Padres' Mason Miller Addresses Being Involved in Trade Rumors Ahead of Deadline

The Padres have been rumored to consider trading Mason Miller if the season continues to spiral.

Jul 7, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres relief pitcher Mason Miller (22) throws a pitch during the ninth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The San Diego Padres have been plagued with inconsistency all year long.

After a hot start to the year, the Padres have seen themselves completely fall in the standings. San Diego now sits 14 games back of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West division, while also being 4.5 games behind the final wild-card spot in the NL playoff race.

With the recent slide, there have been many around baseball who believe the Padres could elect to be sellers at the upcoming trade deadline. San Diego doesn't have many strong trade chips to use, but there have been rumors of the team considering moving star closer Mason Miller in recent days.

Miller has been one of the better pitchers in baseball this season, and he could net the team a haul if moved. Overall, Miller has recorded an ERA of 0.96 over 36 appearances, posting 23 saves in 23 opportunities.

With that being said, the All-Star closer isn't paying attention to the rumors, and doesn't expect to be dealt.

“It’s not real,” Miller said to the Times of San Diego. “It’s just rumors that aren’t based on fact.”

Miller just got to San Diego last season in a mid-summer blockbuster, so the Padres giving up on him this quickly would be tough. The Padres paid a large price to the Athletics to bring the closer to San Diego, and would be unlikely to get the same return.

But if the Padres aren't able to start performing at a higher level ahead of the Aug. 3 deadline, Miller would be by far their best trade asset. Miller could help replenish the Padres' farm system, giving them more options for the future of the franchise.

San Diego has multiple needs to address ahead of the trade deadline, with offense and starting pitching being the main priorities. Due to a lack of trade assets, it could be tough for the Padres' front office to plug both holes effectively, leading to them potentially being sellers.

President of baseball operations A.J. Preller has built a reputation for being creative in his trade maneuvers, but even this could be a tall task to accomplish.

If the team were to keep spiraling over the next few weeks, Miller's name could be discussed even more across the league. The Padres don't want to trade the closer, but for the sake of the franchise, Preller's hand could be forced to at least consider the move.

Sign up for our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook and X/Twitter for the latest news