When A.J. Preller made the trade in 2025 to package the Padres No. 1 prospect in shortstop Leo De Vries in a deal that would acquire them Mason Miller, I don’t think he envisioned them dealing Miller a year later.

However, that might become a reality.

Mason Miller has undeniably been the best reliever in baseball in 2026, pitching at a historic pace in April and May.

Miller’s 48.8% K rate and xERA of 1.42 are just a few of his statistics that rank in the 100th percentile in MLB. Any team is eager to have a player of this caliber with a fastball that can touch 105 mph and a wipeout slider that leaves hitters swinging at air. This is a pitcher that makes reaching base in the ninth inning feel impossible for opposing hitters.

Mason Miller All-Star highlights

37.2 IP
0.96 ERA
0.57 FIP
48.6 K%
9.2 BB%
23/23 saves pic.twitter.com/ewXhwQR1KM

— Giannis Auntiegotapoodle (@TooMuchMortons_) July 8, 2026

Why is it reasonable?

The Padres gave up a ton to get Miller, a player who only pitches an inning to close out games. Yes, this player is a generational talent that you can 100% count on to close out games. But with how the Padres have been playing, Miller hasn’t been getting used enough to justify the price that they gave up to acquire him.

With a team below .500, their best and most valuable player should not be their closer. Closers on sub-.500 squads that miss the postseason do not bring the same value as they would on a true contender.

In past years, the Padres have dug themselves into a hole regarding their farm. Going “all out” in 2022, 2024, and 2025 in previous trade deadlines has left the farm sitting among the worst, if not the worst, in baseball. The injuries to Nick Pivetta and Joe Musgrove have only amplified the Padres’ starting rotation concerns, forcing A.J. Preller to find starting pitching externally, rather than promoting within.

With the starting pitching options being what they are, with aging players of Germán Márquez, JP Sears, Walker Buehler, and Griffin Canning, you think about what the rotation could be. Trading away young and controllable starting pitchers like MacKenzie Gore, Robby Snelling, Stephen Kolek, Ryan Bergert, and Braden Nett has proven to be a tough decision for the Padres to look back on in 2026. Had they stayed in the organization, most of these arms might be logging Major League innings for the Padres today.

What San Diego should be seeking

If A.J. Preller and his team were to deal the 2x All-Star with three full years of team control, they should be asking for a package consisting of a young starting pitcher who is controllable. A starting pitcher that could be built around for years to come. Per The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, if the Padres do move Miller, the expected package would be at least two top-100 prospects.

As reported by the New York Post’s Jon Heyman, the New York Yankees have been said to be in on the Mason Miller sweepstakes if he’s made available. The Padres and Yankees are no strangers to making blockbuster trades. Take a look back at the seven-player deal that made Juan Soto a Yankee back in 2023, just a year after Preller made Juan Soto a Padre in 2022. If the Padres moved Miller, it should be for a package that is impossible to pass up on.

A return package to San Diego consisting of MLB’s No. 20-ranked prospect shortstop George Lombard Jr., and No. 80 prospect right-handed pitcher Carlos Lagrange should be the starting asking price. With a team that owns the second-best record in the American League and a league that seems fairly open for the taking, the Yankees could look to pursue a lockdown closer for their postseason push. The Padres are certainly not “needing” to trade Miller as well, as the team just acquired the star closer in a massive deal a year ago.

Miller could stay a Padre unless things turn

According to Padres writer for The Athletic, Dennis Lin, Mason Miller is likely to stay put in San Diego past the trade deadline. Lin also mentions that A.J. Preller has continued to indicate to other executives that he hopes to be in a position to buy at the deadline. Robert Murray of FanSided touched on the topic as well, saying that the Padres would need to be “blown away” by an offer to trade Miller. This may seem obvious, but it at least sounds like Preller and his team don’t have Miller as “untouchable” and are willing to hear out offers. The Padres’ front office might change its mind suddenly if a desperate offer is put on the table, or if the team continues to free-fall in the NL Wild Card race.

With a crucial stretch of games for the Padres over the next few weeks, it’s almost certain that Mason Miller will be discussed heavily until the trade deadline officially hits on August 3rd at 3:00 PM PT. Expect Preller to wait to the last minute to pull the trigger on any large trades. The deals that brought Juan Soto and Mason Miller to San Diego were both made on the days of their trade deadlines.

Miller is a difference maker in the regular season and even more so in the postseason. If San Diego’s starting pitching continues to be an issue and weighs down their record, Mason Miller is a chip that can be moved to bring on the next young premium starting pitcher that the organization desperately needs.

Angel Flores

Angel grew up a San Diego sports fan, following the Padres, SDSU athletics, San Diego FC, as well as the Chargers. He is currently a third year community college student, and will transfer to SDSU to pursue a career in Journalism.