Padres Just Made Baseball’s Scariest Bullpen Even Better

The San Diego Padres just turned baseball’s best bullpen into something scarier.

The Athletics’ Mason Miller, the flame-throwing All-Star closer long viewed as a potential game-changer, is reportedly heading to San Diego along with starter JP Sears in a deadline deal with the Athletics, as first reported by Dennis Lin and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

The cost was steep. The Padres are parting with top shortstop prospect Leodalis De Vries, plus right-handers Braden Nett, Henry Báez and Eduarniel Nuñez. That package secured them a reliever who owns a 3.76 ERA, 20 saves and 59 strikeouts in 38 ⅓ innings this season — not to mention a fastball averaging 101.1 mph. Miller, 26, is under team control through 2029.

Per Lin and Rosenthal, the Padres had been actively searching for bullpen help despite leading MLB in bullpen ERA, WHIP and opponent batting average.

They already sent Robert Suarez, Jason Adam and Adrián Morejón to the All-Star Game — now they have added a closer with arguably better raw stuff than any of them. Miller’s slider has held hitters to a .111 slugging percentage this year.

Both the New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays had reportedly expressed interest in Miller earlier in the day, but the Athletics prioritized long-term upside over broader bidding. De Vries, 18, was ranked No. 3 in baseball and has already flashed extra-base power in High-A.

The deal also includes Sears, a lefty with a 4.95 ERA in 22 starts, who gives San Diego added rotation depth and makes it easier to shop Dylan Cease.

Whether Miller closes games or becomes a multi-inning weapon, the Padres now have an even more lethal bullpen — and the Athletics have cashed in one of their biggest chips for a potential franchise cornerstone.