When the work was finished, and five trades involving 22 players had been executed within six hours, A.J. Preller's peers called him everything from a "lunatic" to a "genius," a divergence befitting Major League Baseball's most polarizing executive.

San Diego president of baseball operations A.J. Preller made a huge push for Miller, as is his wont, and the A’s viewed the Mets as the “most serious” option beyond the Padres, per The Athletic. The Mets and A’s reportedly had “very serious” conversation, but the sides did not gain traction and the Amazin’s pivoted in different directions.