The Indians informed Brad Miller that he has been designated for assignment, per MLB.com’s Mandy Bell (via Twitter). Jason Kipnis returns from the injured list to take Miller’s spot on the roster, adds Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com (via Twitter).
Miller filled in admirably for the Tribe through the season’s first two weeks, as manager Tito Francona slotted him into the lineup at second base to start 11 of their first 14 games. While his stay in Cleveland was short, he worked a .250/.333/.438 batting line with four extra base hits over that span – perhaps showing enough pop to get another look elsewhere. A significant amount of swing-and-miss remains in Miller’s game, as he struck out at a 27.8 K% clip, not at that far off from his 23.6 career K-rate.
Over a seven-year career with stopovers in Seattle, Tampa Bay and Milwaukee (before Cleveland), Miller owns a .239/.313/.409 slash line with 76 career home runs, which comes to a roughly league-average rate by measure of weighted runs created plus (99 wRC+). That’s essentially the expectation asked of and fulfilled by Miller for the Indians while their regular starting middle infield worked their way back from injury.
Kipnis figures to reclaim regular starting duties at second base so long as he can stay healthy. Kipnis brings his .263/.337/.417 line to a Cleveland lineup that also added veteran Carlos Gonzalez today. On its face, Kipnis doesn’t seem like much of an upgrade from what Miller has provided thus far, but if nothing else, he represents a stabilizing veteran presence as the longest-tenured position player on the Cleveland roster. The 32-year-old Chicago native has been in the organization since they drafted him in the second round of the 2009 draft, while he made his major league debut in 2011.
Great move Indians lol
all things considered, there have been worse stopgaps
One of their few hitters actually hitting
Just gonna say that lol
I was hopeful he would remain as the utility option, but I guess they want to give Moroff an extended look since he is out options.
Moroff should get an extended look… Let him play short. Keep Miller as utility like you say. I’ve seen enough of Stamets
I agree with all of that
Yeah Miller is at least hitting his weight. I understand wanting to see if Moroff works out to cause otherwise that trade is a total bust. But we could and should of got rid of just off his glove Stamets hitting a whopping .053. Miller’s batting average was higher than both Moroff and Stamets OBP combined.
The Indians need to hire some more sumo wrestlers. They would have the highest league average if they hit their weight. Can even have a a reality show called “My 600 Pound Switch Hitter.”
Should have been Moroff. Dude s***s.
I get that they want someone more capable of playing multiple positions, but it definitely doesn’t seem like a smart idea to get rid of one of the few guys that was hitting in favor of Moroff and Stamets.
Pirates should run to claim him
so we keep .050 something stamets and .060 whatever morof for a guy who’s actually hitting over .200? this front office is a joke
Did anyone else see what Brad Miller said to Hoynsie after he found out he got DFAed?
“Obviously, they don’t want the best guys up here.”
It’s harsh, but I can’t blame him for being mad. They easily could have sent down Stamets, kept him at short for a few days until Lindor came back and then made him the utility guy afterward. He’s not a great defender, but with the way their offense has looked so far, the only focus should be on scoring runs.
Stamets should have been DFA’d he has done nothing
Stamets can be optioned, so they should have just done that. Moroff would have to be DFAed, but I’d be more than fine with that either.
Miller cannot defend SS adequately. He also would get zero playing time with Kipnis here. He’s a lefty who can play 2 positions. They have 4 left handed outfielders + Kipnis. He would just be an awkward fit on the team.
They could have sent Stamets down instead and kept him essentially benched for a couple of weeks while Lindor rehabbed and eventually the same decision would have been made.
Bingo!
Or maybe he would’ve kept hittting the ball and you DFA’d HanRam instead and he was your primary DH. Now you have two light hitting SS’s on one of baseball’s worst offenses.
Let’s face it, he’s a 2B who happened to have one big homer season.
Geesh. I felt like he earned a little more time.
Those of you clamoring for Stamets to be sent down, he’s not going anywhere until Lindor is back.
I agree but that should happen within a week or so, in which case you might as well ride the hot hand on offense at the expense of lesser defense for a few days.
