Milwaukee Brewers President of Baseball Operations Matt Arnold provided a glimpse into how teams are treating the MLB Trade Deadline.
Even with the 2026 Major League Baseball trade Deadline quickly approaching, some teams may push their decisions out until close to the last minute.
MLB Organizations have until Aug. 3 at 6 p.m. ET. to make trades, and according to Milwaukee Brewers President of Baseball Operations Matt Arnold, teams are still making up their minds.
In a recent interview with Foul Territory TV, Arnold said that other organizations are continuing to assess where they are in the standings before they make any moves. In his view, teams are not fully committed to the direction they are going in regarding the deadline.
"There may be a handful of teams, but for the most part, I think a lot of teams will try to drag this down to 72 to 48 hours before the deadline. And so, you know, we'll see what happens."
-Milwaukee Brewers President of Baseball Operations Matt Arnold
In a lot of ways, negotiations at the Trade Deadline are like a game of chess. Arnold emphasized that teams are trying to get a sense of what the organization they are in talks with is trying to do.
When it comes to the American League, Arnold stated that while certain teams think they are not very good currently, there is also a belief that they have a chance to win and turn things around. Because of that, those teams might not make decisions until much closer to the Deadline.
How does that affect Brewers?
It's hard to say which teams Arnold has been engaged in discussion with. The Brewers already did business with the Houston Astros, an American League team, to acquire right-hander Lance McCullers Jr.
But if Arnold is going to deal with any other American League clubs, he might be going right up against the Deadline. Therefore, if the Brewers are banking on getting a certain player and miss out at the last minute because an organization changes its mind, it could have a negative impact.
The good news is that it also gives Arnold a chance to mull over his decisions as well. With additional time, the Brewers’ front office can decide what the framework of a deal can look like on their end.
Overall, Arnold made it clear that the tonality between the National League and the American League teams is different right now. When Milwaukee traded for McCullers on July 15, the Astros were below. 500, and they remain underneath that mark.
Houston might be one of the American League teams that believes it can make a run, and it is safe to believe that other teams are in a similar boat, given Arnold’s comments. Whatever happens between now and Aug. 3 will be interesting to witness, for the Brewers and for the rest of the sport.
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