Latest MLB Trade Rumors on Surprise Candidates Eyed by Top Teams Ahead of 2026 Deadline

The buzz around Monday's MLB trade deadline is heating up, with a few superstar players seeing and hearing their names at the center of rumors from some of the sport's top insiders.

From a Cy Young-winning pitcher to young cornerstones of a proud franchise, who are those who may be dealt to new teams before Monday at 6:00 p.m. EST?

Find out in this latest collection of reports.

What Will It Cost to Acquire Mason Miller?

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Mason Miller has been lights out as the closer for the San Diego Padres this season, amassing a 3-1 record, 0.79 ERA, 85 strikeouts and a 0.79 WHIP. It is no surprise that teams would be checking in with the San Diego Padres on his availability ahead of the trade deadline.

It is also no surprise that general manager AJ Preller would make his star righty as high-priced as they come.

MLB insider Jeff Passan reported that Preller has told teams that if they want Miller, no player on their roster is off limits.

Nor should they be.

Miller is the type of difference-maker who wins teams the World Series. He has been the closest thing to a certainty in baseball this season and would instantly elevate the bullpen of any team willing to go out and get him.

Whether championship-hungry teams are willing to pay the price to acquire him is another question entirely. A team like the Yankees, which could use a dominant closer to strengthen its bullpen, is worth keeping an eye on.

A Surprise Team Enters the Tarik Skubal Sweepstakes?

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MLB insider Jon Morosi reported on X that the Philadelphia Phillies scouted Tarik Skubal's last start and noted that Detroit Tigers general manager "Scott Harris has traded 3 pitchers to the Phillies since arriving to Detroit: Soto, Lorenzen, Manning."

The Phillies are looking to add to their rotation ahead of the deadline, but landing the defending two-time Cy Young Award winner Skubal was not on anyone's radar and is indicative of how much the team wants to win a World Series.

While it is no given that the front office will pull off a trade of that magnitude, it is evident that general manager Preston Mattingly and president of baseball operations Dan Dombrowski are leaving no stone unturned in their efforts to elevate the roster.

With Zach Wheeler, Christopher Sanchez, and Jesus Luzardo already making up a potent 1-2-3 punch, adding Skubal to the mix would give the organization one of the greatest rotations in modern baseball history.

Whether they can offer a more attractive package than the National League favorites, the defending two-time World Series-winning Los Angeles Dodgers, is the question.

Passan reported, "While everybody is thinking that the Brewers are gonna be in it, that the Rays are gonna be in it, that the Atlanta Braves are gonna be in it, they're all almost resigned to the idea that the Los Angeles Dodgers are going to get Tarik Skubal."

Assuming it is the Phillies or the Dodgers, one already immensely talented squad is going to get that much better by end-of-day Monday.

Orioles Listening on Core Pieces

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The busy Passan also reported that the Baltimore Orioles have taken calls on catcher Adley Rutschman, second baseman Jackson Holliday, and outfielder Colton Cowser.

It comes as somewhat of a surprise, as the Orioles are still alive in the postseason hunt in a less-than-stellar American League. Rutschman has been among the team's best hitters (when healthy), and Holliday has been on a hot streak of his own.

Cowser is a strong defender with the potential to hit out of the park anytime he comes to the plate.

Those three players are a microcosm of the Orioles' season as a whole, as they have been consistently inconsistent, frustrating fans more often than not.

Rutschman has been the most sought-after, with division rivals the New York Yankees among those checking in on the former No. 1 overall pick amid a desperate need for catching help, Jon Heyman reported on X.

The 28-year-old is playing under a one-year deal worth $7.25 million.

All three players were expected to be cornerstones of a bright, World Series-filled dynastic run for the Orioles, which has not come to fruition. Still, it feels like trading any of the three would be an admission of organizational failure, from the front office to the players themselves, and that may not be a message anyone wants to send the passionate Baltimore fan base.