Should Padres Move Mason Miller to Starting Rotation?

San Diego Padres relief pitcher Mason Miller made an immediate impact in San Diego after arriving from the Athletics at the trade deadline, posting a 0.66 ERA through his 22 regular season appearances with the Friars in 2025.

The Padres will lose three starting pitchers in the offseason, though, and the less the Padres spend in free agency, the better. General manager A.J. Preller has spoken about the possibility of moving Miller to the rotation ahead of 2026.

“The good news is he’s one of the great talents in the game,” Preller said. “He can do a lot of things on the mound. We’ve seen obviously the dominance with the fastball/slider mix, the changeup coming into play. We’ve had some success here, making guys starters.

“At the end of the day, we’ll get together as a group, we’ll have our thoughts, we’ll definitely get Mason’s thoughts and see what he thinks is best. We’ll see how the offseason plays out, roster-wise. And then we’ll have some clear direction for him.”

Miller has pitched in the starting rotation before, making a handful of starts with the A's before transferring to a relief role — but is it wise to do so again?

Why The San Diego Padres Should Not Make Mason Miller a Starter Again

While the Padres are aching for starting pitching this offseason, it's a bad idea to have Miller return to the starting rotation.

In Miller's first MLB season in 2023, he made just four starts before heading to the injured list. Miller experienced tightness in his right forearm, and spent time on the injured list from May to September. Upon his return, the A's used him exclusively as an opener and a reliever.

He was great as a starter, posting a 3.38 ERA, but his health is a major consideration for the Padres, who still have him under team control through 2029.

Miller has performed much better exclusively as a reliever over the last two seasons, and fills a need for the Padres in 2026.

Padres closer Robert Suarez is expected to opt out of the final seasons of his contract, and the Padres will need someone to replace him. Miller is the perfect candidate, having served as the A's' primary closer before his trade. He has 50 saves since the beginning of 2024, and will slot right into the role.

The Padres will need to make a couple of moves for starting pitchers, though with the return of Joe Musgrove this offseason, they are better off than many think.

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