The San Diego Padres made some impressive moves at the trade deadline, but none may be more impressive than acquiring elite closer Mason Miller. Miller was acquired from the Athletics in exchange for Leo De Vries, Branden Nett, Henry Baez, and Eduarniel Nunez.
Miller was nearly lights out this season with San Diego. He appeared in 22 games after the trade, posting a 0.77 ERA with two saves on 23.1 innings of work.
He has an electric fastball, which he showcased in Game 2 of the NL Wild Card. He threw a four-seamer at 194.5 mph, the fastest pitch ever recorded in the postseason during the Statcast Era.
Analyst voices his opinion on Padres moving Mason Miller to starting rotation
San Diego has not ruled out transitioning Mason Miller as a starter after acquiring him at the deadline. However, his focus this year was on being the best reliever he could be.
With the Padres' season done, more and more fans are wondering how Miller will operate next season. He could be a great addition to the starting rotation, especially if the team loses Dylan Cease or Michael King. However, MLB analyst Mark DeRosa pumps the brakes on these thoughts via MLB Network.
"I'd really like to be in the meeting on that with the analytics guys because you are taking somebody who does something better than everyone else, and you're taking him and asking him to do something else."
DeRosa is not sold on the idea of moving Miller to the starting rotation. He is one of the best closers in the game with a formidable fastball, and moving him to a starter may not work out as the team plans. This will be something fans will want to keep their eye on.