What happened: Jeff Passan has published an early preview of the 2026 MLB trade deadline at ESPN, laying out the landscape as contenders and sellers begin sorting themselves ahead of the deadline later this month. The piece arrives with the season past its midpoint and front offices weighing whether to buy or sell.

Why it matters: The deadline is the season's biggest inflection point for playoff races, and early previews set the tone for which clubs are expected to be aggressive. Deadline chatter is already building league-wide — FOX Sports' MLB writers separately weighed which teams would view Tarik Skubal as a dream acquisition — and this follows Passan's earlier look at the 2026 deadline market.

What to watch: Watch for front offices to firm up buyer or seller stances over the coming weeks as the deadline approaches and the first significant moves start to land.