Tom Verducci’s 12 Most Interesting Takeaways From the MLB Trade Deadline

A lesson in Dodger-nomics, multiple admissions of past mistakes and much more.

Casey Mize was one of 18 starting pitchers dealt before the trade deadline. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The biggest and most interesting takeaways from a busy trade deadline:

1. This trade deadline was dominated by starting pitchers

Led by the Dodgers stealing Tarik Skubal from the Tigers, this was the trade deadline of the starting pitcher. It was the inverse of last season, when teams went all in on high leverage bullpen help (Mason Miller, David Bednar, Jhoan Duran, Ryan Helsley, Camilo Doval, Tyler Rogers, Louis Varland, Andrew Kittredge, Seranthony Dominguez, etc.).

This time, 18 starting pitchers were traded at the deadline. It’s a function of the industry’s own devolution of the starting pitcher. Because teams train starting pitchers to throw fewer pitches and work less often (to say nothing of the injury risk caused by max velocity on all pitches)—and young minor league starters with innings limits are of little use this time of year—they find themselves in need of supplements for the final two months.

And so, they must shop in a sellers’ market at sky-high prices. The key for shopping for starters this time of year is to find someone who can start Games 1, 2 or 3 of a postseason series, not just rotation backfill. Last year only two deadline acquisitions started a postseason game: Shane Bieber of Toronto and Zack Littell of Cincinnati. The Jays went 3–1 when they started Bieber in the playoffs, though he was the losing pitcher in relief in World Series Game 7.

This year there were many deadline acquisitions who could start a playoff game. The Padres (Robbie Ray and Casey Mize) and Cubs (Kevin Gausman and Clay Holmes) somehow snagged two of them. In addition to Skubal, other playoff-ready starters include Dustin May by the Brewers, Luis Castillo by the White Sox and Freddy Peralta of the Rays.

Remember this: postseason play is a relief pitching contest. Last postseason featured relievers obtaining more outs than did starters, who picked up only 48.5% of the workload. Starters mostly have become game managers in October, not the marquee history makers of postseasons past. Their task: just don’t lose the game for us in the first five innings. Starters last postseason had a losing record (22–29), with fewer wins than relievers (25–18).

And yet, with two months to go before October, the race was on to find decent starting pitchers.

2. A new type of throw-in

The late executive Larry Lucchino used to encourage his general managers when finalizing a trade, “Always ask for another pitcher to be thrown in.” The aphorism now, given how easy it is to find hard throwers, should be, “Always ask for a shortstop to be thrown in.” Give me the best athletes on the field and see how they can adapt.

A few teams took the “ask for a shortstop” advice in a very interesting direction. In the Ray deal, the Giants acquired from San Diego Janiel Hernandez, a 17-year-old shortstop whom the Padres signed 19 months ago for $1.4 million. Hernandez left Cuba at 13 to train in the Dominican Republic.

But the Rockies did the Giants even better. They became the first team I ever heard of to acquire a 16-year-old. In the Brenton Doyle trade with the White Sox, the Rockies acquired Carlos Vielma, who posted a .508 OBP in the Dominican Summer League. Vielma was signed seven months ago out of Venezuela.

3. Freddy Peralta went to the best possible destination

It makes sense that the Rays decided to take a chance on Peralta, who has been broken as far as his mechanics. A drop-and-drive pitcher, Peralta is not using his lower half well and has lost his trademark extension, which not only zaps the life on his fastball but the effectiveness of his changeup. Check out the difference from last year:

Peralta’s Changeup	BAA	SLG	Velocity	Extension	Arm Angle
2025	.173	.271	88.9	6.8	31.5°
2026	.280	.449	87.3	6.4	25.8°

And here are the visuals, which show less power in his legs and a more upright posture this year:

MLB

But if there is one team that can fix Peralta quickly it is the Rays and their pitching coach, Kyle Snyder. They are such masters of the changeup that this season’s Rays are historically great when it comes to deadening the baseball. Among all teams since 2008—a sample size of 570 teams—they rank first in changeup usage (20.7%) and third in batting average allowed against changeups (.173)

4. Yankees’ young outfielders aren’t cutting it in the Bronx

The Yankees invested in offensive depth partly to insure against the injuries that have kept Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Cody Bellinger sidelined. Both Luis Garcia Jr., who this year learned how to elevate the ball to the pull side, and Heliot Ramos, a right-handed hitter who likes to take fastballs to the opposite field, have swings fit for Yankee Stadium.

