One of the hottest names in baseball this season is Mason Miller. The A’s closer, who debuted as a starter last season, has mesmerizing stuff and a ridiculous stat line. Given how good he is, how many contending teams could use bullpen help and the expectation that the A’s will not contend — though they are hanging in there so far — the mind naturally wanders to whether or not Miller might be traded. CBS Sports’ R.J. Anderson recently included Miller on a list of possible trade candidates.
First off, Miller isn’t set to hit free agency until after the 2029 season, so the most likely outcome here is the A’s hold him to build around. Of course, every team should be open to listening because you never know what kind of offer you’re going to get.
And the A’s are getting calls on Miller, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Via the report:
To acquire him, a team likely would need to give up a young player of comparable ability, or a substantial package of multiple youngsters who could be part of the A’s future.
As an example, Rosenthal reports that the Padres would have to send Jackson Merrill as part of a package that also included top prospects. He later upgrades the word “substantial” to “staggering” as to the sort of return the A’s would want in order to part with Miller in a trade. If some team can meet that bar, though, Rosenthal reports that the front office isn’t ruling out a deal.
Miller, 25, has a 1.10 ERA, 0.67 WHIP and 33 strikeouts against four walks in 16 1/3 innings this season. He’s a perfect 8 for 8 in save chances. His stuff is off-the-charts good. He averages over 100 mph (100.8, to be exact) with his fastball and his high-80s slider is one of the biggest breaking pitches in the majors.
If there is a team that could meet such a gigantic asking price without diving deeply into its big-league roster and also has a need at the end of the game, it would be the Baltimore Orioles. All-Star closer Félix Bautista is recovering from Tommy John surgery while current closer Craig Kimbrel keeps coughing up games. Their farm system is still loaded, too, giving them the ability to deal something like two top-100 prospects without touching their MLB roster.
Pretty much any contender would be interested in Miller, but a few others jump out as good fits, such as the Rangers, Cubs and Dodgers.
The best bet here Miller stays put with the A’s through the trade deadline, but it’s certainly a fun situation to monitor.
