It has been almost two months since the trade deadline, which gives us a big enough sample size to evaluate how some of the bigger trades have aged. These are our thoughts and reflections on the most impactful and most abysmal moves of the MLB Trade Deadline, two months later.
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The Braves acquired Mahle at the deadline from the Giants in exchange for minor league relief pitcher Anthony Molina. The 31-year-old Mahle was brought in to stabilize Atlanta’s starting rotation, which, due to injuries, has been shaky outside of Chris Sale. Mahle has solidified a spot in that rotation and will very likely be Atlanta’s game two starter in a playoff series. He has pitched in 8 games since the trade to an ERA of 1.28. He has allowed only seven earned runs in almost 50 innings with a WHIP under one.
Pitcher and Catcher weren’t necessarily positions of weakness for the AL-best Tampa Bay Rays, but they elected to add to them anyway. The moves to bring in C Liam Hicks and SP Freddy Perala have worked out swimmingly for Tampa, as both are playing very well down the stretch. Hicks has added a lot of pop to a fairly mediocre catching room, slashing .296/.389/.454 with 4 home runs in his time with the Rays.
While he was seen as a slam-dunk trade right out of the gate, Peralta was seen more as a project. His ERA was almost five with the Mets in his first season since coming over from Milwaukee, and it looked like the Rays were betting on upside. That bet has paid off, and after a few rocky starts, Peralta has settled in, pitching to a 3.17 ERA in September. It isn’t inconceivable that he could get a playoff start the way that he is throwing the ball as of late.
Skubal has been as advertised since the Dodgers acquired the two-time Cy Young from Detroit. His value has shot up for Los Angeles as other pitchers such as Shohei Ohtani and Blake Snell have dealt with injury. Originally, Skubal was seen as not being needed by the Dodgers thanks to their wealth of pitching, but now, he will be a vital starter in their push for a three-peat. He has pitched to a solid 2.95 ERA since joining LA and has racked up 60 strikeouts in 55 innings.
At the time, the trade for Garcia Jr., who is mostly a 1B/DH, was a head-scratcher for a Yankees team that already had a logjam at those positions. Now, the injuries to Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge have opened up more playing time for Garcia Jr. He has brought his hitting ways over from Washington, as he has jacked 30 homers this season, seven in his time in the Bronx. While his numbers have dropped slightly from his Nationals tenure, he will still undoubtedly be a valuable bat in the postseason for the Yankees.
The package deal of Holmes and Taylor coming over from the Mets has added depth to a Cubs team that has desperately needed it. Chicago’s starting rotation has been absolutely decimated by injuries this season, with almost everyone on the depth chart missing substantial time. Holmes was the headliner, as he was brought in to lead that rotation. Coming off a significant leg injury, he was a bit of a gamble, but the Cubs front office clearly liked the upside. He hasn’t been lights out as a starter, pitching to a 4.26 ERA, but he has made every start, and that is more important than dominance for this Chicago team who can provide ample run support.
Taylor was seen as somewhat of a throw-in, but he has provided a tremendous boost to their corner outfield. He is largely platooned, but in limited time (75pa), he is slashing .343/.387/.493.
Adell has energized a Cleveland offense that has been lethargic for most of the 2026 season. He brought some thump to a lineup that is bottom-five in home runs. He has slashed .247/.319/.414 since the trade with six homers. While his numbers with Cleveland aren’t eye-popping, his power has certainly been a welcome sign for that lineup. In just 43 games with the Guardians, he has accumulated 0.4 bWAR, which is significant when you consider that he was at -0.2 in 111 games with the Angels.
The Padres starting rotation has been rocky all season, and with the resurgence of their star hitters, San Diego largely targeted pitching help in the trade market. They landed on Casey Mize from the Tigers and Robbie Ray from the Giants. Mize was seen as the big splash, with Ray being more of a high-upside veteran presence. Neither of them has performed up to expectations, and it leaves the Padres in a tough spot as they consider their rotation options for the playoffs.
Since the trade, Ray’s ERA is over five, with Mize’s over six. While that might be fine during the regular season when your offense is clicking, it is concerning for a team looking for plus arms in a playoff run.
The Heliot Ramos trade was received better initially than the Garcia Jr. trade, as at least right-handed outfield was somewhat of a need compared to 1B/DH. That sentiment has not aged particularly well, as Garcia Jr. has hit well and Ramos has struggled. His slugging, which is his calling card, has saved his stats from looking completely abysmal. It has his OPS at an alright .651, even while his batting average craters to .168. He has also drawn a fair share of walks, bringing his on-base percentage up.
The White Sox traded for Luis Castillo in the hopes that he would add a stable veteran presence to their young and inconsistent starting rotation. He has done the opposite of that, as he has been terrible to the point where he was removed from his starter role. As Chicago fights for their division, their pitching staff has continued to disappoint, with Castillo at the center of that. With the White Sox, Castillo’s ERA is over eight. He has appeared in nine games, seven of them starts. In those games, he has given up a whopping 29 earned runs and nine home runs. His home run rate is almost double that of any other time in his career. An outstanding disappointment of a trade return for the White Sox.
Ward was seen as one of the most impactful trade chips at the deadline for teams that needed consistent production from an outfield bat. He had put up 2.7 bWAR with Baltimore through the first 111 games and was slashing .246/.383/.346. That was clearly appealing to the Mariners, who at that point were chasing a playoff spot and looking for plate production. Since the deadline, the Mariners have been eliminated, and Ward has slashed a measly .105/.222/.128. He has been so bad that he has brought his season bWAR total down a whole point from 2.7 to 1.7. Not good for a player who was expected to help a struggling offense.
The Pirates bought hard at the deadline, especially in the bullpen market, as they were right in the thick of a wild card race. Weaver was the headline piece for Pittsburgh, as he was coming out of the Mets bullpen with a sparkling 1.84 ERA over 44 innings. He was looked at as a lock for the Pirates’ closer role, something that had been in flux all season. Weaver did not live up to the billing, as he has limped to a 5.40 ERA and has not locked down a save for the Pirates yet. He didn’t miss any games with an injury, but he revealed that medical problems such as poison ivy may have been affecting his performance. Whatever the issue was, Pittsburgh imploded down the stretch, with Weaver and the re-tooled bullpen being a large part of it.
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