Typically, I would’ve written about the 2026 MLB Trade Deadline, like, within 24 hours of it occurring. But here at Deadseriousness.com, The Last Sports Blog, we do not handcuff ourselves to the whims of the algorithm. No, we’re going to talk about the trade deadline, like, a month later.
So here is the good, the bad and the ugly, with the small added benefit of hindsight.
The Good
SP Tyler Mahle | Atlanta Braves
3-9 with a 5.13 ERA in 94 and 2/3 innings with the San Francisco Giants. Mahle gave up earned runs in his final day working for the Giants—he allowed 5 earned runs in his first 5 starts for the Braves combined.
A 1.24 ERA in 6 Atlanta starts, if not for Jacob Misiorowski throwing 102 mph only and the Phillies starters doing their best impression of the 2011 rotation, RIP Doc—Mahle would be the NL Cy Young favorite.
CF Dalton Varsho | Houston Astros
Varsho spawns into frames—any ball hit past the dirt lands in his glove.
I wouldn’t have described the Astros pre-deadline as “one Dalton Varsho away from the title,” but I think it’s a good idea for ball clubs to acquire good ball players.
There I go giving up hot takes again.
[RELATED: Diamondbacks Infielder No-Call, No-Shows Baseball Game]
OF/DH Lars Nootbar | Arizona Diamondbacks
Stepping in while Ketel Marte was soggy on the slots, Lars is better than he was in St. Louis—holding back the Missouri youth movement.
Batting .247/.352/.429 with 3 homers and 13 RBIs in 91 plate appearances, Nootbar is needed in their lineup and delivering, sometimes.
1B/DH Luis Garcia Jr. | New York Yankees
The Yankees never pretend to be something they’re not.
They want to hit the most homers, so they acquired the NL slugging leader from a Washington Nationals team spiraling to the finish, now firmly in last place of the NL East—behind the New York Mets, yuck—after an MLB-record 38th blown save of the year.
Of course Luis Garcia is raking.
David Bednar finishes his work.
[RELATED: Just What The Yankees Needed, Another Left-Handed 1B/DH]
OF Jo Adell | Cleveland Guardians
Jo Adell, a former top prospect in the Angels organization—thankfully survived that trap house—4 homers and 23 RBIs in 31 games with Cleveland.
2B Luis Arraez | Philadelphia Phillies
Luis Arraez reset the entire defensive scheme, and it worked.
33-year-old Bryce Harper back in right field, his natural position, dogshit at first base, terraformed the Phillies into a top defensive unit.
The Bad
RP Huascar Brazoban | Chicago White Sox
Lights out in Flushing like Ben Shelton but left his pitch control behind, arriving in Chicago broken, 12 hits, 7 earned runs, 6 walks and 2 home runs allowed in just 10 innings pitched before the White Sox stashed him on the injured list.
C Adley Rutschman | Boston Red Sox
Only a few seasons ago, the Hall of Fame trajectory clear as day.
That’s Joe Mauer or Buster Posey over in Camden.
A player with this level of potential never hits the trade block, still in their 20s, playing on an expired instead of an expensive multiyear deal.
Boston bought a lemon.
Rutschman couldn’t hit a piñata without the blindfold.
Kids would be there all day waiting for candy, stummy aching,
Adley batting .188 with a 79 OPS+ up where they hate players like Jazz Chisholm for some unexplainable reason.
[RELATED: Yankees Knock The Bigotry Out of the Red Sox]
SP Freddy Peralta | Milwaukee Brewers
Peralta returning to Milwaukee at the deadline following a first half unable to get past level 5 of the game. Mets gladly traded him back to Wisconsin.
My guy loved leaving work early.
Peralta’s pitching better as of late, 3 straight 6+ inning outings allowing 1 or fewer runs.
Maybe he’s back in his old apartment, locked in.
Maybe we should all erase Mets games from these players’s careers.
They don’t count.
It’s like playing in Arcade Mode.
Mets games are just for funsies.
Like the Savanah Bananas.
[RELATED: Former Savanah Banana Morphed Into Barry Bonds]
SP Dustin May | Milwaukee Brewers
Let’s look at a visual metaphor for Dustin May’s time in Tyler Herro country:
Dustin May took a 106 mph line drive off the bat of A.J Ewing on the first pitch of the game to the shoulder. He seemed to be in severe discomfort and was removed from the game after throwing warmup pitches.
We wish him a speedy recovery 🙏 pic.twitter.com/AsuQouSzUb
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) August 26, 2026
The Ugly
INF/DH Curtis Mead | Boston Red Sox
Injured on the way in, out for the season, Connely Early, a Red Sox top pitching prospect in Washington’s farm, free.
SP Luis Castillo | Chicago White Sox
It’s not as if Luis Castillo drunkenly careered from a Cy Young trajectory once he moved to Chicago.
Castillo arrived damaged.
-0.7WAR and a 5.06 ERA in 99 2/3 innings with the Mariners. But the whole team stunk like a Franchise Mode where the team chemistry meter’s empty.
Perhaps joining the young, fresh, vital, athletic, joyful Chicago White Sox would energize the 33-year-old with past brilliance on his CV.
Luis Castillo is even worse.
6 starts, 7.52 ERA, already surrendered 8 homers, half as much as he gave up in Seattle.
The team is 2-6 when he starts. Though one of those 2 wins was 7 shutout innings with 10 Ks against the Reds. The White Sox are desperate for one of those ace-caliber starts from Castillo in the postseason.
feels unlikely…
SP Casey Mize | San Diego Padres
28 runs in 32 and 2/3 innings. His 6.34 ERA’s jumped up 4 whole points from where it was in Detroit. 7.0 hits per 9 innings up to 9.9. His 8.8 Ks per 9, down to 6.1. The Cincinnati Reds knocked him out of the game after 4 innings. The Reds aren’t a good team, you see?
Casey Mize? More like Case DEmize, AMIRITE???
who’s doing like we’re doing it.
READ NEXT: Umpire Blows Dogwhistle Loud As Hell
If you enjoyed what you read, head over to our Substack. We’ve got more content making fun of the ridiculous world we live in, sent directly to your email inbox daily.
Follow us over on TikTok, Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. Or shoot me an email at [email protected]. Let’s chat, bay-beeeee.
