One of the biggest trades in the past few years has gone down.
On Thursday morning, the Athletics traded reliever Mason Miller and J.P. Sears to the San Diego Padres. In return, the Padres received MLB Pipeline’s third-best prospect in baseball (Leo De Vries), as well as Braden Nett, Henry Baez, and Eduarniel Núñez.
The Athletics are reportedly receiving four prospects, including MLB’s No. 3 prospect Leo De Vries, in return for RHP Mason Miller and LHP JP Sears. pic.twitter.com/AlSSW2oeTA
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) July 31, 2025
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The Toronto Blue Jays were one of the teams in on Miller, according to The Athletics’ Ken Rosenthal. However, there was no shot they’d even have enough to come close to this package. There are still good relievers out there, like David Bednar, Camilo Doval, and Griffin Jax.
So what’s all the hubbub about? Miller, 26, was selected in the third round of the 2021 draft and broke into the scene as a starter for the Oakland Athletics in 2023. Beginning in 2024, the right-handed pitcher moved to the bullpen, where he posted a 2.49 ERA and 2.18 FIP in 65 innings pitched. So far this season, Miller has a 3.76 ERA and 2.86 FIP in 38.1 innings pitched.
What’s more impressive is his stuff, as the 26-year-old averages 101.2 mph, not touches 101.2 mph, but averages. Somehow, the fastball isn’t even Miller’s best pitch, as his slider is unhittable, having a .111 batting average on 266 sliders thrown this season.
On top of being a darn good pitcher who may eventually return to being a starter, Miller is making the minimum and has four additional seasons of team control after the season. It’s no wonder he went for such a price.
That said, giving up a top 10 prospect in baseball is something that isn’t often seen. This is just the second time in history that a player who ranked third in MLB Pipeline’s top 100 was traded; the other was Lucas Giolito in 2016. Moreover, Yoán Moncada, the then-first-ranked prospect, was traded for Chris Sale, also in 2016. Gabriel Moreno was a top 10 MLB Pipeline prospect when the Jays traded him to the Arizona Diamondbacks for Daulton Varsho.
De Vries alone should’ve probably been enough, but the Athletics also got three right-handed pitching prospects that ranked in the Padres’ top 30 by MLB Pipeline. Nett ranked as their seventh-best prospect, Baez ranked as their 13th-best prospect, and Núñez ranked as their 17th-best prospect.
The last time a trade this big occurred also involved the Padres, as they traded Luke Voit, CJ Abrams, MacKenzie Gore, Robert Hassell III, James Wood, and Jarlín Susana to the Washington Nationals for Soto and Josh Bell.
Abrams, Wood, and Gore have gone on to become stars for the Nationals, with Gore’s name being included in trade talks recently.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, Oilersnation, and FlamesNation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.