Mason Miller Believes Padres Could Trade Him Under One Condition

Mason Miller didn't expect to be traded last year.

While there were rumors about the Athletics potentially moving off of one of baseball's best young pitchers with tons of team control, it didn't appear to be a real possibility.

Then, hours before MLB's trade deadline, the San Diego Padres gave the Athletics an offer they couldn't refuse.

A year later, Miller finds himself in a similar position. He doesn't expect to be traded. The Padres likely don't want to move him.

However, could there be a situation in which the Padres ultimately move baseball's best reliever?

"It’s like, if somebody wants to give up the world to get me, I’m sure that it has to be a yes," Miller said.

What would that look like? Miller doesn't really know.

“Everybody looked at [last year's trade] as a big prospect haul; kind of setting the bar, if you will,” Miller said. “Everybody has different ways of valuing and evaluating talent too. It’s a pretty hard thing to do.

“A closer is valuable on a good team. It’s less valuable on a team that’s not as good.”

The Padres aren't exactly a good team this year. They're not a bad one either.

Their record of 55-53 has them in the thick of the wild-card race in the National League. Their run differential of minus-18 suggests they shouldn't be this good. Their expected win-loss record is 52-56.

However, after a five-game winning streak, the Padres appear to be clear buyers ahead of Monday's trade deadline. And if they plan on competing and making a postseason push, they almost certainly can't afford to lose Miller.

Miller, who has three more years of team control after this season, has turned into baseball's best closer in his first full season in San Diego.

The right-handed flamethrower has allowed just four earned runs over 45.2 innings for a minuscule 0.79 ERA. He has 85 strikeouts, a 525 ERA+ and is a perfect 28-for-28 in save opportunities.

Essentially, when the Padres have a lead going into the ninth inning, they're going to win the game. That is invaluable in the stretch run and the postseason.

Thus, it's hard to imagine the Padres moving Miller, even if he could help fill numerous holes across the roster.

And at the end of the day, Miller appears as if he wants to remain in San Diego.

Earlier this year, Miller told Padres On SI that he was open to signing a long-term extension to remain in San Diego. He discussed his love for the city, something that has only grown over the last few months.

“I love it here," Miller told Padres On SI in April. "My wife and I love it here. It’s really just a special place from a city perspective, but also just the stadium and the fans. It’s a beautiful place to play."

He said to reporters this week: "We do like it here."

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