The San Diego Padres pulled off one of Major League Baseball's biggest deals on Thursday. In a blockbuster move, the Padres added Mason Miller and JP Sears from the Athletics. While there were rumors that San Diego could move on from Dylan Cease and Robert Suarez at the trade deadline, both remain. Now, there are questions about the pecking order of Mike Shildt's bullpen.

Miller and Suarez are two of the best closers in MLB. Suarez was a 2025 All-Star and Miller would have been one if the Athletics had a better record. Each of them are in the top 11 of the league when it comes total saves, as well. However, Suarez has gotten far more opportunities to record saves because of the Padres' talent. As pure pitchers, the two are very close in skill.

97.3 The Fan asked Shildt what his plan was with his new-look bullpen. While San Diego's manager is glad to have more firepower, he did not provide a definitive answer about his strategy for the rest of the season.

“We get smarter, we get better with another really elite piece in Mason Miller,” Shildt said. “It'll let us lock down the ninth inning. The way we view it, we've talked to Mason, we've talked to Robert and said ‘listen, we're not going to be out of school you with what we're going to do, we'll show you what we're gonna do.'…But bullpens are fluid.”

As it stands right now, Shildt has four relievers with All-Star appearances under their belts. However, there is no defined order in which he will go to his bullpen. According to him, the situation will dictate the Padres' strategy in the back half of the season and playoffs. One thing is for sure, though, he has plenty of talent to chose from when creating his bullpen strategy.

San Diego's moves at the trade deadline are proof that the team is all-in on the 2025 season. Regardless of when they pitch, Miller and Suarez will play large roles in the Padres' success. The front office got them on the same team. Now, it is up to Shildt to get the most out of both of them.

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