All-Star Mason Miller Benched Wednesday As Surprising Trade Partner Emerges
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Athletics closer Mason Miller was not available Wednesday for the ninth inning of the team’s 5-4 win over the Seattle Mariners in Sacramento.
Miller was not hurt, A’s manager Mark Kotsay told reporters after the game.
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“Mason was unavailable tonight,” he said. “That’s all I can say.”
“Mason was unavailable tonight. That’s all I can say.” – Mark Kotsay
— Jason Burke (@ByJasonB) July 31, 2025
Jon Heyman of the New York Post clued readers in to the obvious context in a post to his Twitter/X account late Wednesday on the West Coast: The A’s are discussing a trade that would send Miller to a contending team in advance of the 6 p.m. (ET) Thursday trade deadline.
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Miller’s suitor is a surprise. Despite sending three relief pitchers (closer Robert Suarez and set-up men Jason Adam and Adrian Morejon) to the National League All-Star team earlier this month, the San Diego Padres are “working on a possible trade” for Miller, according to Heyman.
Ken Rosenthal and Dennis Lin of The Athletic reported earlier Wednesday that the Padres are “pushing for” Miller, the hardest-throwing closer in MLB. They also reported the Padres are simultaneously pursuing outfielders Jarren Duran of the Boston Red Sox and Steven Kwan of the Cleveland Guardians in trade talks.
Austin Wynns #29 and Mason Miller #19 of the Athletics hug after defeating the Toronto Blue Jays 6-3 at Sutter Health Park on July 13, 2025 in Sacramento. Austin Wynns #29 and Mason Miller #19 of the Athletics hug after defeating the Toronto Blue Jays 6-3 at Sutter Health Park on July 13, 2025 in Sacramento. Justine Willard/Athletics/Getty Images
But the sudden unavailability of Miller, who’s saved 20 games this season as the A’s have fallen out of playoff contention, suggests the Padres’ proposal for Miller has legs.
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Miller’s 101.1-mph fastball and hard-biting slider have yielded an elite 39.1 strikeout rate. That’s markedly better even than that of Suarez, who has a 3.43 ERA and 26.6 percent strikeout rate in his final season before he’s eligible for free agency.
Given the Padres’ bullpen depth, it is easy to imagine the Padres’ pursuit of Miller would create a redundancy that would allow general manager A.J. Preller to trade Suarez, Adam or perhaps the left-hander Morejon in hopes of upgrading one of the Padres’ other positions of need.
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The Padres do not have a deep farm system. Rosenthal and Lin speculated “the Padres’ ability to land Duran, Kwan or Miller could hinge on their willingness to surrender (Leo) De Vries,” — a 19-year-old shortstop prospect who is universally ranked among the Top 20 in MLB.
If he’s unwilling to move De Vries, Preller might need to involve another team to land a left fielder such as Kwan or Duran, in addition to a catcher who offers a stronger bat than incumbents Elias Diaz and Martin Maldonado.
For now, the Padres’ pursuit of Miller seems to be on the front burner. If a deal is completed, expect more dominoes to fall in San Diego.
The Padres are off Thursday after winning their fifth consecutive game Wednesday at home against the New York Mets.
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