Proposed Baltimore Orioles Deal Sends Mayo and More for Lockdown Reliever

A Baltimore Orioles trade proposal would send one of their highly-ranked prospects for an un-hittable closer.

Apr 26, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Oakland Athletics pitcher Mason Miller (19) | Reggie Hildred-USA TODAY Sports

After making a massive move in the offseason to land Corbin Burnes, what does the Baltimore Orioles front office have in store for the fans heading into the trade deadline? With the struggles of Craig Kimbrel, there's one clear need for the front office this deadline, which is none other than a closer.

Mason Miller of the Oakland Athletics has been historically good this year, putting up one of the best seasons as a relief pitcher in the history of the game. If he continues pitching the way he has, this season will be remembered for a very long time around baseball.

The question remains as to whether the Athletics would trade him. It doesn't necessarily make a ton of sense for them to move him considering he's under club control through 2029, but if one front office has done things their fan base doesn't want them to do, it's Oakland.

Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report put together a deal that'd send Miller to the Orioles, proposing a deal that moves star prospect Coby Mayo. Baltimore would receive Miller and the Athletics would get back Mayo and Enrique Bradfield Jr.

"It would be a solid deal for Oakland, albeit one that leans more toward "quality" than "quantity." And since there's a question of whether his bat will play in the majors, Bradfield isn't a sure thing even by prospect standards," Rymer wrote.

It's uncertain if the front office would be willing to move Mayo in a deal for a reliever and it's also uncertain if Oakland would even consider this deal.

To put his season in perspective, Miller has a negative FIP, which is unheard of. His ERA+ of 400 is crazier than any video game-like numbers the world has ever seen.

In 18 1/3 innings pitched, the third-round pick in the 2021 MLB Draft has posted a 0.98 ERA with 38 strikeouts.