But those moves also are an admission that hyped prospects Spencer Jones and Jasson Dominguez have failed in their cameos when it comes to earning a bigger role.

Jones is going to need an offseason to address the holes in his long swing. He has seen 137 pitches 95 mph or faster and has one hit in 27 at-bats (.037) against them with a 44% strikeout rate.

After 201 major league games, Dominguez is a below average hitter (OPS+ of 95) with a high chase rate and is a below average defender. He also needs repairs to his swing. He has yet to hit major league four-seamers (.223 career).

5. A lesson in Dodger-nomics

The Dodgers added a sixth left-handed bullpen arm, Kris Bubic. He is on the IL, just started a throwing program and may get some innings in by September. Including the luxury tax penalty, Bubic will cost them $3.84 million on the chance he might be on the postseason roster. And even then, he might slot behind Tanner Scott, Jack Dreyer, Alex Vesia, Justin Wrobleski and Eric Lauer. The Royals dumped Bubic as a cost-saving measure, taking back a 25-year-old reliever the Dodgers had signed to a minor league contract. The Dodgers gladly took on almost $4 million just in case they need him.

6. Dodgers bring back Benny Boomerang

The Dodgers like to call catcher Ben Rortvedt “Benny Biceps.” With the way he keeps coming back to the Dodgers, maybe they should call him “Benny Boomerang.”

Here is a partial list of Rortvedt’s lengthy transactions:

July 21, 2025: Traded to Dodgers from Rays
Nov. 12, 2025: Waived by Dodgers, claimed by Reds
Feb. 6, 2026: Waived by Reds, claimed by Dodgers
Feb. 15, 2026: Waived by Dodgers, claimed by Mets
Aug. 3, 2025: Traded to Dodgers

For those scoring at home, that’s five times in 13 months Rortvedt has been lost or found by the Dodgers.

7. Kevin Gausman needs a tune-up in Chicago

The Cubs have added six pitchers in the past month: David Peterson, Aaron Civale, Holmes, Gausman, Braxton Garrett and Ryan Zeferjahn. The team with so little swing-and-miss did well with Holmes, Gausman and Zeferjahn.

But like Peralta, Gausman needs fixing. In his past eight starts, Gausman is 1–6 with a 6.47 ERA and 4.5 walks per nine innings. His four-seam fastball is getting lit up, especially by right-handed hitters. Righties are hitting .490 and slugging .673 against his fastball in those eight starts. 

What’s going on? Gausman’s fastball command is a problem. His fastball, which needs to dot the inside corner to set up his splitter, is leaking over the plate and into barrels. Looking at his fastball heat maps to righthanders, his dispersal pattern is bigger, with more misses over the plate rather than on the inside corner.

MLB

8. Selling well in San Francisco and New York

The Giants and Mets did well to take advantage of a strong sellers’ market. The Angels curiously included Jose Soriano in their selloff.  A 27-year-old starter with a 3.29 ERA, a big arm and two more years of control should be part of their core.

9. Buyer or seller, Texas Ranger?

Texas Rangers. Calling, Texas Rangers. Anybody home? 

10. The end of an Orioles era

Next time someone wants to use that word “window” to describe a team’s upward path, remind them of the 2023 Orioles. Their 101-win season built on young players is ancient history, especially now that they dumped catcher Adley Rutschman, who was supposed to be a franchise player, with two more years of control. He regressed, due only partly to injuries. Rutschman’s first two years: .808 OPS, 129 OPS+. Past three years: .711, 103. Yes, we know they made a mistake drafting Rutschman over Bobby Witt Jr. with the No. 1 pick in the 2019 draft. The trade was a full-blown admission of it.

11. Swing away in Seattle

In need of offensive help, the Mariners took a worthwhile gamble on Taylor Ward. Now they need hitting coaches Edgar Martinez and Kevin Seitzer to convince him to stop taking so many pitches.

12. Yankees sit out the catcher’s market

Yankees catchers are hitting .188, the worst in franchise history. Seven catchers were traded, included two that were traded twice. The Yankees got none of them. New York needs a deep bench. In the postseason they could find themselves needing to pinch hit at catcher, third base, shortstop and possibly center field.

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