The Diamondbacks have won their arbitration hearing against right-hander Shelby Miller, tweets Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports. As can be seen in MLBTR’s 2017 Arbitration Tracker, Miller had filed for a $5.1MM salary, with the D-backs countering at $4.7MM. He’ll now earn the lesser of those two amounts in 2017 after earning $4.35MM last season. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz had projected a $4.9MM salary for Miller this season.
The 26-year-old Miller struggled through a nightmarish season in his debut campaign with the Diamondbacks, pitching to a 6.15 earned run average in 101 innings of work. The former Cardinals/Braves righty saw his K/9, BB/9 and ground-ball rates all trend in the wrong direction as he also became increasingly susceptible to home runs in his new hitter-friendly environs. Beyond that, Miller suffered a finger injury that landed him on the disabled list for about a month, and he was also demoted to Triple-A for roughly six weeks due to his struggles.
That demotion not only cost Miller in arbitration, but it delayed his free agency by a year. Miller finished the 2016 campaign six days shy of a full season of service, meaning he’ll still be controllable for another three years (through 2019). He’ll be eligible for arbitration in each of the upcoming offseasons until that juncture, though he’ll need to rebound in 2017 to avoid becoming a non-tender candidate next December.
Despite Miller’s 2016 struggles, he’ll presumably have every opportunity to do just that in 2017, though. The right-hander is only one season removed from a 3.02 ERA over the life of 205 innings with the Braves, after all, and has been a largely effective pitcher at the big league level throughout his career since debuting with St. Louis back in 2012.
Miller figures to be slotted into the rotation alongside Zack Greinke, Patrick Corbin, Robbie Ray and newcomer Taijuan Walker in 2017, and while he’ll be working with the same pitching coach (Mike Butcher), a new D-backs front office will be charged with finding the root of his downturn in performance.
With Miller’s case now taken care of, Walker remains the only unresolved arbitration case on the D-backs’ plate.
Really? Really? He REALLY thought he was entitled to a raise after last season? MLB needs NFL brass to negotiate the next CBA, the players union has way to much power. Same thing with Abad going to arbitration with the Redsox, the worst player on the team going for a substantial raise. Everyone gets. trophy.
EVERYONE doesn’t get to the ML’s. Actually, only a LOW percentage make it, so your comparison is AWFUL.
tsolid.
Did you actually read the post you responded to??? Nothing was said about the percentage of players that actually make it to the ML’s. The comment was spot on regarding how mediocre if not downright bad performance by players raise their expectations of actually filing for substantive raises in Arbitration based on weighted performance averages of players as a whole.
This guy flat out stunk in 2016 by any metrics you wish to usher up which is why he was demoted. He can’t ride the coattails of 2015 forever which was pretty much his only success.
Would you give him a raise? Oh that’s right, you didn’t respond to the comment must made up your own.
I know I’m splitting hairs but they did give him a raise.
Arbitration was collectively bargained between the players and owners. It works a whole heck of a lot better than the NFL system which allows the owners to use up players and then cast them aside at will.
I know exactly what responded to TOUGH guy. Try understanding e CBA b4 Popping off with your nonsense.
I think his comparison is right on
I agree the raise was unwarranted. He did lose a year of free agency that his agency wasn’t expecting. His agency wants to cash in while they still can.
If he pitches again like last year he’ll be a free agent very soon.
haha
True, but he lost a year of free agency because he STUNK!
He forced a really bad ballclub to actually have to demote him which is a statement in itself.
He has nobody to blame but himself, but of course nobody today takes any responsibility, its always something else at fault.
I have not seen Shelby Miller blame anyone. Could you give us a kink to where he said it was someone else’s fault?
Where in this article (or any other article) did anything imply that Miller blamed somebody else for his bad season last year? As far as I know, he didn’t openly complain about getting demoted mid-season. He went down, tried to get back on the right track, and was eventually put back on the MLB squad. He just had a terrible season after a pretty good 2015 season. And he also wasn’t bad in his time with STL, hence why his arbitration salary was already where it was.
Yea, THIS idiot Rocky is “Punch Drunk” and has NO idea what he is talking about
Everyone gets a raise through arbitration. Was he supposed to request a lower salary?
Pretty much every player files for a higher arbitration amount than the team, and they try to find middle ground before going to an arbitration hearing. There is nothing wrong with trying to get more money, as each subsequent arbitration amount is based off of the previous year’s salary. Who in their right mind would negotiate a salary by immediately agreeing to a lower figure? That isn’t how negotiations work..
Supply. And. Demand. Dbacks could have nontendered him if they thought he wasnt one of their best 25 players in their org. Regarding your “raise” complaint… its just how the system works… The same system that paid MVP Kris Bryant near the league minimum last year and again this year. And he cant do anything about it until he reaches arbitration. But I doubt we’ll hear you complain about that will we?
NFL CBA negotiators won’t help MLB. NFL owners got their unbelievable deal (team can cut player for peanuts payout after every year, but player can’t cancel contract every year for peanuts refund? WTF NFLPA?) because union was pathetic, not because they were great. MLBPA is not such a pushover.
Shelby Miller’s record moves to 3-13 with the Diamondbacks.
Bazinga!
Good line, Jake. I laughed out loud.
Obviously he lost the hearing and rightfully so but you people are acting like it’s not standard procedure for a player and their agent to ask for more money…it’s arbitration…it’s worth a shot…maybe some of you just aren’t familiar with negations, start low/high and work your way up/down from there
I don’t have any problem at all with him asking for more money. I just wish I could fail spectacularly at my job and get a $350,000 raise. It’s the same system that allows teams to grossly under pay the Kris Bryant’s of the world, although he will get his eventually. It will be interesting to see what happens if Miller has another stinko year. If anything, the D-Backs should be trying the recoup the money they paid Dave Stewart to impersonate a GM.
After last year’s embarrassment on the mound Shelby Miller should have to pay the team to be allowed to play this season.
Miller was a winner at either number. The way Miller shat himself last season, a $350k raise is quite impressive. I am interested in his response to last season, his psyche appeared to be completely broken. It wouldn’t surprise me if he continues to crumble and never pitches more than 300+ total MLB innings ever again (after minors stint, demotion to pen, bouncing around to several other teams taking a flyer).
Players always get raises in arbitration. It surprises me though that he actually filed. I would think he would want to go under the radar as much as possible.
If I were this guy I’d be happy with just having a job. I wouldn’t be seen nor heard of until pitchers and catchers report
Oh right, cause ONE bad year and he shouldn’t have Job? Stuff that comes out people’s mouths