MLB's Biggest Trade Deadline Moves

Afternoon Edition

August 3, 2026

As Monday’s MLB trade deadline approaches, the Dodgers have bulked up as they pursue a third straight championship, while several other high-revenue clubs have parted with top players in the wake of disappointing seasons.

—Eric Fisher

First Up

Mauricio Pochettino will continue in his role as head coach of the U.S. men’s national team through the 2030 World Cup, U.S. Soccer announced Monday.
LAFC co-owner and private equity executive Larry Berg will take over as MLS commissioner next year.
After a ruling granted athletes who enrolled in college in 2022 an extra year of eligibility, the judge clarified that age, transfer, and professional limits still apply.
Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic, and Carlos Alcaraz are missing the Canadian Open for a second straight year as star absences test the value of tennis’s Masters events.

MLB Trade Deadline Sees Big Market Clubs Trade Top Players

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The two-time defending World Series champion Dodgers are remaining defiant after their blockbuster acquisition of ace pitcher Tarik Skubal, while several other large-market clubs began sell-offs that defined this year’s MLB trade deadline.

The Dodgers further solidified their league-leading odds to win a third straight championship after landing Skubal, winner of the last two American League Cy Young Awards, in a trade with the Tigers for three prospects. Club leaders, however, were unapologetic about the trade, as they acknowledged the Skubal move is bringing more criticism their way as MLB’s largest spender.

The Dodgers are also a central topic in ongoing labor talks between the league and the MLB Players Association.

“It just seems like there’s always blowback with us,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after his club was surprisingly swept at home by the Red Sox this past weekend. “People are passionate. We feel good about it. There’s nothing that we did that no one else couldn’t have done.”

To Roberts’s point, the Dodgers had to surrender only a former third-round draft pick from 2023, and two former 11th-round selections—none of whom are currently among MLB’s top 20 prospects—to land one of the premier starting pitchers in the sport. That relatively low price was driven by the fact that Skubal will be a free agent after the season, making him a short-term rental.

The Dodgers will be responsible for about $9.5 million remaining on Skubal’s salary, bringing the club’s total luxury tax payroll and forthcoming 2026 tax obligation to a combined figure of more than $600 million. That sum is more than five times the comparable figure for the Marlins, MLB’s lowest-spending club.

“We’re not going to be flippant about this moment in time and how special this group, this era, can be in the history of this incredibly storied organization,” said Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman. “We’re going to do everything we can to keep doing what we can to win the last game of the year.”

Skubal is set to make his first start for the Dodgers on Tuesday against the Cubs at Wrigley Field.

Trade Activity

Monday’s trade deadline, meanwhile, saw several other high-revenue clubs part with top players in the wake of disappointing seasons. Among the latest moves:

The Giants sent second baseman Luis Arraez, a three-time batting champion, along with reliever Caleb Kilian, to the Phillies for two pitching prospects. San Francisco also previously sent veteran pitcher Tyler Mahle to the Braves for minor league reliever Anthony Molina. The Giants era under president of baseball operations and former star catcher Buster Posey remains a rocky one as the club has been unable to challenge the Dodgers’ dominance in the National League West. Arraez will be joining his fifth team in five years after prior stints with the Twins, Marlins, and Padres. Later, the Giants also reached a deal with divisional rival San Diego to send starting pitcher Robbie Ray to the Padres in exchange for two prospects.
The Mets began another sell-off, their second in four seasons, parting with starting pitcher Freddy Peralta and relievers A.J. Minter, Huascar Brazobán, and Clay Holmes in separate deals with the Rays, Twins, White Sox, and Cubs, respectively. The trades landed New York eight total prospects as MLB’s second-largest spender behind the Dodgers now will begin a painful rebuilding project. The Mets are expected to ship more veterans out before the trade deadline arrives at 6 p.m. ET on Monday.
The Blue Jays sent starting pitcher Kevin Gausman to the Cubs for two prospects. The Rogers Communications–owned club has regressed significantly this season after reaching Game 7 of the 2025 World Series.
The Angels, currently the AL’s worst team, parted with several players including pitchers José Soriano and Brent Suter, and outfielder Jo Adell in separate trades with the Blue Jays, Braves, and Guardians, respectively. Similar to the Mets’ strategy, the Angels received back a series of minor leaguers to restock their farm system. Most notable among them is former Blue Jays prospect Arjun Nimmala, who is a first-generation Indian American and part of a growing tie between MLB and the world’s most populous country.
The Orioles dealt catcher and former franchise cornerstone Adley Rutschman to the Red Sox for prospects. After a tumultuous beginning to the 2026 campaign, the Red Sox have completely rejuvenated their season and are now eyed as a serious postseason threat.

