It's officially trade season in MLB and there is not a single more interesting name in the rumor mill than Mason Miller. A year ago, the idea of the then-Oakland A's trading the right-handed fireballer was inconceivable. Now the tides are turning, however, as the A's toil outside of contention and Miller's numbers begin to peter out.
He's still an elite swing-and-miss pitcher, with average velocity in the triple digits and a wipeout slider that is borderline unhittable. But the walk rate is up and his ERA has ballooned to 4.55 in 31 appearances, although he's still 17-for-20 in save opportunities.
Miller, 26, appears to be approaching a crossroads in his career. He's a great closer, without a doubt. But might he be something more? According to The Athletic's Jim Bowden, several league execs believe Miller has ace potential as a starter — which means teams could give the A's a haul of assets in line with the value of 26-year-old aces who are under team control through 2029.
Of all the MLB contenders with a potential appetite for Miller's services, however, none check more boxes and feel more destined for success than the Philadelphia Phillies.
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Phillies should throw the kitchen sink at A's for Mason Miller
The Phillies are loaded in the starting rotation, but there's plenty of room in the bullpen. Joe Ross has been a disaster. The late-relief crew feels hollow without José Alvarado, who will be ineligible for the playoffs after testing positive for PEDs. Orion Kerkering has rounded into form as one of baseball's best closers over the past few weeks, but Philly can easily plug Miller into the high-leverage equation, with Kerkering and Matt Strahm operating as top-notch setup options.
That's for the short term, at least. With four All-Star starters, Jesús Luzardo, Mick Abel and Andrew Painter all in the mix (oh, and Taijuan Walker), there's really no room for Miller to take the leap to starter. Not in 2025.
But things can change quickly. Miller is never going to shift from a closing role to a starting gig midseason. He will need to adjust his training regimen and build up his endurance over a full offseason. Philadelphia can plan for Miller's transition to starting pitcher in 2026 or 2027, as contracts begin to come off the books. Ranger Suárez's deal expires after this season. Zack Wheeler's contract is up in two years and he has already made clear his plans to retire.
There is still a mild glut, but let's say Philadelphia offloads at least one of its current starters in the trade — Mick Abel and (lots more) stuff feels like an obvious starting point for negotiations. Andrew Painter is a lock to start games for the next decade if all goes well, but Wheeler's looming retirement, Suárez's even-closer free agency, and the general uncertainty of another offseason will give Philadelphia some wiggle room.
Projected 2026 Phillies rotation if Philadelphia trades for Mason Miller
Order | Name |
|---|---|
1 | Zack Wheeler |
2 | Cristopher Sánchez |
3 | Andrew Painter |
4 | Jesús Luzardo |
5 | Mason Miller |
6 | Aaron Nola |
It's hard not to get excited by the prospect of Mason Miller and Andrew Painter headlining a rotation for the foreseeable future, with Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola and Cristopher Sánchez as their mentors. It's not the most likely outcome, of course, as Philadelphia will probably focus its assets on improving the outfield. But man, if it does happen... lots of fun.
Is a six-man rotation really feasible? We hardly see it, although there was plenty of discussion around it in Philadelphia early this season as the Andrew Painter hype train began to pick up steam. We may see them stretch the rotation to six once Painter gets his call-up and Nola returns from injury. Mick Abel has more or less earned his spot in the starting rotation, but he's already feeling like the odd man out, whether that means a demotion to the bullpen or a designation to Triple-A. If he gets dealt for Mason Miller, well, that solves that problem. Then we can start wondering how and where Miller's reps will come instead.