The Yankees have signed right-hander Shelby Miller, as per a team press release. Miller has been invited to the Yankees’ big league spring camp.
Still only 31 years old, Miller is best known for his time with the Cardinals and Braves, when he posted a 3.22 ERA over 575 1/3 innings from 2012-15. With a third-place finish in NL Rookie Of The Year voting and an All-Star appearance in 2015, Miller looked like one of baseball’s burgeoning young pitching stars, but he simply was never the same after being dealt to the Diamondbacks in a now-infamous trade for Arizona fans.
Miller struggled in 2016 in part due to a finger injury, and then pitched only 38 more innings during his D’Backs tenure due to Tommy John surgery. Since then, Miller has bounced around to four different teams trying to revive his career, most recently pitching for the Cubs and Pirates in 2021. The righty had a combined 9.24 ERA over 12 2/3 big league innings last season, but at least his Triple-A statistics (2.96 ERA, 37.75% strikeout rate over 24 1/3 IP) provided some cause for optimism.
While Miller technically made four Triple-A starts last year, they were more of the abbreviated variety, and he seems to be more or less a full-time relief pitcher at this point in his career. New York will be the latest team to try and get Miller on track, and he would hardly be the first ex-starter to find a second act as a viable reliever. At the cost of a minor league deal, there’s no risk for the Yankees in seeing what Miller has in camp, and perhaps stashing him at Triple-A should he accept the assignment. Given the relatively short time between now and Opening Day, it doesn’t seem like Miller has a shot at breaking camp with the team.
Cashman dumpster diving again, he’s gotta go!!
It’s a minor league deal…. do you honestly believe Cashman is unique in this kind of signing?
No, but he needs to be a big boy and step up and get us a rotation piece, not another flyer
LolYankees
Lolmetsfan1992
Lolmets forever
Time to print the World Series tickets. A lifetime 38-57 record with 17 losses in 2015 and a lifetime ERA+ of 95. Wow.
Umm…. in 2015 he was on one of the worst teams in the League at the time, (The Braves) and had a 3.05 ERA… in 205 Innings Pitched and was a all-star, agree with everything else you said though.
That year you’re citing was actually his best yr. He received NO RUN SUPPOST that season, less than 2 per start. Try using something more relevant than archaic caveman stats like W-L. Having said that though he has been really bad since his surgery. Also keep in mind it’s a minor league deal so there’s no real risk.
To be fair, 2015 was his best season.
Look’s like we got our #2 for the rotation.
Not exactly the pitching deal I was hoping for.
Hoping for the big Cueto signing are we, Joe?
At least Ducky.
Really though I’m looking for the Contreras deal.
When it comes to what’s left, I like Anderson. We finally have a good IF defense. We could actually take advantage of the 100 or so innings he can pitch.
Contreras. Man. Sure seems like the correct move to me. That lineup would look so much better.
Anderson would likely be better. After seeing Taillon on track to start the season in the rotation, and looking sharp in his ST game, I feel a lot better about the pitching.
Ducky. With you on Anderson!!!
He would help.
As there is not much left, he is the leftover I prefer. & *if* he isn’t on the IL with a blister, strained hammy, impinged shoulder joint, etc, he is a guy who you could run out to take the mound in a playoff game. Again: if.
I am quite sure you guys are thoroughly sick of me posting this: but, I am confident in our pitching (both starting & relieving). It is our bats that make me wrinkle my nose.
I think our pitching is in good shape, Ducky. I bought into the longstanding argument that our pitching was flawed a long while back, until you posted about how effective it was last season. It really was. Now, I still think an extra SP pickup would be good & 2 would be optimal, but I like the rotation.
I think Nestor’s stuff plays again, Tallion looks good, Cole is an ace, Monty is effective, and we can shuffle around our #5 to make him work with the rotation needs, including the opener.
I think we will see close to a repeat pitching performance, unless Gil, Schmidt, or Garcia light up the minors & becomes an integral part of the roster – then we are much better off than we were.
