Athletics listening to Mason Miller trade offers, but there’s a catch

The Oakland Athletics were the worst team in baseball during the 2023 season, finishing the year with a 50-112 record, a full 40.0 games behind the first place Houston Astros in the American League West. The A’s appeared destined to founder again in 2024, but they have been a big surprise in comparison to last year’s team.

They had reached the .500 mark late last week with a 17-17 record before they dropped four of their last five games. Still, their 18-21 record had them in third place in the division, and they have received some outstanding performances from relatively unknown players like leftfielder Brent Rooker with a slash line of .277/.370/.628  along with 9 home runs and 24 runs batted in and catcher Shea Langoliers who has a .513 slugging percentage while bashing 9 homers and knocking in 24 runs.

However, no A’s performer has been more dominant than closer Mason Miller, who has demonstrated an overwhelming fastball while saving 8 games and compiling a 1.10 earned run average and striking out 33 batters in 16.1 innings.

The 25-year-old Miller is one of the best closers in the Major Leagues and he is Oakland’s best player. Despite the team’s surprising start this season, the A’s simply don’t have enough talent to play competitive baseball for the majority of the season, and it is expected that they will be trading many of their best assets before the trade deadline.

According to a report from The Athletic, a number of teams have reached out to the A’s to inquire about Miller’s services. The report indicated that the A’s would be willing to let Miller go in a trade, but they would want significant compensation to consider any deal.

Trading Miller would likely require the return of a major assets to Athletics

Miller appears to be an excellent asset for the A’s because he is earning a relatively small salary of $740,000. He is not eligible for arbitration until the 2026 season and he is under club control through 2029.

On the other hand, Miller had a UCL sprain last year and missed four months of the 2023 season. There is no guarantee that he will stay healthy throughout the current season.

It would appear that teams with championship aspirations might have the most interest in bringing a power pitcher like Miller aboard.

If a trade for Miller took place with the Padres, the A’s would likely ask for rookie centerfielder Jackson Merrill. The Orioles are another team that would appear to have a strong interest in Miller, and that have a pair of top prospects in Coby Mayo and Enrique Bradfield Jr. who might be sent to Oakland in a trade.

Miller may be the most talented player on the team’s roster since the 2021 season, when the A’s had Matt Olson, Matt Chapman and Sean Murphy.

The Athletics are scheduled to move to Las Vegas prior to the 2028 season when a new stadium is scheduled to be completed. The team would like to have a competitive roster by that season, and that could mean holding on to Miller so he would be a part of that roster.