With a record of 55-29, it’s no surprise that the Philadelphia Phillies came out on top of The Athletic’s MLB Power Rankings this week, but one move at the upcoming trade deadline could make the team even more dominant.
On July 2, MLB writer Andy McCullough predicted that Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski “goes for it” at the July 30 trade deadline, naming Oakland Athletics closer Mason Miller as a potential target.
“The Phillies are good enough to win it all,” McCullough wrote. “But it would be on brand for Dave Dombrowski to trawl the market for a major addition — something like Oakland reliever Mason Miller. The Athletics are expected to ask a lot for Miller. Has there ever been an executive with a stronger track record of making these sorts of deals than Dombrowski?”
In his first full season in the majors, Miller has recorded a 1.96 ERA, 0.79 WHIP, and 64 strikeouts in 36.2 innings (30 games). The 26-year-old has closed 14 of 16 save opportunities, kept opponents at a .132 batting average, and accumulated a 4.9 K/BB ratio, quickly proving himself to be one of the fiercest relievers in MLB.
Phillies Should Target Legitimate Closer to Continue NL East Domination
It’s been an extremely strong first half of 2024 for the Phillies, who have, as McCullough pointed out, “already out-performed expectations, zooming past the Braves to control the National League East.” As of July 2, the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets are 8.0 and 13.0 games back from the Phillies, respectively, which is particularly impressive considering Philadelphia’s roster remains almost entirely intact from last season.
To lock in their starting rotation’s 1-2 punch for this year, the Phillies extended ace Aaron Nola on a seven-year, $172 million contract in November 2023, and four months later, they extended Zack Wheeler on a three-year, $126 million deal. Other than a one-year, $8 million deal for utility man Whit Merrifield in February, the Phillies largely stayed away from the free agent market, and the only noticeable losses to the roster were closer Craig Kimbrel and first baseman Rhys Hoskins, both of whom entered free agency at the end of 2023.
Generally, the Phillies opted for an “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach to their roster for this season, and even without a designated closer, it’s clearly worked for the first half of 2024.
As of July 2, the Phillies bullpen is ranked fifth in MLB with a combined ERA of 3.34, and while certainly impressive, it could be cause for concern that their closest division rival, the Braves, are ranked third (3.10 ERA). Phillies manager Rob Thomson has largely shared saves this season between high-leverage relievers José Alvarado and Jeff Hoffman, but adding a legitimate closer to the bullpen, especially one as strong as Miller, could be a difference-maker as the team stares down a playoff berth.
Will the Athletics Trade Miller?
There’s no guarantee the Athletics will make Miller available at this season’s trade deadline, especially since he’s under club control until after the 2029 season. If they don’t get an offer that excites them, there’s absolutely no reason for them to rush to move the star reliever.
Still, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported on May 9 that the A’s “will not rule out trading [Miller],” commenting that his value on the market “is extremely high.”
“If [Miller] goes, the return figures to be substantial, perhaps even staggering,” Rosenthal wrote.
Should the Athletics make him available, Mason is expected to draw interest from a slew of contending teams, including the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles, so there’s no question that the Phillies would need to be aggressive to land him.
Still, it’s potentially very doable, and with a proven roster, the Phillies’ contention window is wide open. Dombrowski has shown time and time again that he’s not afraid to put together a substantial trade package for the right player, so if he’s ambitious enough for this year’s postseason, Miller might just be his next big acquisition.
As McCullough put it, “Has there ever been an executive with a stronger track record of making these sorts of deals than Dombrowski?”
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