A.J. Preller remains A.J. Preller. With the team three games behind the Dodgers and holding onto the third wildcard spot, the Padres swung one of the biggest trades of the deadline.

Jeff Passan reported that the Padres have acquired top-notch closer Mason Miller and left-handed Starter JP Sears from the Athletics. The price for acquiring them was very high: three pitchers and the Padres’ top prospect, Leodalis De Vries.

Breaking: The Padres are acquiring closer Mason Miller and starter J.P. Sears from the A's, sources tell @JeffPassan.

The A's are receiving SS Leodalis De Vries, the No. 3 overall prospect in MLB, along with three pitchers.

Get breaking news alerts from Passan through the ESPN… pic.twitter.com/WWTEBNwSMV

— ESPN (@espn) July 31, 2025

Updated trade summary:

Padres get – Mason Miller, JP Sears
Athletics get – Leodalis De Vries, Braden Nett, Henry Báez, Eduarniel Nuñez

— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) July 31, 2025

The pitchers ended up being Braden Nett (SD #3), Henry Baez (SD #13), and Eduarniel Núñez (SD #17). That’s a hefty price to pay along with De Vries.

The Padres already have a “Four Horsemen” bullpen, as manager Mike Shildt described Jeremiah Estrada, Adrian Morejon, Jason Adam, and Robert Suarez. However, many expect Suarez to exercise his opt-out this year. In Mason Miller, the Padres get arguably the best young closer in the game today, with a 3.76 ERA and 20 saves. He’s also a player that could foreseeably be stretched out to a starter this offseason. More importantly, he’s still got four years of control at a cheap price. Miller is a huge upgrade over Suarez and gives you a young, controllable, high-leverage arm for years.

Miller has the top four-seam fastball in the game. His fastball averages 101 mph. He has even reached 104.1 mph this season, which is impossible to comprehend. He has 48 saves and a 137 ERA+ since the beginning of last year.

JP Sears is also a controllable young pitcher who won’t be a free agent until after the 2028 season. While his numbers are not impressive (29-39, 4.48 ERA, 446 strikeouts), he has a ton of young potential and remains a very valuable controllable young arm. He is likely a hedge for the rotation if the Padres do move off of Dylan Cease.

What happens next is anyone’s guess, but the stories coming out suggest the Padres will be moving on from Cease and Suarez.

Olney: Robert Suarez, Dylan Cease likely to be traded after Padres landed Mason Miller, JP Sears.

— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) July 31, 2025

Loren Casuto

A Native San Diegan, Loren has spent his entire life not only as a fan but an active participant in San Diego’s sports world. In 2006 Loren joined two other die hard Charger fans to create Bolttalk, where Loren was a co-host and regular columnist from 2006 until the Chargers left in 2017. After that he started another podcast, The Grid Podshow, from 2020-2021 with his former co-host and colleague, speaking about the local sports community and popular culture.

When he’s not giving his opinion about San Diego sports, Loren is an adjunct professor at San Diego State and an attorney.