The San Diego Padres pulled off the 2025 trade deadline’s biggest move, acquiring closer Mason Miller from the Athletics in a blockbuster deal that reshaped both franchises.
But according to Athletics GM David Frost, the trade almost didn’t happen. The difference maker? Leo De Vries, MLB’s third-ranked prospect.
“Ultimately, it took a player the caliber of De Vries to get our attention and get us to the negotiating table,” Frost told MLB.com. “In Mason’s case, we know it was going to take something special. When the Padres suggested they were open to including Leo, that’s kind of when this got serious.”
Translation: no De Vries, no Miller.
That’s the price of doing business when you’re talking about a pitcher like Miller. The 26-year-old right-hander brings a triple-digit fastball and three years of team control, the kind of asset that rarely hits the market.
What makes this different is the caliber of prospect the Padres surrendered. Top-three prospects almost never get moved, especially not for rentals. But Miller’s not a rental, and A.J. Preller wasn’t messing around.
One rival GM called it “a no-brainer” for Oakland, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
The full package sent to Oakland tells the story:
- Leo De Vries (MLB’s 3rd-ranked prospect)
- Braden Nett (Padres’ 3rd-ranked prospect)
- Henry Baez (13th-ranked)
- Eduarniel Nunez (17th-ranked)
In return, San Diego gets Miller and starter J.P. Sears, immediately upgrading what was already baseball’s best bullpen.
It’s classic Preller. Go big or go home, consequences be damned. The Padres just added an elite closer to a roster that’s already built for October, and they did it by giving up the farm’s crown jewel.
From where I’m sitting, that’s exactly the kind of move that defines trade deadlines. The Athletics got their rebuilding cornerstone in De Vries, while the Padres doubled down on 2025 with one of the game’s most dominant relievers.
All things considered, it’s the blockbuster among blockbusters this deadline season. And it only happened because Preller was willing to put De Vries on the table – something Frost made clear was non-negotiable from the start.
