The Padres have never been shy about moving prospects when the big-league roster needs a boost, and last year’s deadline deal was as aggressive as it gets. San Diego sent shortstop Leo De Vries, then the top prospect in baseball, plus right-handers Braden Nett, Henry Baez and Eduarniel Nunez to the Athletics for All-Star closer Mason Miller and left-hander JP Sears on July 31, with the Padres sitting at 60-49.
Miller immediately gave San Diego exactly what it wanted. In 22 appearances covering 23.1 innings, he posted a 0.77 ERA, a 0.73 WHIP, a 550 ERA+, a 1.12 FIP and two saves while working behind closer Robert Suarez.
The Padres went 30-23 over their final 53 games to finish 90-72 and grab a wild card berth, then lost to the Chicago Cubs in three games in the National League Wild Card Series. Miller was still every bit the weapon in October, striking out eight of the nine batters he faced across 2.2 innings and turning in a minus-1.74 FIP.
That’s the backdrop for De Vries’ latest reminder that the A’s didn’t just get a throw-in. The 19-year-old, now Major League Baseball’s No. 2 prospect, put on a show in the MLB All-Star Futures Game on Saturday and, for stretches, looked like the best player on the field.
He opened with a single to left, then quickly swiped second and third before scoring on a groundout to put the American League in front. After the game, he explained the aggressive baserunning through a translator: “I said I was going to steal second and third because I could see the pitches from the catcher,” De Vries said.
De Vries struck out in his second at-bat and was taken out in the fourth inning, but the performance only added to the buzz around a teenager who keeps producing despite the weight of being the centerpiece of a blockbuster trade. ESPN’s Jorge Castillo reported that De Vries has not carried that kind of pressure, and De Vries echoed that mindset plainly.
“I've never felt any pressure,” said De Vries. “This is about playing the game.
This is what we do. We're professionals.
What happens off the field, we don't control. We have to go out, have fun, play the game.
That's what we can control.”
He is one of only three teenagers currently in Double-A, alongside Jesus Made and Ethan Salas. For now, the trade looks like it can be framed as a win-win: the Padres got the late-inning force they wanted, and the Athletics have a 19-year-old star prospect continuing to rise.
In Other News...
Nick Pivetta's Injury Could Create A Bigger Padres Problem Than Expected
The Padres rotation has been thin all season, and the latest concern around Nick Pivetta only adds to the pressure on a staff that has already spent time without Randy Vsquez and Joe Musgrove. Pivettas absence has lingered long enough to matter on the field, and his recent bullpen work at least suggests he is moving in the right direction as San Diego tries to stabilize a starting group that has been patched together for much of the year.
Still, the timing around his return is carrying more weight than a typical rehab update. Pivetta is working back from a strained flexor tendon in his forearm, and the longer he stays on the injured list, the more complicated the situation becomes for the Padres. A late-August return is still in play, but any setback could push that back and leave the club waiting on a pitcher whose recovery now has both baseball and roster implications. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Draft Pick Just Won Over Fans With One Dodgers Shot
The Padres latest draft addition is already giving fans a glimpse of the edge that can play in San Diego. Right-hander Coleman Borthwick, taken out of South Walton High School in Florida, arrived with the kind of rsum that turns heads on its own after a senior season built on command, swing-and-miss stuff and an award-winning finish at the top of the prep game in his state.
What made the first impression even better was the tone he brought to his opening press conference, where his excitement about joining the Padres and taking on the Dodgers came through loud and clear. For a fan base that lives and breathes the rivalry, that kind of confidence goes a long way, and it adds another layer to a prospect whose development will now be watched closely as he begins the next step of his career. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Rotation Looks More Dangerous Than Fans Realize Without Michael King
The Padres have spent much of the season leaning on a bullpen that has held up far better than the rotation in front of it, but the starting group has quietly become one of the clubs biggest concerns. San Diegos starters have struggled to work deep into games and rank near the bottom of the league in several key categories, a reminder that the teams margin for error is thinner than it looks when the relief corps keeps bailing things out.
Michael King has been the one starter who has consistently given the Padres something close to stability, and that is exactly why his name figures to surface in deadline conversations. Moving him would not just subtract an arm, it would take away the rotations most reliable presence at a time when the rest of the group has not done enough to make up for it. [Read more 🡒]