Ranking Mason Miller and Top Non-Rental Targets at 2026 MLB Trade Deadline

One of the biggest factors in assessing a player's value at the MLB trade deadline is how much team control he has remaining.

Rental players are always the most obvious trade chips, but it's the controllable non-rentals who are more likely to net a huge prospect return for a rebuilding team looking to restock the farm.

Ahead, we've ranked the top 15 non-rental players on the 2026 MLB trade market, with rankings based on their current performance, expected impact and current contract situation.

Let's start with some honorable mentions and some players who will more than likely be staying put, but are at least worth noting.

Honorable Mentions and Longshots

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Mike Trout

Honorable Mentions

IF Brett Baty, NYM
RP Brennan Bernardino, COL
RP Huascar Brazobán, NYM
SP Luis Castillo, SEA
1B Christian Walker, HOU
RP Ryan Zeferjahn, LAA

Unlikely, But Never Say Never

SS Willy Adames, SF
SS CJ Abrams, WAS
3B Bo Bichette, NYM
OF Byron Buxton, MIN
1B Rafael Devers, SF
RP Josh Hader, HOU
OF Jung Hoo Lee, SF
SP Seth Lugo, KC
SS Jeremy Peña, HOU
IF Casey Schmitt, SF
OF Mike Trout, LAA

Nos. 15-14

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Matt Chapman

15. 3B Matt Chapman, San Francisco Giants

Contract: Signed through 2030
Stats: 84 G, 97 OPS+, .235/.324/.368, 26 XBH (7 HR), 2.8 WAR

Unlike his fellow high-priced teammates Rafael Devers and Willy Adames, Chapman's contract is not a complete albatross, though moving him won't be easy given his $25.2 million annual salary through 2030. Crazier things have happened, though. Just look at the Carlos Correa trade last summer.

14. OF Lars Nootbaar, St. Louis Cardinals

Contract: Arbitration-eligible through 2027
Stats: 35 G, 120 OPS+, .257/.366/.407, 10 XBH (3 HR), 0.5 WAR

Nootbaar missed the first 60 games of the season recovering from heel surgery, and the Cardinals got off to a 32-28 start without him. Is that reason enough to believe he's headed for the trade block? Not necessarily, but his approaching free agency and a wealth of young outfield talent in St. Louis could make him expendable in a move to upgrade the big league roster.

Nos. 13-12

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Mickey Moniak

13. OF Mickey Moniak, Colorado Rockies

Contract: Arbitration-eligible through 2027
Stats: 65 G, 124 OPS+, .276/.322/.557, 29 XBH (15 HR), 0.5 WAR

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 draft, Moniak took some time to develop into a big league regular, but he had a solid 2025 campaign in his first year with the Rockies, logging a 115 OPS+ and 24 home runs. His home/road splits are drastic, and his defensive value is limited, but he's a cheap power source with remaining control.

12. IF Isaac Paredes, Houston Astros

Contract: Arbitration-eligible through 2027
Stats: 94 G, 115 OPS+, .257/.349/.414, 30 XBH (12 HR), 2.3 WAR

The Astros have at least passively been shopping Paredes since the moment they re-acquired Carlos Correa, and if they decide to do a soft sell rather than blowing things up, he's the most likely controllable piece to be moved. He can play first base, third base and even has two starts at second base this year, so a contender could get creative in how he is deployed.

Nos. 11-10

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Luke Weaver

11. OF JJ Bleday, Cincinnati Reds

Contract: Arbitration-eligible through 2028
Stats: 70 G, 127 OPS+, .243/.351/.486, 28 XBH (16 HR), 1.3 WAR

The Reds signed Bleday to a one-year, $1.4 million deal during the offseason after he was non-tendered by the Athletics, and after starting the season at Triple-A, he joined the roster at the end of April and promptly won NL Player of the Month in May. He is best used as a platoon player against right-handed pitching, and will be the cheapest power bat on the market.

10. RP Luke Weaver, New York Mets

Contract: Signed through 2027
Stats: 38 G, 13 HLD, 2.03 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 9.7 K/9, 1.6 WAR

Weaver resurrected his career as a reliever with the Yankees, and earned himself a two-year, $22 million deal in free agency. The back-loaded deal will pay him $12.5 million in 2027, but he will be one of the best late-inning arms on the market and could absorb some true high-leverage work in October.

Nos. 9-8

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Daniel Lynch IV

9. RP Daniel Lynch IV, Kansas City Royals

Contract: Arbitration-eligible through 2028
Stats: 40 G, 10 HLD, 2.23 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 7.4 K/9, 1.1 WAR

Lynch was developed as a starter and spent his first several seasons in the majors working in that capacity, but he thrived with a full-time move to the bullpen last year with a 3.06 ERA in 57 appearances. The 29-year-old has been even better this year, and aside from being a useful bullpen piece, he offers some intriguing upside as a candidate to return to a starting role.

8. OF Jake McCarthy, Colorado Rockies

Contract: Arbitration-eligible through 2028
Stats: 86 G, 122 OPS+, .302/.348/.512, 35 XBH (10 HR), 1.2 WAR

The Rockies acquired McCarthy in a buy-low deal in January, and he is enjoying the best season of his career as the team's primary leadoff hitter. While he had three straight 20-steal seasons with the D-backs and has swiped 17 bags in 21 attempts this year, his 35 extra-base hits and 10 home runs both already represent career highs.

