Deadline Pressure Mounts
MLB Trade Deadline Nears: Executives Face High Scrutiny Amid Skubal Interest and Team Needs
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Key Points
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ESPN and co-authors Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan are not just tracking a few names—they compiled a regularly updated list of 100 potential trade candidates and “top potential fits” ahead of the Aug. 3 deadline.
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For Tarik Skubal, ESPN’s trade-candidate ranking pegs his “chance of being traded” at 85% and notes he has “just the remainder of 2026” in control; it also highlights his rehab momentum by reporting he “hit 99.9 mph with his fastball” after returning from midseason bone chip surgery.
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On the Yankees’ catcher need, one report frames it as a longstanding problem specifically tied to left-handed pitching, pointing to Austin Wells going “5-for-50 against left-handed pitching” this season and arguing that pairing a right-handed catcher with New York’s strong platoon success could make the lineup tougher “in October.”
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In the “executives feeling the most heat” angle, the Braves/Preller coverage adds context on why Atlanta and San Diego could be pushed into action: Atlanta enters with the “best record in baseball despite” injuries and a “disastrous Jurickson Profar contract,” while the Padres are described as needing to decide if they’re “splash or two away,” given an offense that ranks “dead last in the Majors in runs scored” and a negative run differential.
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The “hard-to-move contracts” discussion includes concrete examples of contracts that could deter potential buyers: the Giants, it says, would likely want a “do-over” on Rafael Devers after his production cooled, with the article stressing he has “seven years remaining” through 2033—making a clean deal difficult “unless they give up a ton of value along with it.”
Less than seven weeks before the August 3 trade deadline, ESPN's Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan have ranked 100 potential trade candidates — and Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal sits at No. 1 with an 85% chance of being dealt, according to ESPN. Skubal returned from bone chip surgery on June 14 and immediately hit 99.9 mph with his fastball, erasing health concerns and driving his trade value even higher.
The Tigers sit at 29-42, trailing the final Wild Card spot by 6.5 games, according to ESPN. That playoff distance makes moving Skubal — who has only the remainder of 2026 left under team control — the most urgent decision in baseball right now.
Scott Harris and Six Other Execs Face Deadline Heat
ESPN's Buster Olney published a list of 12 executives under the most pressure heading into August, according to ESPN. Detroit's Scott Harris tops it. If Harris fails to maximize Skubal's value now, the Tigers risk losing him for nothing in free agency this winter. Also named: Boston's Craig Breslow, Baltimore's Mike Elias, the Mets' David Stearns, Atlanta's Alex Anthopoulos, San Diego's A.J. Preller, and San Francisco's Buster Posey.
Olney draws a key distinction: not everyone on the list is fighting for their job. Andrew Friedman in Los Angeles faces little personal pressure, per ESPN. But for others, like Harris, the heat is real — deliver value from Skubal or watch a generational asset walk out the door.
Skubal's Velocity Spike Resets His Market Price
Buyers typically discount injured starters. Skubal's immediate 99.9 mph return makes that discount almost impossible to justify. McDaniel and Passan call him a "dream deadline candidate" capable of "carrying a team in the postseason," according to ESPN. His combination of elite stuff and playoff-ready health puts him in a category of one.
Local insiders suggest the Tigers may wait until the All-Star break on July 12 to see if they can claw back into contention, according to Sports Illustrated. But national analysts like Ken Rosenthal frame a trade as "far more likely than not." Every start Skubal makes healthy only raises the asking price — and the pressure on Harris to pull the trigger.
Yankees Need a Right-Handed Catcher for October
New York holds a slim 1.5-game AL East lead, and a glaring hole is emerging at catcher. Austin Wells is batting just .100 — 5-for-50 — against left-handed pitching this season, according to ESPN. Wells also landed on the 10-day injured list on June 6 with cervical headaches, per MLB Trade Rumors, deepening the void.
The fix, as framed by analysts, is specific: add a right-handed catcher who can exploit platoon advantages against southpaws. The Yankees already excel in platoon situations. A targeted upgrade at catcher, rather than a broad roster overhaul, is the highest-leverage move available to them heading into October.
Giants' Devers Deal and Atlanta's Profar Problem Complicate Seller Math
Not every team can simply sell what isn't working. San Francisco's Rafael Devers carries roughly $211 million over seven years through 2033, according to FanSided. No team will take that contract without the Giants absorbing salary or surrendering significant prospect value alongside it. FanSided calls it a "frightening lesson" about over-committing to aging stars.
Atlanta faces a different bind. The Braves hold the best record in baseball despite injuries and what ESPN calls a "disastrous Jurickson Profar contract," according to ESPN. San Diego is in worse shape: the Padres rank dead last in the majors in runs scored and carry a negative run differential. Both teams may be forced into deadline action — but expensive, hard-to-move contracts limit exactly how much they can do.
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