1:48pm: The Tigers have announced the signing. It’s a one-year contract worth a guaranteed $3MM, the team announced. They also hold a club option worth $4.25MM and a $250K buyout.
The Tigers, who have recently begun announcing the full terms of their contracts, added that Miller can earn an extra $1.175MM per season via incentives. He’ll receive $100K bonuses for reaching each of 50, 55 and 60 games pitched, plus another $125K for reaching 65 and 70 appearances. If he winds up serving as the closer, there’s even more money to be unlocked. The contract calls for $150K bonuses for 40, 45, 50 and 55 games finished.
The value of the club option can also be boosted by $1.4MM. Those escalators are tied to appearances ($100K for 50, 55 and 60 games pitched; $150K for 65 and 70 games pitched) and games finished ($200K for finishing 40, 45, 50 and 55 games).
8:39am: It’s a one-year contract with a 2025 option, reports Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press. Miller is in Detroit for his physical today, Petzold adds, so the contract should become official soon.
8:26am: The Tigers have agreed to a deal with free agent right-hander Shelby Miller, reports Kiley McDaniel of ESPN. The contract is still pending a physical. Detroit’s 40-man roster is full, so they’ll need to make a corresponding move to accommodate this latest addition. Miller is represented by Excel Sports Management.
Miller, 33, enjoyed a resurgent season with the 2023 Dodgers, pitching to a brilliant 1.71 earned run average in 42 innings over 36 appearances (35 relief outings, one start). He fanned a strong 25.8% of his opponents against a bloated 11.7% walk rate and kept the ball on the ground at a 37.4% clip — a few percentage points below the league average. Miller’s fastball is down about a mile per hour from its peak levels, sitting at a league-average 93.6 mph, but he also brandished a newly implemented splitter in 2023, which flummoxed his opponents.
Prior to the 2023 season, Miller had thrown exactly one splitter in his career — way back in 2014. He threw the pitch 26.2% of the time this past season, however, and batters were largely helpless against it. Miller threw 174 splitters in 2023 and finished off 47 plate appearances with the pitch; opponents posted an awful .136/.191/.250 against the pitch in that sample. Statcast credited the pitch with a .170 “expected” opponents’ batting average and a .274 expected slugging percentage.
That marked Miller’s first successful season since back in 2015. While he’d shown flashes of promise in the interim seven years, injuries and poor performances were far more common for the former top prospect and once-promising young starter. The 19th overall pick by the Cardinals back in 2009, Miller debuted in St. Louis as a 21-year-old, pitched to an outstanding 3.22 ERA over his first 575 1/3 big league frames and was twice traded in blockbuster deals — first going from St. Louis to Atlanta in exchange for Jason Heyward and a year later going to Arizona in the trade that brought Dansby Swanson and Ender Inciarte to the Braves.
Miller struggled immediately with the D-backs and never found his footing before undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2017. At various points, his career looked to be on the brink, but he persevered through considerable struggles and now, in his mid-30s, looks to have found new life as a quality bullpen arm.
The Dodgers didn’t use him in high-leverage spots often last year, but Miller could have a clearer path to setup work in Detroit. Right-handers Alex Lange and Jason Foley are the primary ninth- and eighth-inning options, respectively, and Detroit brought lefty Andrew Chafin back on a one-year deal as a left-handed setup option as well. But Miller has a good bit more experience than the bulk of the Tigers’ relievers and could find himself in more tight, late-inning spots this season.
Miller becomes the latest addition in what’s been a nice offseason of veteran pickups for the Tigers. Detroit has added righty Kenta Maeda (two years, $24MM) to help stabilize a young pitching staff and also bought low on former Cardinals ace Jack Flaherty (one year, $14MM), who’ll look to return to his prior heights in a new setting. The Tigers kicked off the winter by acquiring Mark Canha from the Brewers and picking up his 2024 option; he’ll join the team’s outfield and DH mix this coming season. Chafin, as previously noted, is returning to Comerica Park, where he excelled in 2022 before struggling with Arizona and Milwaukee in 2023. He and Miller have the potential to meaningfully fortify the Detroit relief corps.
