If David Stearns wants to build a bullpen that doesn’t just survive October but actively terrifies opponents, there is only one name that matters right now. The New York Mets have reportedly inquired about San Diego Padres closer Mason Miller, a flamethrower who makes radar guns weep and hitters question their life choices.
According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Stearns and his front office are one of “many teams” checking the price tag on the 27-year-old sensation, and while the cost will be astronomical, the impact would be generational.
Miller isn’t just a closer; he is a glitch in the matrix, armed with a fastball that averaged 101.3 mph last season. After being traded to San Diego at the deadline, he transformed into an unhittable force, posting a laughable 0.77 ERA over 23.1 innings while striking out a jaw-dropping 17.36 batters per nine innings.
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A Statistical Profile That Looks Like a Video Game
The numbers Miller put up in San Diego are the kind of thing you usually only see in MLB The Show with the sliders turned all the way up. He ranks in the 100th percentile for whiff rate, strikeout rate, and fastball velocity, effectively serving as the grim reaper for opposing rallies. While he walked 12% of the batters he faced, which is admittedly high, nobody cares about a free pass when the next three guys are walking back to the dugout with the bat on their shoulders.
His stint with the Athletics earlier in 2025 was solid but unspectacular with a 3.76 ERA, yet the tweaks made by the Padres coaching staff unlocked a new level of dominance. He posted a 96.2% left-on-base rate and a 50% ground ball rate during his time in San Diego, proving he can erase mistakes as quickly as he makes them. Acquiring a player who can neutralize threats with a single pitch is the ultimate luxury, and Miller provides that in spades.
The Cost of Doing Business for Control Through 2030
The primary allure here isn’t just the velocity; it is the fact that Miller is under team control until 2030, meaning the Mets would be trading for a half-decade of elite production. However, that contract status is exactly why the Padres are demanding a “massive return” that would almost certainly start with top pitching prospect Jonah Tong.
The Mets have already been busy adding depth, like the ground ball machine Daniel Duarte on a minor league deal, but Miller is the type of move that empties the farm system.
Stearns has been down this road before, having held “substantial” talks with Oakland about Miller last year before pivoting to the disastrous acquisitions of Tyler Rogers and Ryan Helsley. That failure should serve as a lesson that settling for the “Plan B” options often costs you more in the long run than just paying the premium for the superstar upfront. After watching the Mets lose yet another potential target in free agency, the pressure to land a guaranteed difference-maker via trade is mounting.
Looking Ahead: A Price Worth Paying
The Padres hold all the leverage here, and they know that every contender is desperate for what Miller offers. But the Mets have the prospect capital to get a deal done, and the window to win with this core isn’t getting any wider. If the cost is Jonah Tong and a package of lottery tickets, Stearns should drive the prospects to the airport himself.
Opportunities to acquire a 27-year-old who might go down as one of the most dominant relievers ever don’t come around often. The Mets have spent the last few years trying to patch the bullpen with tape and glue; it is time to finally fix it with titanium.
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