The San Diego Padres are shopping top relief pitcher Mason Miller before the MLB trade deadline, and while they don’t have to move him, they could certainly reap quite a return if they do.

Miller owns a 0.86 ERA and 0.864 WHIP this season and has racked up 78 strikeouts over 41.2 innings of work. He is also under team control through 2029.

So, why would the Padres, who are still very much in contention in the National League playoff race, decide to move Miller?

Well, if San Diego can get the package its looking for, then the Padres may just pull the trigger.

During a recent appearance on ESPN New York, MLB insider Jeff Passan revealed San Diego’s asking price for Miller with the deadline just around the corner, and let’s just say it’s a lot.

“Two top-100 prospects plus at least one or two big-league ready players,” Passan told host Chris Carlin.

That is a heck of a lot for a reliever, but again, considering that the Friars absolutely do not have to move Miller, it makes sense.

Miller will definitely have a robust market. He is just 27 years old, and since entering the league with the Oakland Athletics back in 2023, he owns a lifetime 2.41 ERA and 0.937 WHIP. He also boasts a career strikeout rate of 14.5 punchouts per nine innings.

Plenty of teams are on the hunt for bullpen help, and given the quality of clubs that would be involved in the Miller sweepstakes, the Padres could drum up quite a bidding war.

But would any team be willing to surrender quite that much for a relief pitcher? It remains to be seen.

San Diego itself traded quite a haul to the Miami Marlins in order to land Tanner Scott back in 2024, so perhaps the Padres think lightning can strike twice.

We’ll see if Miller ultimately gets dealt before Aug. 3.