Pirates Racing Two Teams for Mason Miller
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates need bullpen help at the trade deadline and one reliever stands out amongst the rest.
San Diego Padres right-handed relief pitcher Mason Miller is a top name on the trading block and one player the Pirates would benefit massively from adding by Aug. 3.
Jon Heyman said on B/R Live that the Pirates are amongst three suitors for Miller, along with the New York Yankees and the Seattle Mariners.
It doesn't necessarily mean that the Pirates will trade for Miller, but this news does suggest the Pirates are willing to go after a top talent like Miller.
Why the Pirates Want Miller
The Pirates need a right-handed reliever and one that can excel in high-leverage moments, so Miller is the best get on the market and probably in baseball.
Miller has been excellent this season, the best closer in baseball, with a perfect 26 saves in 26 opportunities, a 0.84 ERA over 41 outings and 42.2 innings pitched, 79 strikeouts to 15 walks, a .144 batting average allowed and a 0.84 WHIP.
He posted a 34.2 scoreless innings streak, the longest in Padres history and the eighth-longest amongst any MLB relief pitcher since the start of the Expansion ERA (1961).
Mason Miller Advanced Metrics Ranking
Stat | Total | MLB Rank |
|---|---|---|
xBA (Expected Batting Average) | .128 | 1st |
xSLG (Expected Slugging Percentage) | .170 | 1st |
xwOBA (Expected Weighted On-Base Average) | .183 | 1st |
xERA (Expected ERA) | 1.42 | 1st |
Hard-Hit % | 22.7% | 1st |
Whiff % | 47.6% | 1st |
K % | 48.8% | 1st |
There's also the emotional factor with Miller being born in Pittsburgh and attending both Bethel Park High School, south of the city, and Waynesburg University, a Division III school about 50 miles south of PNC Park.
Miller is also under team control through the end of the decade, with three more years of arbitration, before hitting free agency.
Having the best closer in baseball and one for many years is something any team would want, especially the Pirates.
What the Pirates Will Have to Give Up to Get Miller
San Diego sent a big trade package for Miller last season when they got him from the Athletics, which included top prospect in infielder Leo De Vries, the second-best prospect in baseball.
Numerous mock trades see the Pirates giving away major league talent for Miller like their starting pitchers in Jared Jones or Bubba Chandler or some of their best bats, such as the likes of center fielder Oneil Cruz.
The Pirates won't have to give up the very best of what they have for Miller, although it will take quite the trade package to get him.
Pittsburgh will likely look to combine some major league talent with multiple prospects, if they are to land Miller.
The Pirates have some top 100 prospects, including right-handed pitcher Seth Hernandez, outfielder Edward Florentino and third baseman Murf Gray.
Pittsburgh will be protective over that trio, but they also have other, more major-league-ready prospects with lower ceilings or those that have higher ceilings, but are further away.
They'll have to bargain hard, but the Pirates landing Miller could be the difference between not just making the postseason, but competing and trying to win a title.
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Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.