1 Trade Each MLB Team Wishes It Could Make

Major League Baseball's 2026 trade deadline was more than a month ago. The waiver deadline has also passed and 40-man rosters around the league are just about set in stone as we prepare to put a bow on this regular season.

What if trades could still be made, though?

What if contenders could try to address their possibly fatal flaw(s) while the other half of the league got another chance to add to its farm system?

In that entirely hypothetical scenario, we've put together a guess at what each team would try to add—without wasting anyone's time in putting together actual trade packages.

For the teams with at least some plausible hope of reaching the postseason, we're identifying the weakest links they'd love to address before October begins.

For everyone else, it's more of a "What's at the top of the offseason wish list?" exercise, as teams either reload or embrace a rebuild.

Tampa Bay Rays (93-60) : One more bat for the bottom third

To be sure, the Rays offense is more potent now than when we first started wondering what they might get in October beyond their main three hitters: Junior Caminero, Yandy Díaz and Jonathan Aranda. Victor Mesa Jr. has had one of the most valuable bats in all of baseball over the past two months, Liam Hicks has been a fantastic trade deadline addition and Chandler Simpson is hitting .360 since the beginning of July.

But that 7-8-9 of Cedric Mullins, Richie Palacios and Taylor Walls could be where rallies go to die. (And the Rays sure have been minimizing Simpson's impact by often batting him sixth ahead of that whatever the opposite of murderer's row is.)

If they could bring back Brandon Lowe right about now, we'd have a much easier time penciling them into the World Series.

New York Yankees (89-64) : A sure thing on the left half of the infield

Between the big four of Cam Schlittler, Max Fried, Carlos Rodón and Gerrit Cole and the bullpen trio of Brent Headrick, Paul Blackburn and David Bednar, the Yankees probably have the most potent postseason pitching staff of them all.

However, Aaron Boone is about to be in second guessing hell in October as it pertains to when and where to deploy George Lombard Jr., Anthony Volpe, José Caballero, Amed Rosario and Ryan McMahon at shortstop and third base.

And with the great unknown of Aaron Judge's calf injury hanging over this team like a steadily deflating balloon, getting those SS/3B decisions correct will be even more crucial.

Boston Red Sox (84-70) : Middle infield help

Frankly, it's a bit of a travesty that Boston didn't work to address this at the actual trade deadline.

Six unique players have made at least 42 appearances at either second base or shortstop for the Red Sox this season, and let's just say that's not because they are drowning in fantastic options.

At least Trevor Story is hitting drastically better since returning from the IL in late August. He'll surely be Boston's starting shortstop in the postseason.

Second base, though? Well, guess what, it might be you.

Toronto Blue Jays (76-78) : Another starting pitcher

When the Blue Jays effectively replaced Kevin Gausman with José Soriano at the trade deadline, they had no way of knowing that both Trey Yesavage and Shane Bieber would land on the IL within the next couple of weeks, leaving them grasping at straws and Spencer Arrighettis as they try to sneak in as the No. 6 seed.

Yesavage is about to return after more than six weeks on the shelf and maybe could be their No. 3 starter in the postseason, if they get there. But with two bullpen games likely left on their schedule, getting one more legitimate starting pitcher into the mix could make all of the difference.

Baltimore Orioles (75-79) : Controllable starting pitchers

Baltimore isn't dead yet, but the postseason odds are slim enough that the Orioles would definitely be looking for controllable players rather than rentals.

And with both Trevor Rogers and Chris Bassitt headed for free agency this winter, those controllable players had better be candidates for the 2027 starting rotation. As is, they're looking at Shane Baz, Brandon Young and Kyle Bradish as their main trio for next season, which sounds like the recipe for another year in the AL East basement.

Cleveland Guardians (79-75) : Any bat with some pop

The Guardians have seven players who have hit at least a dozen home runs this season, but none of them have more than 15. And with the exception of Chase DeLauter, no one on the roster even has a .760 OPS. (Though, Steven Kwan has very much turned a corner and has an .875 OPS since struggling through the first three months.)

Any bat would be nice, regardless of position. The Guardians have mostly been using their DH spot as a way to keep key players in the lineup while giving them a day off from playing the field, so they could plug and play just about anyone capable of homering on occasion.

Chicago White Sox (78-76) : Bullpen arms

Grant Taylor and Sean Newcomb have been two of Chicago's most valuable pitchers this season, anchoring an otherwise problematic bullpen. But they have both been leaking oil as of late as the White Sox try to avoid falling out of the playoff picture altogether.

While Cleveland, Toronto and Texas have had three of the best closers in all of baseball this season, lacking a similarly reliable arm could be why Chicago ends up falling behind at least two of those three teams—or it could be why the White Sox fail to win a game in the postseason.

