Padres Trade for Kwan, Duran, Mason Miller Would Make Them NL Favorite Amid MLB Rumors

Amid a push for their first World Series appearance since 1998, the San Diego Padres are expected to be among the most active trade deadline participants Thursday, with The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal and Dennis Lin reporting that the team is interested in several top trade targets.

They wrote:

"As usual, San Diego Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller is active on most of the big names available at the trade deadline. In addition to his continued pursuit of outfielders Jarren Duran and Steven Kwan, he is also pushing for Athletics closer Mason Miller, sources briefed on the Padres’ discussions told The Athletic."

Kwan is one of the best, most disciplined hitters in the game, with 114 hits, 38 RBI, and an average of .286 through 101 games. He is also a strong defender with an arm that can throw any runner out.

Duran, the 2024 All-Star Game MVP, has exceptional defensive range, is among the fastest players in the American League, and can be a game-changing factor on both sides of the ball.

Miller, despite not being the shutdown closer that he was a season ago, still leads the league in fastball velocity and is on a very affordable deal at $765,000 this season, with four years of club control, ironically making him one of the most expensive acquisitions any team could make ahead of Friday's deadline.

All three are former All-Stars, all are among the best at their position in the majors and the addition of all, or even a mixture of them, would help make the championship-hungry Padres the National League favorites.

That all three are players at a position of need for the team as it embarks on a push to the postseason, and a heated battle down the stretch with their division foes, the Los Angeles Dodgers, only makes the potential trades for them that much more appealing.

It would likely be difficult to acquire all three, nor would the team necessarily need both Kwan and Duran. The Padres have an obvious left field need and either could fill in and be an instant upgrade, both offensively and defensively.

Getting one of them on-board, then shifting focus to Miller and his jaw-dropping fastball would upgrade the team in those areas and create a more well-rounded squad to battle the favored Dodgers for the NL West crown, not to mention the league title.

If Preller can make the deals necessarily to improve the outfield, provide the offense another talented young bat, and add Miller not only as a closer but potential long-term piece in the starting rotation (he started three games in 2023), he will cement his status as one of the best executives in the bigs and more importantly, put his organization in a position to do something it has not done in its 56-year history: win a World Series.