Either way, it just as easily should have been Moroff.
Eric Stamets and Max Moroff each have 3 TB. Neither seem very good defensively. Brad Miller is hitting so, what are the Indians thinking? .
Really sucks, but it was inevitable. He wasn’t going to stick as the utility man after Kipnis and Linder make it back on the roster. Morroff is horrible and Stamets is a nice story but they can’t carry a no bat guy when nobody else is hitting.
You know things are bad when you get dropped for Kipnis.
Really? You mean the 2B that had 18 dingers and 75 RBIs last season?
No I mean the second baseman that they could trade the last two off seasons because he is an average at best player that is overpaid that no other team wants.
Couldn’t trade
Got it, they couldn’t trade him. But they should’ve just him him with his $14.666mil salary for this year and $2.5mil buyout for next year and keep the guy that got cut in Spring Training and cleared waivers? The same guy that cost the Tribe like $105k but would lock in a $1mil guarantee in a few days and wouldn’t come close to putting up 18 HRs and 75 RBIs? Brilliant!
No need to be so angry. People are allowed their own opinion. You might want to take a deep breath or double up on the BP meds.
“double up on the BP meds”. Just as nasty a comment on your part.
Kipnis and miller offer about the same value offensively. The only difference is kipnis still has a solid glove at 2B.
Thanks for playing ref.
How predictable. Try to put it on me rather than being an adult and owning up.
Angry? Nah, annoyed by the peanut gallery that keep coming up with ways an organization they are not even fans of should spend heir money and/or move their players. You’re work trolling here is done now move along…
I have been a Tribe fan for longer than your pitiful self has been alive idiot. You’re one of those people who live for arguments with people online. Look back at all the trash you post from your parent’s basement.
Good comeback kid, you’re positive comments are so uplifting – keep up the good work!
We don’t know what it’s like in the clubhouse/dugout. Remember being on teams? Sometimes there are guys who for some reason don’t fit, or have a vibe that feels wrong. Maybe that’s Miller. Not to put Tito on a pedestal, but I don’t think any comment here is anything he/they didn’t think of.
Wouldn’t like to think that is Miller but it’s a valid statement in my opinion. Trying to keep a MLB job like he’s doing I’m sure eats at you. 76 HRs seems so low to me since 30 of them he put up in a season for the Rays. He’s always gonna be a hitter with a ceiling. No reason why he couldn’t be playing for Pitt or Bal right now for close to lg minimum.
Good point Tom, plus this one may be out of Tito’s hands considering the comments he had on his exit interview.
didn’t mean to “like” my own post. Can’t seem to undo.
Cut Miller and keep Stamets? Hmmmm.
At this point, the Indians need to have scouts at Little League games looking for quality IF and OF bats, a catcher and bullpen pieces to replace Neil “gasoline can” Ramirez.
Terry Francona is the Indians manager. Not sure what his dad, Tito, has to do with anything.
If you don’t know they call him Tito you really shouldn’t be posting in a Tribe thread. Way too many comments from the peanut gallery when they don’t have a dog in the race.
Didn’t know they called him Tito because I’d never heard him referred to as Tito. I had to spend a fair amount of time searching to even get a hint of it. I assumed it was a typo at first.
Anyway, Indians fans don’t get to claim ownership of every article which is Indians focused, just like I’m sure there were Indians fans making comments on Bryce Harper’s contract discussions or Manny Machado’s contract discussions despite clearly not having a dog in that race, for example.
The guy can say what he wants. You’re extremely annoying correcting everyone and jumping everyone’s case. Try shutting up and eating your peanuts.
Sure thing kid, now go finish your homework before your mommy cuts off your internet use.
He is often called Tito, just as his dad was.
Had to do some searching on that one after the previous poster corrected me. I hadn’t ever heard of Terry getting his dad’s nickname before this.
Not to pound the point home, but google Terry Francona, and the very first entry
is the Wikipedia listing, and in the very first sentence, without even opening the page, you can see the reference to him being called “Tito”!
This article clearly states Tito and the article it referenced also clearly called him Tito. It’s no secret.