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Padres' AJ Preller Went to Insane Lengths to Make Sure He Got Mason Miller

Originally posted on San Diego Padres on SI
By Sam Garcia | Last updated Aug 9, 2025 12:30 PM ET

Acquiring All-Star closer Mason Miller from the Athletics at the trade deadline has equipped the San Diego Padres with the most dominant bullpen in baseball.

The Athletics were initially not planning to send Miller to San Diego because the Padres did not have any high-level pitching prospects the Athletics were interested in. But Padres general manager AJ Preller was willing to do whatever it would take to land the right-hander.

Preller reportedly asked the Athletics which pitching prospects from other organizations around MLB they were targeting. Preller intended to go after those prospects and ultimately trade them to the Athletics for Miller in a multi-team deal.

San Diego’s assistant general manager Josh Stein remained in constant communication with the Athletics about starting pitcher JP Sears, which eventually helped the Padres land Miller. The Athletics also decided that a package of some of the Padres’ other prospects would be acceptable for the pair.

Preller was so determined to get Miller into the Padres’ bullpen that he controversially traded the organization’s No. 1 overall prospect Leo De Vries.

San Diego traded their No. 1 overall prospect MacKenzie Gore in a six-prospect package to the Washington Nationals for Juan Soto at the 2022 trade deadline. Gore is now a 2025 NL All-Star and ranks fifth in the NL in strikeouts, while the Padres only had Soto for a season-and-a-half and missed the postseason in his only full year with the franchise.

Despite how the Soto trade played out for the Padres, Preller was set on Miller, even if it meant trading De Vries.

Adding Miller to the bullpen gave San Diego two closers, but the Padres said they will keep two-time All-Star Robert Suarez as their primary closer. Instead, Miller will serve as a “powerful arm in high-leverage situations”.

But Miller still got an opportunity to close out the Padres’ game against the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday. He earned his first save as a reliever in the organization in the Padres’ 3-2 comeback victory.

Sears, who joined San Diego alongside Miller in the trade, has since been optioned to Triple-A. Starting pitcher Michael King is set to return from the injured list on Saturday, leaving no room for the lefty after his disappointing Padres' debut on Monday against the Arizona Diamondbacks.