This year’s Major League Baseball trade deadline is Monday, Aug. 3, and the rumor mill is pumping out plenty of standout names with less than two months remaining.
Tarik Skubal, the back-to-back American League Cy Young Award winner, is arguably the top name who could be made available. In recent weeks, the Detroit Tigers have fallen to the bottom of the AL standings, and Skubal is playing on an expiring contract.
Do you see where we’re going with this?
Sometimes, it just makes too much sense to trade a highly coveted player at the right time.
The perfect example may be Juan Soto, who was traded from a struggling Washington Nationals team to the contending San Diego Padres in 2022 for a boatload of prospects, including star outfielder James Wood.
Like all of the players on this list, Soto was born outside of the United States. The only difference is that the New York Mets MVP candidate is not going anywhere for a very long time.
Potentially, the same cannot be said about these five international-born players, who are undeniable trade candidates for one reason or another.
5. LHP Aroldis Chapman, Boston Red Sox, Cuba – The fireballer from the Boston Red Sox is on the trading block once again. To this point, Chapman has been traded three separate times in his 17-year career.
Aging doesn’t appear to be much of a factor in Chapman’s abilities on the mound, and the Red Sox would be smart to cash in on his overwhelming success if they completely fall out of the race. However, there are just five AL teams with a record above .500, leaving the door open ever so slightly for the fringe Wild Card contenders.
Any club that acquires the 38-year-old would be getting a closer who has converted his last 28 save opportunities. Chapman’s average fastball velocity sits at 97.8 mph, and hitters are batting .107 against his sinker. Put those two things together, and there’s no wonder why he has a 0.46 ERA through 19 ⅔ innings.
4. RHP Jose Soriano, Los Angeles Angels, Dominican Republic – Soriano has been a massive surprise for the Angels, as he managed a 25 ⅔ innings scoreless streak in April. He allowed just one run through his first six starts of the season, becoming the first starter in MLB history to do so.
But the Angels may be in a worse situation than the Red Sox. They are bottom dwellers in the AL with little to no signs of ending an 11-year postseason drought.
Continuing to acquire prospects should be the goal, even though Soriano won’t reach free agency until after the 2028 season. Any interested club should be wary of Soriano’s control, as he’s tied with Bubba Chandler for an MLB high of 40 walks permitted.
3. 2B Luis Arraez, San Francisco Giants, Venezuela – There’s no other hitter in baseball quite like Arraez.
He doesn’t strike out, walk, or hit home runs. There’s an argument to be made that his value is hurt significantly based on that alone. But Arraez’s defense, typically well below par, has taken a complete 180. His nine outs above average place him in the 99th percentile amongst qualified defenders. In 2025, that number was at minus-9.
The Giants and their president of baseball operations, Buster Posey, could be preparing for a fire sale if a flip is not switched under first-year manager Tony Vitello. Similar to Chapman, Arraez is an impending free agent.
2. RHP Freddy Peralta, New York Mets, Dominican Republic – It may be too early to tell if the Mets will consider trading Peralta, a two-time All-Star acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers during the offseason.
Peralta’s inclusion on this list has more to do with New York’s shortcomings in the standings than anything. There’s no sugar coating it: The Mets have been a major disappointment.
The right-hander has been solid but unspectacular. In 13 starts, the soon-to-be free agent owns a 3.63 ERA with 74 strikeouts in 72 innings. A trade would be out of the question if the Mets and Peralta can agree to an extension before the deadline, but that appears unlikely at this moment.
1. DH/OF Yordan Alvarez, Houston Astros, Cuba – Just yesterday, Astros general manager Dana Brown told Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle that the organization has not internally discussed trading Alvarez or shortstop Jeremy Pena.
Things can change, right? The Astros are not exactly contenders, but they aren’t horrible either. Especially with Alvarez, who has two years remaining on his contract, in the lineup.
The 6-foot-4 slugger is one of the game’s best hitters when healthy, as he currently leads the Majors with a 1.066 OPS while ranking first in the AL with 22 homers. There are bound to be many clubs that give the Astros a call about Alvarez, but will Brown and the front office give them the time of day? That remains to be seen.
Honorable Mentions
1. RHP Sandy Alcantara, Miami Marlins, Dominican Republic
2. RHP Antonio Senzatela, Colorado Rockies, Venezuela
3. 3B Isaac Paredes, Houston Astros, Mexico
4. RHP Luis Castillo, Seattle Mariners, Dominican Republic
5. 2B Gleyber Torres, Detroit Tigers, Venezuela
Photo: Los Angeles Angels pitcher José Soriano throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds in Cincinnati, Sunday, April 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