If you mean Tyler Anderson the Dodgers just found enough spare change in the sofa to pay him $8M.
He pitched well for the Pirates last year,only having three bad games which hiked his ERA.
I agree that he would be a good #5 on a good team but I am somewhat surprised that he got that much money.
I do too, Clip.
I have high hopes that Luis Severino = co-ace. We shall see. But, yeah. For the most part I think everyone is kind of preconditioned to just assume the Yankees “need pitching.” Which certainly has been the case more often than not.
Not in ’22 though.
& ya gotta tip your cap to Cash on assembling a Very Good staff. Cole *is* a legitimate ace. Montgomery *&* Taillon are proven above average starters. German is average. Cortes outpitched all of them. Sevy is the key though.
I’m comfortable with it.
We will absolutely need some of those young arms to navigate 162 games. At least we have some palatable options DOTF.
Brett, @Mendoza.
& I hear you. But 31 starts of 5 innings is actually pretty valuable these days.
Yeah, Ducky, I didn’t include Sevy because he’s the unknown variable right now. If he comes back to even average starter capability this year, our rotation is in a really good place. If he comes back strong, our rotation may very well have its legitimate #2.
I like how Bloom assembled his staff last year.
Essentially, he put together a starting staff of 4-5 above average pitchers.
Nothing sexy.
Kept ’em in the game every night though. Rode that staff right on over us & to the LCS too. Bloom screwed up because he neglected his bullpen.
I think that’s a pretty good template for assembling a modern starting staff. I’m not sure whether it was by design – or not. But Cash has put together a very similar group.
I agree. Realistically, if the offense performs to expectations, that should more than suffice to get us to the same place. I hope we haven’t sacrificed too much O though. IKF has been beating the ball up early on, which is a good sign.
Then, during the Tiger/Yankees game, Coney spoke about the Opening Day roster and had Gleyber as the SS for the Yanks. I shrieked (think…girl sees rat).
What concerns me is the offense performing to *my* my expectation. Which is not overly high at the moment.
I know we became a parade of RH TTO guys.
I also know it became borderline (? (being gracious here)) unwatchable by the end. But ’18-’20, the Yanks made it to home more than any other team in MLB. So – in a sense – it worked. Very well too.
Cash is just such an extremist when he puts our rosters together. I fear he may have overcorrected in re his former lineups a bit too much.
I am thoroughly unprepared for: Gleyber Torres Starting SS.
Yeah, man. ‘17 team needed a small tweak at the most. He should look back to that for a great WS team template, but it seemed he went further away from it. Your overcorrection point is duly noted. I think that’s a result of knowing he needed defense and being unwilling to pay for players that bring both offense & defense who undeniably cost more.
– Ugh, we should be looking at #30 this year.
Good morning, Clip.
Ouch. But I think you have the measure of it. Two way players – regardless of position – are expensive aren’t they. Once again: follow the money. I usually do. Whenever I don’t you seem to remind me of that.
I assume you mean ’17 & ’19? So: Maybe!
In ’17 I will always believe that we were one mid-rotation starter away from a pennant. In ’19 I will always believe we were one mid-rotation starter away from….a game 7 in the LCS.
So I don’t necessarily feel we would not still be looking for #28. Ya know?
As I typed that third paragraph, “history repeats itself” went through my head. Damn. Maybe we need another starter.
I don’t know, man. I really think you’re on to something… I believe you nailed it with our offense being our weakness. But, I don’t know that it’s been adequately addressed by Cashman. Im curious to see what the deadline holds… maybe, possibly a Willson Contreras deal?
Kyle Higashioka career OPS: .619
Ben Rortvedt career OPS: .519
Isiah Kiner-Falefa career OPS: .679
Tim Locastro career OPS: .662
(ooof)
That is a quite probable bottom third of the lineup. We will give pitchers a huge break to gather themselves & give lots of outs away. A healthy Aaron Hicks certainly makes that mix much more palatable. But: “healthy” & “Aaron Hicks” are rarely seen in the same sentence. So.
