Jed Hoyer Headlines Trade Deadline Winners and Losers
The trade deadline has passed, but not without its customary flurry of moves in the final hour. Jed Hoyer checked off every item on his list, even if he may have had to take secondary routes to acquire reinforcements. Chicago landed one of the three best starters traded when Hoyer pulled the trigger on the Kevin Gausman exchange. That the Cubs only gave up Brett Bateman and Ty Southisene should be a felony. The Dodgers gave up Zyhir Hope and two other prospects for Tarik Skubal, while the Rays traded a little more value than they may have needed to in order to pry Freddy Peralta from the Mets.
Regardless of what you think of the Cubs' moves individually, it's a REAL rough day for the "Jed Hoyer is too safe" crowd.
What an absolute cards on the table deadline from the Cubs, without emptying the farm. Applaud the conviction.
— FullCountTommy (@FullCountTommy) August 3, 2026
Who are this year’s deadline winners and losers? I have some opinions. I’ll focus on the Cubs first, and then a few other teams.
Gausman is a clear winner because he gets to pitch in front of Chicago’s elite defense. His FIP is already 0.75 runs better than his ERA, and he’ll see an immediate improvement to the more traditional measure. Clay Holmes, Braxton Garrett, and Ryan Zeferjahn are also clear winners because the Cubs rarely give away runs.
Ben Brown is a winner because he’ll be reunited with Holmes, who worked with Chicago’s third-year hurler in the offseason. Brown was quickly becoming the team’s ace before a neck injury derailed him.
Craig Counsell is a big fat winner because he now has more flexibility in his bullpen and a bona fide major league rotation.
Hoyer is the biggest winner in the organization. He overhauled his rotation on the fly, appeased the team’s fans, and let his players know he believes they are good enough to win a World Series. Gausman will offer instant impact. Holmes was the Mets’ most reliable starting pitcher before fracturing his right fibula in May, and his return from the injured list is imminent. Garrett was a top-10 draft pick and has looked promising in the past. He cuts his fastball, which is icing on the cake for Hoyer and Chicago’s pitching infrastructure.
Garrett is a winner because he gets out of Miami. Baseball America tabbed him ($) as one of its top 20 change-of-scenery candidates.
Pedro Ramírez and Matt Shaw weren’t traded, so they’re winners as well. The Mets took Jefferson Rojas in the trade for Holmes, and though I think Rojas can be a superstar, everything New York touches these days turns to crap. That makes Rojas Chicago’s first loser of this deadline. I can’t see the future, but I can tell you this: The acquisition of Rojas isn’t going to soothe the hindquarters of fans still pissed that Pete Crow-Armstrong was traded to the Cubs in 2021.
Edward Cabrera and Justin Steele are winners because they can put in their required rehab work without rushing back.
Kevin Alcántara didn’t get traded, so he’ll be subject to rumors all winter and he’ll probably also struggle to get playing time in Chicago. His home run on Monday night certainly helps his cause.
Javier Assad probably doesn’t feel like a winner because he gets to face Skubal tomorrow night when the newly-minted Dodger makes his National League and Wrigley Field debuts. On the flip side, Gausman will face the Blue Jays on Thursday, and it might be neat if he is opposed by Jameson Taillon.
Speaking of the Dodgers, they’re this week’s biggest winners. They have a rotation that goes eight deep with proven MLB starters. It will be an upset of the highest order if they do not three-peat as World Series champions.
Los Angeles also added Kris Bubic in a trade with the Royals. Most teams are happy to have rotations that go six or seven deep. The Dodgers have enough starters to nearly fill three big league rotations. Still, the best team in baseball got the best starter available. To the victors go the spoils.
On the other side of town, the Angels started their organizational overhaul. Mike Trout will miss the postseason again, which is inherently wrong. That said, John Mozeliak has pointed the franchise in the right direction, and he didn’t have to trade Reid Detmers to do it.
The White Sox are big winners. They’re leading the AL Central two years after their infamous 121-loss season. They’re ahead of schedule, but didn’t get too aggressive. Huascar Brazobán improves their bullpen, and they’re better defensively with Joey Bart and Brenton Doyle.
Bryce Harper put the needs of the Phillies ahead of his own interests. He’s a winner and he’s a hero. Dave Dombrowski will hit his knees every night praying Harper doesn’t get injured in the outfield.
The Padres got Robbie Ray and Casey Mize when everybody thought they’d sell Mason Miller to the highest bidder. They’re also going to sneak back into the playoffs this year, where Miller will be the biggest difference-maker in the annual fall tournament.
Baseball had its share of losers, too. The Brewers failed to add a frontline starter and lost out on Skubal despite what was arguably a better offer. You know Milwaukee is in trouble when Pat Murphy repeatedly plays the underdog card. He called the Dodgers “America’s Team” while sounding completely insincere. He should show a little respect for the team that swept them in last year’s NLCS.
Dustin May is a nice get for the Brewers, but he’s not the difference-maker they needed. Milwaukee also needed a masher because they’ve hit fewer home runs this season than any team in baseball. Bo Naylor isn’t going to help.
The Tigers and Blue Jays are rebuilding less than one year after squaring off in the 2025 ALCS. That went seven games, which is seven more playoff games than either team will play this year. Success is fleeting, I suppose, but is it? The American League has the closest thing to annual parity that we’ve ever seen. Staying the course and building for next season might have been a better option.
The Braves did the least of the first-place teams, acquiring only Tyler Mahle (5.13 ERA), Bailey Falter (13.97 ERA), Lane Thomas (.719 OPS) and Brent Suter (4.12 ERA).
Craig Breslow is constantly putting his ass on the line, and giving up three of his top five prospects for Adley Rutschman is about as crazy as it gets. Marcelo Mayer, one of the top prospects in the game not so long ago, was flipped for a lefty reliever who walks six batters per nine innings. The Red Sox executive also fired his manager and the team’s entire coaching staff earlier this year. Boston is one of the hottest teams in baseball, but Breslow is starting to make the GM version of Hawk Harrelson look like Theo Epstein.
The Marlins are 1.5 games out of the Wild Card and did nothing. Oh, wait. Miami traded Liam Hicks, who was second on the team in OPS and controllable through 2030. They also picked up Jonathon Long and Jace Beck from the Cubs in exchange for Garrett, though neither figures to help them this year.
Perhaps the biggest losers are the fans of every team except the Dodgers, and the MLB Players Association. The league isn’t going to let a small-market team win the World Series while negotiating a CBA and demanding a salary cap. The Brewers were supposed to be the team to slay the beast. The Cubs, Phillies, Yankees, and Red Sox can probably give Los Angeles a run for its money, but that won’t help the MLBPA in the least.