There’s still room for some further additions, be they in the bullpen, on the bench or perhaps around the infield, where Detroit still lacks some certainty at multiple positions. Some of those could come from the trade market rather than free agency, although president of baseball operations Scott Harris indicated this week that he doesn’t envision trading from his newly deepened rotation mix. Wherever further reinforcements come from, the Tigers’ 2024 outlook is already brighter than the 2023 group. It’s a deepened roster that, with some continued development from young players like Spencer Torkelson, Riley Greene, Kerry Carpenter and prospects like Colt Keith and Justyn-Henry Malloy, could emerge as a viable contender in a weak American League Central division.
Finally a negative news for the Dodgers! How does that feel!!??
The Dodgers helped him recapture his old self. I’m sure they’re glad to see they can still help veteran pitchers.
I think they’ll live. They’ll simply find the next Shelby Miller.
Good cost-effective move by the Tigers. Hopefully he can continue his resurgence he started with the Dodgers
You can’t count on his resurgence continuing. The Dodgers have the ‘secret sauce’ on how to take DFA’d pitchers or pitchers who were having a down year and turn their performance around. Last year alone, they not only turned Shelby Miller into a weapon, they did the same with Ralph Brasure and Joe Kelly after they traded for him. They have a solid record of doing this year after year after year. The problem is, it seems like a lot of these guys revert back to their former selves once they leave the organization. It’s very strange.
The Dodgers have great coaches and video people. They identify guys who under use a pitch and get a year out of them. Like Miller.
As the league begins to expect and adjust to that pitch continued success becomes more difficult. When they go to teams with bad coaching and skimpy video like the Angels they crash like Tyler Anderson.
Anderson’s decline in 2023 was remarkable. Almost doubled his HR rate, more than doubled his BB rate….
It’s odd that these guys don’t spend a few hundred thousand dollars to ensure they can replicate their performance when they move to other teams. “What, exactly, do I need to keep doing? What film is being used on my behalf? I’ll make sure I get copies and a private coach good enough to use that film on my behalf after I move on…”
Even more odd that a team owner will sign a guy for $39 million yet not give him a couple hundred grand worth of support to help him out.
The Tigers with our Pitching coach Chris Fetters have done the same thing over the last couple years….unfortunately we don’t have billions of dollars to throw around like the Dodgers…I hear Tigers Deffered Millers contract til 2050…
Fetters? Made me do a double take as if he may be a Mike Fetters (the most pronounced breath exercise as set for the pitch)
I see it’s Chris Fetter. Thank for the accidental memory revisit
Might have been a Mike Fetters *relative*
The words “Mike Fetters” and “double-take” in the same sentence stand as gold on their own merit.
Lol, Ralph
Secret sauce? He learned how to throw a splitter or 2 seam fastball. No secret sauce in that. Pitchers that master the splitter are tough to hit because it breaks so low. It’s hard on the elbow though. I hope he has 2-3 good injury free solid years. That poor guy deserves it. I can’t think of a player with worse luck the past couple of decades.
Tigers pitching coach Chris Fetterer is a damn fine coach and has had success in revitalizing careers himself. I think he’ll help both Flaherty and Miller get better this year
@Dorothy, if you try reading the article it mentions the use of the splitter he seems to have done quite well with and how often he used it. Prior to last season he had thrown it only one single time in his career.
Barring him somehow forgetting that he learned the pitch and how effective it was, it seems very likely he’ll be rather effective again.
Ralph Brasure? Cmon man. Is this indicative of all Dodgers’ fans knowledge?
Shelby was used primarily as a reliever. not a starter. big difference in what other clubs had been trying to do back into a starter from a injury..
was really good for the Dodgers when he wasn’t hurt. This isn’t a typo.
Shelby Yamamoto
The Dodgers just lost the off-season!!!!
Steinbrenner was reincarnated to run the Dodgers. Crazy offseason. Ohtani, Glasnow, and now Yamamoto. Thats filthy
On paper. Reality to be seen.
From a pitching aspect, yes “on paper”. But Ohtani’s mere presence in that lineup makes Betts, Freeman, Muncy and Smith more affective. Let alone what he brings to the table.
With the 5 mentioned that’s a solid core. If Heyward continues to produce along with Lux and Outman take a step forward in development their lineup is starting to look kind of solid. I think they could really use another OF though. Taylor’s bat just is not potent and his value really comes from him being used for his versatility. Platooning him with Margot likely not to help much either. His bat is even less potent and he’s nothing special with his glove.