Detroit Tigers (73-81) : Controllable starting pitching

Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize are already gone. Jack Flaherty and Justin Verlander might as well be, too, both on the IL for several months at this point and hitting free agency this winter.

Save for Framber Valdez (for better or worse), this starting rotation looks a whole lot different than it did on Opening Day.

Troy Melton looks like a star in the making, though. And both Keider Montero and Jackson Jobe could be serviceable No. 4 type starters for years to come. However, they still need at least one more arm if they're going to bounce back and win this division in 2027. (And, you know, best of luck with those dreams of bringing back Skubal in free agency.)

Minnesota Twins (72-82) : All sorts of pitching

Offensively, the Twins are in a pretty solid place, especially with top prospects Walker Jenkins, Kaelen Culpepper and Emmanuel Rodriguez just now getting their feet wet in the majors. They already have one of the higher scoring offenses this season, and a way too early hot take for 2027 is that Minnesota leads the majors in scoring.

Aside from Joe Ryan in a contract year and ideally another solid season from Taj Bradley, though, can they get anyone out? When does Pablo López make it back from his Tommy John surgery? And how much will they invest in restocking their bullpen after burning it to the ground 14 months ago?

Adding arms this offseason is non-negotiable.

Kansas City Royals (67-87) : Outfield help

What the Royals would actually love to acquire is the 2023-24 version of Cole Ragans again. Addressing the biggest holes in the offense, though, is a more realistic plan.

Jac Caglianone broke through in a big way this year, but the Royals hardly got anything from the left and center field spots in their lineup.

Maybe Carson Roccaforte can be an answer to their problems, racking up 35 home runs and 30 stolen bases in the minors this season. However, they should also be looking to acquire an established big leaguer who can help.

Houston Astros (77-77) : Immediate impact outfielders

Now that Cristian Javier seems to have turned a corner—6.45 ERA through Aug. 31; 2.20 ERA since—the Astros just might have enough pitching to both make the playoffs and do some damage in October.

But their outfield situation has grown so dire that they've been throwing Hail Mary attempts at bringing in the likes of Nelson Velázquez and Jorge Barrosa in recent weeks, after trading for Daulton Varsho (.545 OPS with Houston) didn't fix anything.

They'll almost certainly be pursuing Randy Arozarena and Seiya Suzuki this winter, but they'd love some help now, too.

Texas Rangers (77-77) : Bats that can hit righties

Against southpaws, the Rangers have had one of the best lineups in the business, boasting a .767 OPS. In particular, Justin Foscue has crushed lefties and usually starts at second base when Texas is facing one.

Against right-handed pitching, though, they've been one of the worst teams with a .696 OPS.

Joc Pederson is mashing righties just fine, hitting 25 of his 26 home runs against them and typically batting leadoff when the opposing starter is right-handed. But it goes downhill in a hurry from there.

They need to find their own version of Mickey Gasper, and fast.

Seattle Mariners (72-82) : A new hitting coach

The good news amid this conclusion to an embarrassing season is that top prospects Lázaro Montes and Michael Arroyo have made great first impressions. They might be ready to slide right into the forthcoming lineup voids of Randy Arozarena and J.P. Crawford hitting free agency.

The bad news is that Arozarena is one of the few bats that hasn't been a disaster in Seattle, and the Mariners need to figure out how to get Cal Raleigh, Julio Rodríguez and Josh Naylor back to what they were in 2025 while also figuring out a 2027 plan for third base and left field.

Even though Kevin Seitzer worked more than fine as the hitting coach last season, he simply hasn't been the bat whisperer that they've needed this year.

Athletics (61-93) : Ground ball pitching

Eventually, the A's will be moving to their new home in Las Vegas, and maybe that stadium will be less of a launching pad than Sutter Health Park has been.

In the meantime, they should be focused on acquiring ground ball pitchers who are less likely to get taken yard over and over again throughout the summer in West Sacramento.

And it just so happens that one of the best in the business in that department is hitting free agency this winter.

Since breaking into the majors in 2018, Clay Holmes has a 62.2 percent ground ball rate, which is the highest among pitchers who have logged at least 500 innings in that time. When he inevitably declines his $12M player option for 2027, they need to make him an offer he can't refuse.

Los Angeles Angels (59-95) : An exorcist?

Mike Trout has recorded more ABs than he did in any of the previous nine seasons, Reid Detmers has had by far the most complete season of his career, Walbert Ureña has been one of the best rookies in all of baseball...

And the Angels might set a franchise record for losses in a single season.

Having Arte Moreno sell the franchise to Stan Kroenke a few weeks ago was a dream come true for Angels fans, but we'll see if and when he can fix the team with the longest active postseason drought.

