Padres Could Trade Mason Miller and One AL Exec Just Summed Up Why

The San Diego Padres are hitting a familiar crossroads. They’re struggling. The trade deadline is August 3. And rival executives are starting to whisper about one guy who might actually get moved: Mason Miller.

So here’s the thing. The Padres just traded for Miller around this time last year. But the team’s current slide has folks around the league wondering if San Diego flips him again. According to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, multiple rival execs think it’s at least a conversation worth having inside the Padres’ front office.

“They have to consider it if they keep playing like this,” one National League executive told Feinsand. “They won’t get De Vries-type value back for him, but they’ll still do well if they trade him.”

That De Vries reference stings. Miller went from Oakland to San Diego in a monster deal last deadline. The Padres shipped out Leodalis De Vries — who’s currently MLB’s No. 2 overall prospect — along with right-handers Braden Nett, Henry Baez, and Eduarniel Nunez. All that for Miller and lefty JP Sears.

But the market might not give them that same haul back. Another NL exec pointed out that the Padres’ aggressive style under A.J. Preller is rare. Not every team operates that way.

“I think they would really have to slide in order to move him,” that exec said. “I’m not sure they would be able to recoup the prospect level they acquired him for last deadline, since there are few teams that are as aggressive as Preller at the deadline.”

An American League executive essentially said the same thing, only more bluntly: “There’s not another A.J. out there willing to give up that much value.” Still, that same exec admitted Miller should draw a serious return if he’s on the block.

Here’s where it gets tricky for San Diego. One NL executive estimated Miller would likely command two Top 100 prospects, or maybe one Top 100 guy plus a couple of players in the organization’s own Top 10. Which sounds good on paper. But that same exec added, “I’m not sure [the Padres] would feel it would be worth it.” In other words, the gamble might not pay off compared to keeping a 27-year-old closer who could anchor the back end of their bullpen for a while.

Miller isn’t a rental either. He’s under team control beyond this season. That makes him more valuable, but it also makes him harder to part with if the Padres think they can turn things around. The front office hasn’t tipped its hand publicly, but the next two weeks will tell the story.

If San Diego keeps losing, Preller might have to decide whether selling Miller is a reset or just another risky bet. And right now, nobody seems sure which way that coin will land.