Fresh off winning the American League East in 2023 with 101 wins, the Baltimore Orioles are trending in the same direction in 2024. They enter May 10 games with a 24-12 record and a 0.5-game lead over the New York Yankees for first place. Could Baltimore reinforce its bullpen before the trade deadline by making a massive splash for Oakland Athletics closer Mason Miller?
The A’s have performed better than expected thus far in 2024. They’re 18-21 and only four games behind the Texas Rangers for first place in the AL West. However, they’re still open to hearing trade proposals from interested teams, per The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal.
That includes Miller, who boasts a 1.10 ERA and 55.0% strikeout rate with his 101.2 mph fastball in 16.1 innings. The hard-throwing right-hander is only making $740,000 in 2024 and won’t be arbitration-eligible until 2026. So, Oakland’s asking price will be steep.
No team has come close to meeting the A’s price, according to a team source. Perhaps no team will,” Rosenthal said. “Miller, 25, is not only Oakland’s best young player, but also their best player, period. To acquire him, a team likely would need to give up a young player of comparable ability, or a substantial package of multiple youngsters who could be part of the A’s future.”
