The weeks leading up to the trade deadline often focus on the teams and players trending up, and that makes sense. Which players, the thinking goes, could add to or fill holes for teams that are already in contention?
But every season, there are also players who we believe will be on the move but end up not being traded. Usually, the reason for that is underperformance — particularly underperformance from those players during the summer stretch right before the deadline.
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Here are five players on probable deadline sellers who have hurt their trade value with their play so far in 2026.
When the Mets traded for Peralta in the offseason, he was supposed to be the rotation piece that brought everything together. He was seen as not only a high-level starting pitcher but also one with postseason experience who could lead the Mets’ staff to new heights. Unfortunately, that has just not happened this season.
Peralta, 30, has looked like a shell of himself in 2026, and fittingly, more often than not, he has gotten “shelled” as a Met. The right-hander is currently 5-6 with a 4.83 ERA in 16 starts, and things have gotten worse recently. Over his past seven outings, Peralta has a 7.18 ERA, and he has just two quality starts since May 1.
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The Mets, who are 34-45 and eight games back of a wild card, are trending toward being sellers at the trade deadline. For the team, having its best potential trade chip looking like one of the worst starting pitchers in the National League is suboptimal. It’s also not ideal for Peralta, who will be a free agent at the end of the season. Both he and the Mets need better results over the next six weeks.
When it comes to trade rumors, few players have been mentioned more often than Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran. Duran looked like a budding star in 2023 and 2024. He was turning into a two-way force on offense and defense, he was an All-Star in ‘24, and he even received MVP votes. But for the 29-year-old outfielder, the arrow has taken a downturn last season and so far this season.
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Duran has a woeful .199/.258/.366 slash line with 12 homers and 37 RBIs in 72 games in 2026. He has the fourth-lowest batting average among qualified hitters, and his 30.2% strikeout rate is the highest of his career (for a full season). While he still rates as an above-average defender in left field, the lack of offense is impossible to overlook.
Not many things have gone right for the Red Sox this season. Even so, Duran’s turn from one of the best players in MLB to one of the worst is definitely a head-scratcher — and it makes their path to improving at the deadline more difficult.
Zac Gallen bet on himself this past offseason. After testing the free-agent market, the 30-year-old right-hander returned to Arizona on a one-year deal. After a down 2025 season, the D-backs and Gallen were hoping for a bounce-back this season.
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Instead, things have taken a turn for the worst for Arizona’s longtime ace. Gallen has been the worst qualified starter in MLB this season, with a 6.10 ERA across 16 starts. Opponents have an .869 OPS off the right-hander and are hitting a whopping .317 against him, nearly 40 points higher than the second-worst opponent batting average.
Gallen’s numbers have been trending in the wrong direction for the past few seasons, which is likely why other teams didn’t bite in the offseason. It also makes it unlikely that Arizona could get much in a trade for him as a short-term rental. Looking ahead to his return to the free-agent market this winter, there might not be a pitcher in baseball who has cost himself more.
When Lorenzen signed a one-year, $8 million deal in the offseason, it seemed like the classic sign-and-flip. Lorenzen could come to Colorado, provide some quality starts and then be moved to a contender at the trade deadline.
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But Lorenzen’s season hasn’t been that simple. The Rockies’ right-hander has not only had trouble at Coors Field, which could’ve been expected; he has also had trouble on the road, which is more of a surprise. Lorenzen has a 6.05 ERA in eight starts away from Coors this season.
Lorenzen is still on an expiring contract, so for teams searching for a flier in the rotation, he might still be worth a look. But he won’t be providing the Rockies a significant boost with what they’ll receive in return.
Things have not gone the way Adames probably expected since he arrived in San Francisco. The Giants’ shortstop struggled in his first year in the Bay, and it was clear the hitting environment in San Francisco was a challenge for him. The team invested a seven-year, $177 million contract in Adames to be one of their foundational pieces two winters ago, but after a losing season in 2025 and with the team cruising toward another one in 2026, president of baseball operations Buster Posey has made it clear the Giants will likely have to sell at the trade deadline.
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Adames’ production has declined since his move to San Francisco. While he became the first Giants’ player since Barry Bonds in 2004 to hit 30 homers in a season last year, the overall offensive numbers took a hit. And so far this season, with a .227/.269/.424 slash line to go with 13 homers, his numbers leave a lot to be desired.
The simple truth is the Giants’ shortstop would probably benefit from the change of scenery. But his price doesn’t match his production right now, which will make it a challenging contract for the Giants to move.
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