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AIPROPX ReportYahoo Sports · 1h ago
Can Yankees get Mason Miller? Exec reveals pieces that could entice Padres
CHICAGO — Monday’s injury update on Cody Bellinger was numbing. The Yankees did not expect the MRI on his left hamstring to reveal a Grade 2 strain. The All-Star Game MVP had been moving around well since leaving Saturday’s game in Philadelphia with left hamstring discomfort. He thought he’d be off the injured list in 10 days, the minimum, and certainly not four to six weeks.
With Bellinger now sidelined until late August or September and Aaron Judge’s best-case timetable probably the same, the Yankees need to trade for an outfielder before next Monday’s deadline, right?
And even though Austin Wells is on a 10-game hitting surge and journeyman backup Ali Sanchez is hitting .333 against lefties, they still need to upgrade their catching tandem, too, right?
Right and right, except that the Yankees are facing a big problem that might not be solvable.
On orders from ownership, the Twins are telling everyone that they are buyers, an American League executive told NJ.com .
This means Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers is apparently staying in Minnesota. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman wanted to pair Jeffers with Wells. This development also prevents the Yankees from taking a swing at Twins All-Star center fielder Byron Buxton, who had a chance to be the only star outfielder to be moved this summer.
The Yankees also can forget about Rockies All-Star catcher Hunter Goodman , who hit 31 homers in his first full season last year and already has matched that total this year. He, too, won’t be moved, the executive was informed.
Now what?
“You go in looking to try and improve in certain areas,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said before Monday night’s 9-5 win over the White Sox. “Sometimes it lines up, sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes you got to pivot and go add to a strength.”
The Yankees can pull that off by adding the best closer in the majors to a bullpen that has the second-lowest ERA. The organizational plan is to make a big run at prying Mason Miller from the Padres.
Yankees -1.5 run line is sitting at +139 on DraftKings for Tuesday’s matchup versus the White Sox. Our complete DraftKings Sportsbook review shows you how to sign up and use their app.
“I’ve heard they want Miller the most,” said the executive, who was granted anonymity because he’s not permitted to publicly comment on opposing players.
“I don’t see anybody else making a huge push like the Yankees could. I just don’t see any other team that will be willing to give up as much as the Yankees would.”
Yankees closer David Bednar hasn’t blown a save or given up a run since the middle of May, but Miller is having one of the greatest seasons ever by a reliever. With a 101-mph average fastball that touches 104, he’s 2-1 with an 0.82 ERA, 27 saves in 27 chances, 80 strikeouts and 15 walks over 43 2/3 innings.
What’s still unknown is whether the Padres will seriously consider moving Miller, who has three years of team control after 2026. Last summer, the Padres traded one of the best prospects in the majors (Leo De Vries), plus their Nos. 3, 13 and 17 prospects to the Athletics for Miller and pitcher JP Sears. De Vries, 19, is now ranked No. 2 in MLB Pipeline’s top 100 prospect rankings.
It’s also unknown whether the Yankees have enough in their farm system to entice Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller. Cashman has refused to move his No. 1 prospect, 19-year-old Triple-A shortstop George Lombard Jr.
“I think that the ask has got to be enormous,” the executive said. “Preller’s got to get back an everyday position player that has to be the main piece of the package because he gave up De Vries for Miller.
“I don’t know if anybody’s got enough to offer that makes a lot of sense for Preller.”
What could make the Padres think twice?
“You’re probably looking at (Dax) Kilby, (Elmer) Rodriguez, (Carlos) Lagrange and more,” the executive said. “It probably would have to be four or five pieces. I think the issue that the Yankees can run into is they might have to give up Rodriguez and Lagrange because most of their other best pitching prospects have had some sort of injuries this year that are red flags.
“Lagrange hasn’t been able to stay healthy. That would worry me. Ben Hess has dealt with an injury. Bryce Cunningham’s had injuries. Thatcher Hurd is coming back from an injury. That’s why I think the position player has to be the headliner.”
If Lombard is untouchable, the Yankees can try to build an offer around their next-best prospects. Kilby is a High-A shortstop, while pitchers Rodriguez and Lagrange are in Triple-A. In MLB Pipeline’s Yankees top 30 list, Kilby is ranked second, Rodriguez is third and Lagrange, who has been on the IL since July 2 with a shoulder injury, is fourth.
Two scouts recently told NJ.com that Yankees No. 4 starter Will Warren could be a piece that interests the Padres.
Hess is the Yankees’ No. 6 prospect, Hurd is No. 8 and Cunningham is No. 10.
“I do think that it just comes down to a package with Kilby, Lagrange and maybe Rodriguez, too,” the executive said. “Does that at least start it for the Yankees? I don’t know.”
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ExecPadresThe YankeesAugMonday’sCody BellingerMRIGradeThe AllStar Game MVPSaturday’sPhiladelphia
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