The Padres have a new closer — for this year and beyond.
The Athletics are trading closer Mason Miller to San Diego, per ESPN's Jeff Passan, in a trade deadline deal. The deal also includes starter J.P. Sears making his way to Petco Park. While the Padres get a closer for the short and long-term, it came at a cost. The package that San Diego gave up is one of the biggest of the trade deadline, with the overall No. 3 prospect Leo De Vries heading to the A's with three other players.
Miller is only 26 years old, and still has four years of team control left. He was named an All-Star in 2024, but regressed in 2025. The change of scenery to San Diego could benefit him as the Padres look to make a playoff push. Miller should help upgrade the bullpen not only in 2025, but over the next four years.
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Here is more on the deal that is sending Miller to the Padres.
Mason Miller trade details
Padres get:
- CP Mason Miller
- SP J.P Sears
Athletics get:
- SS Leodalis De Vries
- RHP Brandon Nett
- RHP Henry Baez
- RHP Eduarniel Nunez
Miller lands with a playoff contender and should benefit from the change in scenery. He projects to get more run support with the Padres than he did with the Athletics. It could also help that he won't play half of his remaining games this season in a minor league park. The Athletics are also expected to play at least the next season in their minor league park while their Vegas stadium gets built, so Miller has a better outlook long-term in San Diego.
De Vries is the biggest part of the deal. He is not only San Diego's top prospect, but the No. 3 overall prospect, per MLB.com. He wasn't the only big prospect that the A's got. Nett was the Padres No. 3 prospect, Baez was No. 13 and Nunez was No. 17. De Vries has an estimated MLB ETA of 2027, but Nett and Nunez are considered major league ready and could be called up by the A's this season. Baez is projected to be in the bigs during the 2026 season.
De Vries, a shortstop, has spent the 2025 season at High-A with the Padres. He has played in 82 games and is hitting .245 with eight home runs and 46 RBI. Nett has been with San Diego's AA affiliate. He has started 17 games this year and has a 5-4 record. Nett has a 3.39 ERA with 86 strikeouts in 74.1 innings.
The 22-year-old Baez has also been at the AA level this season. He has started 20 games and has a 4-2 record with a 1.96 ERA. Baez has struck out 89 batters in 96.2 innings in what has been his best minor league season so far. The 26-year-old Nunez has pitched four games for San Diego in the majors this year. He came out of the pen in all of his appearances and allowed two earned runs in 4.2 innings of work.
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Mason Miller contract
Miller will turn 27 years old on August 24, 2025. Along with being a solid closer, he also has plenty of team control left, which is why Padres had to pay a higher premium for him. The reliever has four years of team control left and becomes arbitration-eligible for the first time in 2026. For now, if Miller doesn't get an extension, he is set to be a free agent ahead of the 2030 season.
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Mason Miller stats
Here are Miller's career stats.
| Season | Games | Record | ERA | Innings | Strikeouts | Saves | Blown Saves | WAR |
| 2023 | 10 | 0-3 | 3.78 | 33.1 | 38 | 0 | 0 | 0.6 |
| 2024 | 55 | 2-2 | 2.49 | 65.0 | 104 | 28 | 3 | 2.4 |
| 2025 | 38 | 1-2 | 3.76 | 38.1 | 59 | 20 | 3 | 0.7 |
| Total | 103 | 3-7 | 3.16 | 136.2 | 201 | 48 | 6 | -- |