5 Days Left: The Wildest MLB Trades That Could Still Happen

Blockbusters, Buxton, and Buys That Could Still Break Baseball || Edition #263

5 days.

That’s all that’s left before the trade deadline slams shut—and half the league still hasn’t made a move.

But in the past two days, we’ve seen some real fireworks: Ryan McMahon finally broke out of jail and headed to the Bronx, Josh Naylor is off to Washington, and the Orioles sent Gregory Soto to the Mets.

And there’s still so much that could happen.

As I explained in my latest LWOSports article, there’s a world where Steven Kwan, Emmanuel Clase, and even Byron Buxton could all get traded.

Some of these ideas are crazy. Some are legit. A few might actually happen.
Let’s run through the chaos.

SUBSCRIBERS:

I’ve been consistently putting out MLB content throughout the season for the last two months, but it’s really overshadowed some of the other sports.

Not to worry, though, because after this complete trade deadline coverage wraps, get ready for a ton of NFL preview content that’s already sitting in my dashboard waiting for me to hit publish. NBA content is coming soon as well.

---

Steven Kwan → LAD

Did we ever think this would be a possibility this season? You probably did, but I never thought we’d be here.

The Dodgers, who already have stars like Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman, could now also acquire Cleveland Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan.
(Or, I guess, Trump is trying to make them the Indians again.)

This season, Kwan is batting .287 with 108 hits and 8 home runs. He’s an Adam Frazier / Jurickson Profar / Nico Hoerner type. Contact-heavy, not much power, but great instincts.

Defensively, he’s elite. Kwan ranks in the 100th percentile in arm value, which is awesome, and he’s in the 86th percentile in fielding value.

He doesn’t have crazy power or speed, but right now, the Dodgers need someone to replace Michael Conforto. And I think they need someone contact-first, since they already have a ton of power bats.

He rarely strikes out, squares up the ball well, and doesn’t chase much. Kwan is a perfect fit.

---

Ronald Acuna Jr → Seattle

Hear me out before scrolling past this one.

The Braves suck.

They’re 44–57, 4th in the NL East, and just four games ahead of the Nationals in the standings. The Marlins are ahead of them. Yes, really.

So... is it time to blow this thing up?

Now, according to Nightengale, Atlanta isn’t interested in trading Acuña. But uh, it’s Nightengale. He’s been wrong before. A lot. Take a look at this::

It’s going to take a massive return, which will include a lot of studs. Probably something like Colt Emerson, Bryce Miller, Lazaro Montes, and more, but in return, you’re getting Ronald Acuña Jr., signed through 2028 on a team-friendly deal. Oh, and he’s producing: through 50 games this year, he’s hitting .320 with 13 home runs.
(And yeah—he’s an MVP winner.)

Rodríguez, Raleigh, and Acuña? The Mariners would be real World Series contenders.

---

Paul Skenes → Tigers

This is the best starter in baseball.

Sorry, Skubal, but I’m siding with Skenes here. There are always rumors about the Dodgers, Mets, or Phillies going after him, but I really think the Tigers have the edge.

The Pirates can’t provide run support for Skenes, and they could get a huge return if they traded him to Detroit: something like Max Clark, Kevin McGonigle, Jackson Jobe, and Colt Keith. That’s what I’d offer.

Yes, it’s a big package, but it wouldn’t destroy the Tigers’ farm. They’d still have Bryce Rainer, and their long-term payroll isn’t too bad. Sure, Javier Báez is expensive, but it’s just one contract. Compare that to the Mets, who will soon be carrying Soto, Alonso, Lindor, and likely more.

If Detroit wants to win its first World Series in over 40 years, this is the move.
Skenes and Skubal at the top? Must-watch baseball.

---

BONUS:

Jacob Wilson → Guardians

This one’s kind of stupid. But hey, it’s a bonus.

You all know how much I love Jacob Wilson. He’s one of my favorite players in all of Major League Baseball.

(By the way, I analyzed Wilson from head to toe in this article. Check it out!)

The Guardians don’t have much shortstop depth. Right now, it’s Bryan Rocchio, batting .205. Behind him? Daniel Schneemann, then Will Wilson, who’s hitting .167 in 32 games.

Cleveland’s a contender, 2nd in the AL Central, right behind Detroit, but they could really use a consistent SS. The odds are slim (I’d say 1%), especially because the A’s would likely demand a HUGE return. The Guardians don’t have the pieces, and the A’s rebuilding actually hurts the odds of this happening.

Still... even if it’s dumb, a possibility is a possibility.

---

Thanks for reading!