The activity involving many of these larger-market clubs veered significantly from the 2025 MLB trade deadline, dominated instead by mid-market franchises.

Innovation Behind Every Turn

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ONE BIG FIG

Queen Korda

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$4.59 million

That’s how much prize money Nelly Korda won at the five women’s golf major championships this year—more than any other LPGA player. In fact, Korda won more prize money at the women’s majors (which paid out a combined $53.6 million) than all but two male golfers did in the four men’s majors (which paid out $83.25 million), Rory McIlroy and Wyndham Clark.

Korda, the No. 1–ranked player in the world, won the first two majors of the season, the Chevron Championship and the U.S. Women’s Open, which boosted her earnings significantly. In second place is South Korea’s Haeran Ryu, who won the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and the Amundi Evian Championship, with a total of $3.72 million.

LOUD AND CLEAR

Leveling Up

Front Office Sports

“This isn’t just a moment, it’s not just a media flash in the pan. This is a real economic drive behind these women.”

—Former NFL player Jason Wright, who now oversees Ariel’s Project Level investment fund focused on women’s sports, on why women’s teams present a higher-growth opportunity than men’s right now.

Wright’s comments came at Front Office Sports’s Huddle in the Hamptons event over the weekend, when he said the investment case for women’s sports is still accelerating.

While it’s “hard to see” an NFL team doubling in value in the next five years, Wright said women’s sports can do it. “We just watched WNBA valuations go from about $250 million average to $414 million average in a year’s time,” he said, “and that will continue to happen over the next five to seven years.”

FRONT OFFICE SPORTS LIVE

Our Hamptons Highlights

Last Friday, Huddle in the Hamptons returned to East Hampton for its third year—bringing together 200 VIPs, tastemakers, athletes, and power brokers for the quintessential summer Friday.

The event kicked off with a conversation led by former WNBA MVP and three-time Olympic gold medalist Tina Charles, the New York Islanders’ Matt Martin, and former NFL stars Jarvis Landry and Wale Ogunleye. It was followed by one-on-one chats with Jason Wright of Ariel Investments and six-time NFL Pro Bowl and Hall of Fame wide receiver Terrell Owens. The event wrapped with an afternoon of pickleball, tennis, padel, and other wellness activities.

A huge thank-you to our official partners UBS and Opendorse, plus supporting partners Andalusian Private Capital & Advisory and Clase Azul.

Learn more about the event or how you can get involved.

STATUS REPORT

Four Up

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NBA Europe ⬆ Palo Alto Networks CEO Nikesh Arora and a group of investors have submitted a bid of more than $1 billion for NBA Europe’s London-based franchise, according to The Athletic. The NBA has received more than 120 bids so far, with offers ranging from $500 million to more than $1 billion. NBA Europe’s inaugural season is set to begin in late 2027 and will feature 16 teams.

Tadej Pogačar ⬆ The Tour de France champion will compete in the Vuelta a España beginning Aug. 22, returning to the race for the first time since 2019 in pursuit of his third Grand Tour title. If successful, Pogačar, who also won the 2024 Giro d’Italia, would become the fourth male rider to win the Vuelta and the Tour de France in the same year.

Sporting Kansas City ⬆ The MLS club has reached a verbal agreement to sign winger André Luiz. Sporting KC will pay an initial transfer fee of $18 million to his current club, Olympiacos, with the potential of further payments based on how Luiz performs. The transfer fee is one of the largest in MLS history, but it is less than the reported $26 million LAFC paid for Son Heung-min.

Wings ⬆ Dallas officially announced it will play its home games at American Airlines Center for the 2027 season. Head coach Jose Fernandez previously said the Wings would play at the AAC after construction on the team’s permanent home, the Dallas Memorial Auditorium, was delayed until 2028. The Wings are also in the process of building a new $81 million practice facility, which is expected to open in spring 2027.