A's Haven't Needed a Closer Since Trade with San Diego Padres
In this story:
At the time the Athletics traded Mason Miller to the San Diego Padres, he'd racked up 38 1/3 innings for the green and gold, posting a 3.76 ERA. The question at hand was how valuable a high-end closer that had logged under 40 innings at the end of July has to a team that is out of the postseason race, compared to how a team like the Padres would value him.
While the A's weren't actively shopping Miller, when the Padres offered up the No. 3 prospect in baseball as part of a package, the team had to listen. On the morning of the deadline, the A's and Padres decided to make the trade official, with the A's landing Leo De Vries and a few pitching prospects, and San Diego landing Miller and JP Sears.
In August, the A's and Padres have similar records, with San Diego going 9-5 and the A's going 8-6 thus far. The A's don't really need a lights-out closer the rest of this season, and they've had a knack for finding ninth inning arms the past couple of decades, moving guys in and out every few years.
Since the trade, the A's have had all of one save situation on their schedule, which came last Sunday against the Baltimore Orioles. Trailing 2-1 entering the top of the ninth, the A's scored twice to take a 3-2 lead, and decided to leave right-hander Elvis Alvarado in the game since manager Mark Kotsay liked how he was throwing the ball.
The A's secured the win.
The only other game that a closer may have been necessary is the 2-1 loss to the Washington Nationals, which was a walk-off win for the Nats. The clubs entered the ninth tied 1-1, and with the A's on the road, it's tough to say that Miller would have been used there, unless he hadn't been used often leading up to the game. It's also impossible to say whether the A's would have won that game, or just prolonged it.
There are still weeks left in the season, so there will be plenty of time for the A's to need a firm hold on the ninth inning in order to secure as many wins as possible. But at the same time, the rest of this season is about development and building up for next season. Not all progress is a straight line, so there may be some bumps along the way.
The next few weeks will also present the A's with an opportunity to see who they may be able to rely upon in 2026. The club will presumably make an addition or two to the bullpen mix during the offseason, but what roles they're looking to fill with those additions could be determined in the coming weeks.
While trading Mason Miller certainly isn't a move you want to see too often, they did land a premier prospect in baseball in the trade, along with some arms that can help them as soon as next year. The deal received mixed reviews initially, but the final verdict won't be available for at least a few years.
Jason has been covering the A’s at various sites for over a decade, and was the original host of the Locked on A’s podcast. He also covers the Stanford Cardinal as they attempt to rebuild numerous programs to prominence.
Follow byjasonb