Yankees trading for Mason Miller would be massive mistake

From a pitching standpoint, the New York Yankees are whole again. Or at least as close as they’ve been in the past year and a half. Their rotation when healthy is arguably the best in MLB. With Max Fried returning from the Injured List on Wednesday, the Yankees’ ideal rotation is now coming into view. For the first time, Fried and Gerrit Cole are sharing a rotation. Carlos Rodon’s rehab is progressing well, and he should be back shortly as well.

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The biggest surprise, though, has been the emergence of Cam Schlittler as a top-of-the-rotation option. Rodon’s return will shift Will Warren or Ryan Weathers to the bullpen, and Clarke Schmidt’s return is also looming. That will make an already strong bullpen even better.

After a rough April, David Bednar has returned to being a true, lights-out closer. Among others, he has support from Fernando Cruz and Brent Headrick as pitching has truly become New York’s strength. With Aaron Judge still sidelined and the lineup scuffling, that’s not a bad thing, and it’s also very necessary.

It also shouldn’t be surprising that the Yankees are looking at even more trade acquisitions as they battle with the Tampa Bay Rays for the American League East title. That’s perfectly understandable, and even with the expected influx of talent, adding another high-leverage bullpen arm should be a priority.

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It should not be Mason Miller

Let’s start with the obvious: Miller is a stud. He’s an absolute superstar and the best closer in all of baseball. He’s essentially a cheat code with a 0.86 ERA and almost 17 strikeouts per nine innings. It goes without saying that the trade price on Miller isn’t going to be cheap.

Trading Spencer Jones, George Lombard, Elmer Rodriguez, and/or other top prospects for Miller would be a reasonable request from the San Diego Padres. The problem, though, is that’s not something the Yankees need to do or should be doing. Even if Jones and Jasson Domínguez don’t necessarily have current roles, they shouldn’t be traded in a deal that doesn’t make sense or doesn’t need to happen.

The Yankees would be better served either not making a trade or using their prospect capital for other areas of improvement. Acquiring Miller is a luxury the Yankees don’t need given the price.

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