3 Mason Miller blockbuster trades Padres should actually consider

The Padres paid a monster price to acquire Mason Miller. One that many teams probably wouldn’t have. But sunk cost isn’t a roster-building strategy and the Padres need to find a way to reset for 2027.

Miller was the Friars lone All-Star, carrying a 0.78 ERA and 21 saves when the rosters were announced. He’s also under club control for three more seasons. That combination gives the Padres every right to demand an uncomfortable return.

If A.J. Preller moves him, these are three offers worth considering.

1. Padres trade Mason Miller to the Pirates

Pirates receive: Mason Miller
Padres receive: Jared Jones

We would love to see the Padres get a prospect haul from the Pirates. But they are one of those organizations that covets their development pool, and it would take a lot of convincing from Preller to get them to agree to a haul. So in this scenario there’s no six-player monstrosity. Just a clean exchange built around what each team needs.

Pittsburgh entered the second half in the Wild Card race despite carrying a 4.48 bullpen ERA, fourth-worst in the NL. Miller would immediately erase the Pirates’ biggest weakness.

The Padres get something more valuable to their current roster. Jones has already returned from internal-brace surgery and possesses the arsenal to pitch near the front of a rotation. The medical history carries risk, but that’s also what keeps this from becoming a lopsided demand.

Miller is the better pitcher today. Jones fills the more valuable role over a full season. 

Who says no? Pittsburgh. A potential Jones-Paul Skenes combination could anchor its rotation for years. The Pirates would have to believe Miller can transform them from an interesting Wild Card team into a genuine World Series threat. 

2. Padres trade Mason Miller to the Brewers

Brewers receive: Mason Miller
Padres receive: Logan Henderson, Jeferson Quero, Eric Bitonti

Milwaukee owns one of the deepest systems in baseball and has already contacted the Padres about Miller. If the Brewers are down to use their depth, this would be what it looks like. 

Henderson is the centerpiece. He owns a 3.05 ERA with a 31.8 percent strikeout rate, remains under club control through 2031 and could enter the Padre’s rotation immediately.

Quero gives the Padres a near-major-league catcher with a strong defensive reputation and everyday upside. Bitonti, currently Milwaukee’s No. 22 prospect, is the wild card: a 6-foot-5 left-handed hitter with experience at both corner-infield spots, substantial raw power and plenty of development remaining.

That makes the package appealing without becoming ridiculous. San Diego gets a starter, a catcher and a high-risk power bat.

Who says no? Milwaukee may argue that Henderson and Quero already represent enough controllable value and attempt to remove Bitonti. The Padres should hold firm. A lower-level third piece is reasonable when Miller comes with three additional postseason runs.

3. Padres trade Mason Miller and Xander Bogaerts to the Yankees

Yankees receive: Mason Miller, Xander Bogaerts
Padres receive: Ben Hess, Jace Avina

Yeah, okay let’s get dangerous here. This is not the simple and clean Miller trade. It’s San Diego using baseball’s best closer to escape one of its most restrictive commitments. Bogaerts is owed $175 million from 2027 through 2033. Moving that entire obligation would reopen the Padres’ payroll overnight.

The Padres would still receive two legitimate prospects. Hess, the Yankees’ No. 5 prospect, is a 6-foot-5 right-hander with starter traits and swing-and-miss stuff. Avina is a power-hitting Double-A outfielder whose stock has climbed during a productive season.

Neither carries Carlos Lagrange’s value or Spencer Jones ceiling, but that’s the point. We cannot ask New York to swallow the Bogaerts contract and surrender every premium prospect in its system.

The Yankees receive Miller as their long-term ninth-inning closer. Bogaerts is the extremely expensive cover charge. And to be fair, he’d have a nice time hitting in Yankee Stadium. 

Who says no? New York. The Yankees would probably demand that San Diego retain some salary or replace Avina with a lesser prospect. But if they want Miller badly, this is the kind of uncomfortable blockbuster that gets Preller on the phone.

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