MLB has informed teams that the 2026 Trade Deadline has been set for Monday, Aug. 3, at 6 p.m. ET. It’s a bit later than last year’s Trade Deadline, which fell on Thursday, July 31.
The 2022-26 Collective Bargaining Agreement gives the Commissioner’s Office the flexibility to set the Trade Deadline between July 28 and Aug. 3. Previously, the Trade Deadline almost always fell on July 31.
By setting the Trade Deadline on Aug. 3 this year, MLB will avoid the possibility of a player being traded during a game. There is at least one day game scheduled each day from July 29-Aug. 2, while all eight games on Aug. 3 start at 6:40 p.m. ET or later. MLB also generally prefers a weekday Deadline rather than a weekend.
The Trade Deadline is the last point during the season when players signed to Major League contracts can be traded from one club to another. Players may still be placed and claimed on outright waivers after the Deadline.
In the past, players could also still be traded after the Deadline if they passed through revocable trade waivers, but that system was eliminated prior to the 2019 season.
To be eligible for the postseason, players must be on a team’s 40-man roster or 60-day injured list as of noon ET on Sept. 1. A player who doesn't meet said criteria for postseason eligibility can still be added to a team's roster in the postseason via petition to the Commissioner's Office if the player was in the organization on Aug. 31 and is replacing someone who is on the injured list and has served the minimum amount of time required for activation. Those on the restricted list at that point are also eligible if they haven't been suspended for performance-enhancing drugs during that season.