The Athletics didn’t want to trade Mason Miller last year, and to some dismay, they held onto the powerful closer.
The Athletics reportedly didn’t want to trade Miller this season, but the San Diego Padres offered an absolute haul that the A’s just couldn’t pass up.
San Diego traded shortstop Leodalis De Vries (MLB No. 3), pitcher Braden Nett (formerly Padres No. 3), pitcher Henry Baez (formerly Padres No. 13) and pitcher Eduarniel Núñez (formerly Padres No. 17) in exchange for Miller and left-hander JP Sears, per ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
President of baseball operations/general manager A.J. Preller has shown he is fearless when it comes to blockbuster trades, and this one is no different.
Miller, 26, has been one of the most dominant and overpowering closers in baseball over the past few seasons.
The fireballer is 1-2 with a 3.76 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP in 38 appearances this season. He has converted 20 saves in 23 opportunities.
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Sears, 29, was a sweetener in the deal. He is 7-9 with a 4.95 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP in 22 starts for the Athletics this season.
The Padres already have the best bullpen ERA in Major League Baseball (2.97) and have paired Miller with dominant closer Robert Suarez at the back end.
This spells trouble for the National League, especially the Los Angeles Dodgers. San Diego is just three games back from the Dodgers for first place in the NL West.
The Padres have a great team that just got better. Miller is under contract until 2030.
San Diego still needs a left field upgrade and would greatly benefit from a catcher upgrade, but adding a pitcher like Miller can help hide those problems if they remain unaddressed.
The trade deadline is 6 p.m. ET.
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