MLB trade deadline 2026: Latest intel from Olney, Passan - ESPN

The MLB trade season is entering the final push.

While this year's deals were slow to develop, the biggest summer blockbuster came with the Los Angeles Dodgers landing Tarik Skubal late Saturday night — and there are plenty of big moves ahead with less than 24 hours to deal before the 6 p.m. ET deadline arrives on Monday.

Which players will move in the final rush? Which contenders will go big to add the best available players after the Dodgers' latest splash? And which trades will have the largest impact on the rest of the season — and October? We asked ESPN MLB insiders Buster Olney and Jeff Passan for their latest intel as the deadline nears.

Olney: The Skubal situation held up the massive market for starting pitchers, and so in the last 24 hours before the deadline, among the contending teams, it'll feel like Oprah handing out goodies to an audience: And you get a starting pitcher, and you get a starting pitcher, and you get a starting pitcher… The Cubs, Braves, Phillies, Rays, Brewers and other teams will land a starting pitcher (and in a couple of cases, maybe two). The Rays added Freddy Peralta on Sunday afternoon and the Cubs landed Kevin Gausman later in the night, with Clay Holmes, Robbie Ray and others soon to come off the board as well.

Passan: Prices are finally going to come down — because they have to. All week long, executives looking to add have bleated about the premium being asked for players. Controllable players, rental players — it does not matter. There are more teams trying to get better than ones punting the season, and they know that because of the finite inventory, they can shoot high. At some point, however, the posturing and information-gathering needs to end and deals need to win the day.