Price for Mason Miller Has Scared Teams in Need of Relievers Off, per Report

The All-Star reliever was expected to be moved by the MLB trade deadline, but the asking price by the A's remains high.

Jul 10, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Oakland Athletics relief pitcher Mason Miller (19) delivers a pitch during the ninth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports / Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports

The Oakland Athletics are one of several teams expected to be sellers ahead of Major League Baseball's July 30 trade deadline, but the asking price of the A's for All-Star reliever Mason Miller remains sky-high, according to a report from ESPN's Jeff Passan.

The 25-year-old Miller has impressed in his first full season in the big leagues, earning an All-Star appearance thanks to his 2.21 ERA over 40.2 innings pitched, which includes 70 strikeouts and 15 saves for the cellar-dwelling A's. His strong performance this season has led many industry insiders to believe that Oakland would consider moving him, but his asking price has scared teams off.

"The ask for closer Mason Miller -- he of 70 strikeouts in 40 innings -- is so high that even teams who desperately need late-inning relief help are balking," Passan wrote.

That doesn't mean the A's won't move other assets ahead off their fledgling roster ahead of next week's trade deadline, as other members of Oakland's bullpen remain candidates to be traded, including Lucas Erceg, T.J. McFarland and Austin Adams.

Miller remains the top prize, but as long as his asking price remains as high as it is one week from the deadline, he may remain in Oakland.