Heading to the All-Star Game on another team's chartered plane. Mason Miller (26-Oakland Athletics), who has been rumored to be traded, will be on the same flight as the Philadelphia Phillies All-Stars.
According to NBC Sports Philadelphia, the Phillies' chartered plane will carry a total of nine players to Arlington, Texas, where the All-Star Game will be held. The 2024 MLB All-Star Game will be held on the 17th at Texas' home stadium, Globe Life Field.
The Phillies, who had the best record in the majors in the first half of the season (62-34, .646 winning percentage), had eight players named to the National League (NL) All-Star team, including first baseman Bryce Harper, third baseman Alec Bomb, shortstop Trey Turner, starting pitchers Ranger Suarez, Zack Wheeler, and Christopher Sanchez, and relievers Jeff Hoffman and Matt Stram.
Plus, there's another player on the same flight. Oakland closer Miller. Miller, Oakland's lone All-Star, pitched the final three games of the first half of the season from July 13-15 in Philadelphia. The Phillies were kind enough to allow him to fly to the All-Star Game on the same flight instead of traveling separately.
Oakland had done this two years ago, when pitcher Paul Blackburn, its only All-Star, traveled to the game on a different team charter. After finishing the last leg of the first half in Houston, he boarded an Astros team charter and flew to Los Angeles for the All-Star Game with five Houston All-Stars – Jose Altuve, Jordan Alvarez, Kyle Tucker, Justin Verlander, and Framber Valdes.
Unlike Blackburn two years ago, Miller's charter flight to Philadelphia has been accompanied by trade speculation. Oakland, 온라인카지노사이트 which finished the first half in fifth place in the American League West (37-61, .378 winning percentage), has been linked to center fielder Brent Rooker and closer Miller.
Miller is in his first full season and will be a free agent after 2029. It's unlikely that a player with less than a year of service time would be traded, but a rebuilding Oakland could command a hefty price tag. A team looking for immediate bullpen help could be interested in Miller.
The 6-foot-5 right-hander is 1-1 with a 2.27 ERA and 15 saves in 33 games this season. In 39⅔ innings pitched, he has struck out a whopping 70 batters. He's also dominant with his command, striking out 15.9 batters per nine innings. His four-seam fastball averages a whopping 103.7 miles per hour (166.9 km/h), the fastest in the majors this year.
Miller has also been impressive against the Phillies. In the ninth inning of a 6-2 win on April 13, Miller pitched one hitless inning with two strikeouts and no walks to end the game. He showed off his command with a fastball that touched 103.7 miles per hour (166.9 km/h).
While the Phillies have the best winning percentage in the majors amidst their two-hitter, their weakness is their bullpen. It ranks 13th in ERA (3.79) and has 14 blown saves. Jose Alvarado, who started as the closer, has a team-high 13 saves, but his 3.92 ERA is a concern. Hoffman, who has been solid with an ERA in the low single digits (1.12), has taken over the closer's role and has nine saves, but the bullpen will be a mixed bag in a championship season.
With fellow All-Star closers Tanner Scott (Miami Marlins) and Carlos Estevez (Los Angeles Angels) also on the trade market, Miller could be pushed to the back of the line for a hefty price tag. However, the Phillies have a wealth of prospects, so it's not out of the question that they could trade Miller if they're willing to put in the work. With Miller heading to the All-Star Game on a chartered flight to Philadelphia, it's hard to see how he could be traded before the deadline on May 31st.
