Jul 14, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; San Diego Padres pitcher Mason Miller (19) pitches during the ninth inning for the All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
The Yankees have one of the top closers in the game already with David Bednar, but the allure of creating a super-tandem with Mason Miller might prove too great for general manager Brian Cashman to pass up.
The Bronx Bombers are keeping tabs on the San Diego Padres over the next two weeks ahead of Major League Baseball’s Aug. 3 trade deadline. At just one game under .500 entering Tuesday night’s action, a downturn that potentially damages postseason hopes could prompt GM AJ Preller to sell.
Should that happen, the calls for Miller would be overwhelming. The 27-year-old fireballer is the most dominant pitcher in baseball with a 0.89 ERA, a 0.836 WHIP, a league-leading 25 saves, and 75 strikeouts in 40.2 innings pitched. He is under team control via arbitration through the 2029 season.
The Yankees were in on the Miller sweepstakes at last year’s trade deadline when the Athletics put him up for sale, but were outbid by the Padres, who parted ways with their top prospect, Leo De Vries. At the time, he was the No. 3-ranked prospect in all of baseball.
If Preller begins taking offers for Miller, the asking price would be the same, meaning the Yankees would have to at least entertain the idea of sending top prospect George Lombard Jr. back to San Diego. Packaging two of their top young pitchers, like Will Warren and Carlos Lagrange, might not get a deal over the finish line.
A Yankees bullpen with Miller would likely flex Bednar to a set-up man role in the eighth inning, which would create an unbeatable 1-2 punch in the late innings. Bednar, after a shaky start to his Bronx career last season, has a 2.59 ERA with 18 saves in 2026.
For more on Mason Miller and the Yankees, visit AMNY.com
