High-leverage relievers are the biggest storyline of the 2025 MLB trade deadline. Tyler Rogers was just dealt to the Mets, the Twins appear to be gearing up to trade Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax and I'm sure plenty more will be on the move in the next 27 hours.
If Mason Miller gets dealt, he might be the biggest difference-maker out of all of them. And it sounds like a potential Miller trade is at least in the realm of possibilities, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic:
"The Athletics, in their talks for closer Mason Miller, have focused on teams with top-end young pitching. But whether they find a club to meet their price remains to be seen."
So, Miller is available, but the price is sky-high. That makes sense! He's potentially under team control for four more years, hasn't given up an earned run in his last 11 starts and throws over 100 MPH with (seeming) ease. That's a player you don't trade for the hell of it.
These "realistic" trades get the Athletics what they're asking for. Whether they're realistic for the other teams involved... is something you'll have to ask them.
Phillies send Abel, Chace to Athletics for Miller
It seems like the Phillies are standing firm on not giving up No. 1 prospect Andrew Painter in a deal this year. But in order to add Miller's electric arm, they'll still have to pay a steep price.
Mick Abel (Phillies No. 6 prospect), Aroon Escobar (Phillies No. 5 prospect) and Moisés Chace (Phillies No. 8 prospect) is certainly steep, but gives the Phillies exactly what they need in Miller, a late-inning lockdown reliever.
Any Mason Miller deal boils down to opposing teams understanding that multiple years of an elite closer won't come cheap — and that the A's don't really have a reason to trade him unless they're totally blown away by an offer they receive.
Yankees go all-in, give up three pitching prospects for Miller
The Yankees have six pitchers in their top 10 prospects, so while sacrificing their two top pitching prospects seems like a lot to give up (and it is) it wouldn't feel so bad knowing they have other talent coming up through the minors.
Schlittler and Lagrange are both Top 100 prospects, so it would satisfy what the A's are looking for in that regard, and Flores might be ready for the bigs next season if he can replicate his Double-A success at Triple-A the rest of this season.
This trade feels more "realistic" for the Athletics than it does the Yankees, who, "Are more focused on adding pitching than subtracting it," according to Rosenthal. But in order to get high-level players you need to sacrifice high-level prospects, and this could be what a package entails from the Yanks if they don't want to get rid of big-league arms.
Mets give up two top pitchers for a lockdown closer in Miller
Like the Yankees, the Mets give up their two best pitching prospects in a deal for Miller. Tong and McLean both project as starters (pretty soon, too) and are both in MLB's top 100 (Tong No. 52, McLean No. 64). Gutierrez is years from potentially hitting MLB, so that would be a future hedge for the Athletics, and one the Mets would probably be happy to include to get Miller, a guy who would help them win at a high level immediately.