The Padres already employ a solid closer in the form of Robert Suarez. But Miller is younger, cheaper, and under team control through 2029. Preller can now package Suarez to another club in order to improve the club’s lineup. Or he can stand pat and boast a super ‘pen.

In a startling move that sends the game’s most dominant reliever across the state and to another league, the Athletics have agreed to trade Mason Miller to the San Diego Padres, perhaps signaling a greater revamp to come at Petco Park, according to a person with knowledge of the deal.

The San Diego Padres offloaded a huge package to land Mason Miller from the Athletics at the MLB trade deadline. It was the biggest deal of the deadline, and it stunned the baseball world, as A.J. Preller gave up top prospect Leo De Vries, ranked 3rd by MLB Pipeline at the time of the trade.