MLB

Athletics receive:
SS Leo De Vries
SP Braden Nett
SP Henry Baez
RP Eduarniel Nunez

Padres receive:
RP Mason Miller
SP JP Sears

Whoa! There were murmurs that Miller could be dealt, but this overall transaction is stunning. The Athletics are receiving a massive boost to their minor-league system, while the Padres are seemingly going all-in with pitching.

Let’s start with the A’s. Miller is controllable through the 2029 season, but the state of the franchise made a trade rationale. It’s illogical to hold an elite closer when a team isn’t competitive, so the A’s are doing the prudent thing by moving Miller. Sears is also controllable and fairly young, but he too doesn’t provide much current value to the Athletics. Adding the 29-year-old starter to this deal surely boosted the package received.

San Diego already boasted arguably the best bullpen in MLB, so adding Miller puts the unit over the top. The 26-year-old — for his standards — is having a down year, but it’s fair to expect him to perform at a high level in the weeks, months and years ahead.

Miller has a 3.76 ERA and 20 saves this season.

The cost, as mentioned, for the Padres is exorbitant. I wouldn’t have paid it, but hey, this isn’t the first time A.J. Preller could be categorized as a madman and it won’t be the last.

De Vries is one of the very best prospects in all of baseball. A true shortstop flush with tools, it’s only a matter of time until the 18-year-old is an impact player for the A’s. Nett, Baez and Nunez are all meaningful prospects in their own right, as well.

Suffice to say, the Padres need to win big in October at least once over the next few years. San Diego’s system isn’t barren after this move, but a risky, win-now trade was made, and results must follow. If they don’t, heads will roll.

Athletics Grade: A

Padres Grade: D+

Pirates receive:
C Rafael Flores
C Edgleen Perez
CF Brian Sanchez

Yankees receive:
RP David Bednar

The Pirates should’ve traded Bednar a few years ago, but better late than never. Apparently, a past deal never came to fruition because owner Robert Nutting wanted to keep Bednar, a Pittsburgh native, in the city. That’s foolish, but so are the Pirates.

Despite waiting too long, Pittsburgh’s return for Bednar is sold — a theme for relief pitchers dealt at this season’s trade deadline. Flores is considered MLB ready. Thus, he should catch games for the Pirates this year. Perez, 19, is more of a project, as he still needs to grow into his body. Sanchez has hit well at the lower levels of the minors.

The Yankees did well here, too. New York needed to boost its bullpen, and Bednar can fill a late-inning role. Even better, he’s under contract for 2026, so he could serve as New York’s closer next season. Of course, the ninth inning has been a problem for the Yankees this year, so maybe he’ll usurp that role by this fall.

Bednar holds a 2.37 ERA and 17 saves this season.

Pirates Grade: B

Yankees Grade: B

Blue Jays receive:
SP Shane Bieber

Guardians receive:
SP Khal Stephen

The Blue Jays must really believe that Bieber will be effective down the stretch, because this is big price to pay. On the other side of the coin, Toronto shares the best record in the AL, so big — and risky — moves are part of the contending playbook.

Bieber, 30, is getting close to a return from injury. Between 2024 and 2025, he’s pitched in just two games, but he’s finalizing his rehab starts. The right-hander will likely just be a rental for the Jays, so they need to get him up to speed rather quickly.

That places pressure on the franchise — and Bieber. The former AL Cy Young winner has the talent to carry a hefty load, but there’s no guarantee he’ll return to a form anywhere close to his peak. If Bieber can simply serve as a reliable starter this postseason — a big ask — Toronto should feel good about this deal.

The big price the Blue Jays are paying for Bieber is the Guardians’ boon. Stephen, a 2024 second-round pick, has exploded as a prospect this year, rising to No. 5 in Toronto’s farm system. The Guardians are excellent at pitching development, so expect Cleveland to get the most out of the 22-year-old.

Blue Jays Grade: C

Guardians Grade: A

Phillies receive:
CF Harrison Bader

Twins receive:
RF Hendry Mendez
SP Geremy Villoria

Nobody can ever fault Dave Dombrowski for not being aggressive. The president of baseball operations’ activity this week has simply been business as usual, and Bader is his latest addition.

It’s a good year to add Bader, too, as he’s having one of his best seasons, manning mainly left field and center field for the Twins. His defense in both spots has been great, and even his bat — a normally mediocre part of his game — has been solid.

