A blockbuster NY Mets-Padres-White Sox trade trying to make everyone happy

The New York Mets have been connected to multiple high-profile names recently, including San Diego Padres’ superstar closing pitcher Mason Miller. Despite acquiring Miller at the 2025 trade deadline, it seems like the Padres are willing to entertain moving the flamethrower. However, they’re also interested in a high-profile name themselves, in Chicago White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr. However, with the Mets interested in the Padres’ closer, the Padres interested in the White Sox’s center fielder, and the White Sox likely looking to get a prospect haul, a blockbuster three-team trade could be formed here.

Mason Miller has become one of the best late-inning arms in the business. Last year, he put up a 2.63 ERA, 2.23 FIP, and 0.91 WHIP in 61.2 innings with the A’s and the Padres. While the Mets lost Edwin Diaz’s 40.5% strikeout rate in New York, they’d be replacing it with Miller’s league-leading 44.4% K% from last season. It is also the second year in a row Miller has had a K% above 40%. The only downside would be Miller’s sub-par 12% walk rate. However, walks were much less of an issue during his impressive rookie season at 8.4%. Miller is still an entire year away from arbitration, so the Mets wouldn’t have to worry about who is serving the 9th inning for a handful of years.

Luis Robert Jr. would be heading to San Diego. After hitting 38 home runs with a 122 wRC+ in 595 plate appearances in 2023, Robert Jr. has followed that up with back-to-back seasons with a wRC+ of just 84 while having less than 450 plate appearances in both years. He did look like he was beginning to turn things around, with a .821 OPS and 127 wRC+ over his last150 plate appearances of 2025 before suffering a hamstring strain in late August that kept him out for the remainder of the season. When fully healthy, he can be a real threat at the dish and in the field. Over the last three seasons, Robert Jr. has +8 defensive runs saved and +20 outs above average. Padres’ center fielders as a whole have -4 DRS and +18 OAA in the same time frame.

A blockbuster deal to finally get the NY Mets a lockdown closer.

The White Sox would also pay some of Robert Jr.’s contract. He has a $20 million salary for 2026, and a team option at the same value for 2027. With how much the Padres are giving up in this three-team mock trade, and how many top prospects the White Sox are receiving, they could be willing to pay half of his salary so the Padres can acquire him.

The White Sox would be receiving two pitching prospects and two position player prospects for Robert. Kash Mayfield would be heading over from the Padres. The left-hander was their 2024 first-round pick, and he put up a 2.97 ERA, with a 34.1% K%, and 10.9% walk rate at A-Ball. Mayfield is ranked as a top-five prospect in the Padres’ system, both on Baseball America and MLB Pipeline. Arguably, the best prospect in this trade is Jonah Tong. The Mets selected Tong in the seventh round of the 2022 draft, and he had an astounding 2025. The right-hander’s ERA came in at a minuscule 1.43, and he struck out 40.5% of batters he faced over 113.2 innings between Double-A and Triple-A this year. Tong made his MLB debut this year and struggled, albeit in only 18.2 innings, but are potentially willing to trade him.

While the White Sox already have some impressive young arms in their organization, Tong would immediately become one of their best. He is a consensus top 50 prospect, and he had a better K%, ERA, and FIP (1.68) than anyone who made at least 15 starts in the White Sox’s system last year. Mayfield would also likely become one of the White Sox’s top five prospects. He also had a higher K% than anyone else in the White Sox’s system and, according to Baseball America’s assessment, would have the best control of any of their top ten prospects (they project Mayfield with 60-grade control).

The Mets are also getting two of the Mets’ top hitting prospects in this trade. Jett Williams was the Mets’ first-round pick in 2022, and he hit .261/.363/.465 with a 136 wRC+ between Binghamton and Syracuse. He hit 17 home runs while swiping 34 bases, while seeing playing time at both middle infield positions, along with center field. Jacob Reimer had an even better season at the dish, slashing .282/.374/.491 with a 157 wRC+ at Brooklyn and Binghamton. He also smacked 17 home runs and was versatile in the field, gearing up to play both infield corners.

Williams would arguably become the White Sox’s best position player prospect. He and Braden Montgomery rank similarly. Williams would have also been top five in wRC+ among qualified White Sox minor league batters. However, Reimer would have had the best wRC+ of any White Sox-qualified minor league hitter. He also would have had a top-three slugging percentage and OPS. Reimer would also join Montgomery and 2024 first-round pick Caleb Bonemer as two other top-ten White Sox prospects who BA projects to have 60-grade power. 

There are a ton of moving pieces in this trade, but that shouldn’t be a shock if Mason Miller and Luis Robert Jr. are both involved in a three-team swap. The Mets would get a shutdown late-inning arm they can count on for many more years. The Padres are getting a potential star in need of a change of scenery in Robert Jr. for half his salary, while only giving up Miller and a single top prospect. The White Sox receive four very notable prospects, including two consensus top 100 names. It may cost a sizable prospect package for the Mets, but would finally land someone who they can confidently pass the closing role to.