Morosi thinks that the addition of Fermin is a difference maker, and it's his favorite deal that A.J. Preller made at the deadline. It's not the Mason Miller blockbuster, which brought one of the most electric closers to San Diego. It's the trade for Fermin.

The Athletics drafted Miller in the third round of the 2021 MLB Draft, and he debuted as a starting pitcher in 2023, making six starts before the organization transitioned him into a relief role due to concerns about his long-term durability and the potential for greater impact in shorter outings.

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.