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San Diego Padres closer Mason Miller reportedly could be on the move ahead of the 2026 trade deadline.
ESPN's Jeff Passan recently said on The Pat McAfee Show that Miller is "definitely available" and that San Diego needs "major-league-ready starting pitching." While there's no guarantee that the Padres would actually trade the two-time All-Star, Passan's comments will certainly spark interest among many fan bases who would be esctatic to see the hard-throwing righty trotting out to the mound for the ninth inning in October.
The Padres are 49-51 through the first 100 games of the 2026 season, so the next two weeks could go a long way in determining whether they buy or sell at the deadline. Here are three potential landing spots for Miller if San Diego does consider trading him.
Seattle Mariners
If the Padres are focused on trying to acquire MLB-ready starters, the Seattle Mariners could be a strong match as a trade partner. Seattle has a solid rotation that currently features six starters, as well as two of the top pitching prospects in the minors in Kade Anderson and Ryan Sloan.
The Mariners also already have an All-Star closer in Andrés Muñoz. But pairing Muñoz with Miller would give Seattle an incredibly formidable duo in the bullpen. Calling on those two right-handers to put the finishing touches on a gem tossed by Logan Gilbert or Bryan Woo could be a recipe for success in the postseason.
New York Yankees
There have been plenty of reports and rumors suggesting the New York Yankees are extremely interested in acquiring bullpen help at the deadline. If Miller truly is available, he'd likely be at the top of New York's reliever wish list.
While Cam Schlittler probably isn't going anywhere, the Yankees could offer San Diego a controllable starter like Will Warren, plus a massive haul of top prospects. And, similar to the Mariners, adding Miller to New York's bullpen alongside current closer David Bednar would make the Yankees that much more dangerous in the playoffs.
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates could also match up well with the Padres on a potential deal for Miller. The hard-throwing closer was born in Pittsburgh, after all. And the Pirates have some young hurlers who could be of interest to San Diego.
Pittsburgh right-handers Jared Jones, Bubba Chandler, Braxton Ashcraft, and Carmen Mlodzinski could all be enticing options for the Padres, as well as top prospect Seth Hernandez, who's currently pitching at High-A. If the Pirates are going to make a push for the playoffs this year, they could certainly benefit from adding an elite closer like Miller at the trade deadline.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/fannation/mlb/fastball as 3 Landing Spots for Mason Miller if Padres Decide to Trade All-Star Closer.
