The San Diego Padres are always a compelling team at the trade deadline, and this year is no different. After completing a sweep of the Mets on Wednesday night, star outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. was asked what the team’s recent run of play said to the folks upstairs running the business side of things.
“They better get us help,” Tatis said. “We’re going for it, and we’re gonna keep playing good baseball.”
It didn’t take long for the San Diego front office to answer the call. On Thursday, the team pulled off a blockbuster deal, sending four prospects to the Athletics in exchange for closer Mason Miller and starting pitcher JP Sears, according to a report from ESPN’s Jeff Passan. On the other side of the deal, the Athletics land two of the Padres’ top three prospects in shortstop Leodalis De Vries and righty Braden Nett, as well as two more potential future arms in Henry Báez and Eduarniel Nuñez.
For the Padres, both Miller and Sears are help for the immediate and near future. Miller is under team control through 2029, and is having a spectacular year, posting a 1.02 WHIP and a 13.9 K/9 while converting on 20 of 23 save opportunities.
Additionally, Miller gives San Diego some flexibility for how they handle the next few hours before the deadline. The Padres were rumored to have been willing to part with All-Star closer Robert Suarez, and with Miller now on the roster might be more inclined to do so, though they could also opt to keep both pitchers and carry an elite bullpen into the stretch run of the season. Sears, a back-of-rotation starter, could also give the Padres some wiggle room should they move forward on a deal that sends Dylan Cease to a new home in the majors.
But while the deal has its advantages for the Padres over the next few months, the payoff for the Athletics in the longterm could be huge. De Vries is ranked as the No. 3 prospect in all of baseball, and now looks likely to be a top jersey seller whenever the A’s finally complete their move to Las Vegas, and all three pitchers they netted in the deal could prove valuable arms down the line.
We might be able to paing a fuller picture of the Padres after a few more deadline deals, but as things stand, this round goes in favor of the A’s future. San Diego have pushed their chips to the center of the table. If they win the hand, no one will question the move, but that remains to be seen.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Mason Miller Trade Grades: Padres Push Their Chips to the Center of the Table.
