Headlines

  • Yankees Re-Sign Paul Goldschmidt
  • Rockies Sign Jose Quintana
  • Jackson Holliday To Begin Season On Injured List Following Hamate Surgery
  • Phillies Release Nick Castellanos
  • Rangers Top Prospect Sebastian Walcott To Undergo Elbow Surgery
  • Dodgers, Max Muncy Agree To Extension
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors
  • Pro Hockey Rumors

MLB Trade Rumors

Remove Ads
  • Home
  • Teams
    • AL East
      • Baltimore Orioles
      • Boston Red Sox
      • New York Yankees
      • Tampa Bay Rays
      • Toronto Blue Jays
    • AL Central
      • Chicago White Sox
      • Cleveland Guardians
      • Detroit Tigers
      • Kansas City Royals
      • Minnesota Twins
    • AL West
      • Athletics
      • Houston Astros
      • Los Angeles Angels
      • Seattle Mariners
      • Texas Rangers
    • NL East
      • Atlanta Braves
      • Miami Marlins
      • New York Mets
      • Philadelphia Phillies
      • Washington Nationals
    • NL Central
      • Chicago Cubs
      • Cincinnati Reds
      • Milwaukee Brewers
      • Pittsburgh Pirates
      • St. Louis Cardinals
    • NL West
      • Arizona Diamondbacks
      • Colorado Rockies
      • Los Angeles Dodgers
      • San Diego Padres
      • San Francisco Giants
  • About
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Tim Dierkes
    • Writing team
    • Advertise
    • Archives
  • Contact
  • Tools
    • 2025-26 Top 50 MLB Free Agents With Predictions
    • Free Agent Contest Leaderboard
    • 2025-26 MLB Free Agent List
    • 2026-27 MLB Free Agent List
    • Projected Arbitration Salaries For 2026
    • Contract Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Agency Database
  • NBA/NFL/NHL
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors
  • App
  • Chats
Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Archives for 2023

Angels Designate Austin Warren For Assignment

By Anthony Franco | January 9, 2023 at 6:13pm CDT

The Angels announced they’re designated reliever Austin Warren for assignment. The move creates a spot on the 40-man roster for outfielder Brett Phillips, who has officially signed his one-year free agent contract.

Warren, 27 next month, first secured a spot on the 40-man in July 2021. The righty has worked as a depth reliever in the year and a half since then. He pitched 16 times as a rookie, posting a 1.77 ERA with quality peripherals through his first 20 1/3 MLB innings. He earned some higher-leverage work down the stretch but didn’t manage to build off that solid initial look in 2022.

The UNC-Wilmington product made 14 big league appearances last season. He allowed 10 runs in 16 innings this time around, striking out just 12.9% of opposing hitters. After inducing grounders on more than 53% of batted balls as a rookie, he saw that mark fall to a pedestrian 37.7% last season. As a result, Warren spent more time at Triple-A Salt Lake.

He tossed 34 frames over 27 outings of relief for the Bees. Warren posted a 2.12 ERA with a 54.3% ground-ball percentage over that stretch, faring much better than in his limited MLB work. He still didn’t miss many bats, though, striking out 20.7% of opponents against a lofty 11.7% walk percentage.

The Halos will now have a week to trade Warren or look to run him through waivers. He has two minor league option years remaining, so any team willing to devote him a spot on the 40-man roster could keep him in Triple-A for a couple seasons. Warren has never previously been waived and has less than three years of major league service, meaning the Halos would be able to keep him in the organization on an outright assignment if he goes unclaimed on waivers.

Share Repost Send via email

Los Angeles Angels Transactions Austin Warren

19 comments

Angels Sign Brett Phillips To Major League Deal

By Darragh McDonald | January 9, 2023 at 5:50pm CDT

5:50pm: The Angels have now announced the move, making it official.

5:30pm: The Angels and outfielder Brett Phillips are in agreement on a one-year major league deal that will see him make $1.2MM. Phillips is a client of O’Connell Sports Management.

