Andrew Miller has positioned himself well.
Miller is having a tremendous season — first with the Boston Red Sox and now with the Baltimore Orioles — and should receive a nice payday in free agency this offseason. According to The Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo, major league sources believe the bidding for Miller will start at three years and $21 million.
Miller once looked like a first-round bust. A trip through Boston did wonders for his career, however, as the left-hander made a successful transition to the bullpen after several years of struggling as a starter. Miller became a valuable late-inning option for the Red Sox, but Boston dealt the 29-year-old to Baltimore in exchange for pitching prospect Eduardo Rodriguez at the Major League Baseball non-waiver trade deadline upon realizing that a World Series repeat simply wasn’t in the cards.
Miller posted a 2.02 ERA over 62 1/3 innings spanning 73 appearances during the regular season. He recorded 14.9 strikeouts per nine innings, which was even more impressive when considering his walk rate — 2.5 per nine innings — was a career best.
Whichever team lands Miller this offseason will be signing a quality reliever. It’s also possible Miller could become a closer, as his live arm and ability to handle both lefties and righties make him a viable option for the role.
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