Ranking Every Team's Best Rookie in 2026 🔢

Since the beginning of June, Atlanta has allowed the fewest runs among NL teams.

Conversely, it nearly has the lowest scoring offense over the past 3.5 months.

Dominic Smith was great early on, batting .325 through the end of May, but he has become virtually unplayable. And while Mauricio Dubón has been solid while playing either short or left on a near everyday basis, whichever position he isn't manning is an offensive liability—especially when it's Ha-Seong Kim at shortstop.

They've already clinched a spot in the postseason, but they could really use an infusion or two of pop—preferably of the right-handed variety, since Austin Riley is also nowhere near the slugger that he used to be from 2021-23.

Philadelphia Phillies (85-69) : Reliable middle relief

The Phillies could use help in a bunch of different places, particularly now that Jesús Luzardo's availability for the start of the postseason is questionable.

However, the one thing that has repeatedly doomed them in recent postseasons is shoddy work from the bullpen. And aside from closer Jhoan Duran, there's not a single arm in this year's relief corps that they can confidently turn to in the seventh or eighth inning with a slim lead.

Trading for Brooks Raley and Caleb Kilian was supposed to help fix that. Instead, the former has a 6.97 ERA in 14 appearances while the latter made just four appearances with a 13.50 ERA before landing on the 60-day IL.

Miami Marlins (76-78) : An MLB-ready prospect with slugging potential

Save for that wild stretch of 26 wins in 34 games during the summer, the Marlins have been quite unremarkable, going 26-34 before it and 24-36 after it.

Since starting to come back to earth in mid-July, their lineup has been riddled with holes—including the self-inflicted one that came from trading away Liam Hicks.

But what else is new from what has been the second-lowest scoring team in the majors since the beginning of 2021? Miami is seemingly always looking for a bat worth building around.

Washington Nationals (72-82) : A completely new bullpen

A fun fact about Washington's record-setting 39 blown saves is the Nationals have actually gone 12-23 in games with a blown save. (There were four games with two blown saves.) So, it's not as simple as saying they'd be in the postseason picture if they were just a little less awful at protecting late leads.

All the same, no lead felt safe all season long. If they jettisoned the entire bullpen this winter and just started over from scratch, there's probably not a fan in the nation's capital who would argue with that approach.

New York Mets (70-84) : Starting Pitching

What exactly the Mets need to do about their lineup this winter will hinge to a considerable extent on whether Bo Bichette opts out of the remainder of his contract.

But unless they are irrationally confident in Tylor Megill coming back better than ever after missing all of 2026 to Tommy John surgery, they definitely need to address their starting rotation.

Nolan McLean is a solid ace. Christian Scott, Zac Thornton and Jonah Tong could all factor into the mix. However, that quartet has made a combined total of 90 MLB starts, and it's hard to imagine/justify letting it ride with what they've got in-house.

Milwaukee Brewers (96-58) : Another power bat

What's wild about Milwaukee ranking second-to-last in the majors in home runs hit is that the Brewers simultaneously have the second-most plate appearances in the majors.

Their ratio of 40.6 PA/HR is dead last among all 30 teams for this season. It's also the third-worst ratio by a postseason team in the past six years. The others were the Guardians and Rays in 2022—who combined for three home runs in their head-to-head wild card series before Cleveland was out-homered 9-3 by the Yankees in the ALDS.

Both Jackson Chourio and William Contreras have been hot as of late, and Jake Bauers is no slouch with a team-best 26 home runs. Will they supply enough round-trippers in October, though? Or will it be a repeat of last year, swept by the Dodgers in the NLCS while averaging one run per game?

Chicago Cubs (85-69) : A lock-down closer

The Cubs have the best offense in the majors, and it feels inevitable that at least Pete Crow-Armstrong will provide some fireworks at some point.

The starting rotation is every bit as problematic as it was heading into the trade deadline, with neither Kevin Gausman (5.04 ERA, 4.44 FIP) nor Clay Holmes (4.26 ERA, 4.11 FIP) making the type of impact they were hoping for. But they do at least have an experienced rotation that might be able to deliver the occasional gem in October.

The real nightmare here is the bullpen/closer situation, as only bulk relievers Aaron Civale and Javier Assad seem to be capable of recording outs as of late. In particular, former closer Jacob Webb has completely lost his touch with a 12.91 ERA, four blown saves and no successful saves in his past nine appearances.

Should the Cubs enter a ninth inning with a lead of fewer than six runs, everyone will be holding their breath.

Pittsburgh Pirates (77-77) : Controllable power bat

Most of Pittsburgh's roster will be back in 2027, but presumably losing Brandon Lowe's 32 home runs and 272 total bases in free agency is going to be a tough pill to swallow. He's the biggest reason the Pirates were so much more potent on offense than last season.

