Originally published by DodgerBlue.com
The Los Angeles Dodgers are in good shape in the National League West, winning games in a variety of ways, but a terrific run from their pitching staff has made life easier on the offense.
Outside a rough patch in the middle of May, the Dodgers are working through a bevy of injuries and underperformance on their roster. The starting rotation is getting healthier, welcoming back Walker Buehler recently, and Bobby Miller is soon to follow.
The bullpen, however, is more up in the air. Their elite performance and by-committee approach is a work in progress and there are still some question marks.
The Dodgers could surely benefit from another big arm in the current bullpen, and one potential option is Oakland A’s closer Mason Miller, who has captured the baseball world with his elite performance and triple-digit fastball.
While Miller could be available as the A’s are going nowhere quickly, the cost for him may make teams hesitant to complete a deal, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today:
The Oakland A’s are listening on offers for closer Mason Miller, who has struck out 33 of the 60 batters he has faced this season, but the asking price is so steep he’s expected to stay put.
In his rookie season, Miller has posted some historic numbers. The 25-year-old has a 17.1 strikeouts per nine, allowing a miniscule .399 on-base plus slugging to opposing hitters.
His asking price is understandably high because he’s still a pre-arbitration player with years of control, coupled with his performance.
The Dodgers have been hesitant to trade away prospect capital for top-end relief pitchers, rather searching for upside pieces to fix. That method has worked for years, becoming a model of what the organization can do, given their world-class player development.
Likelihood that the Dodgers acquire Mason Miller?
The chance the Dodgers acquire Miller is slim-to-none, unless president of baseball operations decides to go a bit wild and out of his normal approach. The thought of an arm like Miller is a fun thought to have, but the reality is, relievers are among the most volatile pieces to a team.
Miller, who has the arm to consistently touch 102 with his four-seam fastball, isn’t necessarily worth what it would take to get him. The Dodgers have Evan Phillips, who has been a top-three right-handed reliever in baseball for two seasons, and was claimed off waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays in 2021.
Miller is an incredibly talented arm, perhaps generational. But the cost of business for a rebuilding team like the A’s won’t allow a commodity like him to leave for anything less than a Brink’s truck coming back.
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