If the Yankees want Mason Miller, they may have to swallow a contract they’d rather never see on their books.
That’s the twist in this deadline idea: San Diego could be willing to talk about its elite closer, but only if it can solve another problem at the same time. The Padres would love to shed long-term payroll, and that opens the door for Xander Bogaerts to become part of the conversation.
Bogaerts’ deal is the kind of commitment that can handcuff a front office. It runs for $280 million total, pays him about $25.45 million per year, and stretches from 2023 all the way through the 2033 season, when he’ll be in his age-40 campaign.
San Diego expected him to be a cornerstone when it signed him before the 2023 season. Instead, the contract has become a financial burden, especially with so many other long-term commitments already on the Padres’ payroll.
That’s why a Miller deal could require more than a prospect haul. If the Padres are serious about moving Bogaerts, attaching him to a premium arm like Miller might be the cleanest way to do it.
For the Yankees, though, that doesn’t make the price any easier. They’d still likely have to part with multiple high-end young players even if they take on the contract. Names like Dax Kilby, Elmer Rodriguez, Carlos LaGrange, and Spencer Jones could all come up, and San Diego would probably push for two or three players from New York’s top-10 prospect list on top of the payroll relief.
That’s a heavy ask, but Miller isn’t just any reliever. He’s the kind of closer who can change the shape of a bullpen for years, and those arms never come cheap.
So the Yankees are left with a familiar deadline question: how much future are they willing to give up for a real shot at the present? If they think Miller is the missing piece for multiple World Series runs, taking on Bogaerts’ contract may be the price.
In Other News...
Padres Just Pushed Ethan Salas Into A Much Bigger Moment
Ethan Salas is moving up again, with the Padres promoting the young catcher to Triple-A El Paso after a strong Double-A season. It is another sign that San Diego still sees the 18-year-old as a major part of its future, and it comes at a time when the organization is sorting through its long-term roster picture with the trade deadline closing in.
A.J. Preller has already made clear that Salas belongs in the conversation about what comes next for the Padres, even as the front office weighs every possible avenue to improve the club now. The promotion only adds to the intrigue around a prospect who has climbed quickly, because the next step in his development is arriving just as San Diegos bigger decisions are starting to come into focus. [Read more 🡒]
Padres May Be Eyeing Another Preller Deadline Swing With Yankees
The Padres are once again doing what A.J. Prellers front office tends to do this time of year: casting a wide net and checking on a club with enough talent to make almost any deadline conversation interesting. According to the report, San Diego has had scouts stationed at multiple levels of the Yankees minor league system, a sign the Padres are not just tracking one name but trying to build a fuller picture of what New York might be willing to move.
That kind of coverage leaves plenty of room for different kinds of deals, from prospect-heavy returns to more immediate help or even larger multi-player swaps if the two sides line up. The Padres and Yankees have already shown they can navigate complicated trade talks, and San Diegos history with New York includes the seven-player Juan Soto deal that reshaped both organizations, so this is the sort of deadline link that bears watching closely. [Read more 🡒]
One Padres Contract Lesson Still Stings Because The Player Held Control
No-trade clauses are one of the few levers in baseball that can still shift power toward the player, and the Mets situation is a reminder of how much leverage that can create when big names are involved. Francisco Lindor and Bo Bichette are among the players who can control where they go, which is exactly why these clauses remain such a valued negotiating chip even as many clubs try to avoid them.
San Diego has seen the downside before. Eric Hosmers clause became part of a messy trade path for the Padres, with the kind of player control that can force a front office to keep adjusting its plans when a move starts to come together. The Braves have taken the opposite approach by refusing to hand out that protection, and the contrast helps explain why these clauses still matter so much when a team is trying to navigate a deal that is never fully in its own hands. [Read more 🡒]