Other the Tarik Skubal, Mason Miller is the biggest name being bandied about at the 2026 MLB trade deadline. Given his elite stuff and how incredible he’s been this season, any team trading for him will need to surrender a haul to make it happen. The Padres may not wind up moving their dominant closer, but given that we’re in a seller’s market with sky-high prices for top relievers, it would be smart if general manager A.J. Preller took advantage. He shipped out a haul to land Miller last year and likely won't get an equal package—though it’s certainly possible given how dominant he’s been over the past year. Regardless, if a team wants him this year, it will need to overwhelm the Padres. In 42 games this season, Miller is 2–1 with 27 saves in 27 chances. He has posted 80 strikeouts against 15 walks in 43 2/3 innings. Among pitchers with at least 40 innings this season, Miller ranks first in ERA (0.82), xERA (1.37), FIP (0.55), strikeouts per nine (16.49) and strikeout rate (48.2%). He’s the best relief pitcher in baseball and arguably its most dominant pitcher, period.We used Baseball Trade Values to construct the following four deals. We’re projecting the acquiring team will likely have to slightly overpay to pry Miller away, given that he’s the best closer in the game, while also being cheap and under team control through the 2029 campaign. While the deals including the Yankees and Brewers were considered fair by BTV’s model, the Pirates and Mariners deals were considered minor overpays.New York YankeesYankees receive: RHP Mason Miller, C Luis CampusanoPadres receive: SS Dax Kilby, RHP Carlos Lagrange, LHP Henry Lalane, RHP Ben Hess, SS Stiven MarinezCarlos Lagrange is the Yankees’ No. 4 prospect, per MLB Pipeline. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectThe Yankees don’t have a ton of high-end pieces to interest the Padres in a deal, especially since they are unlikely to include top prospect George Lombard Jr. in a deal. That makes this tougher, but in my version, the teams expand things to help New York fix another problem and make it worth including four of their top six prospects, per MLB Pipeline. Campusano is a 27-year-old backstop who is having a breakthrough campaign at the plate. In 33 games this season, the former second-round pick is slashing .276/.388/.494 with a 153 wRC+. He has two years of control left and is worth a little more prospect capital. Kilby headlines this deal. The 39th pick in the 2025 draft, he brings a polished bat with solid power. The 19-year-old missed most of this season with a hamstring injury. That depletes his value some, which means other pieces must be added.Lagrange is a co-headliner, as the 6'7" 23-year-old righty owns a triple-digit fastball and a wipeout slider. He’s already on the brink of the big leagues after the Yankees shifted him to the bullpen, though a relatively minor shoulder injury currently has him sidelined. He could start or wind up as an elite closer.Anyway, Carlos Lagrange just hit 101 to close out the save at Triple-A pic.twitter.com/SR51hR9EUe— . (@HalToHell) June 26, 2026Lalane is another 6'7" hurler, but this time from the left side. He profiles as a starter and is still in High A, but the 22-year-old owns a good fastball-slider-changeup combination and possesses a high ceiling. Hess is a burly righty at 6'5" and 255 pounds. The 2024 first-round pick has a power arsenal, though he's struggled to command it. Marinez is an 18-year-old shortstop the Yankees signed for $1.65 million out of the Dominican Republic in 2024. He's posted a .927 OPS and five home runs in 39 games during the Dominican Summer League this year.This deal gives the Yankees the best closer in baseball for now and the future, plus an upgrade at catcher without surrendering Lombard. The Padres wind up with three potential starting pitchers, a top-75 shortstop prospect, and a boom-or-bust 18-year-old infielder.Pittsburgh PiratesPirates receive: RHP Mason Miller, LHP Adrian MorejonPadres receive: RHP Seth Hernandez, SS Darrel Morel, 3B Murf Gray, SS Wilton Guerrero Jr.Seth Hernandez (left) talks with Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes after being drafted in July 2025. