MLB Pipeline Flags 10 Teams for Deadline Deals as 6 Repeat From 2025 List

Q: Tarik Skubal is the deadline's crown jewel. Which contender will pay the massive prospect price to acquire him?

The Los Angeles Dodgers are the most likely contender to pay the price for Tarik Skubal if Detroit actually moves him. That view is supported by both MLB Pipeline’s deadline analysis and outside evaluators. The Dodgers have the game’s deepest, most flexible farm system, with nine Top 100 prospects and unusual surplus in outfielders and pitching. Multiple reports describe them as uniquely capable of meeting Detroit’s reported ask: a controllable starter plus premium prospects. ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel went further, saying a Dodgers package built around a young big league-ready arm such as Emmet Sheehan or Justin Wrobleski, plus a top prospect like Zyhir Hope and another upside piece, is “the one that gets it done.” Milwaukee is the strongest alternative. The Brewers have one of baseball’s best farm systems, major infield depth, and a clear need for frontline pitching. Tampa Bay also fits on paper because of its balanced system and aggressive front office, while Seattle has enough upper-level talent to make a serious bid. But none appears to match the Dodgers’ combination of prospect volume, quality, and willingness to strike for a championship-level upgrade. The biggest caveat is Detroit. The Tigers are still weighing whether to trade Skubal at all, and their improved play has made a hold more plausible. If they stay in the race, he may not move. But if Skubal is dealt, the Dodgers remain the clearest favorite to outbid the field.

3 articles · Updated · MLB.com · Jul 22

MLB Pipeline analysts picked 10 clubs they believe are best positioned to make major trade-deadline moves, focusing on contenders with both prospect capital and a willingness to deal.
Six of the 10 teams also made last year’s watchlist, and all 10 teams identified in 2025 ultimately traded prospects from their Top 30 lists at the deadline.
The Dodgers head the group because of elite depth—especially six Top 100 outfield prospects—while the Mariners, Brewers, Yankees and Rays were also highlighted as having enough upper-level talent to pursue impact additions.
The Cubs, Guardians, Cardinals, Red Sox and Pirates round out the list, with analysts generally expecting anything from smaller roster upgrades to selective blockbusters depending on each club’s playoff position and payroll limits.
The newcomers this year are the Rays, Guardians, Cardinals and Pirates, underscoring how a crowded playoff race is widening the pool of potential buyers ahead of the deadline.