20 early MLB trade candidates 6 weeks from deadline

MLB teams are starting to figure out if they'll be buyers or sellers before the Aug. 3 trade deadline. Parity is keeping this season interesting, as most clubs still have a viable shot at playoff contention - a factor that will significantly impact the trade market. Here are 20 early trade candidates who should continue to garner more attention in the weeks ahead.

1. Tarik Skubal

Position: SP
Age: 29
Contract: $32M (Pending free agent)
No-trade clause? No
Trade probability: 90%

Assuming the Tigers don't inexplicably claw their way back into the race, Skubal is the top prize of this year's deadline. Although he'll be a rental for whichever contender lands him and the cost will require significant prospect capital, this is the two-time reigning AL Cy Young winner we're talking about. The return will likely depend on how much of Skubal's contract Detroit is willing to eat.

2. Byron Buxton

Position: CF
Age: 32
Contract: $45M through 2028
No-trade clause? Yes
Trade probability: 10%

Buxton is enjoying a career season and is potentially the best bat available if he waives his no-trade clause. The two-time All-Star said last July that he'd block any move from Minnesota, and reiterated that sentiment Thursday. But even so, teams might try to convince him to leave, and with the front office gutting the roster at last year's trade deadline, maybe Buxton will think twice about the club's future this time around.

3. Rafael Devers

Position: 1B/DH
Age: 29
Contract: $238.5M through 2030 with $75M deferred
No-trade clause? No
Trade probability: 30%

Devers is a potential deadline-day prize despite producing career-worst numbers on a struggling Giants offense. In the right ballpark, he could quickly morph back into a feared slugger. However, Devers' sizeable contract complicates a trade, and San Francisco will likely have to eat a large portion of his salary to complete a deal.

4. Freddy Peralta

Position: SP
Age: 30
Contract: $8M (Pending free agent)
No-trade clause? No
Trade probability: 90%

Teams that don't want to pay up for Skubal might opt to make a deal for Peralta, the other top pitching rental. He's a durable veteran with playoff experience who'd fit almost any rotation. Additionally, Peralta's solid season should net the Mets a couple of prospects and give them a small silver lining from a disastrous campaign.

5. Joe Ryan

Position: SP
Age: 30
Contract: $6.2M (Arb 3 or $13M mutual option in 2027)
No-trade clause? No
Trade probability: 70%

The All-Star right-hander's name was a hot commodity at the 2025 trade deadline and throughout the offseason, and you can expect much of the same leading up to Aug. 3. A legit frontline starter, Ryan would help any contender's rotation. The Twins could also fetch a larger return since he's under team control through 2027.

6. Matt Chapman

Position: 3B
Age: 33
Contract: $125M through 2030
No-trade clause? Yes
Trade probability: 35%

Trading Chapman - one of the sport's best defensive third basemen and a reliable right-handed bat with plenty of pop - would be a good place to start if the Giants want to blow it all up. In theory, Chapman should be easier to move than Devers, but his contract's no-trade clause gives him power.

7. Willson Contreras

Position: 1B
Age: 34
Contract: $41.5M through 2027 with $17.5M club option in 2028
No-trade clause? Yes (full in 2026; 10-team NTC in 2027-28)
Trade probability: 40%

The Red Sox don't have a better trade chip than Contreras. He's putting up a career season in his 11th year, so Boston should try to sell high on him if he approves a deal. The three-time All-Star's age also doesn't align with the team's young core, but trading him could yield a lot of young talent in return.

8. Reid Detmers

Position: SP
Age: 26
Contract: $2.62M (Arb-eligible through 2028)
No-trade clause? No
Trade probability: 50%

Detmers is on pace for a career season since rejoining the rotation, and he could be a left-handed consolation prize for any team that misses out on Skubal. At just 26, he's young, cheap, and under club control for multiple seasons, making him a hot commodity if the Angels decide to move him.

9. Aroldis Chapman

Position: RP
Age: 38
Contract: $12.3M through 2026 with $13M mutual option in 2027 (guaranteed if he throws 40 IP in 2026 and passes postseason physical)
No-trade clause? No
Trade probability: 50%

Chapman, who's still a bullpen anchor, will instantly become the best reliever available if the Red Sox decide to sell. The Cuban flamethrower has rediscovered his elite form over the past two seasons in Boston and has yet to allow a home run in 2026. Still, any team trading for Chapman will have to be comfortable with paying a 39-year-old reliever $13 million next year when his option kicks in.

10. Jarren Duran

Position: OF
Age: 29
Contract: $7.7M (Arb 4 in 2028)
No-trade clause? No
Trade probability: 50%

Once considered the odd man out in Boston's outfield, Duran has been involved in trade rumors since last season. Roman Anthony's wrist injury has changed the situation for the time being, but the Red Sox also have other clear needs. Trading Duran would make sense, even though the 2024 All-Star is having a down year after accumulating 10.7 fWAR over the last two campaigns.

