Is Mason Miller on the trade block? That’s the question teams around Major League Baseball want answered.
The San Diego Padres reliever is the best closer in baseball, sporting a 0.86 ERA with 78 strikeouts across 41.2 innings pitched this season. Miller has accrued a 2.1 bWAR in 2026, but his success has been overshadowed by the struggles of his team.
The Padres are three games below .500 and 15 games behind the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West. With the trade deadline quickly approaching, president of baseball operations A.J. Preller will have to decide whether to keep or part ways with their closer.
Robert Murray of Fansided reports the Padres are unlikely to trade Miller.
However, that doesn’t mean Preller won’t listen to interested teams. The Padres essentially gutted their farm system to acquire the coveted Miller from the Athletics last summer, so the offer would need to be enticing enough for Preller to deal the 27-year-old just a year later.
The Padres sent their No. 1 prospect Leo De Vries to the Athletics in addition to three other minor league players.
In Murray’s words, the Padres would “need to be blown away” in order to trade Miller.
Despite the rollercoaster season, San Diego is only 3.5 games shy of the final Wild Card spot. So, there’s a chance the Padres reach the playoffs. It’ll be up to Preller whether he wants to roll the dice, but as always, San Diego is expected to be active at the deadline.
What remains a mystery is the route the front office will choose to go this summer — buying or selling.
