SAN DIEGO --- A.J. Preller has struck and he's going all in. ESPN's Jeff Passan is reporting that the San Diego Padres are acquiring flame-throwing closer Mason Miller and left-handed starter J.P. Sears from the Athletics. The deal sees San Diego part with their No. 1 prospect (No. 3 overall per MLB Pipeline) shortstop Leo De Vries along with right-handers Braden Nett, Henry Baez and Eduarniel Núñez to truly make this the first blockbuster of deadline day.
BREAKING: The San Diego Padres are acquiring closer Mason Miller and starter J.P. Sears from the A's, sources tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 31, 2025
The return for the Athletics is substantial. Many within the industry viewed De Vries as untouchable for the majority of his tenure in the Padres' system. The young phenom who was showing out in High-A Fort Wayne as of late, is slashing .245/.357/.410 with eight home runs and 46 RBIs this season. He also possesses great defensive instincts at the premium position with a 55 arm grade per his scouting report. Nett and Baez are both having nice seasons in Double-A San Antonio and project to be reliable middle or back-of-the-rotation starters, while Nuñez made his major league debut on July 2. He has the prowess to be a high-leverage bullpen arm in the future, posting a 2.31 ERA with 38 strikeouts in 22 2/3 innings pitched across San Antonio and Triple-A El Paso this year.
The move signifies a win now mentality by San Diego's front office which also sets them up for the future. Mason Miller will not reach free agency until after the 2029 season, while J.P. Sears is under club control through 2028. Miller, 26, burst onto the scene in 2023 as a starting pitcher and has since become one of baseball's premier bullpen arms. The Padres might take the opportunity to move him back into a starting rotation role next season, which perhaps is what made parting with Leo De Vries a bit easier for A.J. Preller.
In his young career, Miller has amassed 48 saves with a 3.16 ERA and 13.2 K/9. Padres manager Mike Shildt and pitching coach Ruben Niebla can now deploy arguably the best high-leverage bullpen arsenal in the sport. A fifth 'horsemen' has been added to an already daunting group of arms.
Sears will slot into a Padres rotation that has been formidable and is awaiting the return of ace Michael King. He's 7-9 with a 4.95 ERA on the year, but could improve tremendously once paired with 'Pitching Whisperer' Niebla. It was believed the Padres would trade right-hander Dylan Cease to the Houston Astros after the acquisition of Sears, but negotiations cooled after 'legitimate' talks were had, according to The Athletic's Chandler Rome.
A.J. Preller built a super-bullpen by pairing Suarez and Estrada with Adam and Tanner Scott at least year's trade deadline, in hopes of shortening games in the postseason. He also saw their most hated rival, the Los Angeles Dodgers, win a World Series with a super pen' of their own. The 'Madman' of GM's is at it again with another Avenger-like bullpen and a reinforced rotation. This time it's even better.