& now we are at the point where the rubber meets the road. Look. I have complete faith in Brian Cashman. But only up to a certain point, man.
At this point, unless Higgy or Rortvedt or Kinder-Felefa or Locastro takes another step forward offensively or Hicks can log ~ 100 games that bottom third is going to cost us some games.
On acquiring Contreras: good teams don’t like to make a change at C midseason. Maybe we’re not actually a good team? However: it should be dealt with ASAP if we intend to be.
Certainly looks like “deadline or bust” from my viewpoint.
Whew, that’s some hard truth, brother, but here we are. I don’t think there’s any pretty way to write that. I’m just not real sure how they can have confidence in that bottom half. Imagine if Donaldson gets hurt too? Ouch. We are dangerously close to having a lineup that bleeds out from a paper cut…
It is what it is, man.
I have never been one to sprinkle sugar on a turd & tell you it’s a cookie. The good news is, it is entirely & easily fixable.
Get in touch with a couple NL Central clubs. Work a minor trade with the Reds for Naquin. Work a bigger one for Contreras. Offense fixed.
I know Cash lies. I have made peace with it. Makes it hard to know if he is actually serious or not though. Coming into the off-season I felt we needed to add at least 3 bats. Rizzo is one. So is Donaldson. But that was at the expense of one of our above average hitters. So…we have added – what ? – one & a partial? We haven’t really made any headway there.
I still feel two more bats are in order. One is an absolute necessity.
Sooooo I got you sold in Naquin! Better than an injured Hicks anyway.
But, yeah, two bats, one a must, and a LH bat imo. They’re out there. The nice thing is: whenever the Yankees would like to act, they can. They want a FA & Hal’s wife tells him he’s finally reached manhood, he can buy one.
Absolutely.
Bat Gallo 6th & Naquin 7th. Ghastly averages, lotta K’s but…what?, 70 LH jacks or so in the bottom half of the lineup? That’ll play, bro.
At this point, Cash has allowed himself to be painted into a corner. Aside from some starting rotation innings there really isn’t much available in free agency that is useful to us. & even that ship’s sails are now fully unfurled. Alas. More than likely, we will need to trade for offense.
Cash won’t like that. I don’t care for it. But it sure seems like he’s “just fine with what we have.” At least for now.
It’s certainly not what I want. It certainly isn’t what Yankee Nation wants. But: it – also – is what it is as the wise man said.
He hasn’t had a winning record in almost TEN (10) years. Why don’t the Yankees just buy Sabathia a knee replacement and throw him out there?
There are a million reasons to complain about Shelby, so why pick win-loss record, the most useless stat in baseball?
You’re an idiot
You can’t see the forest for the trees, if you honestly believe that’s the most useless stat. The goal of the game is winning, you can make it as simple or as complex as you want it.
Winning is the name of the game, yes, but the stat of wins/losses is wildly inaccurate in terms of player evaluation. You can pitch well and lose, pitch poorly and win. It’s just a bad stat for judging individual performance. This is pretty basic.
W-L is a pretty useless for measuring individual performance. If the other guys out there can’t hit or field you aren’t going win very many games.
There was a time he was expected to be amazing, especially when he was traded for Dansby Swanson. Not sure this is the resurgence a Yankee fan should expect though.
Miller’s hard luck year with the Braves broke him.
He was a huge part of Atlanta’s legendary 2015 team. That team won 67 games, which far surpasses the win total for the 2020 Dodgers.
How nice of the Yanks to sign Trae Young’s fiancee
@mikevm3- omg, hope she doesn’t break any of her nails.
Another scrub. May play one inning and get lit up.
Speaking of infamous deals, where IS Chris Archer these days?
Does he still smash his hand into the mound on his follow through? Definitely should be considered as a batting practice pitcher. Hitters confidence would be through the roof at game time.
With the exception of Deivi Garcia there was substantial improvement up and down the organization pitching wise. I am more than willing to reserve judgement on any reclaimation project, especially one that’s a minor league deal.
