The 2026 MLB Trade Deadline is past, so it’s time to take a look at how some players stand from a value perspective. Some, like Luis Arraez & Luke Weaver, may have seen their value rise. But with others, it might be best to proceed with some caution.

Relievers

After every trade deadline, the first thing to ponder is which relievers stand to benefit, either because a closer was traded — or a traded reliever becoming a new closer.

For Luke Weaver, this will be the thing to watch. We’ve set to see Weaver get a save opportunity in Pittsburgh, simply because the club hasn’t won a game with him on the active roster. But given that Weaver has closer experience & the state of the Pirates’ bullpen, he has the most upside right now out of any reliever for the team.

Another team to watch is the Angels. Now, granted, the Angels’ closer situation has been a mess for much of 2026. Jordan Romano, now the primary high-leverage man in Colorado, received save chances early in the season. And Ryan Zeferjahn (Cubs) and Kirby Yates (Pirates), two traded pitchers, did, as well.

Ben Joyce is the obvious name to watch here. He came back to pump 102 MPH in his return to the Majors, and Joyce has the most upside out of any reliever in the Angels’ bullpen. But given that he hadn’t pitched in the Majors prior to this week, expect a grace period for the hard-throwing reliever.

Starters

We’ll see how the Kevin Gausman experience goes in Chicago.

Gausman isn’t a groundball pitcher per se, even though his ace pitch is a splitter that, theoretically, should get groundballs. Obviously, there are other circumstances, like hitter tendencies and pitch placement, that come into play. However, it is worth noting that Gausman’s GB% of 40.4% is up from the last two years. And, he’s on a team that’s been awfully hot since June.

Freddy Peralta joined a first-place Rays team, a move that would easily boost the value of most starters. But he was hit hard in his first outing as a Ray, as Peralta allowed seven runs and two home runs in Colorado.

Granted, Colorado is not a fun place to pitch in. However, his fastball got too much plate. He allowed a triple to Jordan Beck, a home run off a middle-middle heater to Mickey Moniak, and this home run from Willi Castro that, while high, was just too good to pass up.

Proceed cautiously with Peralta.

Casey Mize was hit hard against Arizona in his first start. It’s not something to be too worried about at this point, as his body of work was very good in Detroit. But we’ll see how things go with his new team, as not every situation is linear and simple.

Lastly, Tarik Skubal‘s fantasy value doesn’t change whatsoever. He was an ace before, and he’s an ace now.

Hitters

Bryce Harper wanted the Phillies to get a bat — and boy did the club do that with Luis Arraez.

The Phillies came into play on August 6 with the second-fewest plate appearances with runners in scoring position (984) in the Majors, not exactly a recipe for success when trying to score runs. While Trea Turner has hit for pop this year, he hasn’t gotten on base at the clip we’ve seen in past years.

Adding Arraez may not exactly help in the kind of way one thinks, simply because the Phillies have slapped him in the cleanup spot. Why that matters is twofold. One, better opportunity to drive in runs. Two, to push runners on base forward, like Harper, Turner, and Kyle Schwarber. So, Arraez’s fantasy value just took a nice jump up for those who can somehow procure him.

Luis Garcia Jr. and Heliot Ramos may also enjoy some heightened fantasy value. The two were three and four, respectively, in the Yankees’ lineup, as the club looks to score runs at a time without two All-Stars. A better hitting environment for Garcia Jr., and Ramos has some pop — and when the big boys return — some better protection.

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