The Oakland A's traded All-Star Mason Miller to the San Diego Padres for top prospect Leo De Vries in a blockbuster 2025 trade deadline deal. See the full return.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
Well, the trade deadline fireworks we were all waiting for have officially exploded. In a move that sent shockwaves through the fan base, the Oakland Athletics traded All-Star closer Mason Miller and lefty starter JP Sears to the San Diego Padres. The sting of losing a flamethrower like Miller is real, but the return is staggering: the A's have acquired Leo De Vries, MLB Pipeline's No. 3 overall prospect, and a trio of promising young arms.
In return, the A's received shortstop Leo De Vries, ranked as MLB Pipeline's No. 3 overall prospect, along with right-handed pitchers Braden Nett, Henry Baez, and Eduarniel Núñez.
Let's be honest, this one hurts. Mason Miller was more than just a closer; he was a bolt of lightning, a reason to tune in for the ninth inning. His 103-mph fastballs and dominant presence made him an All-Star and a fan favorite. Trading a player of his caliber, along with the reliable JP Sears, is a tough pill to swallow. It signals a definitive choice by the front office: win-now pieces are out, and high-ceiling prospects are in. It's the painful but necessary cost of a deep, foundational rebuild.
So, who is the player worth trading an All-Star for? Meet Leo De Vries, the new potential face of the franchise. The shortstop is a switch-hitting phenom with scouts raving about his advanced approach at the plate, plus power from both sides, and slick defensive skills. He's the kind of five-tool talent that organizations dream of building around. Landing a consensus top-three prospect in all of baseball is a massive coup for the A's farm system, instantly catapulting it into the elite tier.
While De Vries is the headliner, the A's also restocked their pitching pipeline. The deal brought in three right-handers: Braden Nett, Henry Baez, and Eduarniel Núñez. Each brings a different profile, from projectable starters to hard-throwing relievers. This wasn't just about getting one star; it was about adding layers of talent to a system that needs it. The front office is clearly focused on building a sustainable wave of pitching to support the future lineup, and these three arms are now key pieces of that puzzle.
This move is a clear signal of the front office's strategy. By trading Miller at the peak of his value, they've acquired a potential franchise cornerstone in De Vries whose timeline aligns perfectly with the A's target for their next competitive window. While painful in the short term, this trade accelerates the rebuild by injecting an elite, high-ceiling talent directly into the top of the farm system. This is the kind of bold, future-focused move that can define a franchise for the next decade.
This trade will be debated for years, and its success will ultimately be measured by Leo De Vries's career and the development of the new arms. For now, the closer role is a question mark, and the big league club just lost two key contributors. But today, the A's made their direction crystal clear. They are sacrificing today's certainty for a chance at tomorrow's greatness. The rebuild just got a massive injection of elite talent, and all eyes will now be on the farm, waiting for the arrival of the future.
