The Opener: Deadline Day!

Deadline day is here! The deadline is 5pm Central time, meaning there are less than 11 hours to go now. Here is a small selection of the many, many storylines we’ll be following today…

1. Miller time?

Less than two weeks ago, the Athletics were reportedly turning away Mason Miller suitors. Yesterday, there was a big narrative shift. The Yankees, Mets, Phillies and Padres were all connected to Miller in rumors. Then the A’s didn’t use Miller in a save situation last night. Manager Mark Kotsay said after the game that Miller was not available but not due to an injury, seemingly suggesting that the A’s held him back with the possibility of a trade being in the works. Will the A’s and some other club swing a blockbuster deal for Miller today?

2. Sandy in the hourglass:

It has been expected for a very long time that the Marlins would be trading starter Sandy Alcantara before tomorrow. However, his performance has made it more questionable. He has a 6.36 earned run average this year. His 45.6% ground ball rate is still good but not quite as strong as before. His 16.8% strikeout rate is well below his previous pace. Despite the struggles, several clubs are still interested, including the Astros, Red Sox, Mets and Padres. He’s signed through next year with a club option for 2027, so the Marlins could hold him if they don’t get an offer they like. Will they pull the trigger?

3. Padres have everything on the table:

The Padres have some clear needs but some notable limitations. The budget is tight and their prospect pool shallow. As such, there have been a lot of rumors suggesting they may move players from their big league roster, despite looking to strengthen the club for the stretch run. Perhaps they could move players like Dylan Cease or Robert Suarez while simultaneously trying to bring in guys like Miller, Alcantara or Jarren Duran. They haven’t yet made a trade in this deadline season but perhaps they could do several moves and significantly rearrange the deck chairs by the end of the day.

4. Pirate standoff:

The Pirates are clear sellers and it was reported over a month ago that they have very few untouchable players, with Andrew McCutchen and Paul Skenes reportedly the only guys who are off limits. They’ve already traded Ke’Bryan Hayes to the Reds, Caleb Ferguson to the Mariners and Adam Frazier to the Royals. There have been plenty of Mitch Keller rumors but the most recent reporting suggests he might end up staying. Could some other club pry him loose in the next few hours? Even if Keller stays, the Pirates could move Bryan Reynolds, Tommy Pham, Oneil Cruz, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Joey Bart, Bailey Falter, David Bednar, Dennis Santana and/or Taylor Rogers.

5. Guardians open for business?

The Guardians are just 2.5 games out of a playoff spot but have lost closer Emmanuel Clase to a gambling investigation. Perhaps the outlook is dire enough that they will sell. Reportedly, they are shopping outfielder Steven Kwan and starter Shane Bieber, a couple of very interesting additions to the market. Will either or both of them be sent out of Cleveland today?

6. Snakes alive, in the seller lane:

The Diamondbacks have been one of the most aggressive sellers this year. They’ve already flipped Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suárez, both to the Mariners, in addition to sending Randal Grichuk to the Royals. They still have several other impending free agents who should be available today. Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly are the headliners, but the Snakes also have Shelby Miller, Jalen Beeks and Kendall Graveman. Beeks and Miller are currently on the injured list but could still be traded. Arizona could also consider moving controllable guys such as Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Alek Thomas or Jake McCarthy.

7. Orioles flying the coop:

The Orioles are another club active in the seller lane. They have already traded Bryan Baker to the Rays, Gregory Soto to the Mets, Seranthony Domínguez to the Blue Jays, Ramón Urías to the Astros and Andrew Kittredge to the Cubs. They still have more work to do today. Ryan O’Hearn, Cedric Mullins, Charlie Morton, Zach Eflin and Tomoyuki Sugano are all impending free agents who should be on the move today. Ramón Laureano’s deal has a 2026 club option but he’s likely available as well.

8. The Robert staredown:

There has been some suggestion that the White Sox could hold Luis Robert Jr. past the deadline if they don’t get an offer they like. He is in the final guaranteed year of his contract but there are two club options for 2026 and 2027, each valued at $20MM with a $2MM buyout. Theoretically, they could trigger the first of those options and then try to trade Robert in the offseason or at next year’s deadline. However, that’s a risky stance to take. Robert has been hurt and/or underperforming for much of the past two years. There’s a decent chance he is injured or struggling again down the stretch, which will make it tough to justify spending an extra $18MM on him a few months from now. He’s actually been performing well in recent weeks, so the Sox should arguably cash him in now while he has a bit of momentum.

9. Twins splitting:

The Twins have leaned hard into sell mode. They were clearly going to be moving impending free agents but made a big splash yesterday by flipping Jhoan Durán, who is controllable through 2027, to the Phillies in exchange for prospects Eduardo Tait and Mick Abel. Will they move another controllable guy like Griffin Jax or Joe Ryan? Even if not, they should be shopping impending free agents Willi Castro, Danny Coulombe, Harrison Bader, Ty France and Christian Vázquez. They already traded Chris Paddack to the Tigers.

Photo courtesy of Troy Taormina, Imagn Images