Trade whispers around the San Diego Padres’ dominant All-Star closer, Mason Miller, are heating up, but there’s a massive problem brewing: a staggering $280 million contract that nobody wants. ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan are saying Miller’s chances of being dealt by the deadline are at 40%, which isn’t super high, but it definitely tells you the Padres are listening to offers for their flamethrower. Can you believe they’re already thinking of moving him less than a year after giving up top prospect Leo De Vries to get him? Wild.
Mason Miller: Best Closer in Baseball, or Trade Bait?
Look, Mason Miller is legit. The dude is an All-Star, a dominant closer, and a true game-changer in the ninth. Any team getting him would automatically grab what many are calling the best closer in baseball. That’s a huge asset. But the Padres, in a move that feels desperate, would “love” to attach a certain four-time All-Star infielder to any Miller trade. And that, my friends, is where everything gets messy.
The Xander Bogaerts Problem Nobody Wants
The player the Padres are trying to dump? Xander Bogaerts. The guy is 33, and let’s be real, he’s nowhere near the shortstop he was in his Boston Red Sox prime. His current slash line is a brutal .220/.312/.325 with a .638 OPS and he’s only cranked out nine homers in 95 games. That’s just not the kind of production that makes anyone eager to pick up an 11-year, $280 million contract that runs all the way through the 2033 season. McDaniel and Passan spelled it out: the Padres would “love to attach Xander Bogaerts’ onerous contract to any trade, but that would severely limit their return and, frankly, nobody’s going to take it.” Ouch.
This is the Padres’ dilemma right now. On one hand, you have Mason Miller, arguably the best closer in the game, a guy who could anchor any bullpen. On the other, you have Bogaerts, a declining player on both sides of the ball, whose colossal contract is a complete anchor. Trying to package that $280 million albatross with Miller is making it “less than ideal” for anyone to bite. If the Padres keep insisting Bogaerts is part of the deal, they’re going to have a much harder time dealing Miller, and whatever they get back will be peanuts. They’ve painted themselves into a corner with that massive deal.
The trade deadline is looming, and it’s gonna be fascinating to see if the Padres can somehow untangle themselves from this Xander Bogaerts mess, or if his contract will force them to either keep Miller or give him away for way less than he’s worth. What a pickle.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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