The San Diego Padres may be forced to trade closer Mason Miller, a standout performer this season, as a means to move infielder Xander Bogaerts and his substantial contract, according to a report citing anonymous sources. Mason Miller has posted an impressive 0.89 earned run average out of the bullpen for the Padres. However, his teammate Bogaerts, 33, is under contract for an 11-year, $280 million deal signed in 2022 and is struggling offensively, with a .645 OPS this season.
A report from the San Diego Union-Tribune suggests that the possibility of including Miller in a trade package to facilitate the movement of Bogaerts' contract has not been ruled out. Bogaerts, who arrived from Boston, is owed $25 million annually through 2033. For a team to be willing to absorb a portion of Bogaerts' remaining salary could be a decisive factor in any potential trade involving Miller.
Miller, on the other hand, is currently under team control for an additional three years, having been acquired by the Padres at last year's trade deadline. While the Padres are not in a dire losing position, currently sitting at 48-49 and 3 1/2 games out of an NL Wild Card spot after a recent loss, the approaching Aug. 3 trade deadline will likely prompt a decision on whether to become buyers or sellers.
"Those will be conversations over the course of the next few weeks," Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller stated, according to the Union-Tribune. "You also have to see how the team plays, how we come out of the break and also what’s out there. We’re going to go into the process open-minded to see what’s there and see what can help our club. We’re going to go in open-minded about whether it’s acquiring players or you know kind of looking at if we have to go another direction. I think all those things are on the table."