The 2026 MLB trade deadline is just one week away, and man, it’s put up or shut up time across the league. We’re talking about a wild scene where twenty-three of the thirty teams are somehow still within five games of a playoff spot as of Monday. That could mean a dead silent deadline, but it could also kick off an absolute bidding war for any impact player who actually becomes available. Some teams might even pull off some opportunistic selling, just to capitalize on what’s clearly a seller’s market. It’s a total reset on the board, with the rumor mill already churning like crazy.
Bottom Dwellers and Sky-High Asking Prices
The Oakland Athletics, sitting at a miserable 44-61, are not just bad; they’re the worst team in baseball by a long shot after going 4-19 in their last twenty-three games. They were hovering around .500, and now? Yikes. On the bright side, Nick Kurtz did get back on the field Saturday after missing eleven games with a right thumb injury, which also cost him a shot at his first All-Star Game. Meanwhile, the Colorado Rockies are having another lost season at 42-65. You gotta wonder how aggressive new front office head Paul DePodesta will be. All-Star Hunter Goodman is their top trade chip, but outfielders Jake McCarthy and Mickey Moniak should get some attention too.
Over in Los Angeles, the Angels are 42-64. While pitchers Reid Detmers and José Soriano have been the names floating around, the buzz is really growing loud around shortstop Zach Neto. This dude is only 25, he’s controllable all the way through 2029, and he’s quietly racked up a mind-blowing 13.2 WAR since the start of the 2024 season. Expect that asking price to be absolutely sky-high. And speaking of struggles, the San Francisco Giants, 44-61, just got swept for the seventh time this year by the Royals in Kansas City. Luis Arraez and Robbie Ray are practically packing their bags already, and contenders are definitely eyeing Heliot Ramos and Casey Schmitt. The New York Mets, 44-62, at least managed to avoid getting swept by the two best teams in baseball, thanks to a killer start from rookie Zac Thornton last Tuesday and an eight-run explosion on Sunday. The question for them is whether they’ll swing a blockbuster deal or just sell expiring contracts and limp to the finish line.
The Collapse and the Rise: Blue Jays Edition
Remember when the Toronto Blue Jays were 39-39 on June 22 and holding onto the No. 3 wild-card spot? Well, since then, they’ve gone a horrendous 9-19 and have completely fallen out of the playoff picture at 48-58. It’s gotta be a tough pill to swallow, facing the reality of selling at the deadline just a year after making it all the way to Game 7 of the World Series. Talk about a brutal fall from grace! On the flip side, the Kansas City Royals, 45-62, are actually looking like they might be a thorn in the side of contenders, rolling with a 7-3 record in their last ten games and picking up a couple of series wins. Veteran starters Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo are leading the charge there.
So, with the deadline clock ticking louder every day, the next seven days are gonna be pure chaos. Who makes the big move? Who caves and sells off their future? This could reshape the league for months, maybe even years, to come.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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