The Milwaukee Brewers target San Diego Padres closer Mason Miller to fortify what ESPN's Jeff Passan calls a "superpen."
The Milwaukee Brewers aren't exclusively fixated on adding Detroit Tigers' Tarik Skubal.
ESPN's Jeff Passan reports that while he believes Skubal is the best fit for the team at the upcoming trade deadline, Milwaukee is also extremely interested in San Diego Padres closer Mason Miller.
Passan said Miller could join "what's already a superpen," in what may be the first time ever this season Milwaukee's bullpen has received that much praise.
Sure, they have the likes of Abner Uribe and Trevor Megill to close out games, but Aaron Ashby is coming off an abysmal outing, and even a guy like Chad Patrick has proven he can't always be trusted.
Either way, it's yet another report that the Brewers could be extremely aggressive at the trade deadline, but the question is, should Miller be prioritized over some of their other biggest needs?
Brewers do not have a superpen
Megill went through an extremely rough patch earlier this season where it didn't seem like manager Pat Murphy was ever going to be able to rely on him again. Thankfully, he was able to get back on track and regained the closer role.
Obviously, if Miller were to be acquired, that would change some things. Murphy loves to move Ashby and Uribe around, depending on matchups, but in an ideal world the Brewers would have their starter go six innings, and then Uribe, Megill, and Miller (in that order) would slam the door.
Should a starter only go five, that's where Ashby comes in. It's not hard to see why the Brewers would love to add Miller, but he's not going to be cheap, and Passan believes the team's biggest needs are a high-end starting pitcher and a home run power bat.
Miller would be great, but he's not the top priority
It's crazy to say Miller is this team's second option, but he might even be lower than that. If Skubal is on the market and Milwaukee doesn't have to deplete their farm system to get him, that's the easy trade to make.
Miller's asking price is a bit too steep for a position that isn't the top priority. Bringing in another reliable reliever is a step in the right direction, but without adding a starter to replace Brandon Woodruff or Quinn Priester, this team is in the same position they've been all season.
It's not hard to argue that adding a power bat is also far more important than acquiring Miller. That's not to discredit Miller or his abilities, far from it, but there are other logical trades that should first be explored, and if all else fails, Miller will likely still be there.
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