Bader is hitting .258 with 12 home runs and 38 RBIs this season.

The Twins are selling, so moving Bader, an impending free agent, fits with that path. Mendez is the centerpiece of Minnesota’s return, as his hit tool pairs well with his outfield versatility. The 21-year-old will enter the Twins’ farm system as one of its top-20 prospects. Villoria, just 16, is more of a projection, but taking swings on lottery tickets never hurts.

Phillies Grade: A-

Twins Grade: B-

Padres receive:
C Freddy Fermin

Royals receive:
SP Ryan Bergert
SP Stephen Kolek

This one is a head-scratcher. Certain decision makers simply love to wheel and deal, and A.J. Preller fits that description. As a result, his organization got worse.

Fermin, due to sharing catching duties with Salvador Perez, hasn’t seen consistent playing time. With the Padres, that should change, as he’ll see more appearances behind the dish. That’s a good thing, as the 30-year-old profiles as a league-average starting catcher.

Fermin is batting .255 with three homers and 12 RBIs this year.

In exchange for Fermin, Kansas City is adding two interesting pitchers, both still under 30. Bergert, 25, has fared well as both a starter and reliever this season, pitching to a 2.78 ERA. Kolek, 28, has been slightly less valuable, but should still receive some outings for the Royals the rest of the way.

Padres Grade: C-

Royals Grade: B-

Mets receive:
CF Cedric Mullens

Orioles receive:
RP Raimon Gomez
3B Anthony Nunez
RP Chandler Marsh

Well, the Mets saw the Phillies add Harrison Bader and thought they had to match it. Enter Mullens, a speedy center fielder with 15 homers on the year.

Mullens, 30, won’t play every day, as New York’s outfield is mostly set, but he’ll still provide value for the club. The cost, three prospects, is high is quantity, but none of the youngsters rank among the top 20 of the franchise’s system.

The Orioles, however, clearly prioritized receiving multiple prospects for its center fielder. A mini rebuild is underway in Baltimore, and trading Mullens was just another step.

Gomez, 23, holds the most upside of the three players dealt to the O’s.

Mets Grade: B

Orioles Grade: B-

Nationals receive:
SP Josh Randall
SP R.J. Sales

Tigers receive:
RP Kyle Finnegan

This is a fairly light return for a closer, though Finnegan has only pitched to a 4.38 ERA this season. That marker, along with 20 saves, will ticket the right-hander to a role other than closer in Detroit’s bullpen.

In exchange for Finnegan, the Nationals are receiving a pair of solid prospects. Randall, drafted in the third round of last year’s draft, is the more highly regarded of the two. Both players, however, profile as starting pitchers.

Nationals Grade: B+

Tigers Grade: B

Cubs receive:
RP Andrew Kittredge

Orioles receive:
SS Wilfri De La Cruz

The Orioles keep trading relievers, and I, for one, can’t blame them. Baltimore isn’t going to be playing October baseball this year, so it has no reason to hang onto Kittredge, a 35-year-old impending free agent.

The Cubs don’t need relief pitching, but it’s always good to upgrade when possible. Unfortunately for Chicago, this improvement does come at a cost. The 17-year-old De La Cruz is far, far away from the majors, but he possesses significant long-term upside and ranked No. 20 in Chicago’s system.

Kittredge has pitched to a 3.45 ERA — right near his career mark — this season, so he should slot into the later innings for the Cubs bullpen.

Cubs Grade: C+

Orioles Grade: A-

Rockies receive:
2B Roc Riggio
SP Ben Shields

Yankees receive:
RP Jake Bird

I was wondering if Bird, controllable through 2028, would get dealt. Players with that much team control remaining normally don’t move, but the Rockies are extremely far away. Good decision.

Riggio, in particular, is a solid return for Bird. He was a top-10 prospect in the Yankees system, and profiles as a future starting second baseman. Shields, too, holds some upside, though he’s already 26.

Adding Bird is just another bullpen move for the Yankees, arguably the most active organization over the last week. Moves along the margins guarantee nothing, but they could be the difference between a win and a loss in the postseason. Bird, theoretically, should pitch for the Yankees in this season’s iteration.

Rockies Grade: B+

Yankees Grade: B-