The Sneaky Mason Miller Deal

Jason Burke | Jun 27, 2024

Jun 9, 2024; Oakland, California, USA; Oakland Athletics relief pitcher Mason Miller (19) gestures after the end of the top if the ninth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports / Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

This week there have been numerous reports that the Oakland Athletics' asking price in a potential Mason Miller deal is believed to be absurd, as it should be. The A's closer is still just 25 years old and won't even be arbitration eligible until the 2026 season. He won't hit free agency until after the 2029 campaign. Throw that amount of team control in with a 2.02 ERA and a 46.5% strikeout rate, and you have yourself a coveted, and expensive trade target.

The thing is, with the amount of team control attached to Miller, that just adds to the amount it would take to acquire his services.

The usual teams have been thrown out as potential fits all season long, from the New York Yankees to the Baltimore Orioles and the Philadelphia Phillies. Could they make that deal? Sure. Any team could if they antee up.

But the amount of team control Miller has could also bring some teams that aren't usually talked about in this space into the open, too. Miller is from the Pittsburgh area, and the Pirates are in the postseason hunt. Granted, it's in a crowded NL Wild Card picture, but adding Miller would be far from a rental. He could be that linchpin in the back of their bullpen for years to come, and could be a big piece that gets them back to playing games in October.

The question for the Pirates would be whether they'd want to trade away their prospect capital.

The same goes for another team on the rise, the Washington Nationals. The Nats are surprising some folks this year by not being at the bottom of the league as they were projected, and aren't too far off the Grimace-led New York Mets for third in the NL East.

The potential problem for the Nats would be that a deal for Miller would likely include a piece off the Major League roster. Someone like Jake Irvin, who in 16 starts holds a 3.13 ERA and is arguably the best starter on the staff. He's 27, which means there is potential for him being available, but he's also not arbitration eligible until the 2027 season and won't hit free agency until after the 2029 campaign. He would also be a starting point in trade discussions, not the whole package.

If the A's do end up trading Miller, it's going to be to a team that either has plenty of top-level prospects, or a club with a couple of top-50 prospects and a young, somewhat established controllable player on the big-league roster. If the A's decide to make this deal, they'll want to make sure to hit on each player they receive in return, because the only reason they'd make the deal is to get better overall.

It wouldn't be shocking that if a trade goes down, it would include a franchise that isn't quite at their competitive window just yet.

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