Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The Padres could trade their star closer to help another NL West team challenge the dominant Dodgers this season.
- Several contenders have the farm system depth to offer the elite prospects San Diego needs to restock their depleted roster.
- The decision will hinge on whether any team can realistically reach the World Series — and face Los Angeles — with Miller in their bullpen.
The San Diego Padres came into the season hoping to finally unseat the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West. While San Diego started hot out of the gate, it became apparent very early on that this was not a World Series-caliber team. The Padres now rank dead last in run production, with a pitching rotation that isn't much better. You'd be hard-pressed to find a Padres star who is living up to expectations right now.
Except, of course, for All-Star closer Mason Miller, who is still the top reliever in the sport. The 27-year-old fireballer has 75 strikeouts in 40.2 innings, with an 0.89 ERA and 0.84 WHIP. The Padres moved heaven and earth (and a top-five MLB prospect in Leo De Vries) to acquire Miller a year ago. Now, with their season spiraling and their farm system barren, the Padres could turn around and trade him again.
The Padres won't beat the Dodgers this season. But maybe they can help another team get over the hump with Miller.
Philadelphia Phillies
Are the Phillies willing to sacrifice Aidan Miller or Gage Wood for another reliever? That's probably what this comes down to. The answer is... probably not, but Brad Keller's season-ending surgery at least creates the need for another right-handed bullpen arm. Dave Dombrowski loves his pitching and could view Miller as the ultimate counterpoint to those claiming Philadelphia does not have enough offense to compete with L.A. in a playoff series.
You don't need to score as much when you can line up Cristopher Sánchez, Zack Wheeler and Jesús Luzardo as your postseason starters, with Miller and Jhoan Durán claiming the eighth and ninth innings in close games. And it's not like the Phillies' bullpen wouldn't have depth. Orion Kerkering, Jonathan Bowlan and Tim Mayza can all shove, while Alex McFarlane and Wen-Hui Pan are knocking on the door with Double-A Reading.
The Phillies should probably focus more on righty bats and a viable fourth starter, but you can bet fans would embrace a Miller-Durán duo if it ever came to fruition.
Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee already has a top-tier bullpen, led by the three-man gauntlet of Aaron Ashby, Abner Uribe and closer Trevor Megill. Miller would double down on a strength. The Brewers aren't typically super aggressive buyers, instead preferring to build from within. But, with a clear path to contention and mounting pressure to finally get on the Dodgers' level in October, it's easy to envision the front office splurging on Miller.
The Brewers, for one, have the deepest farm system in the National League, and thus can shower the Padres with multiple elite prospects and still have many more left over. Moreover, Miller is still in the arbitration stage of his contract, under club control through 2029. The ability to control him for up to four postseason runs before worrying about a new contract means this is a long-term investment for the Brewers, not a costly rental.
Miller would put the Brewers' bullpen in unrivaled territory, with a starting rotation helmed by two ascending aces in Jacob Misiorowski and Kyle Harrison. That should be enough to keep the Dodgers up at night.
Atlanta Braves
Like others on this list, the Braves are loaded in the bullpen and probably don't feel the need to pay a premium for Miller. That said, the Dodgers spend recklessly all the time and will hold the automatic talent advantage no matter what. Atlanta is not going to match the Dodgers' firepower at the plate, nor in the starting rotation. But the Braves can build a bullpen so unhittable behind Chris Sale and company that early leads become near-unbreakable.
This would be a reunion of a kind for Miller, linking back up with Robert Suárez, who led the National League with 40 saves in San Diego last season. The Braves also have Raisel Iglesias, a bonafide shutdown closer in his own right, and Dylan Lee, a homegrown star who has become one of the best setup men in baseball. Didier Fuentes is breaking out. If you add Miller into the fold, the Braves' bullpen becomes damn near transcendent.
Given the extended window of club control, it's the sort of move Alex Anthopoulos could at least kick the tires on. Don't count it as likely, but if the Braves want to topple L.A. (and if the Padres want to haunt L.A. from the grave in October), it's a tantalizing concept.
New York Yankees
The odds of Miller impeding the Dodgers' bid for a three-peat obviously diminish if he gets traded to the American League. Instead of bumping into L.A. at any point in the first three rounds of the postseason, Miller's team would need to get all the way to the World Series (and hope the Dodgers do, too) in order to bring this Padres revenge fantasy to fruition.
If attempting to determine which AL team is most likely to reach the World Series — and most likely to challenge the Dodgers — it has to be the Yankees. Aaron Judge's recent move to the 60-day IL raises major concerns, but if the Yankees can get Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and their core rotation arms up to speed in time for October, no team better matches up with the Dodgers pound-for-pound, muscle-for-muscle.
The Yankees are a mess right now, but so is the rest of the AL. At least with New York, you know the Yankees can put explosive numbers on the scoreboard. The rotation, when healthy, features proven performers like Gerrit Cole, Max Fried and Carlos Rodón. It's the bullpen that could really use the extra help. The back-end trio of David Bednar, Fernando Cruz and Brent Headrick is better than folks credit them for, but Miller is the world-destroying force that can push New York over the top.
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