No. 1 prospect. Baltimore didn't get that much worse in the short term and could have improved its future significantly. Grade: B+

23. Cincinnati Reds

It feels like the Reds could've sold off more pieces. Pending free agents Brady Singer, Eugenio Suárez, Tyler Stephenson, Emilio Pagán, and Pierce Johnson all stayed, while Nathaniel Lowe and Caleb Ferguson were dealt. There was a lot of chatter suggesting Hunter Greene was on the trade block and even some buzz about Elly De La Cruz being available. In the end, it was an uneventful deadline for a team that's been spinning in circles all season. Grade: D

24. Washington Nationals

Although the Nats surprisingly fought their way back into contention this past month, they opted to sell at the deadline and bring even more talent into their promising farm system. Selling high on Luis García Jr. in the midst of a career season and Foster Griffin - who was essentially found money after joining them on a one-year deal following his stint in Japan - was the right move. Meanwhile, the Nats held onto CJ Abrams, James Wood, and the rest of their young core. That was also the correct decision, no matter what the rumor mill might have suggested. Grade: B+

25. San Francisco Giants

The Giants couldn't find takers for any of their high-profile players, but Buster Posey still had a very productive deadline, dealing away a number of other veterans. Miguel Mendez, Ramon Marquez, and Joniel Hernandez have all cracked the organization's top 21 prospects. The real prize, however, is Marcelo Mayer. The former top prospect fell out of favor in Boston, but he's just 23 years old and could benefit from a change of scenery. Grade: A-

26. Athletics

It was quiet in West Sacramento, where the Athletics' only acquisitions were reliever Scott Blewett in a cash trade with St. Louis, pitcher Seth Johnson from the Phillies, and relief prospect Aiden Moffett in a deal with the Cubs for DFA'd veteran Aaron Civale. Otherwise, the A's stood pat, and it was probably the right decision. Some expected this young squad to jump into contention this season, but that potential ascendance was interrupted by injuries, so there was no reason to blow things up. Now, the A's can just get through this year and try again in 2027. Grade: B-

27. New York Mets

As expected, the Mets cleaned house. David Stearns traded eight players from the big-league roster and brought 12 new faces into the organization. While the season has been a bust, New York did inject its farm system with some promising talent, including new No. 1 prospect Jefferson Rojas and seven other players who are now among the Mets' top 30. Holding onto Luis Robert Jr. seems like a miss, but the Mets did what they came to do on deadline day. Grade: B+

28. Colorado Rockies

The Rockies did a tidy job of bringing in prospects in an obvious "sell" situation. Keeping Hunter Goodman, who's tied with Kyle Schwarber for the NL homer lead, was the right move. The fans need a reason to be excited about the future with the team on track for another 100-loss campaign. Colorado also reportedly extended Mickey Moniak instead of dealing him. The former No. 1 pick has blossomed at Coors Field and should be part of a core that turns the corner on an extended rebuild. Grade: B-

29. Kansas City Royals

As expected, Kansas City acted as a seller and got prospects for Kris Bubic, Lane Thomas, and Bailey Falter. The Royals also added former top prospect Nate Pearson in a minor deal with Houston. But why did the Royals stop there? A sellers' market made this the right time to deal Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha for better prospects who could help push this team back into contention quickly. Wacha may be a popular innings-eater, but he also had trade value as a veteran starter with one year left on his deal. This deadline feels like a missed opportunity to make the entire Royals organization better. Grade: C+

30. Los Angeles Angels

For the first time in a long time, it feels like the Angels have chosen a direction. Haphazardly trying to piece things together has produced an 11-year playoff drought, and the organization finally appears willing to accept a rebuild. Veterans Kirby Yates, Ryan Zeferjahn, Jo Adell, Brent Suter, José Soriano, and Logan O'Hoppe are all gone, while three new prospects entered the Angels' top 30: Arjun Nimmala (No. 2), Jacob Cozart (No. 18), and Angel Arredondo (No. 28). Expect the club to entertain offers for Reid Detmers, Zach Neto, and even Mike Trout in the offseason, but this is a good start. Grade: A