Padres trade of Mason Miller called an 'overpay' by rival evaluator

The San Diego Padres made one of the largest MLB trade deadline moves in recent history when they landed Mason Miller from the Athletics in a blockbuster at the beginning of deadline day.

While the Padres brought in Miller and starting pitcher J.P. Sears in a blockbuster deal, not everyone was a fan. Dennis Lin of The Athletic shared what a rival evaluator had to say about the deal, and it wasn't glowing remarks.

"One rival evaluator panned the acquisition of Mason Miller as an overpay," Lin writes, "noting that the star reliever's performance, while impressive, could be recreated at the kind of cost that did not include teenage shortstop Leo De Vries."

To get a picture of why the deal was called an overpay, the entire deal needs to be laid out. The Padres got Miller and Sears from the Athletics, while sending De Vries (3rd overall prospect in baseball), Braden Nett (Padres' 3rd-ranked prospect), Henry Baez (13th-ranked prospect), and Eduarniel Nunez (17th-ranked prospect).

It's a huge haul, which includes the Padres' best and third-best prospects heading to the Athletics. De Vries is the big loss, as he's one of the highest-ranked prospects to be dealt at the deadline in a long time.

Miller is a great reliever, with an All-Star nod under his belt from 2024, and a 3.76 ERA and 20 saves this season. Sears has struggled a bit this season, but under team control for a while on a cheap deal, he's a solid back-end starter for the Padres.

MORE: Padres pull off blockbuster trade for Athletics' Mason Miller

The players A.J. Preller landed are great, but the Padres gave up one of the top-three prospects in baseball. Part of what makes the deal look like an overpay is that Miller is a closer.

If he were a starting pitcher, which the Padres could try and make him transition back to in 2026, the deal would feel a little more even. But Miller is a closer, joining a bullpen that's already the best in baseball.

What makes things even stranger is that the Padres aren't planning to use him as the closer, with Robert Suarez, who is the MLB saves leader this season, to stay the team's closer.

When it boils down to four prospects, ranked 1st, 3rd, 17th, and 19th for a set-up man and a back-end starter, even if those two are young, controllable talents, it's easy to see why an evaluator calls this blockbuster deal an overpay.

But, for now, the winner and loser of the trade are unknown. Until Leo De Vries or any of the prospects make their MLB debut, the Padres will look to be the winners, especially if Miller can continue to be electric on the mound in San Diego like he was with the Athletics.

MORE MLB NEWS:

• Astros trade for 27-year-old left-handed-hitting Marlins outfielder
• Astros agree to blockbuster trade with Twins for Carlos Correa
• Padres trade Ryan Bergert, Stephen Kolek to Royals for a new catcher
• Tigers lost out to Mets on trade for Cardinals' Ryan Helsley
• Cardinals' trade acquisition shares five-word message with fans
• Guardians to trade Cy Young starter Shane Bieber to Blue Jays