The 2026 MLB trade deadline brought a flurry of activity and roster changes on Monday, and the playing time implications across the league are enormous. Let’s dive into new-look rosters and see who will see more and less playing time.
The Diamondbacks brought in former Cardinal Lars Nootbaar at the trade deadline. Despite mediocre results at the plate so far this year (96 wRC+), he should factor heavily into the Dbacks’ outfield and designated hitter situations moving forward. If Max Kepler keeps hitting well and earns his time in left field, Nootbaar likely starts as the DH, eating into Adrian Del Castillo’s appearances.
The Athletics can’t catch a break on the injury front. Nick Kurtz is back on the IL with a right thumb injury. Jeff McNeil has started two of the three games that Kurtz has missed, with Jonah Heim taking the third start.
Max Muncy was called up to take the open roster spot from Kurtz’s IL placement. He’ll likely factor into the lineup when the A’s face a lefty. We haven’t seen that yet, but Muncy would likely start at third base versus southpaws while Tommy White moves over to first base.
The Braves acquired Lane Thomas at the trade deadline. His fantasy value takes a sizeable hit even though his new club has a much better lineup. Thomas should only crack the starting lineup against lefties. He hasn’t started in his first two games in Atlanta, but the team faced righties both times.
The Braves activated both Ha-Seong Kim and Sean Murphy from the IL on Tuesday, but neither will have much of a fantasy impact. Kim could draw some starts at shortstop against lefties, spelling Jim Jarvis. Murphy will operate out of the backup catcher role behind Drake Baldwin.
The Orioles have two starting spots to fill with the departure of Adley Rutschman and Taylor Ward. Rutschman’s role will go to the freshly acquired Carlos Narváez until Samuel Basallo returns from the IL. Ward’s starting left field role is harder to decipher. The Orioles called up prospect Christian Franklin to make his MLB debut on Tuesday night after trading for him in a minor deadline move. He was slashing .249/.375/.360 in Triple-A for the Nationals. If Franklin doesn’t stick, any of Dylan Beavers, Tyler O’Neill, Colton Cowser, or Leody Taveras could see starts in left.
In one of the deadline’s biggest moves, the Red Sox acquired Adley Rutschman. He’s still working his way back from a wrist injury, but once he’s healthy, he’ll be the unquestioned top catcher in Boston. In the meantime, Connor Wong and Jake Rogers will split time behind the plate.
The Red Sox also acquired Eli White from Atlanta. He’ll occupy a fourth outfielder role, potentially platooning with Jarren Duran when the team faces a left-handed starter.
Nick Sogard has hit leadoff in three of the team’s last four games. He’s taken most of the second base reps from Anthony Seigler.
The Cubs largely focused on fixing their pitching woes at the deadline, but they also acquired Tyrone Taylor from the Mets. He should enter the small side of a platoon in left field alongside Ian Happ. If you roster Happ in fantasy, it may be a bit of a downgrade to his value, but he was slashing a miserable .158/.232/.298 against southpaws this year, so it’s not like he was contributing much there anyway.
The White Sox addressed their catching need at the trade deadline by bringing in Joey Bart. He should take over the majority of the catching duties until Kyle Teel returns from the IL. Until then, Drew Romo will back up Bart. Edgar Quero was demoted when Bart was added to the MLB roster.
Chicago also acquired Brenton Doyle from the Rockies. He started in center field in his first game with his new club, but will likely operate on the small side of an outfield platoon with Tristan Peters moving forward.
The Reds called up Héctor Rodríguez to take Nathaniel Lowe’s roster spot after he was dealt away at the deadline. Rodriguez should see a lot of playing time in right field and was crushing Triple-A pitching to the tune of .274/.347/.533 with 27 home runs and six steals. Despite the gaudy stat line, Rodriguez wasn’t garnering much attention on top prospect lists, so while he is an interesting pickup, he’s not necessarily worth a huge FAAB bid.
The Reds activated Matt McLain from the IL last week, and he’s started five straight games at second base. Edwin Arroyo was demoted to Triple-A Louisville.
The Guardians brought in a few bats at the deadline to supplement the league’s second-lowest-scoring lineup. Jo Adell was the biggest name they added, but his role is unclear. He started in right field and hit second in his Cleveland debut on Tuesday, but that was against a lefty, and Adell has massive platoon splits (.928 OPS vs. L/.582 OPS vs. R), making his role versus right-handers unclear.
Cleveland also acquired Nathaniel Lowe. He should step directly into a large side of the platoon role at first base. Kyle Manzardo was occupying that role previously, and was demoted upon Lowe’s roster activation.
The Rockies had a pretty quiet trade deadline. After shipping out Brenton Doyle, the team recalled Jordan Beck. He’s started one of two games so far, appearing in right field against a right-hander on Tuesday. He likely will split time in right with Tyler Freeman, but until we see more lineups, it’s hard to bet on Beck getting enough playing time to become fantasy relevant again. Before he was hurt and eventually demoted, Beck had only started 21 of 47 games.
