MLB Reacts: Fallout from the trade deadline

Not every trade deadline pays out the way fans want. Some end with more of a whimper than a bang. This was not one of those years.

The 2026 MLB trade deadline had a bit of everything, a generational superstar on the move and a true depth of important players landing on new teams. Now that the dust is mostly settled, it’s time to see how these players perform for their clubs. A number of clubs can credibly claim they got exactly what they wanted at the deadline and came out better for it.

Even while there is no doubt who the biggest star was moved before the deadline, the Dodgers acquiring Tarik Skubal, there is no guarantee as to who will make the biggest difference this season. The Dodgers are already full of stars, and Skubal is only going every fifth day. A player like Clay Holmes going to the Cubs might make a bigger difference to a team still trying to make a run. Or Adley Rutschman, an emerging star at catcher, who is going to theoretically propel the Red Sox every day through the final stretch.