The talk of Mason Miller possibly being on the move is polluting the game’s current conversations. It’s hard to have that conversation without including the New York Yankees. How would such a deal look in its entirety?
This Closer Trade Could Be a Game Changer for the Yankees
When speaking about the Yankees, there isn’t much to discuss this offseason. Acquisitions have been minimal and not very impactful. The Yankees announced the signings of Amed Rosario and Paul Blackburn.
These two names may provide depth in reserve, but don’t exactly plug the central cavities in the roster. Aside from the offense, the Yankees’ bullpen is hurting. Although the departure of Devin Williams and Luke Weaver isn’t detrimental, not filling their spots is.
The core of the bullpen may be stable, but the back end is not. David Bednar is currently the on-paper closer for the Yankees, but we all know the caliber that the Yankees need to be successful.
Miller would be an exceptional option and a very justifiable trade. His overall profile would be a massive addition to the Yankees’ pitching staff. A trade for Miller would be a huge splash in the pitcher market.
What Miller Offers as a Reliever
What you’d be getting in Miller is simple. A 27-year-old fireball closer with a three-pitch mix and a ton of shelf-life left is what the Bronx bombers could obtain. Miller is in the high percentile in most pitch profile categories.
He offers big game on the mound and will be the highest caliber closer the Yankees would have employed since Aroldis Chapman. The closer throws a four-seam fastball up to 101 mph, and gasses up on demand.
Miller had a slider that’s his put-away option. The slider works up to 87.8 mph with a 37.4 put-away percentage. He also throws a changeup with almost a 10-mph differential from the fastball. The changeup is his least-used pitch.
The right-hander threw 38 and 1 / 3 innings for the Athletics this past season. He was then moved to the San Diego Padres and threw 23 and 1 / 3 innings for them. Miller finished the year with a total of 22 saves.
With more meaningful games and possible postseason play, he can see a lot more than 22 saves.
The Reliever’s Contract and Control
The current contract Miller is bonded to is one in which the Yankees would win. Miller is locked up and under control until 2029. That’s where he will test free agency.
This means Miller will not be a rental but a hard-working arm looking to build free-agent stock.
Pieces the Yankees Could Deal
This is where the cost of doing business speaks loudly. The Yankees would need to consider parting ways with some high-value players in their organization. The first top-tier name that comes to mind is Jasson Dominguez.
This is an outfield top prospect who was not included on the Yankees’ postseason roster. What does this mean? Dominguez may not be much of a guy that the club is prioritizing.
Other high-caliber names could include one or two of the top prospects: Spencer Jones, George Lombard Jr., and Brock Selvidge. In addition, Will Warren could be on that list, as he’s an MLB operative.
A deal such as this can be a huge offload from New York to the Athletics organization. This would be worth it for Miller to be in the Yankees bullpen.
Main Photo Credits: Matt Marton-Imagn Images