The San Diego Padres are listening on trade offers for closer Mason Miller ahead of the Aug. 3 deadline, but don’t expect them to actually pull the trigger.
Miller’s become the most dominant reliever in baseball since joining San Diego, and that’s got contending teams calling. But there’s a big difference between taking those calls and making a deal.
“The San Diego Padres will listen on star reliever Mason Miller. But that doesn’t mean a trade is likely,” FanSided’s Robert Murray wrote. “And at this point, I’m skeptical that the Padres will ultimately move him.”
The way Murray tells it, president of baseball operations A.J. Preller would have to be “blown away” by an offer to consider moving Miller. That’s a pretty high bar for a guy who’s posted a 0.83 ERA in 62 games since arriving from Oakland last summer.
“But Preller will do what Preller does. He’ll listen on Miller, talk to teams about various scenarios that would help the Padres compete now and in future seasons, and canvass the market.”
What makes this situation different from your typical deadline trade candidate? Control. Miller isn’t going anywhere for three more years after 2026, which means San Diego doesn’t have to rush into anything.
That’s leverage the Padres can use.
Murray seems doubtful any team will put together the kind of package it would take. “But the Padres would need to be blown away to trade Miller, and while that could happen, especially in a sellers’ market, there’s skepticism in league circles that such an offer will come.”
So while Miller’s name will keep coming up in trade rumors over the next two weeks, the smart money says he’s staying put. The Padres know what they have, and they’re not giving it away.
