Mason Miller's availability for WBC final is now a Padres subplot worth tracking

Team USA manager Mark DeRosa has found himself in yet another conundrum at the World Baseball Classic. However, this one is much more lax, at least for now.

With the United States reaching the WBC championship game on Tuesday, March 17, one major question looming for Padres fans — and all baseball lovers — is whether star reliever Mason Miller will be deployed in the championship. The easy answer is "Well yes, he has to pitch! He is the team's best option!" But the ultimate verdict is not so easy to reach considering how much Miller has already thrown at the World Baseball Classic, particularly in high-leverage moments.

We will continue to speculate whether it is worth Team USA using Miller one more time or not. DeRosa and his coaching staff still have not made a decision, so we will consider all angles of Miller tossing in the championship.

Does Team USA turn to Padres star Mason Miller in the championship at the World Baseball Classic?

The first point to consider here: Mason Miller pitching in the final. This is the easy one, right? Miller has all the make-up of being the best reliever in the world. He throws hard. He has elite stuff. He is also consistent.

So why wouldn't DeRosa use his best relief option one more time? If the worry is putting him in another stressful position, like maybe the ninth inning in a one-run game, then perhaps they can deploy Miller in the middle innings when his adrenaline isn't running at an all-time high. Miller is, after all, able to pitch in any situation. He doesn't have to be reserved for the most stressful part of the game, especially so early in the calendar year when we're just getting pitchers fully ramped up for the regular season. This route could make everyone happy.

And there comes our second point. Maybe in the eyes of the decision-makers at Padres' camp, they would rather not see Miller pitch again in this tournament. He just tossed in the semifinal game on Sunday night, marking his fourth appearance of the World Baseball Classic. These are all, presumably, meaningful games for these players, which tells us that they are going to give it 100 percent when out on the mound. Appearing in one more game could be too large of a load for Miller, given that we are in the middle of March.

He threw 22 pitches on Sunday against the Dominican Republic following an 18-pitch outing in the quarterfinals against Canada. Miller also handed in 10 pitches against Italy and 23 against Brazil. So that is 73 pitches across four innings for Miller, which dates from March 6-15. Is that too many pitches in high-leverage spots for Miller so early in the year?

Some may say yes, that Miller has done enough and he should recharge before the regular season. Others will say no, that Miller is a professional athlete who can unleash 10-20 more pitches in a championship game. Unfortunately, this decision is a losing game for DeRosa. He won't appease everyone.