Mason Miller is all in on a 2026 lockup – but will he ever start?
The San Diego Padres contain secret weapons. Closer Mason Miller has been dominant since making his debut for Atlético a few seasons ago. Padres general manager AJ 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 Roberto Suarez now in Atlanta, Miller will be the new closer. Miller served as a setup option for Suarez during the second half of last season. The flamethrower will now take over in the 9th inning to close things out. In 2026, San Diego should once again control the dominant fence.
Miller recently joined Foul Territory to discuss his new role for 2026 and whether he will be a starting pitcher on the books in the future.
“I had a lot of success in the bench, and giving up that success now makes no sense to me.”
Mason Miller isn’t ruling out being a starter, but it’s all about closing out 2026 😤 pic.tvitter.com/VdiiKiuROZ
— Foul Territori (@FoulTerritoriTV) January 15, 2026
“It’s an exciting conversation that’s been going on year after year since I’ve moved to the bench. Right now, I’ve had a lot of success in the bench, and to give up that success now doesn’t make sense to me.”
“I’m going to continue that ball now, but I’m never going to be a guy that overcomes it. But, I’ll admit, it’s hard to walk away from something that you do a lot of good at. I think my value right now is to be locked in in the ninth or in late games, whatever we need. To be proud to be a part of something really good, it’s too good to be proud.
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.
2026-01-15 19:44:00
