The Oakland Athletics' move to Las Vegas may be one of the biggest stains on the baseball world but, in a surprising twist, the team is not. Their 24-37 record isn’t all that great but they are far from the worst team in MLB and have plenty of good players having good seasons, none more than closer Mason Miller.

Miller has been lights out as a full-time reliever this season, allowing runs in only three of his 20 appearances so far. His 2.08 ERA is super impressive but his absurd 51.5 strikeout percentage and 0.87 FIP show that he’s really having a special season. The Athletics have traded away plenty of key players over the years, so Miller seems likely to be moved at some point before the July 30 deadline.

This time, the Athletics may buck the trend. They don’t seem likely to trade Miller away, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN.

Passan writes the following: “As much as the A's are open to listening for offers on uberreliever Mason Miller, multiple executives believe it's unlikely he'll be moved. That could change in coming weeks, of course, but the consensus is that the A's are in no rush to deal Miller, who has struck out 51 batters in 26 innings.”

Athletics “in no rush” to trade Mason Miller

It’s very likely that the A's get an offer they can’t pass up for Miller, a 25-year-old with plenty of years of team control left that throws gas. Teams always want more relievers and Miller has been one of the very best this season. But unless that deal comes, it makes all the sense in the world to keep him around.

The Athletics are about to leave Oakland soon and, although they’ll be met with lots of flak, will want to have at least a quality team in place for their new home of Las Vegas and temporary home in Sacramento. Miller could be a huge part of that, even if he’s just the closer. After scorning their current fan base, they will have to build a new one. That starts with having a team worth coming out to support.

Oakland's young group of players with at least a little intrigue features Miller, Zack Gelof, Shea Langeliers, JJ Bleday, Esteury Ruiz, Darell Hernaiz and Lawrence Butler. In the minor leagues, there are top-100 prospect Jacob Wilson, Luis Morales and Denzel Clarke. The team's future outlook isn’t anything special but there has to be some type of future to speak of in order to make the relocation worthwhile.

Passan noted that the Athletics “should have action” on slugger Brent Rooker, who is rocking a .921 OPS this season, and that several pitchers should be up for grabs. Starters Paul Blackburn, Ross Stripling and Alex Wood and relievers Austin Adams and T.J. McFarland seem likely to be trade candidates as the A's try to keep their farm system fresh with young talent.