Hobby Winners and Losers After the MLB Trade Deadline
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Hindsight is always 20/20, especially after the trade deadline in baseball. Teams scramble to either grab a piece they think will take them to a World Series, or they evaluate their situation and try to get the biggest prospect haul for a prized pitcher or bat from another contending team.
Regardless of buyers and sellers in real life, there can be hobby consequences when it comes to moving parts in sports, with winners and losers.
WINNER | Tarik Skubal
Undoubtably, Tarik Skubal is a winner. While Detroit has historical prominence in baseball, the Los Angeles market is second to none. Already one of the most well-known cities globally, the team and market have shot up considerably after the Shohei Ohtani signing was followed by a couple more signings from his native Japan.
With the Dodgers, Skubal has the very high chance of riding this wave to a World Series ring this October. According to multiple sports books, the betting odds increased after the trade.
Skubal's Bowman 1st comes out of the 2020 Bowman Chrome product. The highest-selling card of his from this set is, of course, his one-of-one. The one-of-one Padparadscha autographed parallel, graded a PSA Mint 9, went to auction during last year's offseason on November 29, 2025. Goldin carried the auction, and after 30 bids, it went for $10,370, which included the buyer's premium.
LOSER | Casey Mize
Another (former) Tiger makes the list, though on the other side of the coin. Casey Mize, a former No. 1 overall pick, went from Detroit to San Diego and is now a Padre. On the surface, this seems like a lateral move. As of this writing, the Tigers stand 1.5 games out of a wild card spot, while the Padres are one game out of a wild card spot.
While the weather may be better in San Diego, their pitching staff is a work in progress. The likes of Joe Musgrove, Nick Pivetta, and Lucas Giolito are all on the injured list. Leaving Mize as the anchor to a team in the same division as the Dodgers and Diamondbacks.
Mize's highest-selling Bowman card is not a Bowman 1st, although it comes out of a Bowman product. The Bowman Sterling insert one-of-one autographed superfractor, out of 2018 Bowman Draft, sold for $1,827 on September 12, 2021, via auction.
WINNER | Adley Rutschman
Catcher Adley Rutschman is probably going to get the biggest boost from his trade to the Red Sox. Baltimore came into the season with an excessive amount of hype after signing Pete Alonso, Chris Bassett, and trading for Shane Baz. But the results have not been there, as the Orioles have fallen to 55-58 and are 12 games back in the division. Although only 1.5 games out of the American League Wild Card spot, the O's still sold Rutschman.
But now he is on a Red Sox team that has surged the past month. Once a bottom-of-the-barrel team, Boston tallied 15 straight wins and is currently enjoying a six-game winning streak, and finds itself with a five-game lead for a Wild Card spot. And they are only 5.5 games out of the division lead.
Rutschman's highest-selling first card, which comes out of 2019 Bowman Draft, is his red refractor autograph. The card, which is graded a BGS Gem Mint 9.5 with a 10 auto grade, sold almost four years ago, on August 6, 2022. Goldin carried the auction, and it ultimately sold for $19,200 with the buyer's premium.
LOSER | Arjun Nimmala
The first prospect on the list is highly touted shortstop prospect Arjun Nimmala, who went to the Angels in the deal for Jose Soriano. While still a young player, he makes the loser list because of the destination. The Los Angeles Angels have been one of the worst situations over the last 10 years. From 2018 through 2023, the Angels had two of the best players in baseball in Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani. And they made exactly zero playoff appearances.
One of the most unfortunate parts is that the organization has spent money. But they went to the likes of an aging Albert Pujols and a unmotivated and oft-injured Anthony Rendon. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays are the defending American League Champions, albeit meandering through a rough season in 2026.
So, labeling him a loser after the deadline is not so much on him as it is on the track record of the organization.
Nimmala's highest-selling Bowman 1st comes out of the lesser-printed 2024 Bowman Sapphire. The pinkish color highlights the blue ink auto and the blue uniform of the Toronto Blue Jays. This card was sold via auction with Fanatics Collect. The card garnered more than 30 bids and ultimately sold for $8,400 with buyer's premium on August 17, 2025.
It's hard to tell how these players will fare on their new teams, and when the dust settles, will it be a good thing or a bad thing for their hobby markets? But one thing is certain, where there's a desire to win, there's a way to will it.
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After graduating from the University of North Dakota in 2008, Cole worked as an advertising copywriter until shifting to print journalism a few years later. Managing three weekly newspapers in the Dakotas, Cole won numerous awards from the North Dakota Newspaper Association including Best of the Dakotas and, their top award, General Excellence. He returned to collecting in 2021 and has since combined his passion for writing with his love of cards. Cole also writes for the Sports Cards Nonsense newsletter and has made guest appearances on multiple sports card collecting podcasts including Sports Cards Nonsense, and the Eephus Baseball Cards Podcast. IG: coleryan411 X: @colebenz