When this desk last checked on the Padres’ deadline direction, San Diego was 46-48 and drifting. Four days later the picture has sharpened: the San Diego Padres reached the All-Star break at 48-48 after winning their last two, and general manager A.J. Preller has now addressed the trade chatter around his closer on the record.
“We’re going to go into the process open-minded to see what’s there and see what can help our club,” Preller said, per Sports Illustrated, adding that “all those things are on the table” ahead of the August 3 deadline.
Mason Miller is the reason anyone is asking. San Diego’s lone All-Star takes a 0.91 ERA, 25 saves and 72 strikeouts in 39.2 innings into tonight’s game in Philadelphia, with a 0.78 WHIP across 38 appearances — numbers that would headline any deadline in which he were actually available. Athlon Sports polled executives in both leagues and found broad agreement on two points: Miller would command a significant return, and the Padres are unlikely to make him available, with most expecting San Diego to buy unless the season deteriorates.
The standings support the executives’ read. At .500, San Diego sits 3.5 games out of the final NL wild-card spot with three weeks to the deadline — close enough that trading the best reliever in baseball would amount to abandoning a race the club is still in. The two wins heading into the break did not solve the offense, but they bought Preller the thing he clearly wants: time to let the next few series make the decision for him.
On the fantasy side, Miller is the most secure elite closer asset in the game right now. He would close anywhere he might conceivably be dealt, so even a worst-case trade scenario costs him nothing but a few days of adjustment — and if San Diego buys instead, the save chances only improve. Hold with confidence.
