RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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The 2026 MLB trade deadline is only one week away. This year's deadline is 6 p.m. ET on Monday, Aug. 3, and one thing is certain: a lot of prospects will be traded. Lots and lots. There always are. Even with seemingly few teams cemented as sellers, prospects for MLB player trades will be plentiful over the next week.
It is unlikely a prospect as good as Leo De Vries , who went to the Athletics in the Mason Miller trade last summer, will be dealt at this year's deadline. De Vries is one of the two or three best prospects in baseball and it is very rare that a player like that gets moved. Plenty of good prospects will be traded, just probably not one of the very best in the game.
With that in mind, here are 10 prospects who could get traded over the next week because they're blocked with their current team, or because other clubs will come calling about them.
Alcántara, originally acquired by Chicago from the Yankees in the Anthony Rizzo trade, has been capital-B Blocked the last few years by Pete Crow-Armstrong , Ian Happ , and Seiya Suzuki . Happ and Suzuki will be free agents after this season and that will clear a lane for Alcántara, though it's also not a good enough reason to make him untouchable. The 24-year-old has performed in Triple-A the last few years but has swing-and-miss issues, and a win-now team like the Cubs may not want to ride out his adjustment period. There is a shortage of right-handed-hitting outfielders throughout baseball. Alcántara is a righty and he can play center field. That will drive interest.
Few teams have as much organizational catching depth as the Cardinals. Even if we consider Iván Herrera a full-time DH, St. Louis has Jimmy Crooks and Pedro Pagés in the big leagues, and arguably the best catching prospect in the minors in Rainiel Rodriguez . Then there's the 22-year-old Bernal, who has been mashing in Triple-A and is a strong defender. With most other teams, he would be in the big leagues right now. This is a classic case of a very good prospect being stuck in an organization with a lot of good players at the same position. Bernal is one of the more obvious prospect trade candidates this summer.
The Rays have not had anything close to a franchise catcher in their history. Why then could Bodine, who came over from the Orioles in the Shane Baz trade, be on the move at the deadline? Because he's not even Tampa's best catching prospect (that's Nathan Flewelling ). If the Rays are truly big-game hunting for Tarik Skubal or Hunter Goodman as reported, they'll have to give up a serious talent. Bodine seems more likely to move than Flewelling and some of Tampa's other top prospects. Catchers who are only 22 and are running an on-base percentage north of .400 in Double-A can front a trade package for an impact big leaguer.
Apparently being one of the best teams in the league the last few years isn't enough. The Brewers also have a top farm system, one especially deep in corner infielders. There's Luke Adams and Blake Burke in addition to Fischer, as well as the versatile Luis Peña and Jett Williams . Both have seen time at the hot corner this season. Fischer, 22, is highlighted here because he's not particularly nimble in the field and Milwaukee has shown a preference for standout, shortstop-caliber defense at the hot corner. It feels like he could be the odd man out, which makes him a possible trade chip.
The Yankees are very deep in minor-league pitching, particularly at Triple-A and Double-A. That is baseball's best currency. If you have pitching, you can trade it for whatever you need. Hess, 23, missed time with what was vaguely described as arm "fatigue" earlier this season, but he's healthy now and has loud stuff that gets the analytical stamp of approval. It is a near certainty the Yankees will (again) dip into their pitching reserves to address the major-league team's needs. Hess is not MLB-ready, but he should be in short order.
I am not the betting type, but, if I were, I would bet the farm on the Dodgers trading an outfield prospect at the deadline. Los Angeles has the No. 4 ( Josue De Paula ), No. 14 ( Mike Sirota ), and No. 18 ( Eduardo Quintero ) prospects in baseball, per Baseball America 's rankings, and they're all outfielders. Hope, 21, is a top 100 prospect as well, and the 23-year-old Tibbs is among the minor-league home run leaders in Triple-A. Something has to give here. The Dodgers can't keep all these outfielders. Well, they can, but it doesn't make sense to do so. There are only so many roster spots, you know? Hope and Tibbs stand out as prime trade chips leading up to the deadline.
Ingle, 24, has some MLB experience. He went 2 for 21 with 12 strikeouts in seven games with the Guardians in late June/early July. That small sample performance won't scare teams away. Not when Ingle runs .400 on-base percentages in his sleep and is capable behind the plate and in both outfield corners. Last weekend in Triple-A, Ingle caught for the first time in over a month. He had been playing outfield exclusively. That felt a little trade showcase-y. Regardless, teams that show trade interest in Ingle will want him for his bat. The defensive side of the ball will sort itself out.
After years of lagging on that side of the ball, the Red Sox have become one of the best pitcher development teams in the game. Phillips, last year's No. 33 overall pick, might not crack Boston's top five pitching prospects, but the 21-year-old is very good and has hit 100 mph in the past. If the Red Sox are going to tap into further their pitching depth to improve a major-league roster that has played its way back into the wild-card race, Phillips could be the piece they use to make it happen. Other teams will want him, for sure.
Rincon, a 14th-round draft pick in 2022, is not a top prospect, but he's having a breakout year in Double-A and is a terrific defender with a rocket arm. He's also on the 40-man roster bubble. Rincon, 22, will be Rule 5 Draft eligible th...
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