The MLB trade deadline is over and we’re at the latter part of the 2026 baseball season, during which teams are either jockeying for postseason position, evaluating young prospects and other talent they recently acquired, and re-evaluating those held on to.
If you’re 49-65 and have one of the worst records in baseball like the San Francisco Giants, then odds are the remainder of the season is an extended tryout period to see who will claim a starting spot, find a way into the batting lineup or even make next year’s 40-man roster.
That’s the direction the Giants are headed to next.
“We’re going to get some looks at some younger players, and I think as much as anything, it’s going to be an opportunity for us as a front office and a coaching staff to evaluate some of our players, and some of them are going to get some longer runways than they’ve had in the past,” Giants general manager Buster Posey said in a radio interview on 97.5 FM.
It’s about the only thing left for San Francisco to play for since being left out of playoff conversations. The Giants are 21 games back of the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West. Grading talent and going into the offseason this fall is about all the Giants have to look forward to.
But there are still questions that need to be answered going into the offseason. There are holes in the roster that need to be filled. And overall, San Francisco needs to figure out which direction it’s headed.
“I think these last two months that we can be excited about, to build off of, and you know to look to build on from what we do here these last couple months and into the future,” Posey said.
Posey will have his work cut out for him as the Giants face many questions as the season comes to a close following the deals made, and those not made, at the deadline. It seems like San Francisco went through a semi-reset, dealing six players at the deadline including Luis Arraez, Robbie Ray and Tyler Mahle.
Here’s what San Francisco needs to consider in these final two months and into the offseason:
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Blockbuster trades and late surprises on MLB trade deadline day
It’s trade deadline day in Major League Baseball, with some big names expected to be dealt in the hours, minutes and seconds leading up to the 6 p.m. ET deadline.
The Los Angeles Dodgers‘ trade for back-to-back Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal further solidified the World Series champions as the favorites to win it all once again.
“I don’t think I’ve felt this good after getting swept,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after Sunday’s loss to the Boston Red Sox – who rode a wild winning streak into contention and should be involved in a deal or two ahead of the deadline.
Keep it here for the latest rumors and updates as the clock winds down: Pirates set for Luke Weaver trade with Mets Pushing for their first postseason appearance in 11 years, the Pittsburgh Pirates are bolstering their bullpen with a trade for Luke Weaver. Weaver has a 1.84 ERA this season for the New York Mets, in the first year of a two-year, $22 million deal.
(Brad Penner, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
1 / 12
Blockbuster trades and late surprises on MLB trade deadline day
It’s trade deadline day in Major League Baseball, with some big names expected to be dealt in the hours, minutes and seconds leading up to the 6 p.m. ET deadline.
The Los Angeles Dodgers‘ trade for back-to-back Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal further solidified the World Series champions as the favorites to win it all once again.
“I don’t think I’ve felt this good after getting swept,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after Sunday’s loss to the Boston Red Sox – who rode a wild winning streak into contention and should be involved in a deal or two ahead of the deadline.
Keep it here for the latest rumors and updates as the clock winds down: Pirates set for Luke Weaver trade with Mets Pushing for their first postseason appearance in 11 years, the Pittsburgh Pirates are bolstering their bullpen with a trade for Luke Weaver. Weaver has a 1.84 ERA this season for the New York Mets, in the first year of a two-year, $22 million deal.
(Brad Penner, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
2 / 12
Blockbuster trades and late surprises on MLB trade deadline day
Red Sox trade for Adley Rutschman In a stunning deal that marks the end of a failed rebuild in Baltimore, the Orioles are trading catcher Adley Rutschman to the Boston Red Sox Monday, Aug. 3, a rare intra-division deal for a three-time All-Star, ESPN first reported. Rutschman, 28, was the first overall pick in 2019, chosen over prep shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. as the OriolesÕ reward for a 115-loss season that prompted the hiring of now club president Mike Elias. Through two more 100-loss seasons, Elias continued collecting elite draftees and building what appeared to be a sustainable and potentially imposing youth movement.
(Dan Hamilton, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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Blockbuster trades and late surprises on MLB trade deadline day
Robbie Ray to Padres The Giants are trading a former Cy Young winner within the NL West, sending Robbie Ray to the San Diego Padres in exchange for prospects Joniel Hernandez and Miguel Mendez.