Yankee fans need to get over themselves on deals like this. Not signing a Ray or trading for a Montas is completely unrelated to giving someone like Miller a minor league opportunity.
Blake seems to do a phenomenal job with pitchers, whether they are reclamation projects or not.
Some of you seem to think he’s being plugged in as the opening day starter. AAA has to have pitchers as well. He’s only 31, it’s a minor league deal, where’s the harm and risk?
Absolutely no harm. Always room for a player on a minor league deal
Watch he throws a no hitter for the Yankees then looses ten in a row
Looses, yes. (chortle)
I see you are big on correcting grammar on a sports blog. Hell. I’ve been one of your targets, myself.
I do wonder if you would be happier at a grammar, spelling, or punctuation block. That could very well be the right fit for you, @Emersen.
Leaving that to the side:
Bro. I have a a few dozen articles I have written for outdoors mags. As you probably know, those could certainly use some editing. Or…is it not fun when it’s actually useful, helpful, or requested? Because I am offering a you chance for your little skill to shine, bro.
Woops. As it is you; “…or punctuation *blog”.
& shouldn’t be, “… offering a you chance” as opposed to “offering you a chance.”
See?
All kinds of that. Boring as hell to me. You, obviously, can’t get enough of it.
I don’t get younger fans. Pitchers want to win. Your team wins when you are on the mound.
That’s great, W/L record is still irrelevant when determining how good a pitcher is.
I agree.Ron Guidry was really lucky in 1978,as was Whitey Ford in 1961.
Pitchers want to win, yes. So do infielders, outfielders and catchers. They all want to win. They win as a team. Arbitrarily assigning the win (or loss) to a pitcher every single game is meaningless. Sometimes it’s the hitters or defensive players who win the game for the pitcher. Sometimes it’s those same people who lose the game for the pitcher. Wins and losses are a great stat to judge an entire team on. They are terrible stats to judge one individual player on as if the other 25 men on the roster don’t exist.
He obviously was successful early in his career but that was 7-8 years ago now. Can anyone recall a pitcher like this who got chance after chance. Maybe a middle reliver.
Matt Harvey says “hey, I’m Batman”
Scott Kazmir perhaps?
Bartolo Colon, Mike Hampton, AJ Burnett, Dennis Eckersley to name a few. There are many more.
Those guys never stunk it up like Miller and Eck is a HOFer. With that said I believe he deserves a fifteenth chance and it is only a minor league deal.
Hope he gets back on track
Oh man, trade for Montas (and Willson Contreras) first! Any more Yankees headlines for Marwins or Millers is a bad tease.
It’s a minor league signing. On no that’s so terrible …..
Hey, never know, may find a diamond in the clearance bin….
Maybe he can be the next Arron small for us lol
Fun fact was that Ender Enciarte was part of the package coming back when he was traded. Now both men are in the Yankees minors.
I don’t like any of the Cashman moves myself lately and he needs to go. Teams continue to ask for Volpe, Peraza and Dominguez. I can’t blame Cashman for refusing to give up those 3. I blame Cashman for not thinking outside the box and make it happen without including the top prospects. The NL now has the DH why not trade Stanton and eat half his money since that contract continues to be the reason you refuse to add more salary for the likes of Harper, Scherzer, Seager and so on and so on.
That’s still nearly $85 million to pay for a guy not to play for you, a bit much to still be paying before going out and adding another massive contract.
Not sure why all the Stanton hate. He has pretty much carried the team at times including the playoffs. Whatever problems the Yankees have, Stanton ain’t it.
Take Stanton out of our offense, & we are a bottom 3 scoring club in ’21, serious.
