MLB Exec: A’s Dealing Away Mason Miller Would Take a ‘Herschel Walker-Type Trade’

The Oakland Athletics are in last place in the American League West and will likely be sellers at the trade deadline, but that doesn’t mean they have to move star relief pitcher Mason Miller.

Especially since he is under team control through the 2029 season.

With that as the backdrop, Jon Heyman of the New York Post cited a league executive Thursday who said it would take a “Herschel Walker-type trade” for any team to convince Oakland to trade Miller this year given the contract situation.

Yet there may be a team out there willing to blow away the Athletics’ front office with an offer.

After all, there might not be many impact players available at the deadline. The Los Angeles Angels, Athletics, Chicago White Sox, Colorado Rockies and Miami Marlins are the only teams in the entire league that are not within nine games of a playoff spot.

Heyman listed the White Sox, Marlins, Angels and Athletics as the only “certain sellers” even though other teams could decide to be sellers before the July 30 trade deadline.

Without as many players potentially available, contenders could see even an outside chance at Miller being available as an opportunity to trade significant assets for someone who would be under team control for years.

And any such contender would be getting one of the best relief pitchers in baseball this year.

Miller was named to the All-Star Game and sports a 2.33 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, 68 strikeouts and 15 saves in 38.2 innings this year. He has been one of the few bright spots for a struggling organization and is just 25 years old in his second season in the league.

He could also be one of the faces of the franchise for years for Oakland as it prepares for an eventual move to Las Vegas, which is something the front office will also have to keep in mind as it approaches the deadline.

But a “Herschel Walker” trade offer could change the approach considering the Dallas Cowboys traded the running back to the Minnesota Vikings in a deal that eventually featured 18 players plus draft picks.

Other MLB teams might want to start studying the largest trade in NFL history if they want to land Miller at the deadline.