The good news is they don't need to replace him with another powerful second baseman, as their DH spot has been a revolving door ever since they gave Marcell Ozuna the boot. They could cement Nick Gonzales at 2B and hope to add some home runs either at third base or designated hitter.

St. Louis Cardinals (75-79) : Third baseman

Nolan Gorman, Blaze Jordan, Ramón Urías and José Fermín each appeared at third base in at least 20 games for the Cardinals this season. Of the bunch, though, the best OPS is Jordan's mark of .658, as St. Louis really missed Nolan Arenado at the hot corner.

The Cardinals could also really use at least one starting pitcher, but a nice splash at third base could improve the team by at least half a dozen wins.

Cincinnati Reds (72-82) : Any sort of lineup support for Elly De La Cruz and Sal Stewart

JJ Bleday was an awesome surprise early in the year, but he's batting .181 with a .607 OPS since mid-June.

Matt McLain, TJ Friedl, Ke'Bryan Hayes and Noelvi Marte each made at least 200 plate appearances while batting below .190.

Throw in both Tyler Stephenson and Eugenio Suárez both hitting free agency this winter and things are looking all sorts of bleak for this lineup beyond its dynamic duo.

Los Angeles Dodgers (94-60) : The Shohei Ohtani of old

It took a long time, but both Kyle Tucker and Teoscar Hernández have finally woken up in a big way. The former has a 1.575 OPS with five home runs over his last nine games, while the latter has a .946 OPS over his last 26 games. Both were down around .700 prior to that. But with Andy Pages nearing a return from his fractured hand, the outfield might all of a sudden be a considerable strength for the Dodgers.

The major concern at this point is what version of Shohei Ohtani they'll get in October, provided he does make it back from his injuries.

Last postseason, he had a 1.096 OPS, including a 1.278 mark in the World Series. But he has a .799 OPS in the second half and a .479 mark since Aug. 19.

If October 2025 Ohtani resurfaces, though, brace yourselves for a three-peat.

San Diego Padres (85-69) : Another starting pitcher or two

Michael King (3.03 ERA, 18 quality starts) has been solid all season long, and Nick Pivetta has been pitching well (1.93) in three starts since his return from nearly five months on the IL.

But is he really going to start Game 2 of the wild card round, yet to pitch into the sixth inning of a game this season?

Given how poorly Casey Mize (5.97 ERA, 6.07 FIP) and Robbie Ray (5.22 ERA, 5.87 FIP) have performed since the Padres traded for them, yes, Pivetta is almost certainly starting Game 2, and it may well be Walker Buehler on the bump if there's a do-or-die Game 3.

If they can just find a way to get a lead to their bullpen in the seventh inning, though, they probably aren't blowing it.

Arizona Diamondbacks (80-74) : Controllable starting pitching

Entering Saturday at five games behind a three-way tie for the wild card spots, things are not looking good for the D-Backs—who would be comfortably in the postseason picture right now if they were in the American League. But they end the season against a dead-and-dying Colorado Rockies team before a head-to-head battle with San Diego in which they could gain three games in a heartbeat.

It would be fantastic if they could add some starting pitching for that finishing push instead of continuing to hope and pray that Merrill Kelly and Zac Gallen won't bury them in an insurmountable deficit.

Plus, with Gallen, Michael Soroka and possibly (but probably not) Corbin Burnes all headed for free agency this winter, they're going to need to address the starting rotation anyway.

San Francisco Giants (64-90) : One of those memory erasers from Men In Black

This season has been a waking nightmare for the Giants, with a staggering 22 players presently on the IL.

Of the nine hitters in their Opening Day lineup, only Jung Hoo Lee is still standing, with five on the IL and three traded away. Similarly, of the 10 pitchers who have logged at least 40 innings, five are on the IL and three were traded away, Landen Roupp and Blade Tidwell the exceptions to the rule.

Simply forgetting this season ever happened is the only way to go here, hoping for a brighter tomorrow with a healthy Rafael Devers, Matt Chapman, Willy Adames and Logan Webb heading into 2027. (But they also need to add some pitching this winter.)

Colorado Rockies (56-98) : A brand new pitching staff

As the Rockies put the finishing touches on a fourth consecutive season with at least 100 losses, they are dead last in the majors in runs allowed, giving us no good reason to assume they aren't going to make it five in a row in 2027. (If 162 games are played.)

Fifteen pitchers have logged at least 30 innings for Colorado this season.

Only three of those pitchers have done so with an ERA below 5.25.

One of the three (Antonio Senzatela) was traded away. The second (Chase Dollander) underwent an internal brace procedure in June and isn't expected back until at least next June. The third is Brennan Bernardino, who should probably get some sort of medal of honor for his 2.93 ERA in 61.1 innings pitched.