If you’re among the MLB fans getting bored ahead of the 2026 trade deadline, then wake up! Just because we haven’t seen an end to the Tarik Skubal saga doesn’t mean that more moves aren’t on the horizon.
Less than three full days remain until the clock strikes 6 p.m. ET on Monday night. National media insiders expect Skubal to be traded, but what other pitchers could change teams within the coming days? If the Cubs intend to land a starter, who are the backup options behind Skubal? And what’s going on with the Padres and star closer Mason Miller?
Are the Cubs about to land Mariners pitcher Emerson Hancock?
It’s no secret that the Cubs need rotation help, especially with the Brewers quickly pulling away in the NL Central. We’ve frequently heard Skubal and the Mets’ Freddy Peralta among those linked to the Cubs, who enter Saturday up four games on Arizona for the NL’s top Wild Card spot.
However, as USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported on Friday, the Cubs could instead turn their attention to Mariners pitcher Emerson Hancock.
“Teams are salivating over the idea of acquiring Hancock, who’s easily the most prized young starter on the market,” Nightengale wrote. “They believe that the Cubs could have the best shot at him if they include outfielder Seiya Suzuki and perhaps infielder Matt Shaw in a deal.”
The 27-year-old Hancock boasts a 3.26 ERA over 110 innings, and his strikeout rate has skyrocketed from 16.6% to 23.3%. He’s also cut his walk rate from 8.1% to 6.2%, significantly below his lifetime 7.0 average.
Hancock’s trade value, and the Cubs’ potential desperation, only increased after reports that the Reds are unlikely to trade Hunter Greene. Parting ways with Suzuki, though, is certainly a gamble. The Japanese import has been among the Cubs’ most reliable bats since arriving stateside in 2022, averaging 27 home runs, 92 RBIs, and an .836 OPS over that time. His 3.4 bWAR through 93 games is already a career high, and he’s on pace for his second 30-home run season.
Shaw is also an intriguing name, though his versatility and improved plate discipline make him an excellent trade piece. The 2023 first-round pick struck out in only 18.4% of his 147 plate appearances this year, nearly three points better than last year’s 21.5%.
Braves trending toward two starting pitchers, neither of whom is Skubal
As of publication, the most significant news on Skubal is the reported lack of trade offers. The Tigers haven’t publicly confirmed that they intend to move him, though all signs certainly point that way. It wouldn’t be overly surprising if a Skubal trade wasn’t announced until later Monday afternoon, shortly before the clock hits 6 p.m. ET.
Tigers teammate Casey Mize is a different story, though. Detroit scratched the 29-year-old Mize from his start on Friday night, which is the baseball equivalent of having him walk through the Sutter Health Park grandstand with a sandwich board around his jersey reading, “I am going to be traded soon.”
The New York Post’s Jon Heyman reported that the Braves are interested in Mize and Angels pitcher José Soriano, who has fallen back to earth after a brilliant April. Mize is 4-6 with a career-best 2.70 ERA in 86 ⅔ innings. Opponents are only hitting .213 against him, and his 24.9% strikeout rate is well above his lifetime 20.4% average.
As for Soriano, he turned heads earlier this season after allowing only one run over his first 37 ⅔ innings. That’s a 0.24 ERA for those too lazy to do the math. However, he only has a 4.64 ERA over his last 16 starts, and he’s allowed 11 homers in that stretch.
Personally, I’d rather have Reid Detmers than Soriano, though the latter is at least under team control through 2029. At least they’d have an opportunity to escape the moribund franchise known as Arte Moreno’s Los Angeles Angels.
Any Mason Miller trade might need to wait until the offseason
Unless they find buyers for what remains of Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts, the Padres cannot begin a traditional full-on rebuild this offseason. However, the temptation to part ways with controllable players like All-Star closer Mason Miller might be too much to pass up, though we’re strongly against such a move.
ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez reported on Friday that Miller is unlikely to be traded, partly because of the Padres’ “astronomical” asking price. As a result, according to Gonzalez, some contenders never realistically looked into Miller.
“At this point, the sentiment is that Miller will stay put — and that the Padres will steer most of their energy toward acquiring rotation help,” Gonzalez wrote.
We’ve already mentioned Skubal, Mize, and Soriano, but let’s talk a bit more about Detmers. Although he’s never justified why the Angels took him No. 10 in 2020, that’s not to say he hasn’t grown into a solid back-of-the-rotation pitcher. Detmers enters Saturday with a 4.03 ERA and a 145-38 K-BB ratio in 125 innings. His 2.9% home run percentage is right in line with his 3.1% average, but he’s only walking hitters at a career-best 7.4% rate.
If I were the Padres, I would also look into Peralta and Mets teammate Clay Holmes. Both have extensive postseason backgrounds and are potential rentals; Holmes has a $12 million player option for next year, and it’s unclear whether a potential lockout would incentivize (pun not intended) him to take the guaranteed money.
San Diego entered Saturday at 56-54 and one game behind Philadelphia for the NL’s final Wild Card spot.
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