11. Bo Bichette

Position: 3B/SS
Age: 28
Contract: $126M through 2028 with deferrals; player options in 2027 and 2028
No-trade clause? Yes
Trade probability: 35%

Bichette hasn't looked anything like himself in Flushing after signing a big-money deal this past winter, so maybe a change of scenery would benefit all parties. The upside is a two-time league hits leader who could potentially be plugged in at shortstop, third, or second. Most teams would jump at that, but Bichette's no-trade clause and opt-outs, not to mention his rough season, will make it hard for the Mets to move him even if they want to. If he's available, Bichette's the ultimate high-risk, high-reward summer addition.

12. Willy Adames

Position: SS
Age: 30
Contract: $150M through 2031
No-trade clause? Yes
Trade probability: 30%

Adames is another Giants star reportedly on the trade block. He's got plenty of pop at a premium position, as he's hit 30-plus homers in three of the last four seasons. However, he struggles to get on base and ranks in the first percentile for outs above average, while his Baseball Savant page is full of blue. San Francisco will once again need to absorb a large sum to facilitate a deal.

13. Sonny Gray

Position: SP
Age: 36
Contract: $35M in 2026 with $30M team option in 2027, Gray may opt out of option if exercised
No-trade clause? Yes
Trade probability: 75%

Gray has been one of the highlights in an underwhelming season for the Red Sox. He leads the staff in wins (eight) and ranks 10th in the AL in ERA among starters with at least 60 innings pitched. While teams might be reluctant to trade for the 36-year-old due to his age, Gray has proven over the past three campaigns that he's a dependable mid-tier starter who can chew up innings.

14. Luis Arraez

Position: 2B/1B
Age: 29
Contract: $12M (Pending free agent)
No-trade clause? No
Trade probability: 100%

Arraez is enjoying a great rebound season in San Francisco, but there's little doubt he'll be traded before Aug. 3. Although his game isn't without flaws, Arraez would be a great fit atop many lineups as a contact-heavy on-base machine. He also offers defensive flexibility, as he can play both second - where he's excelled this year despite his reputation - and first.

15. Gleyber Torres

Position: 2B
Age: 29
Contract: $22.025M (Pending free agent)
No-trade clause? No
Trade probability: 70%

Currently sidelined with an oblique strain, Torres has dealt with multiple injuries in 2026. However, the three-time All-Star provides an above-average bat at the keystone position when healthy. He owns 158 career homers with a .340 OBP.

16. Casey Mize

Position: SP
Age: 29
Contract: $6.15M (Pending free agent)
No-trade clause? No
Trade probability: 60%

Like his teammate Skubal, Mize is a rental, although he'll presumably cost less in prospect capital. The former first overall pick's career season has been overshadowed by the Skubal circus, making Mize a potential sneaky-good deadline addition to slot in at the top of a contending rotation if the Tigers decide to tear it all down.

17. Ryan Jeffers

Position: C
Age: 29
Contract: $6.7M (Pending free agent)
No-trade clause? No
Trade probability: 100%

Jeffers, who's expected to return in July after undergoing surgery on his hamate bone, will be the best catcher available on the trade market. The Twins will be motivated to move him with his free agency looming and should get a solid return considering he's a top offensive backstop in the AL.

18. Robbie Ray

Position: SP
Age: 34
Contract: $25M (Pending free agent)
No-trade clause? No
Trade probability: 90%

Ray comes with a pedigree as a former Cy Young winner, and his high salary is offset by the fact that he's a rental. He'll also likely be a cheaper option in terms of prospect cost compared to other pitchers on the market. The problem is that Ray's clearly a back-end starter at this stage of his career. He might eat innings, but he'll do it while walking over four batters per nine.

19. Isaac Paredes

Position: 3B/1B/2B/DH
Age: 27
Contract: $9.35M (Arb 4 or $13.35M club option in 2027)
No-trade clause? No
Trade probability: 50%

Along with Jeremy Peña and Christian Walker, Paredes could be one of several Astros traded this campaign. The two-time All-Star's name frequently surfaced in rumors during the offseason after Houston reunited with Carlos Correa at last year's deadline. Paredes has a home at third base with Correa out for the season, but the Astros could still use him as a trade chip to revamp an underwhelming squad.

20. Michael Wacha

Position: SP
Age: 34
Contract: $33M through 2027 with $14M club option in 2028
No-trade clause? No
Trade probability: 75%

Wacha not being a rental might be too much for some teams, but it really shouldn't matter. The 14-year veteran is as solid as they come, and he'll take the ball every fifth day while providing a steady hand at the back of the rotation. Contenders shouldn't be scared off by the extra dollars.