(Denis Poroy, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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Blockbuster trades and late surprises on MLB trade deadline day
Braves get Brent Suter
Atlanta landed left-handed pitcher Brent Suter in a trade with the Los Angeles Angels, sending infielder Nacho Alvarez Jr. to Southern California, the teams announced Monday morning.
(Kiyoshi Mio, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
5 / 12
Blockbuster trades and late surprises on MLB trade deadline day
Mets send Brooks Raley to Phillies Brooks Raley has been traded from the Mets to the rival Phillies. The Mets are receiving outfielder John Spikerman and right-handed pitcher Luke Gabrysh in the deal. The move comes after the Mets also offloaded left-hander A.J. Minter to the Twins last Friday. Raley and Minter were the two likeliest trade candidates out of the Mets’ bullpen given their expiring deals. The Mets also traded Freddy Peralta to the Rays on Sunday and right-handed reliever Huascar Brazoban to the White Sox early Monday morning.
(David Frerker, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
6 / 12
Blockbuster trades and late surprises on MLB trade deadline day
Luis Arraez to the Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are trading for three-time batting champion Luis Arraez and right-reliever Kaleb Kilian of the San Francisco Giants, a person with direct knowledge of the trade told USA TODAY Sports. The Giants will receive starter Ramon Marquez, the PhilliesÕ No. 4 prospect and reliever Marty Gair. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity since the trade has yet to be announced until physicals are complete. Arraez, a three-time All-Star, is hitting .324 this season with four homers, 47 RBIs and an .801 OPS. And although heÕs left-handed, he still rakes against lefties, hitting .315 with a .341 on-base percentage and .782 OPS. HeÕs exactly the type of hitter the Phillies are looking for, someone who is dramatically different than the rest of the slugging lineup they have in place. He has struck out just 21 times all season.
(Kelley L Cox, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
7 / 12
Blockbuster trades and late surprises on MLB trade deadline day
Blue Jays acquire Jose Soriano Just one day after trading away staff ace Kevin Gausman, the Toronto Blue Jays have added a starting pitcher to take his place in the rotation. The Jays have acquired right-hander Jose Soriano from the Los Angeles Angels, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports. In exchange, the Angels receive shortstop prospect Arjun Nimmala, outfielder Eddie Micheletti and right-hander Angel Rivero. Nimmala is the Jays’ No. 2 overall prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, behind fellow shortstop JoJo Parker. The other two prospects aren’t among the Jays’ top 30.
(Bruce Kluckhohn, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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Blockbuster trades and late surprises on MLB trade deadline day
Freddy Peralta experiment ends for Mets It took David Stearns seven months to turn the No. 3 prospect in baseball into three players who don’t crack anybody’s top 100. In January, the Mets sent Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat to Milwaukee for Peralta and Tobias Myers. Williams was supposed to be part of the next contending Mets team. Instead, he’s a Brewer, Peralta is a Ray and New York is last in the National League East. Stearns opened these talks asking for a top-100 prospect and more. He got none. He gave away any leverage he had by scratching Peralta on Friday, signaling he was about to hold a fire sale.
(Jeff Hanisch, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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Blockbuster trades and late surprises on MLB trade deadline day
White Sox land Luis Castillo The Chicago White Sox didn’t have to prove they were legitimate playoff contenders, but they affirmed as much on Saturday when they acquired right-handed pitcher Luis Castillo from the Seattle Mariners in exchange for reliever Seranthony Dominguez, former outfield prospect Nolan Jones and catching prospect Boston Smith. Castillo, 33, was expendable in Seattle thanks to the Mariners’ deep rotation, a gaggle of majors-ready prospects and the $24.1 million salary he’s due in 2027. He also hasn’t performed particularly well this season, posting a 5.06 ERA in 20 appearances (17 starts) this season. Yet Castillo is a three-time former All-Star who finished fifth in 2023 AL Cy Young award voting and as recently as last season pitched 180 innings. He’ll add length to a White Sox rotation that thins out after No. 1 starter Sean Burke and No. 2 Davis Martin.
(Stephen Brashear, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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Blockbuster trades and late surprises on MLB trade deadline day
Cubs get Kevin Gausman Kevin Gausman, 35, is 5-10 with a 4.38 ERA in 23 starts this season but has been one of the most consistent starters in baseball for the past half-decade, posting a 3.36 ERA from 2020-2025. A two-time All-Star, Gausman finished third in AL Cy Young voting in 2023. Toronto is receiving minor league outfielder Brett Bateman and infielder Ty Southisene in the trade. Gausman was stellar in the Blue Jays’ 2025 postseason run, ultimately losing in Game 7 of the World Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Gausman started five games and also got the win in relief in Game 7 of the ALCS.
