Padres' Mason Miller trade may not have been worth it after insider's deadline reveal

At one point prior to the trade deadline, the Padres were overtly interested in Steven Kwan. The Cleveland Guardians All-Star was one of several names on the team who were likely to be traded, but Kwan somehow stayed put in the middle of the club's 2025 collapse.

According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Padres and Guardians were making some headway on a potential trade, but one other major move by the Friars turned this deal sour, taking Kwan off the table.

Padres trade for Guardians' Steven Kwan went south after San Diego acquired Mason Miller

The Padres made a tremendous splash before the deadline, acquiring Athletics star reliever Mason Miller. Being one of the best arms in the game, Miller came with a hefty price tag. The Padres had to trade away their best prospect (No. 3 overall in baseball) in Leo De Vries, along with several other top-end prospects.

Unfortunately for the Guardians, De Vries was the nucleus of the potential trade for Kwan. Once De Vries was dealt, Cleveland essentially lost all interest in giving away their star left fielder.

Who could blame the Guardians, though? De Vries is hailed by several executives as being a future sure-fire star of the league, so letting a current All-Star go in exchange for him felt like no risk was being taken. The Guardians still wind up as losers of the deadline. While they still have Kwan, the team around him is struggling, and there is no sense in keeping him in the middle of this horrid stretch. For San Diego, was acquiring Miller worth it based on the knowledge we have now?

Still, the Padres arguably prevail as winners of the deadline (for now). On top of acquiring a flame-thrower in Miller, they managed to add two reliable pieces in left field in Ramon Laureano and Ryan O'Hearn, who are already contributing to a surging Padres squad. Friars fans won't lose sleep over missing out on Kwan, so as long that these guys contribute, and Miller continues to dominate.