Former Padres All-Star Closer Urges Mason Miller to Yankees Trade

Much of the talk around the San Diego Padres right now has been centered on what the team will do with closer Mason Miller.

With the MLB trade deadline now less than 10 days away, rumors have been swirling that San Diego is considering moving the star closer. Miller is easily the biggest trade chip that the Padres have to offer, and he could net the team multiple assets to better round out the roster.

Since the Padres are battling for a wild-card spot in the crowded National League, many people around baseball believe trading Miller is the correct move. This includes former Padres star closer Heath Bell, who wants to see the team move Miller for multiple pieces.

"You need to trade Mason Miller," Bell said. "You can get maybe a starter and another bat."

Bell understands that this roster has multiple holes to fill for the Padres to become real contenders, and trading Miller is one of the only ways to address the needs. Losing Miller would be tough to swallow for the Padres, but trading him now could help set this team up well down the line.

The New York Yankees have been the team most heavily linked to Miller in a trade, with New York needing more bullpen help. Bell wants to see Miller land in New York, potentially with the Padres also shedding some salary with the contract of infielder Xander Bogaerts.

"If I was going to do something, I would try to trade with the Yankees and see if they would take Xander Bogaerts and Mason Miller and give me a starter," Bell said.

It has already been reported that San Diego could move Miller to get off the long-term contract that Bogaerts has. His 11-year, $280 million contract still has seven more years left on it following the conclusion of the 2026 season.

San Diego owes Bogaerts $24.5 million every season. Whether the Yankees or another team would be willing to take on his deal is another story.

However, if Miller is included, a team like the Yankees may be more willing to pull the trigger on adding Bogaerts' deal to the payroll.

The Padres will look for the best trade package if they do end up moving Miller, and the Yankees could be a solid trade partner. New York has multiple top prospects that it could offer San Diego, including George Lombard Jr., Elmer Rodríguez or Carlos Lagrange.

Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller has been good at getting value in trades, so the veteran executive could look to maximize a return here. But whether Preller actually moves Miller remains to be seen, and it'll be something to watch ahead of the Aug. 3 deadline.

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