Seven Salary Dump Candidates Ahead of the MLB Trade Deadline

These MLB teams can give their payroll books some much-needed relief by shedding onerous contracts before Aug. 3.

Giants third baseman Matt Chapman remains an elite defender and a potential trade candidate thanks to his large salary. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The MLB trade deadline is a time of great opportunity. It’s an avenue for contending teams to add veteran talent for the stretch run, as well as a chance for retooling clubs to restock their farm systems with promising prospects.

However, the deadline also offers opportunities beneath the surface. Teams that are bogged down by bloated salaries can give their books some much-needed relief by offloading contracts and finding a trade partner to take on some of the cash and perhaps acquire a prospect for their trouble.

Here are several players who could be salary dump candidates ahead of the 6 p.m. ET trade deadline on Aug. 3.

Xander Bogaerts, Padres

The Padres would love to offload Xander Bogaerts's sizable contract. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Remaining money owed: Roughly $8.3 million in 2026, then $25.4 million per year through 2033

If you want to know the definition of a contract albatross, take a gander at the Padres’ books, which are laden with plenty of regrettable deals, positioning the club to be a second-time offender of the luxury tax. Currently sitting roughly $13 million above the $244 million competitive balance tax, it would behoove the Padres to try to offload some of these salaries, a task easier said than done.

Shortstop Xander Bogaerts has been merely a league average hitter through three-plus seasons in San Diego and is in the midst of a defensive decline at short. And those are just the first four years of a deal set to pay the veteran $25.4 million per year through 2033, his age-40 season. Coaxing a rival club to take on his salary, potentially by attaching him to a deal with a more attractive trade chip, would be a small miracle. Ditto for getting Bogaerts to waive his full no-trade clause.

Matt Chapman, Giants

Remaining money owed: Roughly $8.3 million in 2026, then $25.1 million through 2030

Another player with a full no-trade clause, Chapman’s potential trade value is up in the air for another reason: he’s currently shelved on the injured list due to an abdominal strain. Speaking of strain, that’s what the veteran third baseman is slated to be to the Giants’ books to the tune of a $25.1 million-per-year price point through 2030.

Yet, unlike some of the Giants’ other bloated contracts—cough, Willy Adames, cough—Chapman actually may have some trade value. He’s a five-time Gold Glover and still the best defensive third basemen in the game. The dream scenario for the Giants would be to get Chapman to waive his no-trade clause to go to a contending team while also getting said team to take on his salary.

Sean Manaea, Mets

Mets starter Sean Manaea is a potential trade candidate ahead of the deadline. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Remaining money owed: Roughly $6.5 million in 2026, then $19.2 million in 2027

Surely Mets owner Steve Cohen, worth an estimated $23 billion, doesn’t need any charitable help from rival clubs in the form of a salary dump? Think again. Despite being a repeat offender of the escalating CBT, Cohen has said in the past that getting below the initial luxury tax threshold isn’t a goal of his. That was when the Mets were actually competitive, which they haven’t been for over a year now. This is not what Cohen paid for.

In the midst of a lost season, the Mets’ goal should be to sell their most valuable assets, likely from the bullpen, for any prospect capital they can get their hands on. The other goal should be to shed salary around the bank-breaking Juan Soto, Francisco Lindor and Bo Bichette deals.

Manaea (4.52 ERA) isn’t particularly valuable at this juncture, but, under club control at $19.2 million through 2027, he may be one of their easier contracts to move. Plus, as evidenced by the Mets’ David Peterson deal in June, clubs will always pay for starting pitching.

Seth Lugo, Royals

Remaining money owed: Roughly $7.1 million in 2026, $21.5 million in 2027, $17 million conditional club option in 2028

Even in a weak AL, the underachieving Royals are in position to sell sitting nearly 20 games below .500. But with the young talent that’s already on the big-league roster, Kansas City may look to add MLB-ready players rather than prospects in any potential deals at the deadline.

That said, the Royals may be in a situation where they must cut money in order to add money. The club is nowhere near the first competitive balance tax threshold, but still has a ton of cash tied up in veteran starting pitchers Seth Lugo, 36, and Michael Wacha, 35.

Of the two, Wacha is the more valuable asset, which means Kansas City might be able to get off of Lugo’s $21.5 million 2027 salary—and '28 conditional club option—if they’re willing to accept a lesser return of prospects.

Cristian Javier, Astros

Remaining money owed: Roughly $7.1 million in 2026, then $21.4 million in 2027

The Astros already sneakily ducked under the first luxury tax threshold by shedding some salary with the Lance McCullers Jr. trade. And while general manager Dana Brown, promised nothing contractually beyond this season, has vowed to buy at the deadline, he may need to get creative in order to do so.

The McCullers trade created roughly $13 million of wiggle room below the CBT, but dealing someone such as Javier, who is displaced from the rotation and is due just shy of $6 million in 2026—as well as another $21.4 million in '27—could make Brown’s task of buying a whole lot easier, even if the Astros have to eat a portion of Javier’s remaining salary.

George Springer, Blue Jays

A pending free agent, George Springer is a logical trade candidate. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Remaining money owed: Roughly $8 million in 2026

After a winter spending spree fresh off of an American League pennant, no one expected the Blue Jays to be where they are: on the outside looking in of a weak AL.

With a roster clearly built to compete, it makes little sense for Toronto to overreact and tear things down. However, it does make some sense for the Blue Jays, who are over $60 million above the first threshold, to shed some salary and avoid a 60% surcharge on the tax in a losing season.

Despite his eight-team no-trade clause, George Springer makes sense as a trade candidate, given the club's outfield surplus. His OPS has dipped over 200 percentage points, though it was just a year ago he clubbed 32 homers and helped lead Toronto to the World Series with a .899 OPS in October. If the Blue Jays can convince a contender that the 36-year-old still has postseason magic in his bat, they might just be able to get out from under the nearly $8 million Springer is owed in the remainder of 2026.

Kenley Jansen, Tigers

Remaining money owed: Roughly $3 million in 2026, $12 million club option in 2027

For the Tigers, all roads lead back to Tarik Skubal at the trade deadline. Should they deal the reigning back-to-back AL Cy Young award winner, it’s likely for a package including youthful, MLB-ready players to supplement those already on the roster. Should they keep Skubal, Detroit has a different kind of mission.

At the end of the year, the revenue-sharing Tigers will extend Skubal, a free agent, a qualifying offer that he’ll certainly reject, putting the club in position to net a first-round compensation pick if the ace commands a deal north of $50 million. However, Detroit is currently about $2 million above the first luxury tax threshold, meaning the pick would downgrade to after the fourth round.

The Tigers may try to shed some salary even if they deal Skubal. But should they keep him, it will be especially paramount to offload some money. Reliever Kenley Jansen, who is due less than $3 million for the remainder of ‘26 and has a club option in ‘27, makes sense as a trade chip, particularly given the fact that Detroit has the arms to go with a closer-by-committee.

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