One of the biggest pieces that was potentially going to hit MLB’s trade market is heading to the injury list just days before the deadline.
A’s closer Mason Miller was put on the 15-day IL with a broken left pinky on Thursday, complicating a potential trade for the hard-throwing right-hander.
Miller, 25, fractured the finger on his non-throwing hand after putting “his hand down awkwardly” while preparing for an exercise, according to MLB.com’s Martin Gallegos.
The closer has been utterly dominant this season, striking out 70 batters over 40 ⅔ innings with a 2.21 ERA and 15 saves for Oakland.
Miller is averaging a whopping 100.9 mph on his fastball in 2024, according to Baseball Savant, the fastest heater in the big leagues.
A rookie this season, Miller is under club control for five more seasons and isn’t eligible to become a free agent until after the 2029 season, making him an even more appealing piece for teams looking to improve this year and beyond.
Even before the injury, the A’s appeared disinclined to move their young closer, with ESPN’s Buster Onley reporting Wednesday that Miller was “out of play in the trade market” despite Oakland sitting at 41-63 and in last place in the American League West.
Even Miller himself threw water on a potential trade out of the Bay Area recently.
“I don’t anticipate me really heading out this year,” Miller said earlier this month. “The value I’m bringing right now to the team, I think they want to hold on to that, and I’m happy to be a part of that group.”
A’s manager Mark Kotsay echoed the same sentiment around the All-Star Break.
“I don’t [think Miller will be traded]. For us, where we’re trying to go, what we’re trying to do, to build something from within, he is a big part of that development. I can’t say 100 percent because I don’t make those decisions. But when I look at him, I see part of our nucleus.”