8 MLB Trade Deadline Candidates Not Named Tarik Skubal

First we have Minnesota Twins ace Joe Ryan who is coming off a start where he tossed six innings and gave up four runs. On the season, Ryan has a 3.20 ERA in 13 starts. Ryan and the Twins have a $13 million mutual option in the offseason that will surely get declined by the starter. For that, the Twins should move him to a contender to get prospect capital back at the deadline.

Ryan Jeffers

Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers is currently on the IL with a left hamate bone fracture. But before going down on May 19, Jeffers was slashing .295/.408/.541 with a .949 OPS, seven home runs and 26 RBI in 37 games. The right-handed hitting catcher is a perfect match for the New York Yankees and could help any playoff team with his bat. Jeffers will be a free agent this winter and if he comes back healthy the Twins should trade him.

Aroldis Chapman

Boston Red Sox 38-year-old closer Aroldis Chapman is having another fantastic season. The left-hander is following up his 1.17 ERA and 32 save 2025 with a 0.48 ERA and 12-for-12 in save chances in 2026. Chapman and Boston have a conditional-mutual option for 2027, so now would be the time for the Red Sox to deal him.

Sandy Alcantara

This is a name that was brought up at the trade deadline last season. Maybe this is the year that Miami Marlins starter Sandy Alcantara actually gets dealt. The 30-year-old is making an affordable $17.3 million in 2026. He has a $21 million club option for 2027. Coming off Tommy John surgery, Alcantara had a rough campaign last year, posting a 5.36 ERA in 31 starts. He has a much better 4.59 ERA this season across 13 starts. Alcantara won the 2022 NL Cy Young award.

Seth Lugo

Former relief pitcher turned starter Seth Lugo is having a solid season overall with the Kansas City Royals. Lugo has posted a 3.55 ERA in 12 starts so far this year. However, the righty has a 5.45 ERA in his last seven starts and 39.2 innings. Lugo, 36, is under club control in 2027 at $21.5 million and has a conditional-club option for $17 million in 2028.

CJ Abrams

Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams is having a superb season offensively and executives believe he will be one of the biggest names that gets traded at the deadline. Abrams, 25, has risen to the level of superstar with the numbers he has put up at the plate this year and his trade value is at an all-time high. Abrams has two more years of club control and the Nationals could get a haul of prospects in return for his services. The contrast is that the Nationals are leading baseball in runs scored this season and should build around young franchise cornerstones Abrams and James Wood, not subtract.

Zac Gallen

Arizona Diamondbacks right-handed starter Zac Gallen is having a second straight tough season with a 5.16 ERA in 12 starts. He is coming off a campaign where he posted a 4.83 ERA in 33 starts. The 30-year-old is pitching on a one-year, $22.025 million deal. Although the Diamondbacks are in contention for a Wild Card spot in the NL, they could still deal Gallen to get something back for him before he hits free agency.

Willy Adames

The San Francisco Giants would likely love to move shortstop Willy Adames' massive contract. Adames, 30, is under team control through 2031 and will make over $31 million per season beginning in 2027. The Giants are off to a poor start in 2026 under rookie manager Tony Vitello and would surely listen if teams come calling about Adames in the coming months. But this one feels like a long shot given Adames is only in year-two of a seven-year, $182 million deal he signed with the Giants before the 2025 season.