Whether it happens in Sacramento, Las Vegas, or Timbuktu, no one can say with any confidence when the Oakland Athletics will be able to contend for the playoffs again.
With Major League Baseball's lowest payroll, a completely unresolved stadium situation, and a reputation as the league's worst organization to play for, it's going to be an uphill battle for the Athletics to build a competitive roster at any point soon.
The A's don't have many reliable big leaguers on their roster right now, nor do they have a highly-regarded farm system. But what they do have is a budding superstar in the bullpen, and it may be time to cash in that ticket at the trade deadline.
Mason Miller, Oakland's 25-year-old closer, has been the most electric relief pitcher in all of baseball this season. He is tied for the lead among all relievers with 70 strikeouts in just 40.2 innings while leading all pitchers in average fastball velocity (100.9 mph).
But as effective as Miller has been out of the bullpen, there is only so much a great closer can do for a last-place team. That's why MLB insider Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic believes that Oakland needs to trade Miller at this season's deadline.
"Some rival executives are exasperated about Oakland’s seeming reluctance to trade Miller," Rosenthal reported. "Last season (he) missed nearly four months with an elbow injury... (His) value might never be higher, and could break at any moment."
It is rare for a closer to be the most popular player on a big-league team, but that's exactly what Miller is. He also has five years of team control left after 2024, so in theory, Oakland could demand a massive prospect haul in return.
However, it's reasonable to point out that Miller's injury concerns are legitimate, both because of his own missed time last year and the general trend of injuries for pitchers who throw at high velocities.
"The threat of injury might depress the return for Miller in a trade, but top relievers always are in demand at the deadline," Rosenthal said. "The risk of keeping Miller outweighs any difficulties that might arise from moving him."
Plus, as dominant as Miller has been when he's pitched this season, he's only appeared in 34 of the Athletics' 102 contests. At 40-62, the A's are one of the worst teams in baseball, meaning they'll need much more than just Miller to make them relevant in the future.
But while Miller makes little difference to Oakland's chances of winning, he could mean everything to a World Series contender that needs help shutting down close games. And that may be enough to get the A's a franchise-altering haul of prospects in return.
One thing is for certain: The A's hold the bargaining power now. They can trade Miller at any point in the next five years as long as he stays healthy. But if they want to maximize his utility to ensure themselves a better future, now may be the time to get a deal done.
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