MLB Ranks 25 Top Trade Candidates Ahead of Aug. 3 Deadline

Q: Is trading for recovering ace Tarik Skubal the ultimate gamble for a World Series title?

Yes — but it is a calculated gamble, not a blind one. Skubal offers the biggest upside on the market because, when healthy, he is arguably the best pitcher in baseball. He is a two-time AL Cy Young winner, has returned from his elbow procedure with premium velocity, and evaluators still see him as a true postseason ace who can change a playoff bracket. That is why contenders such as the Dodgers, Yankees, Braves and Phillies are natural fits. The risk is unusually high. Skubal is coming off another left elbow surgery, and this is not an isolated issue in his medical history. Rival executives want to see multiple starts before fully trusting his health. Even if his stuff is back, teams would still be betting that his arm holds up through August, September and October. For a club paying a massive prospect price, that uncertainty is the core of the gamble. His contract status makes it even riskier. Skubal is a pending free agent, so an acquiring team could be surrendering elite young talent for only a few months of control. If it wants to keep him, it may then face a record-setting extension for a pitcher with a significant elbow history. That said, this is exactly the kind of risk contenders take for championships. A healthy Skubal could be the most impactful player moved at the deadline. So yes, trading for him may be the ultimate World Series gamble — because the reward is as large as the risk.

3 articles · Updated · CBS Sports · Jul 6

Four weeks before the 6 p.m. ET Aug. 3 deadline, a new ranking put Tigers starters Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize atop the 25 most significant MLB trade candidates.
Detroit could control the pitching market because both front-line starters are rentals, while other high-ranked names include Orioles outfielder Taylor Ward and Mets pitchers Freddy Peralta and Clay Holmes.
The list also highlights less certain but high-upside possibilities such as Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams, who is under control through 2028, and Mariners starter Luis Castillo, whose contract could complicate a deal.
Market conditions remain unusually fluid because most teams are still within postseason reach, leaving only a few clear sellers and likely pushing final deadline decisions into the next four weeks.