(Kevin Sousa, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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Blockbuster trades and late surprises on MLB trade deadline day
Skubal trade had nothing to do with money Tarik Skubal is a Dodger, and perhaps more significantly the avatar for All That Is Wrong With Baseball, he and his new team the whipping boys for a looming lockout whether or not L.A. wins a seemingly inevitable third consecutive World Series title. The Dodgers are kicking everyoneÕs behinds in every facet of the game: Drafting, player development, scouting (which includes assessing internal talent) and providing a workplace where players want to be.
(Luke Hales, Getty Images)
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Blockbuster trades and late surprises on MLB trade deadline day
Mets’ fire sale continues While it’s not the magnitude of the Freddy Peralta trade, the New York Mets have dealt another pitcher. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported overnight that they’ve send hard-throwing reliever Huascar Brazoban to the Chicago White Sox for minor-league pitchers Gabe Davis and Zach Franklin.
(David Frerker, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
Play the top prospects
Wins have been hard to come by all year long, so it shouldn’t be an issue to play younger players a bit more in the final two months of baseball.
There should be more sightings of guys such as Blade Tidwell, Dylan Smith, Drew Cavanaugh, Daniel Susac, Osleivis Basabe, Drew Gilbert and Bryce Eldridge.
Eldridge has particularly shown promise as a designated hitter, but he could be more and San Francisco should consider giving him the chance to play elsewhere other than at designated hitter. Test him out at first baseman for a string of games.
Posey wants to create a particular “brand of baseball,” he said during a radio appearance on Bay Area sports radio station 97.5 FM.
“We keep saying you look for fundamental baseball guys that are going to throw throw the ball over the plate, control the strike zone at the plate, catch the ball on defense and make smart decisions on the bases,” Posey said. “I do think it’s been nice to see that we’ve been pushing the envelope a little bit more as far as stolen bases have gone the last month or so. So that’s been nice to see, but just trying to create a brand of baseball.”
Guys who are under 30 should be getting those opportunities to show that they can buy-in to the brand Posey wants the Giants to play.
Is a full rebuild on the horizon?
Next, the Giants need to figure out which direction they are going in. Whether it’s a full overhaul, or mixing young and the old, they need a clear direction.
They weren’t able to get rid of Rafael Devers, Matt Chapman and Willy Adames, some of the most expensive contracts on the payroll. These guys aren’t that old. But they also aren’t under 30 years old, except Devers who turns 30 in October.
They opted to keep Jung Hoo Lee, who turns 28 this month, out of trade talks, but there are two months to decide whether that should be reconsidered. There’s a bunch of money tied up between these four, nearing $100 million. San Francisco should have a hard look at who’s costing money but not producing on-field.
Will Logan Webb remain a Giant?
Logan Webb is one of few bright spots on the Giants’ pitching staff. The bullpen needs help. If the Giants were to lose Webb, then that would be another setback dilemma. San Francisco had already made it known to those who inquired about Webb near the MLB trade deadline that he wasn’t available, according to USA TODAY Sports baseball columnist Bob Nightengale, who reported interest from the Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves.
Webb, 29, is the longest-tenured member of the Giants. He turns 30 in November. It’s likely he remains a Giant, which directs the attention back to whether a fire sale or full rebuild is coming or not.
Maybe. Probably not. To be determined.
Is Tony Vitello’s job still safe in San Francisco?
It hasn’t been the rookie year that first-year MLB skipper Tony Vitello had hoped. There were more head-scratching moments than celebratory moments this season. But that’s what comes with a rookie manager and a team without clear direction: growing pains filled with ups and downs.
Posey and company need to determine soon whether Vitello is the man for the job. Realistically, if evaluating him as well, he should get one more year to see if the experiment should end early or not.
Vitello signed a three-year contract that pays him $3.5 million annually. It’s like that line from J. Cole, “fool me one time, shame on you. Fool me twice, can’t put the blame on you.”
With that said, Vitello should see a second season, but if plays out his three-year deal and the next couple seasons mirror 2026, then you can go ahead and finish that lyric and dump him.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: San Francisco Giants biggest questions after the trade deadline reset
