The trade deadline shook up the league in a hurry, and the ripple effect is all over the latest MLB power rankings. There were so many moves that even a quick search couldn’t pin down a clean total - just “dozens and dozens” of players changing teams in a frenzy that left some clubs swinging big and others standing still.
The biggest headline belonged to the Tarik Skubal deal, but the Orioles also made one of the day’s loudest moves by sending Adley Rutschman away with a season and two months of team control left in exchange for a haul of prospects. Baltimore wasn’t alone in deciding to hedge its bets. A number of clubs appeared to sell more than buy after spending nearly 115 games unable to get over .500.
On the other side, teams like the Dodgers, Cubs, Padres, White Sox and Rays attacked the deadline. The Yankees, Brewers, Phillies and Astros, by contrast, came off as surprisingly passive. The Rangers and Diamondbacks, both sitting in the wild-card mix, barely budged.
That split shows up right away at the top of the rankings.
- Los Angeles Dodgers (69-44, No. 1 last week): The Tarik Skubal deal should trump whatever anyone else has done to make a run at the World Series flag in 2026.
- Milwaukee Brewers (69-43, No.
2): The Brewers were in position to chase the flag if they had landed Skubal, but the downside would have been losing him after the season. Their move to Dustin May fell short of that level, though they did strengthen the bullpen with JoJo Romero from St.
Louis and Antonio Senzatela from Colorado.
- Tampa Bay Rays (66-46, No.
3): Kyle Snyder and the Rays’ analytics group have a reputation for turning pitchers around, and if they can reshape Freddy Peralta, this club can make a serious run. Liam Hicks is expected to catch and contribute at the plate, and Tyler Wells gives them another solid arm to bridge to closer Bryan Baker, another former Oriole.
- Atlanta Braves (67-45, No.
4): Alex Anthopoulos made a modest move by adding Tyler Mahle. The right-hander’s health will decide everything, but he showed plenty last season, when he made 16 starts for Texas and posted a 2.18 ERA in 86.2 innings with a 1.13 WHIP.
- Boston Red Sox (60-51, No.
7): Adley Rutschman could slide in and keep Boston’s run rolling, but the price was steep. The Red Sox gave up a lot for a player whose value was viewed as overstated, and if they end up extending him beyond three years plus an option, they may not love how it plays out.
- Chicago Cubs (64-49, No.
8): Jed Hoyer’s group went for it. Chicago fortified an injury-hit rotation by adding Kevin Gausman, Clay Holmes and Braxton Garrett, then added power arm Ryan Zeferjahn for the bullpen.
Zeferjahn strikes out 13.1 batters per nine, and there’s a sense Mike Maddux may have helped the Angels polish him before Craig Counsell gets him now.
- New York Yankees (63-50, No.
6): Luis García Jr. was a good get from Washington, but the lack of help in the bullpen and the failure to add a catcher who can hit were hard to ignore. Maybe the Yankees are reading the Aaron Judge situation as doubtful and don’t want to burn premium prospect capital.
Either way, it was a weak deadline.
- Arizona Diamondbacks (60-53, No.
10): Mike Hazen and the D-Backs did not make much noise. Lars Nootbaar was the lone addition, which feels awfully light for a team still hanging around the race.
- Philadelphia Phillies (60-53, No.
5): Luis Arráez and Brooks Raley are useful pickups, but the roster shuffle that came with Arráez’s demand to keep playing second base is a lot to juggle. Bryce Harper is moving to right field, where he has not played since 2022, Alec Bohm goes from third to first and Bryson Stott shifts from second to third.
The Phillies still didn’t land a starting pitcher, and Andrew Painter’s solid six-inning start in Baltimore on Friday may have been part of the reason.
- Houston Astros (58-56, No.
19): Houston has climbed into the top 10 for the first time this season after winning 11 of 12. They were as low as No. 29 before rebounding to a 39-26 record after opening 21-30.
Daulton Varsho was the big deadline addition, and that earns an “A,” but it wasn’t nearly enough. The rotation now leans on Hunter Brown, Peter Lambert and three starters coming back from long injured list stints, with Ronel Blanco, Cristian Javier and Hayden Wesneski offering little comfort.
They needed a Kevin Gausman or Trevor Rogers type, and they didn’t get one.
Below them, the rankings continue to reflect a deadline that separated the aggressive clubs from the hesitant ones:
- Chicago White Sox (59-52, No.
Texas Rangers (55-58, No. 11)
- San Diego Padres (58-55, No.
Cleveland Guardians (57-56, No. 12)
- Miami Marlins (58-55, No.
Minnesota Twins (56-57, No. 15)
- Baltimore Orioles (54-58, No.
Pittsburgh Pirates (57-57, No. 14)
- Seattle Mariners (55-58, No.
St. Louis Cardinals (56-57, No.
Washington Nationals (55-59, No. 17)
- Detroit Tigers (54-58, No.
Toronto Blue Jays (53-60, No. 24)
- Cincinnati Reds (53-58, No.
San Francisco Giants (48-65, No. 25)
- Colorado Rockies (45-68, No.
New York Mets (47-66, No. 29)
- Kansas City Royals (46-67, No.
Athletics (45-67, No. 28)
- Los Angeles Angels (43-69, No.
In Other News...
Orioles Deadline Shuffle Signals A Bigger Outfield Plan
The Orioles kept working the edges of their roster picture with a minor league swap that brought in outfielder Christian Franklin from the Nationals and sent right-hander Joe Glassey to Washington. Franklin is expected to land on Baltimores 40-man roster, a sign the club sees him as more than simple extra inventory after a deadline period that left the outfield group worth watching closely.
Franklin arrives as a depth option with a reputation for getting on base, the kind of player Baltimore has shown a willingness to cycle through when it wants flexibility across the roster. Glassey, meanwhile, heads the other way as a young reliever who had just reached Double-A, giving the Nationals another arm to develop while the Orioles continue to look for useful pieces that can fit into a larger outfield plan. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Catcher Shakeup Could Force A Bigger Samuel Basallo Role
The Orioles did not come out of the trade deadline untouched, and the ripple effects could reach all the way to how they handle the catching position the rest of the way. Baltimore is one of several contenders still sorting out lineup and rotation adjustments after making deadline moves, and for a club trying to stay organized on both sides of the ball, catching is one of the most sensitive spots to shuffle.
Samuel Basallo is a name to watch in that process, because Baltimore may need more from him than it had planned when the season began. The Orioles have some flexibility elsewhere, but the way they balance defense, development and the demands of a stretch run could push the young backstop into a larger role sooner rather than later. [Read more 🡒]
Marlins Outfield Depth Just Took Another Hit With This Latest Move
The Orioles added another outfield option Thursday, acquiring Rece Hinds from the Marlins for cash considerations after Miami had only recently picked him up from Cincinnati earlier this season. Hinds has seen limited major league action this year, but Baltimore had the roster space to make the move and now gets a look at a player whose power tools have long made him an interesting depth piece.
For an Orioles club trying to sort out the back end of its outfield mix, the timing makes sense. Hinds does not arrive with a long track record in the majors, which keeps the move firmly in the low-risk category, but the organization now has the rest of the season to decide whether he can earn a larger role and provide some late-year help if opportunities open up. [Read more 🡒]