Grading the Fantasy Baseball Impact of Every MLB Trade Deadline Deal

Major League Baseball has undergone its yearly shakeup. The trade deadline has come and passed. Players are now on new teams, and the playoff push is in full effect. Below is every key deal that was made and how it will affect the fantasy baseball value of the noteworthy movers.

Braves Get Lane Thomas and Bailey Falter

Fantasy Baseball Grade: D

The mostly unstartable Thomas has a 101 wRC+. He is still low value in fantasy baseball, only upgrading his team's wRC+ by five points. Thomas will play more often off the bench.

Falter is listed on the Braves Triple-A roster right now. He has had an abysmal season, with zero fantasy value.

White Sox Get Luis Castillo

Fantasy Baseball Grade: B

The White Sox have traded for Castillo, who is having a down year with a >5.00 ERA. His 104 Pitching+ rating is on par with previous years, so his averages would suggest Castillo's game is trending upward over the final two months.

The White Sox are slightly better offensively and much better in their bullpen than the Mariners. Castillo does leave the most pitcher-friendly ballpark in Seattle for a more neutral field in Chicago.

Dodgers Get Tarik Skubal

Fantasy Baseball Grade: A+

Click here for our Tarik Skubal trade analysis.

Skubal rises in fantasy baseball. He joins the MLB's best team, adding better run support and a better bullpen to his aid.

Rays Get Freddy Peralta

Fantasy Baseball Grade: B+

Click here for our Freddy Peralta trade analysis.

Peralta does rise in value a bit. Tampa Bay offers much better offense, but a slight dip in bullpen-added support. We still prefer Peralta playing for a contending team in Tampa Bay.

Yankees Get Luis Garcia Jr.

Fantasy Baseball Grade: B

Click here for our Luis Garcia Jr. trade analysis.

Garcia Jr.'s value is more of a lateral move in his New York heading. He had been having a career year with the Nationals, much thanks to their top-3 offense in MLB. The Nationals are better than the Yankees in that respect, but not by a ton. The ballpark factor is lateral, as well.

Cubs Get Kevin Gausman

Fantasy Baseball Grade: B+

Gausman ranks around the SP30 in fantasy baseball. The 35-year-old has yet to experience any dip in his game as he ages. He goes from playing with the MLB's 6th-best bullpen to the Cubs, who rank 26th. Gausman does upgrade his run support, where the Blue Jays rank 28th in wRC+, and the Cubs rank 3rd. The Cubs do also contend, so it is a very small net-positive.

Blue Jays Get Jose Soriano

Fantasy Baseball Grade: B+

Soriano moves to a better but still subpar Blue Jays team that is 52-60 on the season as of August 3. The Blue Jays' bullpen is on par with the Angels'. Their hitting is far better; they rank 14 spots higher in the wRC+ rankings.

Phillies Get Luis Arraez

Fantasy Baseball Grade: B+

It appears that Arraez will bat 4th for the Phillies. He will have plenty of chances to drive in Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper with his .324 batting average. The pair that Arraez bats behind has 129 and 140 wRC+ marks, respectively. While the Phillies are a downgrade to the Giants as a whole, offensively, the precise landing spot in the lineup Arraez'smakes the move more of a lateral one.

Padres Get Robbie Ray

Fantasy Baseball Grade: A-

I would sell Ray while you can. He has a 3.08 ERA, but a much worse 4.43 xERA. Ray's Pitching+ is a very poor 89. The Padres will support Ray with the MLB's best bullpen, so his value does rise on a technicality. The SP48 could hopefully rise into top-40 status. Still, I would sell high on Ray.

Rays Get Liam Hicks

Fantasy Baseball Grade: A

Hicks projects to bat 4th in the Rays lineup. His early MLB career features a stellar 119 wRC+ in 2026. The Rays are 3 points better than the Marlins in team wRC+. The move is an upward one, nonetheless.

Dodgers Get Kris Bubic

Fantasy Baseball Grade: C-

The Dodgers did not stop at Skubal. They went out and got Bubic from the Royals. Bubic is unlikely to be a rotation staple. For that reason, his fantasy baseball value is not worth a start. He is worth a roster stash where, if Bubic does gain a starting spot, he is valuable on the MLB's best team. He is an average MLB pitcher according to his Pitching+ metric.

Red Sox Get Adley Rutschman

Fantasy Baseball Grade: A+

Rutschman will get a spot in the core of this surging Red Sox lineup. The team is now averaging nearly 5.2 runs per game since the start of July. If the Red Sox keep it up, Rutschman will benefit. The Orioles are the MLB's 13th-best team in wRC+. The Red Sox are playing beyond that level right now.

Astros Get Daulton Varsho

Fantasy Baseball Grade: C+

Varsho heads to Houston to join a top-7 batting lineup. He leaves a lot to be desired in fantasy baseball, and Varsho is expected to bat in the final third of the Astros lineup.

Cubs Get Clay Holmes

Fantasy Baseball Grade: B+

For the Cubs to add Holmes is to do what many expected. The Cubs were known to want a big-name pitcher, and they get one. He gets a top-5 batting lineup for run support, but will offset that with a bottom-5 Cubs bullpen. It is a net gain.

Yankees Get Heliot Ramos

Fantasy Baseball Grade: A

Ramos slots into the 5-spot in the Yankees lineup. That goes a very long way for Ramos, joining a contending team. Ramos may be viable in due time... let's wait to see how things shape up.

Guardians Get Foster Griffin

The Guardians get a rising star in Griffin. However, he may be performing above expectations. Griffin has a Pitching+ of 98, which is below average. His 3.06 ERA is above his 4.10 xERA. Cleveland is a rather lateral move for Griffin. In fact, the change of scenery away from the Nationals' analytic management could go against him. If owned in fantasy baseball, I would not worry.

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