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The Major League Baseball trade deadline is fast approaching, set for Monday, August 3 at 6 p.m. Eastern Time. And the market, long frozen in anticipation, is starting to heat up seriously. On Saturday, July 19, the Chicago Cubs made the first notable trade of the period official by acquiring right-handed pitcher Aaron Civale from the Oakland Athletics in exchange for young minor league prospect Aiden Moffett. A modest but symbolic move: the machine is in motion, and the next two weeks promise a flurry of activity as all thirty franchises must decide between aiming for the playoffs or preparing for the future.
The first domino: Civale returns to Chicago
The right-hander had already worn the Cubs uniform at the end of the 2025 season after a winding path that saw him pass through Milwaukee and the White Sox that same year.
Aaron Civale, 31, returns to an organization he knows well. The right-hander had already worn the Cubs uniform at the end of the 2025 season after a winding path that saw him pass through Milwaukee and the White Sox that same year. The Athletics, who had signed him for one season last February, designated him for assignment on Wednesday after mixed results: five wins against seven losses and a 5.42 earned run average in sixteen appearances, including fifteen starts. In 2025, Civale had shone late in the campaign with Chicago, posting a minuscule 2.08 ERA in five relief outings, then 4.1 scoreless innings in the playoffs against Milwaukee.
This inaugural move does not exhaust the list of potential departures: the specialized press already cites several prominent names, including catcher Shea Langeliers, as potential targets before the deadline.
Skubal and García Jr., the two big pieces to watch
The other major storyline concerns Tarik Skubal, the left-hander for the Detroit Tigers, who threw seven scoreless innings against the Angels on Saturday. According to the New York Post, Detroit has no intention of moving its star pitcher before the deadline. The Tigers, in contention for the American League title, weigh every call against their competitive window, estimated at three additional seasons. If a blockbuster offer came along, the front office would think it through to the end. Other names mentioned in the specialized press, including Luis García Jr. in Washington, have not yet moved, a sign that the window of opportunity remains narrow.
Among the hunters for big deals, the Cubs, Dodgers, and Phillies have already contacted several front offices to gauge the price of a number one starter. According to USA Today, half a dozen opposing general managers called Detroit this week to take the temperature. The Tigers, who have already extended their manager and bolstered their bullpen, weigh each case against their schedule. The deadline will nonetheless remain lively with other matters, including that of Luis García Jr. in Washington.
The Reds in seller mode, August 3 in sight
The other lesson from the weekend comes from Cincinnati, where the Reds' front office confirmed it would listen to offers for its players on expiring contracts. According to the tracker maintained by FOX Sports, several of their offensive pieces could be available for top-tier prospects, in a clearly embraced rebuilding logic after a disappointing season. Conversely, franchises like the Cubs or the Brewers, in the thick of the race for the national title, could take advantage of the final stretch to bolster their rotation or bullpen. The timeline is clear: general managers have two weeks left to make it happen, before the July 31 waiver cutoff and the firm deadline of August 3.
Last year, the trade market delivered its first big move as early as July 22, Bob Nightengale recalls in USA Today, and several insiders see the same sequence repeating this season. The difference lies in the depth of the available starting pitcher pool: between Civale, the Reds' potential starters, and the Padres' relievers, supply exists, but demand remains concentrated on a handful of clubs ready to part with the requested prospects. The expected frenzy could also depend on a less spectacular factor: the health of current rosters, as several top rotations closely monitor the workload of their starters before the September stretch.