Want a Reliever at the MLB Trade Deadline? Be Prepared to Pay: ‘It Could Cost More Than You Expect’

By Patrick Mooney, Will Sammon and Katie Woo

Has there ever been a better time to be a seller with a controllable reliever?

Relatively anonymous relievers are the driving force behind this season’s trade deadline, an event that has so far not featured any superstars who have changed teams in recent years, including big names like Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, Trea Turner, Juan Soto and Manny Machado.

Perhaps one or two more blockbuster deals will materialize before Tuesday’s 6 p.m. ET deadline. But these recent moves have focused on relief pitchers who are outsized in importance in October, leading to a price shock for acquiring bullpen reinforcements.

These deals didn’t even include All-Star closers on the level of Aroldis Chapman or Josh Hader when they were moved in midseason trades. That’s why the Miami Marlins believe they have so much leverage, making everyone in their bullpen available and preparing to wait until the final hours before trading Tanner Scott for a playoff contender.

The stakes are high, as Sunday’s schedule began with 23 of the major league’s 30 teams either leading or within six games of a playoff spot. That group, still on the fringes of the wild-card races, included the Rays and the Chicago Cubs, another supposed seller suddenly making deals to add.

In the latest deal to land a big return for a reliever, the Rays traded Jason Adam on Sunday, trading a soon-to-be 33-year-old setup guy for three prospects from the Padres. The return included Dylan Lesko, who had so much hype in high school that he underwent Tommy John surgery and still went to the Padres with the 15th pick in the 2022 draft.

Adam is ranked #4 among relievers on The Athletics Top 50 Trade Deadline Big Board. He has a 3.07 ERA in 249 career appearances and could remain under club control through 2026, a significant distinction. But in the days leading up to the trade, officials from several contending teams had complained about the cost of relievers, even those who might work only the final two months of the season and then become free agents.

“There are several potential bullpen hires currently in the pipeline,” a team official said.

“It may take longer than expected,” another source within the league agreed.

Regarding the Marlins’ request for Scott, one executive said, “They’re asking for multiple prospects in the top 15” of an organization’s depth chart.

It remains to be seen whether the Rays will cash in on the reliever market a second time, this time with closer Pete Fairbanks. Tampa Bay has indicated it wants to keep Fairbanks, as it plans to compete next year and sees Fairbanks as a key piece. But given what the market is offering, “all bets are off,” a league source said.

Pete Fairbanks has a 3.11 ERA and 20 saves for the Rays. (Mike Carlson/Getty Images)

Fairbanks, 30, is No. 27 overall and fifth among relievers at The Athletics big board. He’s in the second year of a three-year, $12 million contract and has a club option for 2026 worth $7 million. The potential return for him would be substantial, similar to what the Rays were able to get for Adam, if not more. As of Sunday morning, Tampa Bay still preferred to keep Fairbanks, and nothing close to a deal was on the table. But that could change if a team is willing to match or exceed San Diego’s offer.

“If a club beats the Adam package it is difficult to say no,” a league source said.

The Cubs have presented a wide range of relievers with different skill sets and different contract structures. The group consists of Drew Smyly, Héctor Neris, Mark Leiter Jr. and Julian Merryweather. The Cubs’ idea is to acquire talent for the future while creating immediate opportunities for some of their young pitchers. If the Cubs don’t like the offers, they can retain Leiter and Merryweather, who are both in their early 30s but still under club control for the next two seasons.

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However, clinging to relievers isn’t how the Cubs and some other clubs operate, as they view such players as largely interchangeable due to injury risks and inconsistent performance. Signing a minor-league deal with the Cubs prior to the 2020 season helped Adams’ development late in his career. Leiter also started with the Cubs as a minor-league signing, and Merryweather joined the organization last year as a waiver claim.

The high cost of relievers has helped other clubs operate differently. The Mets, for example, prefer not to pay significant prospects for relievers. They acquired reliever Phil Maton from the Rays for a player to be named later or for cash. They then acquired Ryne Stanek from the Seattle Mariners for minor-league outfielder Rhylan Thomas. Both trades stand out as being off-market, even though they are both rental deals. In the case of Maton, the Mets had to bet on a continued recovery and absorb his salary. With Stanek, the Mets similarly selected a player with a previously patchy season and traded to another team that was in the running and had a surplus.

Scarcity in the market should only keep prices high, especially with teams like the Yankees and Red Sox looking for help in the bullpen. In addition to what the Padres paid for Adam, the Angels got a healthy return from the Phillies for Carlos Estévez, The Athletics No. 6 ranked available reliever. And the Mariners acquired No. 9 reliever Yimi Garcia from the Rays.

Of the 11 relievers listed The Athletics Top 50 Trade Deadline Big Board, that leaves just six, though that number is functionally smaller. The Athletics’ Mason Miller was the highest-ranked reliever, though his recent IL stint effectively eliminates him from consideration. Paul Sewald was listed at No. 3, but the Diamondbacks just added to their bullpen, having inked a deal for Miami’s AJ Puk this week.

The Marlins’ Scott, at No. 20 overall and No. 2 among bullpen arms, is actually the highest-rated reliever on the board. He’s followed by Fairbanks, the White Sox’ John Brebbia (36th overall, seventh among relievers), the Athletics’ Lucas Erceg (37th overall, eighth among relievers), the Nationals’ Kyle Finnegan (45th overall, 19th among relievers) and the White Sox’ Michael Kopech (47th overall, 11th among relievers).

The Nationals, who traded Jesse Winker on Saturday, might want to keep Finnegan to better compete in 2025, but the market might prompt them to move him. They could also sell a bullpen rental arm in right-hander Dylan Floro. The Blue Jays have another trade candidate in Chad Green. The Angels’ Luis García could move soon, and the A’s have another reliever in Austin Adams who could be attractive.

Teams have even been able to get returns for struggling bullpen arms. The Rockies acquired a pair of minor leaguers from the NL Central-leading Brewers in exchange for reliever Nick Mears, a Statcast darling with a 5.56 ERA. Perhaps the Astros are trying to cash in on that, too; they’re dealing Rafael Montero despite his albatross of a contract.

Ultimately, teams will pay because they don’t really have a choice. There’s no more waiver period in August to make last-minute additions. And among the contenders, there may be enough incentive to add.

Decisiveness has likely made Dave Dombrowski, Philadelphia’s president of baseball operations, a Hall of Famer. Aggressiveness is part of A.J. Preller’s style, and the Padres’ president of baseball operations is highly motivated to get his team into the playoffs amid questions about his job security. The Yankees need to maximize Soto’s final months before he can cash in as a free agent. And the Dodgers can’t worry about a few prospects after their $1 billion offseason made this a World Series-or-bust year.

(Top photo of Tanner Scott, arguably the best reliever on the market: Jim Rassol/USA Today)