For the amount they ve put into the team already, seems they should add the extra bad to solidify the lineup. Would be like the Tigers back when they were contending, all that $ and then skimp on bullpen some years or others risk it all with Delmon Young’s glove.
Helps to be funded by a gigantic TV contract.
Let the dominoes start to fall!
He is a failed starter so should fit in well in the Tigers bullpen.
Sometimes failed starters turn into solid relievers. Look at Eric Gagne.
To add to the list of failed starters that turned into great relievers, Wade Davis and Andrew Miller.
Dennis Eckersly, Kerry Wood, John Smoltz, Tim Wakefield, and many more, have done very well going from SP to reliever. It depends on if a pitcher can adjust to a new “routine” and being mentally prepared to come into a game at any point. Some people struggle with being a reliever after being a starter. A starter paces themselves and attempt to get as many innings as possible. A bullpen has time to throw a few pitches before being called on. Then mentally prepare themselves to execute their pitches immediately after 10 warmup throws. It’s a different mindset being in the pen compared to being a starting 5.
He’s referring to the failed starter shirts that Chafin has made for the bullpen, wherever he goes. Most relief pitchers failed as starters somewhere along the line.
And Rivera and Wettleland.
Doc knows the Tigers well, and I don’t think his comment is a slam against the team. Alex Lange was a starter in the Cubs system, but was strictly a reliever once the Tigers got him. Gregory Soto was the Tigers Minor League Pitcher of the Year twice, but they moved him quickly to the bullpen after he failed to develop a starter’s repertoire. They have a lot of guys who fit that mold, including Chafin.
Dodgers fixed this guy, surprised they didn’t bring him back but good on the Tigers, it’s a good bullpen addition.
Eh, when the Dodgers don’t bring you back, it’s worth noting.
Jack: They clearly didn’t bring him back because it was cost savings. They were trying to get under the CB…..wait, no, nope, that’s not accurate at all.
LOL!!!!!
@Jack
Justin Turner, Cody Bellinger, Corey Seager, Trea Turner, noted.
Because it would be lower leverage situations if Miller stayed with Dodgers. Part of his resurgent path is to move on and continue doing it with another org. and in higher leverage situations with success (hopefully, for him).
When the Tigers acquire Chafin the first time, I thought he would pitch set up. Instead he was used mostly in middle relief. Unless HARRIS trades from the bullpen again, the Tiger bullpen is deep. At best, Miller will be behind Lange, Foley, Holton and Chafin. I don’t see that as being any higher than he was on the Dodgers.
Good year but injured and high walk rate. That 4.1 hits per 9 allowed was ridiculously good but unsustainable.
Dodgers have a lot of bullpen options so not enough room for Miller. Plus he’s due for a bump up in salary. Treinen returning. Hudson signed a minor league deal. May need an extra arm in pen for spot starts. Friedman has always been frugal with the bullpen.
Could be a really good acquisition here.
Tigers should really consider trading for Jordan Lyles (Royals). He’s less often injured than the other usually overpaid tossers while always on the IL, and can corral and keep an eye on the young Tiger pitching core coming up through the Detroit system.
Jordan lyles is like the worst pitcher in major League baseball. Andy hes being paid a decent chunk of money. Nobody is trading for that
Hard no on that. They have 6 starters and enough minor leaguers to come up when needed. Liles is a step down from any if their current 6.
Could slide Lyles right into the #3 hole for the Bengals in the rotation to help preserve your young kids plus your Bengals bullpen. Lyles will do it for a more reasonable cost than many of these other overpaid guys in the market these days.
He is basically Joey Wentz. Hard no. Skubal, Maeda, Flaherty, Mize, Olson, Manning, Gipson Long, Faedo, Madden and Montero would all be ahead of him on the depth chart. That makes no sense to pick him up.
Well if the Bengals did what the Brewers did when Lyles was there (convert him to the bullpen). He ended up with a 1 and change ERA out of that Brewer Pen finishing with a striking overall 2.45 ERA. Should the Tigers move Lyles to their pen you’d be getting a good 7th/8th inning guy who rarely gets injured.
Maybe the Brewers should trade for him again. Not needed in Motown.
