MLB Trade Deadline Rumors: Reds Considering Moving Hunter Greene

An extreme seller’s market has Cincinnati imagining a future without its ace, who’s signed to a cheap long-term deal. Plus, the latest on Mason Miller and more.

Reds starting pitcher Hunter Greene has struggled in 2026 after two dominant seasons. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Baseball has never seen a trade deadline with this few sellers.

With the deadline only days away, 21 of MLB’s 30 clubs find themselves within three games of a playoff spot. Seven American League teams find themselves in or near a wild card spot, while eight more in the NL join them. Six division leaders round out the contending group. That leaves a handful of teams in full sell mode.

For teams chasing October baseball, the lack of options has made the competition for the available upgrades fierce. Here's a look at the latest rumors from around the league as the deadline kicks into gear.

Reds could consider moving Hunter Greene

In what is a bit of a surprise, the Reds are considering putting Hunter Greene on the trade block, per The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. With an extreme seller’s market for pitching, Cincinnati could bring back a massive haul for its ace.

Greene has struggled this season in four starts. He’s 2–2 with a 7.06 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 29 strikeouts against seven walks in 21 2/3 innings. The 26-year-old had bone chips removed from his elbow in March and has had a slow return to his old self. From 2024 to ‘25, Greene was one of the more dominant pitchers in the National League. In that time, he made 45 starts and went 16–9 with a 2.76 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, and 301 strikeouts in 258 innings.

The Reds inked Greene to six-year, $53 million extension in 2023, putting him under team control through 2029. He’s cheap and locked up for a while, which should only increase his trade value. He’s the kind of asset who could net multiple top prospects and the Reds seem primed to take advantage.

It’s considered inevitable that the Tigers will trade Tarik Skubal. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Tarik Skubal will be traded, Dodgers remain favorites

On Wednesday’s edition of SportsCenter, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported the Tigers have decided to trade Tarik Skubal before the deadline. The two-time reigning AL Cy Young winner has likely thrown his last pitch as a Tiger.

Skubal made what was likely his final start in Detroit on Tuesday, tossing 6 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on four hits with six strikeouts. The 29-year-old left the game with a 7–1 lead over the Orioles. The Tigers wound up losing 10–9 in 12 innings. That was a perfect microcosm of the team's season.

In 16 starts this season, Skubal is 7–5 with a 2.79 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 116 strikeouts against 14 walks in 96 2/3 innings. The pending free agent missed all of May following surgery to remove loose bodies from his elbow. He has been baseball's best pitcher since the middle of the 2023 season.

The Dodgers, obviously, are the favorites to land Skubal, but the Brewers and Rays are also expected to be in it. The Cubs can’t be counted out, and any time a big-name player is available, you can’t count out A.J. Preller and the Padres.

San Diego Padres closer pitcher Mason Miller is likely staying put at the deadline. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Mason Miller is unlikely to be traded

Multiple reports suggest the Padres won’t trade closer Mason Miller unless they get a massive return that is unlikely to materialize. Teams like the Yankees, Brewers, Rays, Mariners and Pirates all seem willing to trade a lot to land Miller, but those deals may not live up to what Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller has in mind.

The Padres would likely need a return that includes multiple top 100 prospects and at least one controllable starting pitcher. The deal would need to be centered around prospects who are nearly big league ready. Think the return the Nationals got for Juan Soto. Something approaching that kind of deal.

Miller is having one of the best seasons we’ve ever seen from a reliever and might be baseball’s most dominant pitcher. In 44 games, he is 3–1 with a 0.79 ERA, 0.79 WHIP and 85 strikeouts in 45 2/3 innings. He has converted all 28 of his save opportunities and has notched 30 in a row dating back to last season. Remarkably, he has only allowed one extra-base hit all season (a double), and two in his last 76 games. Among pitchers who have thrown at least 40 innings this season, Miller is first in ERA, FIP (0.44), strikeouts per nine (16.75) and strikeout rate (49.4%). Given the fact that he's under team control through the 2030 campaign, he is one of the most valuable assets in baseball.

He might be worth a massive return, but it’s unlikely any team matches what Preller will ask for.

The New York Yankees are keeping tabs on Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman as the deadline approaches. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Yankees searching for catching help

The Yankees have had major issues at catcher all season, as the team’s backstops have combined for -0.7 WAR in 2026. Austin Wells has been the team’s primary catcher and slashed .159/.258/.266 with seven home runs and 14 RBIs. It has been a black hole for months.

According to the New York Post’s Jon Heyman, New York is currently scouting Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman. The former All-Star was a 5.2 WAR player as a rookie in 2022 but has slowly fallen off. This year, he’s hitting .251 with a .764 OPS and eight home runs. With Samuel Basallo set for a bigger role in Baltimore, Rutschman is likely expendable and would be an immediate upgrade for the Yankees.

New York had been in on Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers, but Minnesota has signaled a willingness to buy at this point, so he and righty Joe Ryan may be staying put. Heyman also lists Tyler Stephenson as a possible option for the Yankees.

San Diego Padres general manager A.J. Preller may not have the financial flexibility to make a big move this year. | USA TODAY Sports

Padres may not have payroll flexibility

The Padres looked dead in the water a few weeks ago, but after ripping off five straight wins, they find themselves back in the thick of the playoff hunt. Unfortunately for Preller, he may not have the flexibility to add much payroll.

The Friars were sold to José E. Feliciano and Kwanza Jones for a record $3.9 billion in May, but the sale has yet to be officially approved by MLB’s other owners. A vote on that deal is expected in the next few weeks, which has left the team in a bit of limbo as far as moves go.

The Athletic’s Dennis Lin is reporting that Preller may not have the ability to add much payroll at the deadline, writing, "For now, the prevailing belief at Petco Park is that president of baseball operations A.J. Preller, despite a 30th-ranked farm system, will not be permitted to take on much payroll."

For better or worse, Preller almost always swings big at the deadline. If he’s constrained financially, he would have to unload contracts to land any major upgrades. Given that he’s hollowed out his farm system over the past few years, there isn’t much left to entice other teams outside of catcher Ethan Salas, who was promoted to Triple A on Tuesday.

The Padres are a team to watch at the deadline, but their approach may be more muted than usual given the lack of financial flexibility.

The Toronto Blue Jays seem poised to sell, and starter Kevin Gausman could fetch a big return. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Phillies, Blue Jays could match on trade

The Phillies need to add to their roster if they want to reach the postseason—just ask Bryce Harper. MLB Network’s Jon Morosi has the latest update on those pursuits, claiming Philadelphia and the Blue Jays are "emerging as trade partners."

After reaching the World Series last fall and going all-in this offseason, Toronto appears poised to sell at the deadline. The team currently occupies last place in the AL East with a 50–59 record and has plenty of veterans to sell.

Morosi listed starters Kevin Gausman and Shane Bieber, reliever Jeff Hoffman, DH George Springer and outfielder Daulton Varsho as possible matches for the Phillies. Gausman and Varsho seem like particularly good fits given Philly's rotation issues and desperate need for outfield help.

Prices remain sky high

Reports from around MLB continue to suggest the cost to make moves at this deadline is the highest in years. With so many teams in contention or close, and so few teams openly dealing away players, it has become an extreme seller’s market.

There’s a chance prices drop before the deadline as teams opt out of contention or the market slows, but for now it looks like it will be a costly deadline for buyers.

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