During the days leading up to the trade deadline, the New York Mets were busy acquiring three major pitchers in Gregory Soto, Tyler Rogers and Ryan Helsley. With them, they bolstered their bullpen, which needed depth to compete in the final stretch of the season. However, there was one name on the radar that ultimately got away from them: Mason Miller, one of the most coveted players on the market.
According to journalist Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the talks between the Mets and the Oakland Athletics were very serious and progressed. Miller with a fastball over 100 mph and elite performance was on the New York team’s priority list, but ultimately the closer went to San Diego.
Why did Mason Miller choose the Padres and not the Mets?
Although Oakland did not want to negotiate with San Diego at first, everything changed thanks to the drive of the Padres’ general manager AJ Preller. According to sources, Preller asked the Athletics to tell him which prospects they wanted, even if they were not in San Diego’s system, to try to acquire them from third parties and thus close the deal for Miller.
Meanwhile, the Mets, along with the Yankees and Phillies, were more conservative, with none willing to pay the price Oakland was asking, including elite prospects. New York then decided to focus on available arms and closed deals for Soto, Rogers and Helsey in the final days of the market.
The impact of not getting Mason Miller in the Mets bullpen
The 26-year-old impressed during the campaign with Oakland and was one of the great jewels of the market with 20 saves in 23 opportunities, 59 strikeouts in 38.1 innings and a 3.76 ERA. Now with the Padres, he joins the relief corps that leads MLB with a 3.03 ERA and could be decisive in the fight for the National League West.
For their part, the Mets did not fare badly despite failing to convince the A’s to send Miller to Queens. They ended up bolstering their bullpen with three big names and the organization is confident that these additions will be enough to sustain a good run over the final two months and fight for a postseason berth.
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