Nos. 7-6

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7. SP José Soriano, Los Angeles Angels

Contract: Arbitration-eligible through 2028
Stats: 20 GS, 3.49 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 53 BB, 115 K, 111.0 IP, 2.3 WAR

Since allowing just one earned run in 37.2 innings over his first six starts, Soriano has come back down to earth with a 5.15 ERA in 73.1 frames over his last 14 outings. That said, his age (27), remaining club control and tantalizing peak performance still give him significant trade appeal.

6. SP Michael Wacha, Kansas City Royals

Contract: Signed through 2027, club option for 2028
Stats: 19 GS, 3.77 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 34 BB, 96 K, 119.1 IP, 2.1 WAR

From outdueling peak Clayton Kershaw in the 2013 NLCS as a rookie to making his second All-Star team this year a whopping 11 years after he was named to his first, there is not much Wacha hasn't seen on a baseball field. He is a notch below ace-caliber production, but no contender would think twice about handing him the ball in Game 3 or 4 of a playoff series.

5. SP Reid Detmers, Los Angeles Angels

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Contract: Arbitration-eligible through 2028
Stats: 20 GS, 4.16 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 35 BB, 130 K, 114.2 IP, 1.5 WAR

A starter throughout his college and minor league career, Reid Detmers flashed some initial promise in the Angels rotation, including a no-hitter as a rookie during the 2022 season.

However, after struggling to a 6.70 ERA over 87.1 innings in 2024, he shifted to the bullpen and emerged as a dominant late-inning force.

Back in a starting role this season, he ranks 13th among qualified pitchers with a 27.4 percent strikeout rate, and his 4.16 ERA is backed by a 3.21 FIP that is more indicative of the type of impact he could make during the stretch run.

4. C Hunter Goodman, Colorado Rockies

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Contract: Arbitration-eligible through 2029
Stats: 92 G, 126 OPS+, .257/.326/.561, 45 XBH (30 HR), 2.6 WAR

After a breakout 2025 season where he earned his first All-Star Selection and won NL Silver Slugger honors on the strength of a 120 OPS+ and 31 home runs, Hunter Goodman is having an even better 2026 campaign.

After a three-homer game on Sunday, he has reached the 30-homer mark for a second straight season, and he has also raised his walk rate from 5.7 to 8.3 percent to help offset some BABIP regression relative to a year ago.

The 26-year-old won't win a Gold Glove any time soon, but he has developed into a viable big league catcher, and with his offensive impact a contender might be willing to overlook those shortcomings to bolster its lineup.

3. SP Joe Ryan, Minnesota Twins

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Contract: Arbitration-eligible through 2027
Stats: 20 GS, 2.85 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 25 BB, 128 K, 110.1 IP, 2.8 WAR

The Twins stopped short of a full-blown fire sale during the offseason, rebuffing offers for Byron Buxton and Joe Ryan. While it still doesn't look like Buxton is going anywhere given his no-trade clause and desire to stay in Minnesota, Ryan could be one of the top arms on the market if the Twins end up selling.

An All-Star in back-to-back seasons, Ryan ranks among the AL leaders in ERA (2.85, fifth), WHIP (1.05, sixth), strikeouts (128, sixth) and innings pitched (110.1, 15th), and his 2.77 FIP suggests those numbers are the real deal.

He technically has a $13 million mutual option for next year with a $100,000 buyout, though that will almost certainly be declined on his end with a high likelihood he will exceed that mark by way of the arbitration process.

2. C Shea Langeliers, Athletics

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Contract: Arbitration-eligible through 2028
Stats: 89 G, 120 OPS+, .260/.328/.493, 40 XBH (22 HR), 3.5 WAR

The Athletics have already signed Tyler Soderstrom, Brent Rooker, Lawrence Butler and Jacob Wilson to long-term contracts, and no doubt have their sights set on locking up young superstar Nick Kurtz if possible.

However, there has been little talk of an extension with Langeliers, which is not surprising given his standing as a Scott Boras client.

With 104 home runs since the start of the 2023 season, he is one of the best power-hitting catchers in the game, but he is also a standout defender coming off a first-time All-Star selection.

If the Athletics don't think they can keep him for the long term, his value will never be higher than it is right now.

1. RP Mason Miller, San Diego Padres

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Contract: Arbitration-eligible through 2029
Stats: 39 G, 25/25 SV, 0.89 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, 16.6 K/9, 2.3 WAR

The Padres paid a king's ransom to acquire Mason Miller from the Athletics last summer, sending one of the top prospects in all of baseball in shortstop Leo De Vries as the headliner in a blockbuster deal.

A year later, they might look to cut their losses, similar to what they did when they flipped Juan Soto to the Yankees a year and a half after gutting the farm system to acquire him from the Nationals.

There is not a more dominant pitcher in baseball right now than the flame-throwing Miller, who is averaging 101.3 mph with his fastball and generating a laughable 55.6 percent whiff rate with his slider while carrying a 48.4 percent strikeout rate.

It's going to cost a similar level of prospect talent for him to be on the move again, but the Padres' struggles have opened the door for another Miller blockbuster.