The San Diego Padres added hard-throwing closer Mason Miller and the Toronto Blue Jays dealt for former Cy Young award winner Shane Bieber in a flurry of moves before Major League Baseball’s trade deadline on Thursday.
The recent swaps are on top of several deals over the past few days — including the Mariners landing slugger Eugenio Suarez — but several big names could still be on the move, including Pittsburgh right-hander Mitch Keller, Cleveland’s Steven Kwan and Arizona pitchers Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly.
MLB’s trade deadline is at 6 p.m. EDT. on Thursday.
Padres add All-Star Mason Miller, lefty JP Sears from Athletics
The 26-year-old Miller is one of the game’s top relievers and has a fastball that averages more than 101 mph. The 2024 All-Star has 20 saves in 23 opportunities, a 3.76 ERA and 59 strikeouts this season. He’s under team control through 2029.
The Padres also added JP Sears, a lefty who has a 7-9 record and 4.95 ERA this season, striking out 95 batters over 22 starts.
San Diego sent the A’s a package of prospects, including highly-regarded shortstop Leo De Vries and right-handed pitchers Henry Baez, Braden Nett and Eduarniel Nunez.
Shane Bieber off to Blue Jays, nearing MLB return
Bieber is headed to the AL East-leading Blue Jays in a deal with the rebuilding Cleveland Guardians, who also dealt right-hander Paul Sewald in the division to the AL Central-leading Detroit Tigers.
Bieber, who is working his way back from April 2024 Tommy John surgery, has made five rehab starts. His most recent outing was Tuesday for Double-A Akron, in which he allowed one run on three hits and struck out seven in four innings. His next rehab start was scheduled for Sunday.
The Guardians are getting right-hander Khal Stephen from the Blue Jays.
Bieber had spent his entire career in Cleveland, including winning the AL Cy Young Award in 2020. He has a career record of 62-32 with a 3.22 ERA and 958 strikeouts in 136 games, with 134 starts since his debut in 2018.
He agreed to a one-year, $14 million contract last fall with a $16 million player option for 2026.
Tigers pry closer Kyle Finnegan from Nationals
AL Central-leading Detroit acquired Kyle Finnegan from Washington for two prospects, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the trade wasn’t announced.
The 33-year-old Finnegan was an All-Star in 2024 but his velocity has been down this season. He has 20 saves with a 4.38 ERA in 2025.
The Nats received minor league pitchers Josh Randall and R.J. Sales, Detroit’s third and 10th round draft picks from 2024, respectively.
Cubs add more pitching, trade for Andrew Kittredge from Orioles
The Cubs continued seek help on the mound, adding right-hander Andrew Kittredge from the Baltimore Orioles one day after agreeing to a deal with the Washington Nationals for righty Michael Soroka.
The 35-year-old Kittredge was an All-Star in 2021 and has a 3.44 ERA over nine seasons. The reliever has a 3.45 ERA in 31 games this season. He signed a $9 million, one-year deal with Baltimore last offseason that includes a $9 million club option for 2026 with a $1 million buyout.
Other deals, notes
— The Tampa Bay Rays acquired catcher Hunter Feduccia from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for right-handed pitcher Paul Gervase, catcher Ben Rortvedt and left-handed pitcher Adam Serwinowski.
— The 35-year-old Sewald — who is headed to Detroit in a trade with Cleveland — is eligible to return from the injured list on Sunday after being shut down with a strained right shoulder. He is 1-1 with a 4.70 ERA in 18 games this season, averaging more than one strikeout each inning.
— Baltimore put right-hander Zach Eflin on the injured list with lower back discomfort Thursday. Eflin was a potential trade target, but has made only 14 starts this year and is on an expiring contract.
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AP Baseball Writer Noah Trister and AP Sports Writers Howard Fendrich and Joe Reedy contributed to this story.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB
