Bronx, NY (SportsNetwork.com) – The New York Yankees made their first major
move on this offseason’s free agent market, signing coveted reliever Andrew
Miller to a four-year contract.
The YES Network reported the deal to be worth $36 million for the left-hander,
who is coming off a dominant 2014 season with the Boston Red Sox and Baltimore
Orioles.
Miller posted a 2.02 earned run average and racked up a career-best 103
strikeouts in 62 1/3 innings last season. He also proved to be more than
simply a lefty specialist, limiting right-handed hitters to a .145 average and
southpaws to a .163 clip over 73 regular-season appearances.
The 29-year-old’s addition likely reduces New York’s chances of bringing back
closer David Robertson, also a free agent. Miller could form a potentially
devastating one-two punch with hard-throwing righty Dellin Betances at the
back end of the Yankee bullpen, with Betances the favorite to slot into
Robertson’s ninth-inning role.
Miller played in a key role in Boston’s march to the 2013 World Series title,
producing a 2.64 ERA with 48 strikeouts in 30 2/3 innings over 37 appearances
that season. He was traded to the Orioles on July 31 after the Red Sox fell
out of this past year’s playoff race, posting a 1.35 ERA in 23 regular season
games with Baltimore before firing 7 1/3 shutout innings in the AL playoffs.
Originally a starting pitcher, Miller was permanently moved to the bullpen by
the Red Sox in 2012. The former first-round pick owns a 2.57 ERA in 163
appearances over the last three seasons, striking out 202 batters in 133 1/3
innings and yielding a .181 average over that span.
Miller broke into the majors as a 21-year-old with Detroit in 2006. He was
traded to the Marlins as part of the deal that sent two-time AL MVP Miguel
Cabrera to the Tigers prior to the 2008 season, then was acquired by Boston
from Florida after the 2010 campaign.
Over 259 career games, 66 of which have been starts, Miller has compiled a
30-38 record with a 4.91 ERA.
