The Yankees may soon find themselves shopping for a closer, and if they go big, Mason Miller is the kind of arm that changes the conversation.
David Bednar is headed toward free agency after converting 35 of his 39 saves, and if he rejects the qualifying offer and lands elsewhere, New York would need to move on quickly. That fallback option could come with a steep price, though. The Padres’ Miller is being viewed as a possible target, and he’s been labeled the most dominant closer in the Majors.
FanSided’s John Perrotto said he spoke with “multiple baseball sources” about teams that could check in on Miller, and the Yankees were among the clubs named. His idea has New York sending right-handers Elmer Rodriguez and Carlos Lagrange, plus shortstop Dax Kilby, to San Diego.
“The Padres could plug the two 23-year-old pitchers into their rotation next season to try to reach the postseason for a fourth consecutive year. At the same time, the 19-year-old Kilby is a longer-term play,” he wrote.
Rodriguez fits as the most obvious piece in the deal, given the Yankees’ abundance of starting pitching. Lagrange is a trickier case.
The Yankees shifted him to the bullpen at Triple-A in June, and his long-term role still isn’t settled. With his power stuff, he could eventually profile as a high-end closer himself.
Kilby would give the Padres a different kind of upside. He has stood out at Single-A and in the Arizona Fall League, and in the Florida State League he totaled 12 steals while drawing more walks, 39, than strikeouts, 31, across 154 plate appearances.
The Yankees are fond of all three prospects, but Miller is a rare talent, and he was almost impossible to hit in 2026.
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Padres Face An Offseason Rotation Problem That Could Define This Roster
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A.J. Preller has long shown a willingness to push chips in when he sees a window, but the path to upgrading this staff looks harder than it has in the past. With so many prospects already moved in previous deals, the Padres do not have many obvious pieces left to use for a young starter, leaving the front office to find a way to refresh the rotation without the kind of trade capital it once had. [Read more 🡒]