Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- With the MLB trade deadline approaching, one team is emerging as a realistic suitor for the Padres' star closer despite the high cost.
- The Padres need a mix of immediate MLB help and top-tier prospects to justify trading their best reliever, who is under team control through 2028.
- A potential deal could reshape San Diego's farm system and pitching depth, but would require a package few franchises can match.
The MLB trade deadline is less than three weeks away, and that means the rumor mill is buzzing. While some feel very legitimate, others, like the San Diego Padres possibly entertaining a Mason Miller trade, feel extremely unlikely. I mean, the Padres just traded Leo De Vries, perhaps MLB's No. 1 prospect, to acquire him just last year. Are they really about to bail on him when they're still in the Wild Card hunt?
The short answer is probably not. Miller is the best closer in the game by far, and it seems unlikely that A.J. Preller is going to wave the white flag and commit to selling — at least right now. However, with San Diego currently 3.5 games out of a playoff spot and having one of the league's worst farm systems, trading Miller could give them an opportunity to be better positioned to compete in 2027 and beyond.
If (and it's a big if) the Padres do decide to put Miller on the block, altering the landscape of the postseason race, they better nail the return. Here's what they can look for.
What should the Padres look for in a Mason Miller return?
No, the Padres won't be able to trade Miller for De Vries. No, the Padres won't be able to acquire a prospect in the De Vries tier. Still, there's every reason to believe they can do very well if they decide to move Miller.
If the Padres made Miller available, he'd almost certainly become the most valuable trade chip on the block. Yes, that even includes a world in which Tarik Skubal were to be made available; he might only be a reliever, but again, he's the best reliever in the league, and he's under cheap club control for another three years after this one. Four postseason runs with the best closer in the game is going to be costly to acquire, as San Diego learned around this time last year.
The Padres should be looking for a mix of proven MLB talent with club control to help right now (particularly on the starting pitching front) as well as prospects who can help them bolster one of the league's worst farm systems. That's a lot to ask for in a deal for a reliever, but again, Miller isn't just an ordinary reliever.
There are sure to be a ton of teams interested in acquiring Miller given how good he is and his additional control, but one potential suitor sticks out more than the rest.
Which teams could be interested in Mason Miller?
Philadelphia Phillies
Jhoan Duran is perhaps the best closer in the league not named Mason Miller, but beyond him, this Philadelphia Phillies' bullpen is hard to trust. Dave Dombrowski has never shied away from making the big move, and while I have doubts that the Phillies have the prospect capital to get a deal done, they should absolutely be trying to get Miller if the Padres are open to it.
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers have reportedly expressed interest in adding a back-end reliever to join the likes of Trevor Megill, Abner Uribe and Aaron Ashby late in games, and there's nobody better that they can realistically acquire than Miller. The Brewers are rarely open to trading high-end prospects for stars (they're usually on the other end of those deals), but Miller should be an exception, given his additional years of control. Milwaukee wouldn't need to worry about free agency for several years. They have the pieces to get a deal done while still holding onto the likes of Jesus Made and Luis Pena, and he'd certainly help them get closer to dethroning the Dodgers in the postseason.
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees' bullpen woes this season have been well-documented. Even while David Bednar has managed to turn his season around, they have few, if any, other reliable arms for Aaron Boone to turn to late in games. Miller, obviously, would help tremendously in that regard, and his additional control would come in handy knowing that Bednar is a free agent after the year.
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are in the thick of the AL Central division race and could use another back-end reliever to pair with Grant Taylor. They probably don't want to trade high-end prospects, but if you can get four playoff runs of the best closer in the world, it makes sense to, at the very least, consider it. Miller might make them favorites to win the division, which would be a tremendous accomplishment.
Chicago Cubs
Starting pitching is admittedly a bigger need than the bullpen for the Chicago Cubs, but with Daniel Palencia still injured and with Phil Maton looking like a bust of a signing, the Cubs could sure use another late-game arm for Craig Counsell to turn to. Chicago wouldn't have to worry about paying Miller for a while, and given the contention window they're in, they should pounce if they have the pieces the Padres would want.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Should this happen? Of course not. Can I say with certainty that it won't happen? No. Look, the Los Angeles Dodgers are obviously the Padres' biggest rivals, but they also have perhaps the best farm system in the sport. If they offered several of their best prospects, would San Diego really say no? The Dodgers could use more bullpen help, and while I certainly wouldn't expect these teams to make a trade of this magnitude with each other, it's hard to rule a team with Los Angeles' resources out completely.
Which team could offer Padres the best trade package for Mason Miller?
The answer is probably the Dodgers, but again, I don't see that happening. Among the most realistic suitors, it's the Yankees. Here's what a package that'd send Miller to the Bronx could look like.
This kind of mock trade would check every box for the Padres. Will Warren is a proven mid-rotation arm who is having a solid year and is under control through the 2030 campaign. George Lombard Jr. is a top-20 prospect per MLB Pipeline and the best prospect this Yankees system has to offer. He's excellent defensively and his bat is almost MLB-ready. He could fit in nicely in San Diego's middle infield for the better part of the next decade. These two players would be the headliners.
Spencer Jones is a high-risk, high-reward prospect. His hit tool is a major concern, but he has immense power and is a tremendous athlete, good enough to play center field at a high level. The Padres could use more thump in their lineup, and while Jones will never be a .300 hitter or anything close to it, he has the potential to hit 30-40 home runs in a year. Command has been an issue for Ben Hess in Double-A this season, but he has great strikeout stuff, headlined by a curveball and slider which are both 60-grade pitches according to MLB Pipeline.
Warren is already in the Majors, Jones has already debuted and it wouldn't be a surprise to see Lombard get his first taste of MLB action once he's back healthy next month. Hess is probably not going to be ready until sometime next season, but that isn't too long a wait. San Diego would be receiving four players, all of whom have fairly high ceilings and all of whom should contribute in 2027 and beyond, in this deal.
Would they receive a player of De Vries' upside? No, but again, it's hard to envision such a prospect being made available. Getting a mix of proven MLB talent and exciting prospects is the next-best thing, and could set a San Diego organization lacking depth up nicely for the foreseeable future.
Trading Miller would hurt, obviously, but the Padres would be filling holes elsewhere, and with guys like Jeremiah Estrada and Bradgley Rodriguez still under control, it's not like their bullpen would be in brutal shape come 2027.
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