Mason Miller has finally found a home in San Diego – or so he thought. With the looming end to the Padres postseason window, AJ Preller must decide how he wants to retool, and which players will be part of San Diego's long-term future.
Miller could fit. The Padres closer is just 27 years old, and is signed through the 2029 season. However, that also makes him excellent trade bait. Preller doesn't want to part ways with the elite right-hander, but given the need for high-end relief help, he'd be silly not to listen.
What it would take for the Padres to trade Mason Miller
The Padres would need a so-called godfather offer to part ways with Miller. That would mean several top-100 prospects, or one in the top-25, and much more where that came from. Preller would need a good excuse to embrace a rebuild around their current core.
One team that could be desperate enough to chase Miller and give in to some unreasonable demands could be the New York Mets. The Mets lost their All-Star closer, Edwin Diaz, to the rival Los Angeles Dodgers.
If there's one thing these two teams have in common, it's their hatred of the LA dynasty in the making. The Padres reside in the same division, and the Mets spend just as much money but thus far have achieved inferior results. Watching Diaz sign with a rival contender the Mets will likely meet in next year's postseason if they're lucky enough to get so far had to sting.
What a Mets trade package for Mason Miller would look like
Personally, I don't think the Mets would make this trade for several reasons. First, it goes against David Stearns' DNA to overpay for a relief pitcher, even one of Miller's caliber. Second, the Mets believe in McLean and think he could be their ace of the future. McLean is a top-15 prospect in baseball. He went 5-1 with a 2.08 ERA in eight starts last season with the big-league club, and is expected to start next season in the rotation as well barring a spring training collapse.
BUT, this trade package wasn't created with the Mets in mind. The exercise was to come up with a trade the Padres wouldn't refuse, and I think we're getting close.
McLean is the MLB-ready, ace-level product Preller would seek from any interested party. Sproat could slide right into the rotation as well. Clifford offers some flexibility in the infield and could take over for Jake Cronenworth long term, or in a corner outfield spot, a position he's familiar with from his days in the minor leagues. He also possesses more power potential than Cronenworth, and is a top-10 prospect in a strong farm system. Jimenez is a throw-in, but at 21 years old could make his way through the Padres system quickly and allow them to build through the middle. Assuming the Mets don't want to include Jett Williams, another top-100 prospect, in this deal, Jimenez isn't a bad backup plan.
Could Mason Miller transition to a starting pitcher?
Miller could increase his value if he's willing to transition back to a starting pitcher role. Former MLB GM Jim Bowden claims he spoke to Miller about that possibility at the All-Star Game last June, and he didn't show much interest.
"I remember talking to Mason Miller during the All-Star Game, not this year but the year before in Texas," Bowden said. "I asked him about starting, and he basically said that he wanted to close. He doesn’t want to start. He tried that and it didn’t really work...I said, ‘yeah but you didn’t give it enough time. You have the stuff. There’s no doubt in my mind you could develop into an ace, a number-1 starter.'"
For the Mets' sake, they'd likely be more interested in Miller as a closer, rather than a starter. But for other interested parties, Miller could be the ace they've been looking for. This winter's free-agent market is fairly weak at the position compared to past years. If Miller were more open to the opportunity, perhaps the Padres could actually receive the trade package of their dreams.
For now, any trade of Miller is unlikely.