Do the Oakland A's have baseball's most valuable trade chip?

Even though the Oakland A's are one of the more surprising teams in the early portion of the 2024 season, they still figure to be sellers ahead of this year's trade deadline. Not only are they still in the middle of an ugly relocation process and have one of the league's smallest payrolls, but they are also still in the early stages of an all-out rebuild. Almost any player who has significant trade value could be made available, and that might even include young star closer Mason Miller.

If the A's were to seriously consider trading Miller, he might be the most valuable trade chip available ahead of this year's deadline.

Not only because he has already proven to be a dominant pitcher out of the bullpen, but because he is not eligible for arbitration until 2026 and is under team control through the end of the 2029 season.

Any contending team would love to get its hands on a cheap, cost-controlled relief pitcher who consistently throws over 101 mph. The price would probably be a significant package of prospects.

The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported on Thursday that the A's have set an enormous asking price on Miller, and that while they are willing to listen on him, no team has come even remotely close to matching what the A's would need to trade him. 

While moving a dominant and cheap player who is still so young would be terrible PR for most MLB teams, it is something the A's should be aggressively pursuing.

For one, there is no amount of PR that is going to hurt the A's at this point. They are already a PR nightmare given the ownership and relocation saga. So if any team could get away with a move like this without it severely hurting them at the box office, it is the A's. 

They are also in a position where they need to accumulate as much talent as they can, and there is not a single player on the roster who would bring back a bigger return than Miller given his contract and ability. 

He also plays a position that should be one of the easiest to replace. Relief pitchers are one of the most volatile commodities in the sport, and it is not always overly difficult to find good closers or set-up men. They already have a potential closer replacement on the roster in power arm Lucas Erceg.

It might be painful to deal a player this good and this exciting, but it might also be the best way for the A's to add significant pieces to their organization. It has to be explored.