What’s with you and this Lyles to Detroit jag you are on? Are you a Lyles burner account based in San Diego? Why would the Tigers trade in their division for a very not good pitcher. He pitched for the Brewers in 2019. Bengals. Career WAR is -2.6. Get out of here. Nobody has linked Manning for Lyles.
Surprised he didn’t want to come back to Dodgers, no money left?
Is there a 2-for-1 trade brewing? Or will someone just be bumped from Tigers’ 40?
There are more than a couple players on Tigers 40 man that would go unclaimed, highly doubt they’re worried
Unless you count the potential of losing Tyler Nevin devastating
Haha. Good point.
Nevin is their only experienced backup 1st baseman in the event that Tork is sidelined.
You could have Rizzo from the Yanks for the paltry sum of Tarik Skubal? I mean, seems very lopsided in the Tigers favor to me… you guys would be taking us to the cleaners.
Tigers aren’t giving up Skubal for Rizzo, you could probably have Alex Faedo and Wilmer Flores tho.
Canha
If its Nevin, or an inexperienced 1B, I will let someone learn on the fly.
How dare you, Placido! Rizzo’s back is mostly healthy for part of the year and his concussions symptoms should be mostly gone next season.
Are u stupid? FLores? lol
Ibanez has also played some 1B and wasnt bad at all there. Malloy has played some 1B in college and in Minors and he should see time at MLB level this season.
Sorry, was joking about Flores. But the reality is Rizzo has been mediocre 3 of the last 4 years. The only guy in the rotation I’d give up is Flaherty who I assume Detroit signed by accident..
This guy was impressive this year good get for the tigers
He would’ve been a solid return to the Cardinals. This would have been a good fit since they are getting the band back together.
The log-jam that Yamamoto created in the free agent market is starting to loosen, I’m so happy.
Also, this signing incites bitterness from the Phoenix metro area.
Glad to see him reinvent himself last year.
They got their 3B.
Huh
I was going to post this earlier but I have the Tigers as the AL Central winners. They are making solid moves and I expect that to continue as the off season progresses.
I think the Tigers win the Central also. They have some very good players and some depth.
Sure wish the admin added some young talent though. A Nolan Gorman at 3B and a catching prospect like Dalton Rushing would be huge. Instead Harris signs retreads.
Bang on that Gorman would be a nice get for 2b or 3b and play Keith at the other spot. Then package up Jung and pitching for another young impact bat. Agreed a young catcher would be nice (I like Kevin Parada but Rushing is good too). I’d like them to get a young shortstop like Edwin Arroyo too. I have little hope for consistent production from Baez. Al Central title coming up!
Arroyo would be an excellent pick…
They have the prospects and major league potential players to make these deals. They could also deal some of the AAAA players for a lottery pick prospect or 2. Baddoo… McKinstry… Ibanez….
Package Wenceel Perez, Gage Workman and Bigbie for someone who is trying to cut payroll… Cronenworth? Patrick Corbin and a good outfield prospect like Wood?
@melchez17,,,,, who would the Tigers be sending to the Dodgers for Rushing?
He is their #1 ranked prospect!
He was like 9th last year. Cataya was ahead of him. Well, then go after Feduccia.
Honestly, great signing.
Kind of envy the Tigers and Royals. Their GMs are doing the best they can with their limited resources and putting together a decent group. Other similar markets should follow that example.
Like the reds and the 90 mil they already spent this offseason ?
One guy I’d love to see the reds throw the kitchen sink would be skubal. Tigers have so many pitchers now they may be able to part ways w him
They only added 35 million to a 52 million payroll but thanks for playing. With all the one year opt outs, they may not be on the hook for future years if these guys play well and opt out for a higher contract also.
That got them an infielder they didn’t need who came off a career year, a bullpen guy who had one good year last year but was so so previously, and a guy who may be a fifth starter or long relief guy.
That didn’t fill their biggest need and it is debatable it was money well spent.
Yeah, I think they’re going to regret that Candelario signing. I liked him as a Tiger, but not for that much. I foresee weight issues.
Skubal would cost you big time. We’d be talking about an Arroyo, Stewart and Marte type payout for him. I doubt Cincy would pay the price and I know the Tigers wouldn’t deal him for anything short of a haul.