It’s not that Stanton is terrible. He would start on any team in baseball. People just see how bad his contract is and how long it lasts and wish that money were pent on a player who could actually play defense, or pitch, or even just stay healthy. Stanton makes about the same as Bryce Harper. The Yankees could have used that money to sign Harper and also kept any prospects that they gave up to acquire Stanton. It’s not that Stanton is bad. It’s just that the money he makes could have been spent in a much better way. It’s frustrating now but that’s hindsight. The man was coming off a 59 home run MVP season when they traded for him. People are just disappointed that he started getting injured and stopped playing defense as soon as the Yankees acquired him. Some people are probably irritated that the Yankees don’t just take the smarter route and stay away from $300+ million contracts altogether. Stanton and Cole are great players but the Yankees could have had a lot more bang for their buck by spending that same amount of money on a group of players instead of just those 2. The Yankees still need starting pitching but can’t afford it because they blew their entire load on one pitcher when they needed 3 or 4.
The Yankees aren’t on the hook for all of Stanton’s contract. But you are right that the problem is he ain’t Harper and a lot of Yankees fans were screaming for Harper. Nothing short of WS MVP for Stanton is going to be good enough for some fans.
Absolutely, JoeSays! Stanton is absolutely worth it! I’ve even used him as *an* example of what Harper could’ve been signed for because of the LH bat in the lineup, but make no mistake, Stanton is a beast. He’s an elite hitter & decent OFer, health aside. But last year, health wan not an issue. He’s also an elite hitter that happens to be clutch in the postseason… No, Stanton’s contract is no albatross, contrary to popular belief. It’s all the other bogus moves made that hurt, most specifically, imo, the DJL move when we could’ve signed Realmuto prior to that.
Clipper, didn’t we have the chance to swap Sanchez for Realmuto?
Oh, man, Joe, that one hurts even worse!!! Although, at the time, I can say Cash couldn’t have known Sanchez would flop. But imagine if he thought that solid performer would be better than a prospect/rookie. Thank goodness we aren’t making that mistake aga….oh, wait, yep, yes we are. Cash better hope Volpe & Peraza work out since he’s out all his eggs in their baskets.
As a Marlin fan, watched Stanton destroy NL PITCHING IN MVP 2017 season. He had Yelich hitting in front of him and Ozuna who had a monster yr hitting behind him. HIS CONTRACT IS A BARGAIN. Marlins responsible for 30M( 10M in ‘26, 10M ‘27, 10M buyout option in 2028 if don’t want to extend)… After Marlins 30M, Yankees responsible for about 155/ 159M or so remaining on contract. Seager just signed for $324…If healthy Stanton could help carry a club in stretches of a season. If Stanton & Judge both can stay healthy. they will be BRONX BOMBERS… Go Yanks!
Come back here next off season when the Rangers are in full regret mode on Seager. Only an idiot would want to pay Corey Seager 10 years $325 million. Oh and what will you say when Stanton has an MVP caliber season? Guys do get healthy you know and the dude can straight rake. I mean maybe it doesn’t happen but the odds of him having another big season are pretty good.
Mystery: I was all for Seager. In fact, he & Story were my top choices, but I said then that if it’s anywhere near 10/$300 it’s way too much for him.
The Rangers will get some really good production out of Seags, but I cannot hold that non-move against the Yanks, as much as I would love to. Nonetheless, it was wise to move on to Story…whoops, flat whiff – now that I do hold against Halbert Steinbanker.
@Yankee Clipper- lol, well let’s just hope Halbert Steinbanker signs me to a $210 million dollar, 6 year deal before opening day.
Mike:
Fun fact, Inciarte could probably pitch better.
Shall the Yankees sign a Shelby? Surely. Lol
Shall she shell Shelly, Shirley? Surely.
Yanks also working out Orlando El Duque Hernandez and Rick Reuschel.
I hope he can come back.
I’m going to make a prediction: Matt Blake will restore Miller’s confidence and he’ll prove to be a comeback player pitching multiple innings out of the bullpen. Miller’s fastball averaged 93.6 MPH last year. That’s just .4 MPH below his average fastball in his best year.
Clay Holmes had a 5.57 ERA and a 1.64 WHIP in Pittsburgh. He turned that into a 1.61 ERA and 0.79 WHIP in New York.