A trio of powerful pitching arms — including two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal, Freddy Peralta and Mason Miller — highlight the intriguing candidates who could switch teams as Major League Baseball’s trade deadline approaches.The deadline is Monday at 6 p.m. EDT.Skubal — a 29-year-old left-hander who will be a free agent this offseason — is in the midst of another strong year for the Detroit Tigers after winning back-to-back Cy Youngs in 2024 and 2025. The left-hander missed about five weeks earlier in the season because of surgery to remove loose bodies in his elbow, but he has bounced back quickly.He’s been excellent over his last five starts, with a 2.03 ERA and 41 strikeouts in 31 innings. One thing complicating Skubal’s availability is the Tigers have played better of late and they’re hanging around the American League wild-card race, just 4 1/2 games back for the final playoff spot going into Friday’s games — albeit with five teams ahead of them. But if a juicy offer is presented, it’ll be hard to say no.Detroit’s uncertain playoff fate is a common problem for teams as the deadline approaches. There is a handful of obvious buyers at the deadline like the Yankees, Rays, Brewers, Braves and Dodgers. There is also a small group of obvious sellers like the Rockies, Giants, Angels, Mets, Athletics and Royals.But that leaves nearly 20 other teams who are in the middle and could be buyers, sellers or a combination of both.Here’s a look at some of the top trade candidates as Monday’s deadline approaches. The starting pitchers— Peralta, Mets: The right-hander has had a disappointing season, which is a common refrain for the Mets, but his strikeout numbers are still good. He was excellent for the Brewers over the previous three seasons. If he can fix his command issues, he could help a contender.— Joe Ryan, Twins: Another powerful arm, the right-hander has been an All-Star in each of the past two seasons. It’s unclear if the Twins are buyers or sellers in a crowded American League race — they added reliever A.J. Minter from the Mets on Friday, so continued buying seems more likely. If the Twins decide to move Ryan, though, it could bring back a solid return.— Foster Griffin, Nationals: The veteran lefty has been outstanding in his return to MLB after spending three seasons in Japan with a 12-2 record and 2.76 ERA. The Nationals are still in the mix for a playoff spot in the National League, but they will likely still be willing to listen to offers.— Reid Detmers, Angels: The left-hander has been a bright spot in a mostly dismal season for the Angels with 145 strikeouts in 125 innings. Los Angeles will want a sizable return for the 27-year-old, who is still under team control for the next two seasons.— Clay Holmes, Mets: The 33-year-old made a successful transition from reliever to starter in 2025 and was having another solid season before he fractured his right fibula on a comeback liner in May. The right-hander is in
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