Not every deadline surprise is the player who changes teams. Sometimes it’s the guy who doesn’t.
That was the case this year with a handful of names who looked destined for a new uniform before Monday, only to stay right where they were. Some were obvious trade chips.
Some were pending free agents. Some had the kind of value that usually gets a deal done when the market starts moving fast.
Instead, they’re still in place, and their teams chose a different path.
Luis Robert was one of the clearest examples. Reports before the deadline said the Mets planned to move eight players: Clay Holmes, Freddy Peralta, Tyrone Taylor, A.J.
Minter, Brooks Raley, Luke Weaver, Huascar Brazoban and Robert. Seven of the eight were dealt.
Robert stayed.
That leaves the former White Sox standout in a strange spot after a rough first season in New York. He has hit .197 with four home runs and a .610 OPS over 35 games, and his $20 million club option for 2027 is the kind of number that won’t get picked up unless he finishes on a completely different level. Still, David Stearns told reporters Monday he's intrigued by what Robert can do in the second half, so a strong finish could set up a winter decision after the option is declined.
Tyler Stephenson also looked like a clean fit for a move that never happened. The Reds had a pending free agent catcher who had just turned in his best week of the season, and the market around the position was thin.
The Yankees were among the teams chasing catching help and came away empty. Stephenson stayed in Cincinnati anyway.
The 29-year-old has posted an OPS+ above the league average of 100 for three straight seasons, and his bat would have played well in New York or just about anywhere else. With the Reds reportedly considering a qualifying offer for starter Brady Singer, they may simply be prepared to let Stephenson leave with no return this winter.
Toronto’s decision to keep George Springer raised eyebrows too. The Blue Jays didn’t fully tear things down, but they did move rentals Kevin Gausman and Daulton Varsho, which made Springer a natural name to watch.
He reportedly would have welcomed a move to Boston, at the very least, and he’s been better lately with an .836 OPS over his last 33 games after a rough start. His postseason résumé would have made him a useful addition for someone.
Instead, he remains in Toronto as the Blue Jays keep holding onto hope they can climb back into the race.
Gleyber Torres was another veteran who survived the deadline despite looking like a logical trade piece. The Tigers dealt Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize, but Torres stayed put.
He was an All-Star in 2025 and is tracking toward another solid year, with his best OPS+ since 2019. He isn’t a power bat, but he has done a real job getting on base, carrying a career-high .389 OBP.
At a position as thin offensively as second base, it’s hard to see why there wasn’t a market for him.
Reid Detmers seemed to be next out the door once the Angels moved Jose Soriano. His value was in a strong place: a 3.35 FIP, a high strikeout rate and three strong starts coming out of the All-Star break. But instead of cashing him in, interim GM John Mozeliak kept Detmers - along with Zach Neto - around, apparently with the idea that a better winter return might be there later.
Kenley Jansen stayed with the Tigers too, even though his fit there feels a little awkward. He hasn’t had a great season, with a 3.94 ERA and 4.82 FIP through 33 appearances, but he’s still missing bats at a better clip than last year and brings plenty of postseason experience.
There’s also the matter of 500 saves. Jansen sits at 489, and it’s possible he’d rather stay in the closer’s chair and chase that milestone than become just another reliever on a contender.
Colorado, true to form, resisted the urge to move Jake McCarthy. The Rockies are known to be stubborn at the deadline, and even with a new front office, that didn’t change.
They held onto McCarthy and Mickey Moniak, and even extended Moniak. McCarthy remains controllable through 2028, but he was also the kind of cheap pickup that can bring back meaningful value, especially with platoon bats in demand.
He has a .924 OPS against left-handed pitchers this season and three seasons with an OPS+ above 100.
The Red Sox, meanwhile, were buyers, but Jarren Duran stayed on the roster despite what had been a messy season. His overall production has been poor, and there have been more than one negative headline involving interactions with teammates and fans.
A move seemed sensible if Boston could find a taker. They apparently couldn’t, and Duran remains in place with a chance to show he can get back closer to the player he was in 2024 and even 2025.
Adrian Morejon was the last big name who never moved, even though a trade had been easy to imagine. The Padres were buyers, but there was still some expectation they might split the difference and deal the pending free agent reliever.
Morejon would have had real value as a rental thanks to a 2.36 FIP and three years of success in San Diego’s bullpen. Instead, the Padres went all in, kept Morejon, and added Mason Miller while Robbie Ray and Casey Mize joined a rotation that could use the stability.
In Other News...
Blue Jays Add Former Silver Slugger With Something To Prove
The Blue Jays added a familiar type of buy-low piece in Josh Smith, a 2024 Silver Slugger winner whose bat has already shown plenty of ceiling. Texas sent Smith and minor-league pitcher Josh Stephan to Toronto in exchange for left-hander Adam Macko, giving the Jays another infielder with major-league credentials while parting with a young arm who has already reached the big leagues this year and is now back in Triple-A.
For Toronto, the move is as much about opportunity as it is about performance. Smith has been limited by injuries this season and is also in Triple-A, which leaves the Blue Jays with a player who has something to prove and a track record that suggests there could still be more there. The question now is whether Toronto can help unlock the version of Smith that made him an award winner not so long ago. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jays Suddenly Face An Emotional Reunion Game At Wrigley
A makeup game at Wrigley Field has taken on a different feel for the Blue Jays, not just because it fills a gap in the schedule, but because it comes against a Cubs club that now looks a lot more familiar than it did a few weeks ago. Toronto and Chicago recently swapped pitchers, and Thursdays postponed-series finale is set up to feature two arms each side knows well, with the kind of backdrop that can make an ordinary midweek game feel a little heavier.
The Blue Jays are expected to send Jameson Taillon to the mound, while Kevin Gausman is lined up for the Cubs, turning the first meeting after the trade into something more than a simple resumption of a rainout. Both pitchers have had challenging seasons, which only adds to the intrigue, because the game carries plenty of emotional weight even before the first pitch is thrown. [Read more 🡒]
Former Phillies Bullpen Weapon Just Raised The Stakes For Reliever Trades
A familiar name just changed the bullpen market again. The Twins moved to acquire reliever Hoffman in a deal that positions him as their likely primary closer, and for Toronto it is another reminder of how quickly the late-inning trade lane can shift once a contender decides it wants help at the back end. Hoffman has already spent time with both the Phillies and Blue Jays, and his profile still carries the traits that make relievers so enticing in July and beyond, especially the strikeout ability that has remained a calling card.
There is also enough volatility in his recent performance to keep the conversation interesting. Hoffman has had some trouble with home runs and batting average on balls in play, which is part of why relievers like him can swing from trade chip to leverage arm so fast. For the Blue Jays, the move reads like one more data point in a market where the cost of proven bullpen help keeps climbing, and where every contender watching the prices has to decide how far it is willing to go. [Read more 🡒]