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For nearly a year (summer 2024 to summer 2025), I was saying the same thing about the A's management of Mason Miller: trade him or make him a starting pitcher in the rotation.
He was eventually traded to the Padres at the 2025 deadline.
The reason was simple: not only does he have the arsenal to make that transition, and not only has it been a fad for some relievers in recent years… but, above all, a closer in Oakland/Sacramento doesn't protect many wins.
But if he had the potential to be a starter in 2025, he can still be one in 2026. And on that subject, Padres boss A.J. Preller opened the door to his pitcher being a member of the rotation in 2026.
AJ Preller says that the team will have more communication with the players moving forward when asked about Mason Miller potentially moving into the starting rotation next year. He said the team will be in touch in the coming weeks for that type of conversation.
– 97.3 The Fan (@973TheFanSD) October 14, 2025
To me, it's obvious where this is headed.
In 2025, the club wanted to win in the short term by picking him up and didn't necessarily have a glaring need in the rotation. Plus, Miller was in the midst of a great season in the bullpen and there was no point in moving him from there.
But what about next season, with a full off-season to make the transition? It's a different story.
Not only would Miller be good – in my opinion – as a starter because of his velocity, but the Padres are also likely to lose the services of Michael King and Dylan Cease as free agents.
And given that the owners will want to cut corners (including reducing the club's payroll a bit), I don't see the San Diego club being able to adequately replace these guys in the starting pitching corps.
I feel Preller has pretty much shouted that he wants to get Miller out of the bullpen and into the rotation. And besides, the bullpen is a position of strength for the Padres, who already have a ninth-inning specialist, and a place where there are more solutions on the market.
- Good listening.
The #BlueJays and #Dodgers meet again in the World Series. @SebasBerrouard and I set the table by analyzing what lies ahead on the @passion_mlb podcast
https://t.co/zOcXtZvkWL
– Charles-Alexis Brisebois (@Charles__Alexis) October 23, 2025
- Not easy, the pressure of a big prospect.
“I thought it was a little excessive there… it could be overbearing if you aren't able to take a step back.”
Nate Pearson shares what it was like managing the expectations of being a top prospect during his time with the Toronto Blue Jays. pic.twitter.com/KUj2aNNKIp
– Crush City Territory (@Crush_City_Pod) October 22, 2025
- Seen the same.
The #WorldSeries features some familiar faces on both sides! pic.twitter.com/oVzmtLpdgr
– MLB (@MLB) October 23, 2025
This content was created with the help of AI.