The Tigers have been all over baseball news the last few days, but not for their position player moves. Their most interesting lineup change was calling up big-time prospect Max Clark last Friday. He’s started all four games in center field since joining the big-league club. He’s likely already been added in your leagues, but it doesn’t hurt to double-check.
Matt Vierling hit the IL over the weekend, opening up a part-time role in the outfield. So far, those starts have fallen to utilityman Zach McKinstry. He’s started in right field in three of the four games that Vierling has missed. Ben Malgeri took the other start.
There’s been lots of ink spilled in this weekly column over the Astros’ center field situation. It’s been in flux pretty much all year, but no longer. Houston acquired Daulton Varsho from the Blue Jays at the deadline. He’s started all three games in which he’s been available and has hit cleanup in each. Outfielder Lucas Spence was sent down in the corresponding move to Varsho being added to the roster.
The Royals activated Bobby Witt Jr. from the IL on Tuesday, and designated Andrew Velazquez for assignment in the corresponding move.
The Lane Thomas trade lined up almost perfectly with Kyle Isbel’s activation from the IL. Isbel should get most of the work in center field just like he was pre-injury.
With Vinnie Pasquantino once again sidelined, Jac Caglianone has taken over most of the first base reps, opening time in right field for John Rave. He’s started five of six games since being recalled to the big league squad, and is an interesting name to add in deep fantasy formats. He posted a 126 wRC+ in Triple-A, and has hit the ground running in the bigs, slashing .294/.351/.647 in 38 plate appearances.
The Angels made a few big deadline moves. The most interesting name they added on the hitter front is Moisés Ballesteros, formerly of the Cubs. Ballesteros is a 22-year-old catcher who isn’t great behind the plate. Because of his defensive shortcomings, he’s spent most of his time in the bigs at DH, and that’s exactly where the Angels plugged him in for his team debut on Tuesday night. He should get most of the DH opportunities moving forward after the team designated Jorge Soler for assignment. Ballesteros is slashing .231/.302/.381 on the year. He’s a solid pickup if you need an upgrade at catcher.
Jo Adell’s departure opened everyday starts in right field. Wade Meckler took the first of those starts on Tuesday and is worth a look if you need outfield help in AL-only leagues. He’s hitting .303 with three homers and three steals in 169 plate appearances this season.
The Dodgers made the deadline’s biggest splash on the pitching front, but did very little on the offensive side given their already immense amounts of talent. They did bring in catchers Hunter Feduccia and Ben Rortvedt to work behind the plate after Dalton Rushing joined Will Smith on the IL over the weekend. Smith should be back in late August, while Rushing’s UCL tear may prevent him from catching again this season. In the meantime, neither Feduccia or Rotvedt is worth rostering outside of two-catcher NL-only leagues where there are no other options.
The Marlins dealt breakout star Liam Hicks a few hours up the coast to Tampa Bay. Without Hicks occupying an everyday role at catcher and designated hitter, Joe Mack should continue to factor heavily into the catching situation, but the Marlins did recall Agustín Ramírez, who they surely want to see get regular at-bats. Rather than pick one of these two up, it may be better to see how Miami handles the playing time share before making a move.
It’s unclear how Miami will distribute its DH opportunities moving forward. Griffin Conine got the first crack at the role on Tuesday. The 29-year-old outfielder is quietly having a breakout campaign of his own, slashing .264/.354/.535 with 10 homers. Without Hicks in the lineup, Conine moved up to the two-hole on Tuesday.
Rookie Owen Caissie returned from the IL over the weekend and should resume his large side of the platoon role, facing righty pitchers while manning right field.
With David Hamilton back from the IL, the Brewers’ third base situation has turned into a platoon. Hamilton is starting versus right-handers, while Joey Ortiz steps in to face lefties.
A right hip impingement sent Byron Buxton back to the IL last week. Without the three-time All-Star patrolling center, Luke Keaschall has stepped into the up-the-middle outfield role, opening limited starts in right field to Alan Roden.
The Mets traded away fourth outfielder Tyrone Taylor at the deadline. To take his roster spot, the team called up Cristian Pache from Triple-A. Although Taylor was getting a few starts each week, Pache likely won’t, so this move should solidify playing time for the Mets’ three starting outfielders — A.J. Ewing, Carson Benge, and Luis Robert Jr.
The Yankees brought in two new starters at the deadline — Luis García Jr. and Heliot Ramos. García will take over starts at first base versus right-handers, limiting Paul Goldschmidt to face only lefties and forcing Ben Rice to strictly DH. Ramos should start every day in left field. Jasson Domínguez was sent down to open time in the outfield for Ramos. In their Yankee debuts, García hit third in the lineup, and Ramos hit fourth.
The Yankees also made a splashy addition by calling up top shortstop prospect George Lombard Jr. and demoting Anthony Volpe. Lombard was performing well at Triple-A, hitting .284/.411/.498 to go along with 12 homers and 14 steals. He’s worth a pickup in most fantasy formats if he’s still sitting out there in your league.
