Late Saturday night, the biggest blockbuster of this summer's trade deadline sent two-time reigning Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal to the back-to-back defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. Skubal will try to help the Dodgers become baseball's first three-peat champion since the 1998-2000 New York Yankees, then head out into free agency.
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Skubal was the best starter and the biggest name on the trade market at this year's trade deadline, which is 6 p.m. ET on Monday, Aug. 3. Who are the best available starting pitchers now? Here are the top starters on the market.
RHP Casey Mize, Tigers
It stands to reason the Tigers will now trade Mize, who, like Skubal, is a rental. Mize has dealt with a nagging groin injury all year and he returned from his third injured list stint on June 17, and he's looked quite strong in two starts since. Detroit scratched him from Friday's start to protect him ahead of a potential trade. Now 29, Mize has been outstanding when healthy this season. He's an impact pitcher who should come at a reasonable price given the groin injury and lack of long-term control.
LHP Reid Detmers and RHP José Soriano, Angels
Soriano was scratched from Saturday's start to protect him ahead of a potential trade. He and Detmers will both remain under team control through 2028, so they're long-term buys who can help you win now and later. Detmers ranks 11th among all pitchers in WAR, and the belief is there's still another level he can get to with a team that has its ducks in a row, pitcher development-wise. He very well could be traded for the largest prospect package of any starter this deadline, Skubal included.
RHP Clay Holmes and Freddy Peralta, Mets
For lack of a better term, Holmes and Peralta are both distressed assets. Holmes has not pitched in a major-league game since May 15 because of a broken leg, though he's made two minor-league rehab starts (and will make a third Sunday) and has looked good in both. Peralta simply hasn't pitched all that well this season. He has pedigree (fifth in the NL Cy Young voting last year), but he's not dominating with his fastball as easily as he did in the past. Both pitchers are rentals (Holmes will surely decline his $12 million player option and enter free agency).
RHP Kevin Gausman and RHP Shane Bieber, Blue Jays
Last week's six-walk, two-out disaster didn't exactly help Bieber's trade value, but his two starts before that were terrific. He had been trending up before that ugly hiccup. Gausman was given a standing ovation as he walked off the Rogers Centre mound on Saturday in what might've been his final home game as a Blue Jay. He's as steady and reliable as they come in this game, plus he's postseason- and big-market battle-tested. Both right-handers are rentals.
LHP Robbie Ray, Giants
If you've stopped paying attention to the Giants, I get it, but Ray has been on a heck of a run the last two months. He has a 1.65 ERA in 60 innings in his last 10 starts, and five of the 11 earned runs he allowed in those 10 starts came in one game. Ray is a rental and the Giants are reportedly open to paying down salary to better the return package. He's not getting the attention some other pitching trade candidates are receiving, but Ray remains very effective. Some contender will be happy when they get him.
RHP Joe Ryan, Twins
It's hard to see Ryan moving at this point. The Twins are in the third wild-card spot and they added A.J. Minter and Dean Kremer within the last few days. Moving up the standings and adding to the roster only to turn around and trade Ryan seems unlikely. Still, teams want him and are calling about him. Ryan's really good, and he'll remain under control through 2027.
Others available: RHP Tyler Mahle, Giants; RHP Dustin May, Cardinals; LHP Trevor Rogers, Orioles; RHP Brady Singer, Reds
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