We're roughly 100 games into the 2026 MLB season, yet it's still hard to figure out exactly what many teams are going to do at the trade deadline. I mean, 23 of the 30 teams are within less than 6.0 games of a playoff spot as of this writing, meaning that most of the league is within striking distance of the postseason. Not all 23 of these teams will be buying at the deadline, but it'll be interesting to see what the teams on the bubble will decide to do.
The latest MLB rumors cover one of those teams on the bubble, the San Diego Padres, and one team that'll be definitive sellers, the New York Mets. Let's dive in.
Padres want two top-100 prospects in a Mason Miller trade
The San Diego Padres shocked the MLB world when they traded Leo De Vries to acquire Mason Miller at last year's deadline. Miller has done nothing but impress with the Padres, but the team is a game under .500, leading to the possibility of them selling at the deadline. Miller isn't a lock to be moved by any means, but if the Padres want to sell high, now is the time. The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon revealed just what it'd take to pry the right-hander out of San Diego, and it's a doozy.
"A team trading for Miller would acquire him for four pennant races. One executive who has spoken with Preller surmised that if he shops Miller, his initial ask would be at least two top-100 prospects. He would be by far the best reliever available now that Aroldis Chapman is likely to stay in Boston," Rosenthal and Sammon wrote.
Now, the Padres won't be getting a Leo De Vries type of prospect, but two top 100 prospects in a deal for a closer would be quite the haul. As good as Miller is, relievers only have so much value throwing 60 innings a year, as you can see from the Padres' underwhelming record.
Given that, it'd be understandable for the Padres to trade Miller if that asking price is met. If it isn't, there're worse outcomes than rostering the best closer in the game.
Potential Mets trade candidates revealed
While the Padres might sell, we know that the New York Mets will sell at this year's trade deadline, as they enter Wednesday's action with the fourth-worst record in the majors. What'll be particularly interesting is to see just how many players the Mets trade away. Rosenthal and Sammon revealed that Freddy Peralta is sure to generate interest, and they also revealed a couple of surprises.
"Mets center fielder Luis Robert Jr., who just returned from the injured list Monday after missing more than two months with a spine issue, is generating preliminary interest from multiple teams, according to a person briefed on the situation."
Luis Robert Jr. generating interest is pretty fascinating, as he's been limited to just 26 games and has a .649 OPS in those games. He's also making $20 million with a $20 million club option next season, so it's not like he's being paid the minimum. With that being said, Robert has always had tantalizing upside, and at the very least, he can provide a lot of speed, high-end defense in center field, and a good bat against left-handed pitching when healthy. The Mets likely won't get much in a Robert deal, but the fact that he's already generating interest despite just returning from a long IL stint means they might get more than expected.
"While the possibility remains that the New York Mets and Clay Holmes agree to an extension, there’s a significantly greater likelihood of a trade, said people familiar with the situation who were granted anonymity in exchange for their candor."
Clay Holmes being a prime trade candidate is less surprising. Holmes has also been out for a while with injury, but he has a sparkling 2.39 ERA in nine starts and was a rock-solid mid-rotation arm for New York last season. An extension with the Mets would make sense if the two sides can agree to terms, but if not, the Mets should be able to get a nice return on Holmes, especially given the lack of starting pitching expected to be made available.
Zack Wheeler could play longer than expected
Around this time last season, an article from Matt Gelb of The Athletic ($) emerged, proclaiming that Zack Wheeler was going to be "done with baseball" and wanted to be around for his four kids at home once his three-year, $126 million contract was due to expire after the 2027 season. Well, Wheeler sounded less certain when asked about this by Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
"Never say never," Wheeler, 10-2, 2.16 ERA, told USA TODAY Sports after his latest brilliant performance Tuesday night in the Phillies’ 2-1 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. "We’ll see. It’ll probably depend on what happens next year. It’s something to think about for sure."
Nightengale continued, saying that Philadelphia Phillies executives aren't convinced that Wheeler will retire after the 2027 campaign, either.
"Phillies executives privately believe that Wheeler will ultimately change his mind, and instead of retiring when his contract expires after the 2027 season, that he’ll want to continue pitching, taking him on a potential road to Cooperstown."
What Wheeler ends up doing remains to be seen. On one hand, he'll be 37 years old once the 2027 season wraps up, with 13 years of pitching under his belt. That's a lot of pitching, and he'll have made more than enough money to live comfortably in retirement. On the other hand, if Wheeler is still dominating the way he is right now, is he really going to want to retire? If the Phillies are still as competitive are they are right now, will he really want to retire without a World Series ring? What Wheeler decides could dictate just how good the Phillies are in 2028 and beyond.
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