The Phillies had one of the more head-scratching deadlines. They badly needed corner outfield help, so they acquired… Luis Arraez? The non-outfielder addition has caused a cascade of moving pieces. Arraez will man second base, sending Bryson Stott across the diamond to third base. Former third baseman Alec Bohm will take over at first base, sending Bryce Harper back to the outfield grass in right field. Besides the incoming new fantasy position eligibilities, the hitters should remain relatively unchanged in the Phillies’ lineup. Arraez hit cleanup in his first game with the team.
All of the aforementioned moves essentially amount to the Phillies now having a new everyday right fielder in Harper, but we’ll have to wait and see if his glove still plays on the outfield grass. Gabriel Rincones Jr. was demoted to make room for Arraez. Bryan De La Cruz is sticking around, but will have limited opportunities with the new-look roster.
A left quad strain sent Ryan O’Hearn to the injured list last week. Just as O’Hearn was placed on the IL, Spencer Horwitz was ready to be activated from it, so they’ll essentially swap roles. Horwitz has been back on the roster for three games so far, starting all three at first base or designated hitter and hitting fifth in the lineup.
Jhostynxon Garcia was recalled from Triple-A last week, but he’s been operating as the backup center fielder to Jake Mangum. He’s started three of seven games since rejoining the big league squad.
Gavin Sheets hasn’t been playing much recently. He’s started just one of the Padres’ last six games. Three of the games came against a lefty, though, and another he was nursing an injury. This is probably not a true playing-time concern, but I’d keep an eye on it if you’re rostering Sheets in an NL-only league.
The Giants’ trade deadline fire sale of Heliot Ramos and Luis Arraez has opened quite a bit of playing time in San Francisco. In left field, Eddys Leonard was called up from Triple-A Sacramento and has started the first two games post-Ramos. This is Leonard’s first MLB action of his career, but he was hitting a combined .272/.361/.509 with the Giants’ and Brewers’ Triple-A affiliates. The opportunities at second base have been given to Osleivis Basabe so far. He’s started there in three straight contests, hitting first, fifth, and seventh.
Manager Tony Vitello needs to crown a new leadoff hitter without Arraez in the lineup. So far, the three leadoff chances have gone to three different players — Basabe, Bryce Eldridge, and Nate Furman. Of those three, I’d assume Eldridge takes most of the leadoff duties given he was the only lineup regular of that group as of last week.
The Mariners’ big deadline acquisition, Taylor Ward, debuted at DH hitting eighth for his new ballclub on Tuesday evening. I imagine Ward will get most of the DH opportunities moving forward since the Mariners have three players with firm control of an outfield job — Julio Rodríguez, Randy Arozarena, and Dominic Canzone.
Brendan Donovan was activated from the IL on Tuesday and appeared in his first game since May 15. Donovan should be the everyday starter at third base until J.P. Crawford returns from his wrist injury, at which point Donovan will likely move into a utility role.
The Cardinals have an open corner outfield job after moving Lars Nootbaar at the trade deadline. So far, the starts have gone to 28-year-old rookie Bryan Torres. He’s started four straight games now for the Redbirds, and has held his own with a 239/.293/.424 slash line (97 wRC+). It feels like Torres is just a placeholder until the team eventually calls up Joshua Báez later this year, but that won’t happen until they reach the point where he’ll be able to debut this year while maintaining rookie eligibility in 2027.
The Rays upgraded their catching situation in a big way by acquiring Liam Hicks from the Marlins. Hicks has started twice with his new team, once at catcher and once at first base. He’s hit fourth in both games.
Corey Seager was activated from the IL last Friday. He’s back to his typical starting shortstop gig and hitting third for manager Skip Schumaker.
With Seager back at shortstop, Ezequiel Duran has moved over to play third base.
The Blue Jays activated Jesús Sánchez from the IL on Friday. He’s started in left field for all four games that the Jays have faced a right-handed starting pitcher since returning. In the two games the team faced a lefty, George Springer and Davis Schneider took the start in left.
After trading starting center fielder Daulton Varsho, Toronto has been using Myles Straw in center field. He’s started there in all three games since the Varsho deal. I have to think at some point the team will shift to a future-first approach and bring up a younger outfielder (Yohendrick Piñango?) to see what they have, rather than continue to start the 31-year-old veteran Straw.
The Jays didn’t do much trade deadline shopping, but they did bring in utilityman Josh Smith from the Rangers. Barring an injury, he’ll operate out of a bench role.
With Luis García Jr. traded away, the Nationals have an opening at first base. The team recalled prospect Abimelec Ortiz on Monday, and he started things with a bang, blasting his first big league homer. He’ll likely get the first base starts versus righties moving forward, and should be of some fantasy interest. He hit 18 home runs in Triple-A this year. Andrés Chaparro should start at first base against lefties.
On Tuesday, the Nationals placed James Wood on the IL with an oblique strain. Dylan Crews took the first start in right field and will likely get consistent looks there for the time being. Jacob Young should also see an uptick in playing time in center field. The corresponding move to Wood’s IL placement was calling up prospect Andrew Pinckney, a 25-year-old getting his first taste of the big leagues. He’s spent the last two years at Triple-A and has hit .270 with 33 homers and 52 steals across 891 plate appearances. It’s unclear how much he’ll play, but I don’t think he’ll unseat Crews, Young, or Daylen Lile for a starting role.
