The Padres may be heading toward a trade deadline sell-off, but the biggest name in their bullpen might not be going anywhere.
San Diego is sitting 4.0 games back in the NL Wild Card, and if the club slips further before the deadline, CBS Sports’ Mike Axisa expects the Padres to become sellers. Even so, his read on the situation is that Mason Miller will stay put.
“My next bold prediction says yes, the Padres will sell, but they won't go all the way and trade all-world reliever Mason Miller," Axisa writes. "Rental relievers Jason Adam and Adrian Morejon will be dealt, maybe even Michael King, but Miller will stay put."
That would be a notable twist, considering how often Miller’s name has surfaced in trade chatter over the past few weeks. If the Padres do decide to move pieces, the bullpen figures to be the center of attention, and Miller has been the headline arm in those rumors.
Still, there’s a strong case for San Diego holding onto him. Miller is under club control through the 2029 season, and the Padres already paid a steep price to land him at the 2025 MLB trade deadline. With that kind of control, there’s no real rush to move him.
And he’s backed up the hype this season. Miller owns a 0.84 ERA with 26 saves and 2.5 bWAR in 41 outings, striking out 79 batters in 42.2 innings. Right now, he looks like the best closer in baseball.
That’s why a deal would not be a shock, especially if A.J. Preller gets an offer big enough to justify moving him just a year after acquiring him from the Athletics. But Axisa’s prediction points to a different kind of deadline for San Diego: one where the Padres can cash in on expiring pieces, maybe even some offense, and still keep Miller around for 2027 and beyond.
For now, the path is clear. If the Padres sell, Miller doesn’t have to be part of the cleanup.
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