Ken Rosenthal urges Padres to consider Mason Miller trade

Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

Ken Rosenthal urges Padres to consider Mason Miller trade

Originally posted on MLB on ClutchPoints
By Dan Fappiano, ClutchPoints | Last updated Jul 16, 2026 3:34 PM ET

The San Diego Padres entered the MLB All-Star break with a middling 48-48 record. When the trade deadline approaches, they’ll have some serious decisions to make.

Closer Mason Miller will be one of the most coveted players on the market if made available. Barring a sudden successful turnaround, Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic thinks San Diego should consider going down the Miller trade path.

“If they don’t play well over the next two and a half weeks, [general manager AJ Preller] is going to have to listen, at least, to offers for closer Mason Miller,” Rosenthal said. “Maybe he doesn’t get what he wants, maybe he prefers to take it into the offseason. They’re hanging on a thread here.”

AJ Preller loves to make moves at the deadline but should listen to calls for Mason Miller pic.twitter.com/VDfVfJvn4n

— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) July 16, 2026

While the Padres are 12.5 games out of the NL West lead, they are just 3.5 games out of a Wild Card spot. Because of that, San Diego may decide to enter the deadline as buyers. But making the playoffs is one thing. Actually competing for a World Series is another. Currently stuck in the middle, San Diego may instead decide to sell and look towards a brighter future.

If they were to trade Miller though, they would be expecting quite the hefty return. They sent a package around shortstop Leo De Vries for his services. He now ranks as the No. 3 prospect in all of baseball, via MLB Pipeline.

Furthermore, Miller himself has evolved into arguably the best closer in baseball. He entered the break with a 0.91 ERA, 72/13 K/BB ratio and a National League leading 25 saves.

If the Padres want to compete, they keep Miller. If they want to rebuild their farm system, they trade him away. Based on their current standing, Rosenthal thinks San Diego should opt for the latter.

This article first appeared on MLB on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: