2026 MLB trade deadline: One deal ESPN experts would make - ESPN

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It's less than one week from the Aug. 3 MLB trade deadline -- and this year's edition needs a kick start to get the action going.

While we wait for this summer's first blockbuster deal, we asked our MLB experts to give us their best trade proposal for some of the hottest names swirling in the deadline rumor mill with the only rule being they have to be on our latest ranking of the top 100 MLB trade candidates.

Where did our experts send Tarik Skubal and Mason Miller? Which teams landed an impact bat? And what should the teams most in need of a boost in the next week do? Let's dig in.

Tarik Skubal blockbusters

Detroit Tigers trade Skubal to Milwaukee Brewers

The Brewers recognize the opportunity this season presents. They haven't won a World Series in their 58 years of existence, and they are in the midst of a season in which they have the game's most dominant pitcher in Jacob Misiorowski, a deep well of arms beyond him, a lineup with depth and good gloves aplenty. This is the time to push, so how about a package of RHP Logan Henderson, 2B Josh Adamczewski and infielder Ricki Moneys for Skubal.

And as painful as it would be to give up a good rotation piece in Henderson, a surefire big leaguer in Adamczewski and a high-ceiling talent in Moneys, Milwaukee's farm depth allows this sort of deal. Models don't like it, but this isn't the time to listen to them. It's time to headline a rotation with Skubal and Misiorowski and let the rest take care of itself. -- Jeff Passan

Detroit Tigers trade Skubal to the Tampa Bay Rays

I love when small payroll teams go for it, so the Brewers or Rays are my favorite potential Skubal destinations; both have the farm system to make it happen comfortably. My assumption is OF Theo Gillen is off the table, but anyone else could be considered other than 2026 draftees who aren't eligible to be traded, so let's send C Caden Bodine, SS Cooper Flemming, RHP Michael Forret back to Detroit.

Fans underrate how often deals for players such as Skubal are less about how good the top player is (usually none of the top 50 prospects in the sport is on the table), but more about how many top 150 or top 200 prospects a team can get into the offer to manage the risk, ideally with more position players than pitchers; that's what this deal does.

Teams like to trade for players from recent drafts because they had organization-wide discussions and meetings/workouts with the player along with fresh data; Bodine was the No. 30 pick in the 2025 draft and Flemming was the No. 53 overall pick in the same draft. Both are arrow-up since then, with Bodine easily in my top 100 and Flemming likely on the list, too; both also fit the general trends the Tigers tend to follow in the draft of lefty/switch-hitters at up-the-middle positions. Forret is in Triple-A with starter traits and could potentially take Skubal's rotation spot next season. -- Kiley McDaniel

Mason Miller blockbusters

San Diego Padres trade Miller to Milwaukee Brewers

Milwaukee's farm system is so full, it's bordering on gluttonous. A return of Josh Adamczewski, Braylon Payne, Bishop Letson and Sal Frelick would be a healthy one for San Diego, while the Brewers get the opportunity to acquire baseball's best reliever -- one who can influence four pennant races -- without surrendering any of their top five prospects, according to ESPN's Kiley McDaniel top 10 list.

Without adding an impact piece at this deadline, the greatest two-year stretch in Brewers history could ultimately be remembered as little more than a footnote thanks to the Dodgers' dominance. -- Paul Hembekides

San Diego Padres trade Miller to Chicago White Sox

Much of the ChiSox trade speculation has centered around rotation additions. They definitely could use a starter, but they don't need to take a big swing with that group. They would get more out of adding Miller as the ultimate back-of-the-bullpen hammer, not just for the stretch run and (possibly) the playoffs, but for at least the next three seasons, during which Miller is under club control.