3 Padres More Likely to Be Traded Than Mason Miller Before Deadline

The San Diego Padres are going to be buyers ahead of Monday's trade deadline.

Thanks to a five-game winning streak and six wins in seven games, San Diego is 56-54, just one game back of the Philadelphia Phillies for the third and final wild-card spot in the National League. Even more impressive, they're just two games back of the Arizona Diamondbacks for the second wild-card.

The Padres are in prime position to make a postseason push, and truly have just one clear hole on their roster: starting pitching.

How they'll ultimately acquire that pitching help, however, is a different story.

The Padres have arguably the worst-ranked farm system in Major League Baseball. While president of baseball operations AJ Preller has always found ways to be creative, it's currently unclear if he has the prospect capital to get things done.

Thus, the Padres could end up trading from their biggest strength — the bullpen — to plug their biggest holes before 3 p.m. PT on Aug. 3.

While Mason Miller would be by far the team's best trade chip, he's looking increasingly unlikely to be moved amid the team's hot streak. The All-Star closer is a perfect 28-for-28 in save opportunities and has single-handedly shortened games for San Diego.

Other players in the bullpen, however, don't appear so safe.

According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, there are three relievers who the Padres are "more likely to trade" than Miller in the coming days.

"The Pads are more likely to trade setup man Adrian Morejon, who’s a pending free agent, Jeremiah Estrada and ex-Yankee Wandy Peralta," Heyman wrote.

1. Adrian Morejon, LHP

Morejon, 27, has been one of the league's best breakout relievers over the last three years.

Since the start of the 2024 season, Morejon has made 185 appearances, sporting a 2.64 ERA with 205 strikeouts over 194.2 innings pitched.

He was an All-Star last year. He's turned into one of the game's best high-leverage lefties this year. His Baseball Savant page is full of red, indicating he's among the league's best pitchers in many advanced metrics.

With all that being said, Morejon is set to hit free agency at the end of this season, and will almost certainly be out of San Diego's price range. Thus, the team could look to get something for him now, potentially in the form of starting pitching help.

The New York Yankees are among the teams reportedly interested in Morejon.

2. Jeremiah Estrada, RHP

Estrada, 27, has had an injury-riddled season with two extended stints on the injured list. When healthy, he has a 3.32 ERA with 26 strikeouts over 21.2 innings.

Since joining the Padres ahead of the 2024 season, Estrada has developed into one of the game's most consistent relievers, sporting a 3.24 ERA with 228 strikeouts over 155.2 innings.

While not as dominant as Morejon, he's entering his first year of arbitration eligibility this offseason, giving him tons of team control.

3. Wandy Peralta, LHP

Peralta, 35, is a journeyman reliever who joined the Padres in the Juan Soto trade from the New York Yankees.

Over his nearly three seasons in San Diego, he has a 3.39 ERA across 164.2 innings.

Peralta, like Morejon, is set to hit free agency after this season. While he's been great for the Padres this year, they have plenty of left-handed relief options (Morejon, Yuki Matsui and Kyle Hart) making him arguably the most likely to go.

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