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectThe Pirates are desperate for relief help, as their bullpen currently sports a 4.53 ERA, which ranks 24th in baseball. Miller is the focus here, but Morejon is arguably the best left-handed reliever available. It would give Pittsburgh the one-two bullpen punch it is currently missing. The price will be heavy.Hernandez is the kind of high-ceiling, controllable starter Preller would salivate over. The No. 6 pick in the 2025 MLB draft, he has an electric fastball that leads an excellent four-pitch mix. The 20-year-old is already in High A and should start 2027 in Double A.Seth Hernandez fans 5 over 3 one-hit frames in his latest 💎 for the High-A @GSOHoppers.MLB's No. 6 prospect (@Pirates No. 1) has now posted 9 scoreless outings in 18 starts starts this season and 12 with one run or fewer: pic.twitter.com/dYxk8EZlYM— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) July 25, 2026Gray was the 73th pick in the 2025 draft and has pounded the ball in his first professional season. He’s probably destined for first base, but the bat should play anywhere. In 90 games this season he has 26 home runs, 76 RBIs and a 1.007 OPS. Morel was signed in 2025 for $1.8 million out of the Dominican Republic. The 18-year-old shortstop has solid tools across the board, including an advanced approach at the plate. Guerrero is another high-upside teenager. The son of former big leaguer Wilton Guerrero Sr. is also Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s cousin. The 17-year-old possesses elite speed and will definitely stick at shortstop. His bat is solid but there are questions as to how much power he'll eventually have. This deal gives the Padres a potential ace, a big corner bat, and two high-upside young infielders of the kind Preller loves. Meanwhile, the Pirates bring back Pittsburgh native Miller and an elite lefty reliever in Morejon. It helps their push this season while also giving them baseball’s best closer into the future. Seattle MarinersMariners receive: RHP Mason MillerPadres receive: RHP Ryan Sloan, SS Felnin Celesten, OF Juan RijoThe Mariners have made no secret that they’re looking for relief help, despite having All-Star closer Andres Muñoz under team control through 2028. Miller is the top of the market and would immediately give Seattle baseball's best bullpen duo for the foreseeable future. As with the rest of these deals, the Padres will make it hurt. Sloan was a second-rounder as an Illinois prep righty in 2024 and has already moved to Double A where he’s holding his own. His big frame (6'5", 220) helps him maintain a power arsenal with an upper-90s fastball backed by an excellent changeup and a sweeping slider. He could conceivably debut in ’27.— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) July 26, 2026Celestin was a marquee international signing in 2023, as Seattle splashed out $4.7 million to land him. A plus shortstop, the 20-year-old has reached Double A while slashing .304/.400/.515 with 13 home runs across two levels this season.Rijo signed a few months ago for $2.2 million and looks like a future corner outfielder with pop. The 17-year-old tore up the Dominican Summer League this year, slashing .313/.439/.500 and showing an advanced approach from the left side.Seattle gets an elite bullpen, while the Padres get a starter who should slot in near the top of their rotation and two young, high-ceiling prospects.Milwaukee BrewersBrewers receive: RHP Mason Miller, LHP Adrian MorejonPadres receive: INF Luis Peña, OF Braylon Payne, RHP Jayden DubanewiczLuis Peńa is the Brewers’ No. 2 prospect, per MLB.com. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters ConnectThe Brewers rarely swim in these waters but they have a real chance at a deep run this season. They have a really good bullpen that currently sports a 3.47 ERA, but adding a guy like Miller long-term might be too good an opportunity to miss. Here, they add Morejon too in order to fortify the middle relief innings. Milwaukee isn’t going to give up Jesús Made, but they won’t get a deal with Miller done without including Peña. He's a 19-year-old infielder who likely won't stick at shortstop, but he has an elite approach at the plate, creates hard contact and has developing power, to go along with plus-plus speed. He's slashing .303/.395/.417 at High A this season.5 of Luis Pena's last 8 hits have gone for extra bases, including this roundtripper ⚡️@Brewers | @TimberRattlers pic.twitter.com/01k4gajgSi— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) July 23, 2026Payne was the Brewers’ first-round pick in 2024 as a prep center fielder out of Texas. He has elite speed and is a plus defender, along with having excellent raw power. There’s some swing-and-miss in his game but at High A he’s slashing .288/.386/.572 with 18 home runs this season.A 16th-round pick as a prep righty in 2024, Dubanewicz signed for $665,000 and has adapted well to pro ball with more to come. The 20-year-old has a mid-90s fastball, with a plus slider, a solid curve and a developing changeup. He has struggled since debuting at High A, but his potential remains very high.More MLB from Sports IllustratedAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow