Oakland Athletics and San Diego Padres deal assessment: Padres score big with decisive trade, Athletics secure top prospect coming back
San Diego Padres Acquire All-Star Pitcher Mason Miller from Oakland Athletics
In a move aimed at bolstering their pitching staff, the San Diego Padres have acquired All-Star right-hander Mason Miller and veteran lefty JP Sears from the Oakland Athletics in a trade that took place on July 31, 2023.
Mason Miller, a hard-throwing reliever, brings exceptional velocity and elite strikeout ability to the Padres. His fastball averages 101.1 mph, and his slider has generated more than 50% whiffs this season. Miller averages 14 strikeouts per nine innings, a testament to his dominance on the mound.
Despite his impressive stats, Miller's usage as a reliever rather than a starter is primarily due to his past injury history, which includes shoulder and elbow issues. The Padres are expected to use Miller as a high-leverage setup man behind closer Robert Suarez for the remainder of the 2025 season. The team is cautious about immediately making Miller the closer due to the adjustments he must make after coming from a non-contending team to a playoff contender.
JP Sears, on the other hand, is a fly-ball pitcher who generates just 28.2% grounders to date. However, he has a three-pitch mix: a low-90s four-seamer, a sweeper, and a changeup. Sears is under team control through the 2028 season, making him a potential long-term fit at the back of San Diego's rotation.
The Athletics received shortstop prospect Leo De Vries and three right-handed pitchers: Braden Nett, Henry Baez, and Eduarniel Núñez in the trade. De Vries, 18, has hit .245/.357/.410 with reasonable strikeout (19.6%) and walk (14.1%) rates. Braden Nett, 23, has spent this season in Double-A, accumulating a 3.39 ERA and a 2.53 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 74 innings. Henry Baez, 22, has compiled a 1.96 ERA and a 2.87 strikeout-to-walk ratio across 20 starts in Double-A.
Eduarniel Núñez, 26, has appeared in four games this season at the big-league level and has a wretched history of throwing strikes. The Athletics turned a volatile reliever and a non-tender candidate into one of baseball's top prospects, Leo De Vries, in a move that is considered risky by some, as it involves shipping off one of baseball's top prospects.
Miller is under team control through the 2029 season, and the Padres may consider moving him back to the starting rotation eventually, balancing the potential high reward with the risks to his arm health from starting workloads. The Padres' lack of rotation depth combined with Miller's unique pitching tools makes this an enticing but challenging option due to the injury risk. They could explore this transition once Miller has had time to settle into the team and the season.
With the addition of Miller and Sears, the Padres have solidified their pitching staff, providing a strong foundation for their pursuit of a World Series title in the coming seasons.
- The San Diego Padres' acquisition of Mason Miller generaly indicates a bid to strengthen their pitching staff for the upcoming season and beyond.
- The news of the Mason Miller deal between the Padres and Oakland Athletics has sent ripples through the professional baseball community, especially the MLB.
- In a move that could significantly impact the MLB game's outcome, the Padres have added a potential win-maker in Mason Miller, a highly skilled pitcher known for his high strikeout rates.
- Junior sports fans eagerly follow the MLB game are in for a treat as San Diego Padres' latest acquisition, Mason Miller, is set to make a mark in the junior baseball leagues with his exceptional pitching skills.
- With the addition of Mason Miller and JP Sears, the Padres' baseball squad is poised to secure a competitive edge during the rest of the 2025 season and beyond.
- The MLB season just got more exciting as one of its top prospects, Mason Miller, gears up to make his debut with a playoff contender, the San Diego Padres.
