The Oakland Athletics are far out of postseason contention following the trade deadline. They chose to trade away a few pieces and capitalize on a chance to build for the future.
However, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic believes Oakland made a mistake not trading a certain player.
"The problem is Mason Miller," Rosenthal said on Foul Territory. "In this market, he is still a reliever. He is a guy that you don't know is going to be great for the next five years. Relievers are so volatile, and this guy's got an injury history. Now I know he hurt his pinky on his glove hand and he's out for a little bit, but you still could have traded him. Players on the injured list did get traded, and that was the one guy I thought "You know what? Take advantage of this and see what you could get."'
The A's may have missed a golden opportunity to capitalize on Miller's value. They could still do it in the offseason, as Miller has had a fantastic rookie campaign, posting a 2.21 ERA in 34 appearances with 15 saves.
But he would not have been the only player currently on the injured list to have been traded. Both Tommy Edman and Alex Cobb were dealt during rehab assignments.
Had Oakland made the move, they could have brought back a haul of prospects. But with the deadline having passed, they missed their chance this year.
The Athletics are 45-65 entering the month of August and they sit in last place in the American League West.
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