Andrew Miller’s recent track record suggests he could be suited for a ninth-inning role.
Miller has been tremendous since converting to a full-time reliever with the Boston Red Sox in 2012. Mark Rodgers, the left-hander’s agent, told ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick that his client is generating strong interest from several teams in the market for a closer this offseason despite Miller having only one career save.
“I think Andrew’s evolution in the bullpen and his numbers this year fortify the belief in baseball that he’s a closer-in-waiting — and maybe the time for waiting is over,” Rodgers said Tuesday at the Major League Baseball general managers meetings in Phoenix.
Miller, whom the Red Sox traded to the Baltimore Orioles at the non-waiver trade deadline, posted a 2.02 ERA in 73 appearances split between the two teams. He struck out 103 batters over 62 1/3 innings, solidifying himself as a premier late-inning reliever. It’s reasonable to believe many contending teams will vie for Miller’s services in free agency, especially considering the interest clubs expressed in July before Boston shipped the 29-year-old to Baltimore in exchange for pitching prospect Eduardo Rodriguez.
“For us, there are no demands or expectations on what role it’s going to be,” Rodgers told Crasnick. “A team that signs Andrew Miller is a team that has put a premium on its bullpen — because no matter how the bullpen is, he’s going to make it better.”
Miller’s market could be slow to develop as teams assess their closer situations. Rodgers said he plans to be “methodical” in negotiations but didn’t rule out Miller signing with a contending team as a setup man or as a Plan B to an entrenched closer, according to Crasnick.
Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington recently said he expected to at least have some discussions with Miller.
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