The San Diego Padres contain a secret weapon. Closer Mason Miller has been dominant since he debuted for the Athletics a few seasons ago. Padres general manager A.J. Preller wanted Miller on his team and traded one of the top prospects in baseball to get him at last year's MLB Trade Deadline.
With former closer Robert Suarez now in Atlanta, Miller is going to be the new closer. Miller served as a setup option to Suarez during the second half of last season. The flamethrower will now take over in the 9th inning to close things off. San Diego should control a dominant bullpen once again in 2026.
Miller recently joined Foul Territory to discuss his new role for 2026 and if becoming a starting pitcher is in the books in the future.
“I've had a lot of success in the bullpen, and to go away from that success right now doesn't make sense for me.”
Mason Miller isn't ruling out being a starter down the road, but he's all in on closing in 2026. 😤 pic.twitter.com/VdiyQyuROZ
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) January 15, 2026
“It's an exciting conversation that has been had year in and year out since I did transition to the bullpen. Right now, I've had a lot of success in the bullpen, and to go away from that success right now doesn't make sense for me.”
“I'm gonna keep that ball rollin' right now, but I am never going to be the guy that rules that out down the line. But, I will admit it is hard to go away with something you are having a lot of success with. I think my value right now is being the lockdown guy in the ninth or late in games, whatever that we need. Being a part of a really good bullpen is something I take pride in, too.”
The Padres could still be in the market for a starting pitcher. Don't be shocked if GM Preller continues to build a winning team in San Diego.
