The Padres may have the kind of trade chip that changes the entire deadline conversation, and it starts with Mason Miller.
San Diego is sitting at 48-48, 3.5 games out of the final wild-card spot in the National League, and the next few weeks will go a long way toward determining whether president of baseball operations A.J. Preller pushes in or pivots toward selling before the Aug. 3 trade deadline.
If the Padres stay in the race, the thinking goes, Preller could chase upgrades. If they slip, the focus could shift to dealing from a farm system that has already been thinned by a string of major moves.
That’s where Miller comes in. The star closer has emerged as the organization’s most valuable trade piece, and the New York Yankees have been floated as a possible landing spot. New York needs a closer, and the kind of package it could put together would be the sort of return that might tempt San Diego.
Miller addressed the buzz during the All-Star Game, including the Yankees chatter, and he didn’t sound rattled by it.
“It’s a compliment,” Miller said of the reported Yankees interest. “They’re a very good team, and they’re interested in good players.”
There’s also one detail that could matter if the Yankees ever got serious.
“It’s a big city," Miller said. "I can’t say I’m a big city guy."
Miller has made it clear he likes San Diego and would be open to an extension, but nothing has come together on that front yet. He remains under team control for three more years before reaching free agency in 2030.
On the field, he has been everything the Padres could ask for and then some. In 38 appearances, Miller owns a 0.91 ERA and has converted all 25 of his save chances. He has been the anchor at the back of the bullpen.
Preller, for his part, didn’t shut down the possibility of moving him.
“Obviously, Mason is the best in the game. So you’re always going to have people that are going to be interested in somebody that’s the best in their craft and at what they do," Preller said.
The Padres would rather keep Miller, especially after acquiring him last summer. But if the season tilts further in the wrong direction, his value could make him the type of move that helps San Diego build for what comes next.
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