Getty The Phillies are baseball's best team right now. Their bullpen could use another arm or two. Could they land A's closer Mason Miller?
The Philadelphia Phillies are the best team in baseball right now. They own a 36-14 record and have a six-game lead over the Atlanta Braves for first place in the National League East. As the July 30 trade deadline continues creeping closer, could president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski make a huge splash and acquire flame-throwing closer Mason Miller from the Oakland Athletics?
Jim Bowden of The Athletic answered 20 questions from readers related to the trade deadline on May 23. One wondered if Miller is a realistic trade target for Philly and what kind of package it’d take to potentially land him.
“From Oakland’s side, I’m asking for third baseman Aidan Miller, who is ranked as the Phillies’ top position player prospect by MLB Pipeline, and Mick Abel as the return, or Miller and starting pitcher Andrew Painter, their top overall prospect, if I’m comfortable with how his rehab is progressing after Tommy John surgery last year. Those are steep asks, but Miller is that good, on and off the field,” Bowden said in his response.
He’s right in saying these would be steep asks. Painter (first), Miller (second) and Abel (third) are ranked as the Phillies’ top three prospects this season, per MLB.com. So, putting any combination of these players in a potential trade would qualify as a blockbuster deal.
Could Trading for Miller Put the Phillies Over the Edge?
The Phillies have finished 14 games behind the division-winning Braves in both 2022 and 2023. Despite that, they’ve reached the postseason in both campaigns, eliminating Atlanta in consecutive years.
Philly lost the 2022 World Series to the Houston Astros in six games and was one win away from returning to the Fall Classic in 2023. Off to a quick start in 2024, Bryce Harper and Co. are looking primed to make another deep run into October. But it won’t be easy once they get there.
While Philadelphia has ousted the Braves in back-to-back postseasons, Atlanta is still one of baseball’s top teams. And then there’s the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are in win-now mode and have a comfortable lead in the National League West.
The Phillies are among the best in baseball when it comes to offensive and starting rotation production, per FanGraphs. However, the club’s 4.25 bullpen ERA (as of May 23), ranks 21st. There’s room for improvement there, and that’s what Miller could provide.
He’s already accumulated 1.4 fWAR through just 20.1 innings this season. It’s been fueled by a 0.89 ERA, 0.59 WHIP, a 56.2% strikeout rate and a 6.8% walk rate. His average fastball velocity has also risen from 98.6 mph to 101.3 mph.
Miller Would Give Philly a Long-Term Answer at Closer
If the A’s trade Miller, the team who lands him will likely feel like they hit the jackpot. The right-hander won’t turn 26 years old until August and is making just $740,000 this season, per Spotrac. He doesn’t even become arbitration-eligible until 2026 and isn’t scheduled to be a free agent until 2030.
That’s part of the reason why any trade involving Miller will probably involve multiple top prospects.
Dombrowski may see the backend of the Phillies’ bullpen as the most important area of the roster to improve. Acquiring Miller would give Philly a huge boost – both in 2024 and well beyond that.