Skubal for McLain and Marte. Don’t think the Reds would be so foolish tho.
Baseball is such a crap shoot anyways…It’s crazy some of the deals that teams give guys. I guess the Dodgers went all in on Ohtani and the pitcher because of the $$ they will make from the Japanese and global market, so that makes more sense than some of the other deals that have happened. Those deals do not guarantee the Dodgers anything other than a lot of pressure to win it all, not just make the playoffs.
What is this 2013?
I like these one year contracts with an option year, as long as the option is reasonable. You limit your risk to one year, but have the upside of keeping the guy for a second year if he continues his 2023 resurgence.
Miller seems to have found a second life in the bullpen. Good no risk move for the Tigers
Now if we’d only sign Justin Turner and maybe JD Martinez, give us better depth and a little RH power. Still leaves room for Colt at 2B and some utility competition
Justin Turner and JD are both DHs at this point. Turners defense is not great. Between Greene getting some time there tov rest his shoulder and Carpenter, Malloy and occasionally Tork getting ABs there it seems like signing them would create problems to spread ABs around.
They have said they are excited about DH flexibility since Miggy retired. JD coming back isn’t happening.
Why sign two RH DH’s? Turner is not a 3B anymore. If he thought he could still play the field regularly, he never would have accepted a DH contract with Boston. 3B is a pretty weak position, and he could have found a contract to play there. I know the Tigers have Malloy, but either of them would be more of a sure thing. Malloy is unlikely to hit 30 HRs. Canha is not the power hitter they need. Hoping Malloy fills the bill, but its just hope.
I’m hoping they sign Urshela. I think he would be a great temporary solution for 3B.
I have seen JHM play 3rd in person. Unless he found some quickness, he is not an MLB 3B….he is destined for DH/1B.
I agree Malloy does not belong at 3B. Turner would not be bad, I’d just prefer them going after Urshela. He’s much younger and he could possibly be signed for 2-3 years or with option years. That would fill the hole to Keith is ready to come up.
Turner is the guy needed..he could play 120 games at 3rd, Vierling would cover 3rd the rest of the time.Turner could also fill in at first and DH when needed…one year deal at his age…Colt will be at 2nd no later then mid May
I wouldn’t mind seeing them take a cheap 1 yr shot at Turner and they still might, but he doesn’t fit the versatility mold they seem to like.
Tyler Nevin, see ya.
Tigers couldn’t wait to take the spotlight away from the Dodgers.
Braves have only 35 on their 40 man roster… maybe Baddoo for a lottery pick prospect?
“Flummoxed”… looks like someone found their 2023 word a day calendar and is catching up before getting next years
He’ll have an ERA over 5 and will be waived by midseason.
Then they buy out the option and pay $3.25MM total and will lose zero sleep over it. It’s a low-risk, high-upside move that probably most teams would have made.
You could have read the article and the details of the pitch he used in 2023 and how affective it was along with how often it was thrown.
This guy is incredibly cheap for one coming off this great a season. Texas could have had him for way less than they blew on Mahle. This is exactly the type of guy the usually signed.
Shelby Miller! New Closer for the Tigers!!!
Harris said he wants a competitive camp. He believes the Tigers have really good young talent and these vets will push that on the pitching side for sure. I bet they will sign some additional hitters to low cost or minor league deals as things shake out to push some of the young guys as well. Not much out there really though. Turners days as a 3B men are probably over, but maybe they bring him in on a minor league deal if he slides that far. He gets a chance he can play there still and if he can he can mentor young players. Also have seen Tigers linked to Kiner Falafa which would be more up their alley because or his versatility.
Best of luck to Shelby!
Cheap. Good deal for Tigers.
Very sound signing only 3 million & Tigers have 2025 option Tigers are in the hunt in the AL Central!
Dodgers grabbing anyone they want but can’t throw 3mil at Miller? Good luck Shelby and continued success.
Palliate for $300, Al.
Manaea, Cleav, Anderson, Merr
Still lots and lots of fun to be had out there……
Don’t stop now.
Depth does not need to mean several layers of hope.
Nothing wrong with bring up fresh player mid season…..
Hire the Superfife!
I like midseason players…and hope…is your handle superfly?
Nice. Now we need a hitter or two.