Would The Chicago Cubs Be Willing To Trade 3 Top Prospects For Young Star Pitcher?

The Chicago Cubs, like most teams, or on the hunt for quality young arms who won’t break the bank.

One of those good fits for the team has drawn interest from lots of teams– The Oakland Athletics’ Mason Miller.

The 26-year-old right-hander dazzled all throughout the minors and was pegged as a “can’t miss” top prospect since his entry into pro ball.

ESPN baseball analyst Doug Glanville once gave the following scouting report via Twitter/X for Miller:

“Mason Miller scouting report. Plus plus plus plus plus fastball. Like trying to hit during a solar eclipse in totality. Possible that his fastball blocks out the sun.”

Scouts have agreed with that assessment in unison, touting his fastball and disappearing-trick slider as his top pitches and rating his psychological makeup as top-notch. He is regarded in most assessments as a pitcher with “front of rotation” stuff and all-star potential.

An Elite Target

In 65 appearances spread out over two seasons in the bigs, Miller has dazzled at times, notching 142 strikeouts in 98.1 innings.

The only issue is that, apparently, the A’s haven’t been interested in discussing a deal for Miller.

That could possibly change if the right package were offered for the talented young pitcher. The Athletic’s Jim Bowden recently gave his thoughts in a mailbag column on what it may take for the A’s to listen to (and maybe) consider a trade proposal.

Per Bowden:

“…The Athletics are not trading Miller. But a package of right-hander Cade Horton, outfielder Owen Caissie and shortstop Derniche Valdez would certainly make them pause and consider it.”

The one question mark about Miller, however, is concern regarding possible physical frailty.

Chinks In The Armor?

Diagnosed with juvenile Type-I diabetes in 2018, the 6-foot-5 Miller was a spindly presence, weighing just 150 lbs. until hooking up with a proper strength and conditioning coach. He’s also suffered through an assortment of injuries over the course of his career that have given Oakland some pause for concern. The team’s decision to use Miller out of the bullpen last season was due to the organization’s desire to let him gradually build arm strength at the major league level.

Ironically, that decision by the A’s opened another area of intrigue when it comes to Miller and another avenue for success. With his stuff and his mound presence, he could easily settle into the role of closer. In 2024, he finished the season with 28 saves and a 2.49 ERA. He definitely has the kind of “shut down” talent needed to excel as a game finisher.

The Chicago Cubs’ Steep Price To Pay

The Cubs, however, would be paying an incredibly steep price for Miller if they made the above deal. Horton is the organization’s no. 3 prospect, Caissie is their no. 2, and Valdez is no. 13. All are pegged as major league-level talents.

But, then again, they’d be acquiring a talent in Miller who could immediately fill one of two much-needed holes on the team– front of rotation starting pitcher and elite-level closer.

Could the A’s be nudged into trading away a high-end but possibly injury-prone talent for three high-end prospects? Their organizational history tells us “no,” but one never knows. They’ll be moving to Las Vegas in 2028 and would maybe like to stockpile some minor league talent that could be major league-ready by then.

At the very least, a Cubs-A’s deal for Mason Miller is an idea worth exploring.

Follow me on Twitter at @boxing_tribune, and follow us @ChiCitySports23. You can also reach out to Paul Magno via email at paulmagno@theboxingtribune.com.
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