Yankees Connected to Another All-Star Reliever

As the New York Yankees remain in the mix for just about every reliever available ahead of Thursday's trade deadline, they are among a select group of clubs alongside the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies who have held talks with the Athletics surrounding flamethrowing right-hander Mason Miller.

The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal revealed the Yankees' interest while also stating that they may not ultimately consummate a deal for Miller given that they're hesitant to part ways with some of the young pitching talent that resides in their organization.

"The New York Yankees also have been involved in the talks, but are more focused on adding pitching than subtracting it," he wrote.

The asking price for Miller is currently out of this world, as it should be. The 26-year-old is striking out an absurd 13.9 batters per nine innings while holding claim to a 3.76 ERA, 2.86 FIP and 20 saves across 38 outings (38 1/3 innings).

His expected batting average against of .180, which ranks in the 99th percentile according to Baseball Savant, and expected ERA of 2.83 (92nd percentile) also imply that his numbers should only improve down the stretch.

Additionally, Miller's average fastball velocity of 101.1 mph places in the 100th percentile, while his slider generates whiffs at an almost unheard of 50.8 percent rate.

Rosenthal stated that the A's asked the Phillies for Andrew Painter, who MLB Pipeline ranks as the No. 8 prospect in the league, during their negotiations surrounding Miller.

The Yankees don't have a pitching prospect quite as highly regarded as Painter, but it's fair to assume that the A's are targeting the likes of Cam Schlittler, Will Warren, Bryce Cunningham (No. 5 prospect) and Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz (No. 6 prospect), among others.

With a need for multiple quality bullpen arms, perhaps the Yankees wouldn't feel comfortable parting ways with significant assets for Miller. At the same time, though, he's one of the game's truly elite closers and is under control through the 2029 season, so maybe the organization figures it would be worth it in this case.

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