One powerhouse team is apparently hoping that the San Diego Padres’ slide continues.
The New York Yankees would “love” to trade for Padres star reliever Mason Miller, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported this week. Heyman adds though that the Yankees would likely keep top infield prospect George Lombard Jr. off the table in any such negotiations for Miller.
Miller, the 27-year-old righty, is the best reliever in baseball right now. With an elite combination of velocity and movement, Miller just made his second career All-Star team this year on the strength of a 0.91 ERA, a 0.78 WHIP, an MLB-leading 25 saves, and an absurd 16.3 K/9.
But the Padres have not been having the season that they were hoping for. At 48-48, they have virtually no chance of winning the division and are 3.5 games back of the final Wild Card spot in the NL.
Miller, who is under contract through 2029, is by far the single most valuable asset on the San Diego roster right now. Though the Padres recently cast doubt on the chances of moving Miller ahead of the Aug. 3 trade deadline, they will have to consider every possibility if they continue to struggle in the standings.
As for the Yankees, they occupy the first AL Wild Card spot at 54-42 and are currently relying on 2027 free agent David Bednar (who has a passable 2.70 ERA and 18 saves this season) as their closer. Thus, Miller figures to be a top target for New York at the deadline along with this other All-Star on the opposite side of the ball.
