The San Diego Padres have made a significant move to bolster their pitching staff, acquiring hard-throwing closer Mason Miller and left-handed starter JP Sears from the Oakland Athletics. The trade, confirmed on July 31, 2025, sends a package of high-end prospects to Oakland, signaling the Padres’ aggressive pursuit of a championship and the Athletics’ continued focus on rebuilding for the future.
In exchange for the two pitchers, the Athletics will receive a substantial haul headlined by 18-year-old shortstop Leodalis De Vries, widely regarded as the No. 3 prospect in all of baseball. The deal also includes right-handed pitchers Braden Nett, Henry Báez, and Eduarniel Nuñez, according to sources who spoke with ESPN.
The centerpiece for the Padres is Miller, a 26-year-old right-hander who has emerged as one of the most dominant relievers in the game. An All-Star in 2024, Miller has been electric this season, boasting a fastball that averages 101.1 mph. In 38 appearances, he has recorded 20 saves with a 3.76 ERA, striking out an impressive 59 batters in just 38.1 innings. While the Athletics were initially thought to be unwilling to part with their star closer, the soaring market prices for elite relievers reportedly made the package from San Diego too compelling to refuse.
Miller’s arrival dramatically strengthens an already formidable Padres bullpen. He joins a relief corps that features All-Star closer Robert Suarez, who leads the majors with 30 saves, and top setup man Jason Adam. The acquisition provides San Diego with unparalleled late-inning depth as they push towards the postseason.
Also heading to San Diego is 29-year-old starting pitcher JP Sears. In his fourth major league season, Sears has been a durable arm for the Athletics. This year, he has posted a 7-9 record with a 4.95 ERA across 22 starts, logging 111.0 innings and 97 strikeouts, per Baseball-Reference. The Padres reportedly view Sears as a valuable depth piece for their rotation, a move that could potentially allow them to trade another starter, such as Dylan Cease, in a separate deal.
Sears was originally drafted by the Seattle Mariners in 2017 before being traded to the New York Yankees. He made his MLB debut with the Yankees in 2022 and was subsequently traded to Oakland on August 1, 2022, as part of the package for Frankie Montas and Lou Trivino. During his time with the A’s, he was a workhorse, leading the team in games started (32), innings pitched (172.1), and strikeouts (161) in 2023. Over his career, Sears has a 29-39 record with a 4.48 ERA and 446 strikeouts, according to his MLB.com player page.
For the Athletics, the trade accelerates their rebuilding process. The acquisition of De Vries gives them one of the most coveted prospects in baseball, a potential franchise cornerstone. The addition of three more young pitchers further stocks a farm system aimed at building a sustainable contender in the years to come. This move underscores Oakland’s strategy of leveraging established major league talent to acquire a critical mass of future assets.
One response to “Padres Land Mason Miller, JP Sears in Blockbuster Trade with Athletics”
[…] The centerpiece of their strategy was a blockbuster trade with the Oakland Athletics on July 31, acquiring dominant closer Mason Miller and left-handed starter JP Sears. The move came at a significant cost, as the Padres sent a package of top prospects to Oakland, headlined by 18-year-old shortstop Leodalis De Vries, widely considered the No. 3 prospect in all of baseball. The deal also included right-handed pitchers Braden Nett, Henry Báez, and Eduarniel Nuñez, according to a report from ESPN. […]