8 trade candidates who might be better than their '26 stats

Some of this year's best Trade Deadline targets might be hiding behind bad stats.

The eight trade candidates below aren’t having great seasons, but there’s reason to believe they could make a sizable impact down the stretch and into October. Here's why.

All stats below are through Thursday.

Jo Adell, OF, Angels
Adell doesn’t get on base enough, is a poor defender and has been below league average at the plate for most of his career, 2026 included (89 wRC+). But teams that need offense and are looking to catch lightning in a bottle for a few months could do much worse than the 27-year-old, who has one of baseball’s quickest bats and produced a 17.3% barrel rate (96th percentile) and a .549 expected SLG (97th percentile) during a 37-homer campaign in 2025.

Reid Detmers, SP, Angels
Detmers’ 4.05 ERA this season and 4.70 ERA as a starter during his career suggest he’s little more than a back-end rotation option. But every prominent ERA estimator views him more favorably this year, including xERA (3.31), FIP (3.27) and SIERA (3.55). Detmers’ slider is one of the most valuable pitches in baseball, and he’s never had a problem missing bats. His walk rate also has dropped to a career-low 7.5% in 2026. The 27-year-old is not without risk, but there could be a big reward waiting for a team willing to bet on Detmers’ talent.

Kevin Gausman, SP, Blue Jays
Gausman was the No. 1 starter on a team that nearly won the World Series last fall and has pitched like a frontline arm for most of his Toronto tenure. So while he’s struggled over his past six starts (7.85 ERA) and has a 4.51 ERA on the year, no one should be surprised if he’s throwing big innings for a contender come October. It’s just unlikely to be the Blue Jays. The signs are pointing toward Toronto selling at the Trade Deadline, making Gausman -- in the final season of a five-year, $110 million deal -- an obvious candidate to be dealt.

Freddy Peralta, SP, Mets
While Peralta doesn’t have a deep postseason run on his resume, he otherwise shares a lot of similarities with Gausman as a trade candidate. Also a pending free agent, Peralta’s ERA has ballooned to 5.01 through 21 starts this season, but he had a 3.30 ERA with a 10.9 K/9 for the Brewers across 2021-25 and finished fifth in the National League Cy Young Award race just last year.

Heliot Ramos, OF, Giants
Along with pending free agents Luis Arraez and Robbie Ray, Ramos is one of the top trade chips for a Giants club that doesn’t seem to be interested in moving ace righty Logan Webb and has a number of stars on undesirable contracts. Ramos owns a modest 107 wRC+ over the past two seasons, but he might have some untapped power potential. The 26-year-old has recorded a 50.8% hard-hit rate and a 16.1% barrel rate this season with an average exit velocity of 92.6 mph, all of which rank in the 91st percentile or higher and would be career bests. Also notable? His lifetime slugging percentage is 35 points higher away from pitcher-friendly Oracle Park.

Trevor Rogers, SP, Orioles
Regression was likely after Rogers posted an unsustainably low 1.81 ERA in 2025, but that doesn’t mean his 4.28 ERA this season should simply be taken at face value. Rogers had a rough seven-start stretch (10.01 ERA) in April and May that ballooned his ERA to 6.84 on the year, but he has recorded a 1.69 ERA with a 2.90 FIP over 48 innings since the start of June. The pending free agent could be a popular trade target if the Orioles opt to sell.

George Springer, OF, Blue Jays
After a stunning age-35 rebound campaign that saw him record 32 homers with the third-best OPS (.959) among qualifying hitters, Springer has come back to earth in 2026 (.703 OPS). The veteran has been much more productive lately, however, slashing .277/.362/.475 with five homers in his past 26 games. Perhaps it’s a sign that he’s feeling better after dealing with a fractured left big toe earlier this season. He could be an appealing trade option for contenders if his bat continues to heat up, especially given his stellar playoff track record.

Tyler Stephenson, C, Reds
The trade market for catchers has been buzzing this summer, with names like Hunter Goodman, Shea Langeliers, Adley Rutschman and Ryan Jeffers generating considerable speculation. Stephenson has not, even though the Reds are clear sellers. The pending free agent’s .712 OPS and 92 wRC+ this season may be why, but a closer look reveals that he has produced an .825 OPS in his past 43 games. His underlying metrics add additional intrigue, including a 40.7% sweet-spot rate (95th percentile), a 21.3% chase rate (94th percentile) and a .463 expected SLG (80th percentile).