Phillips, 29 in May, has seen big league action in each of the past six seasons, spending time with the Brewers, Royals, Rays and Orioles. Though he’s never really been a huge threat at the plate, he’s provided value to those clubs with his defense and speed. His best season to date was 2021 with the Rays, where he hit 13 home runs and stole 14 bases. He struck out in a massive 38.7% of his plate appearances but also walked in 11.3% of them. He finished the year with a batting line of .206/.300/.427 and a wRC+ of 103, indicating he was 3% better than league average at the plate. He also got excellent grades for his glovework and was considered to be worth 2.3 wins above replacement by FanGraphs.

Unfortunately, the flaws in his game were a bit more exposed in 2022. His strikeout rate, which was already incredibly high, ticked north to 41.8% while his walk rate dipped to 7.1%. His batting line last year was .144/.217/.249, leading to an untenable wRC+ of 38. That frustrating season including getting designated for assignment by the Rays in August, which led to a trade to the Orioles. They outrighted him off the roster in August, but Phillips reached free agency at season’s end.

Phillips certainly has some drawbacks but there are plenty of admirable attributes as well. Statcast places his sprint speed in the 88th percentile, his outfield jump in the 99th and his arm strength in the 97th. That speed might be more useful this year with the new rules that are designed to encourage more base stealing. The limits on defensive shifts might also give him a boost at the plate since he was shifted on 88% of his plate appearances last year.

The Angels will likely be looking to implement Phillips in a part-time role off the bench, coming in for pinch running and defensive substitutions. The primary outfield should consist of Mike Trout in center flanked by Hunter Renfroe and Taylor Ward in the corners with Shohei Ohtani serving as the designated hitter most nights. The club also has Mickey Moniak and Jo Adell as outfield options on its 40-man roster, but both of them have struggled at the major league level thus far and each has an option year remaining, allowing them to be sent to the minors as depth if they don’t earn their way into larger roles.

Phillips is the latest in a series of moves that the Angels have made to improve the support for their star players. Despite having Trout and Ohtani and other stars over the years, the club has failed to live up to expectations due to shortcomings elsewhere on the roster, especially when injuries have tested their depth. The club has signed Tyler Anderson to helped their rotation and Carlos Estévez to bolster the bullpen. On the position player side, they traded for Renfroe and Gio Urshela while signing Brandon Drury and now Phillips.

Phillips doesn’t have any options, meaning he’ll have to stick on the roster or else be designated for assignment. However, he has just over three years of MLB service time and can be retained for future seasons via arbitration if he has a solid campaign for the Halos. This deal brings their payroll to around $206MM, per the calculations of Roster Resource, and a competitive balance tax calculation of $221MM. That payroll figure would be a franchise record, per Cot’s Baseball Contracts, eclipsing the $189MM mark from last year. The CBT number puts them about $12MM shy of the lowest luxury tax threshold, which will be $233MM this year.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic first reported that Phillips and the Angels were in agreement. Jon Heyman of The New York Post first added the $1.2MM salary.

Share Repost Send via email

Los Angeles Angels Transactions Brett Phillips

105 comments

Tigers Sign Chasen Shreve To Minor League Deal

By Darragh McDonald | January 9, 2023 at 4:56pm CDT

The Tigers have signed left-hander Chasen Shreve to a minor league deal with an invitation to major league Spring Training. Shreve, a client of CAA Sports, can make up to $2MM if he’s in the majors. That comes in the form of a salary of $1.25MM if he makes it to the majors, with several incentives available based on innings pitched. He will get another $75K for getting to 20, 30, 35 and 40 innings pitched, $100K for 45 and 50 innings and $125K at 55 and 60 innings.

Shreve, 32, has pitched in the past nine major league seasons, spending time with the Braves, Yankees, Cardinals, Mets and Pirates. For his career, he’s made 317 appearances with a 3.87 ERA, striking out a strong 25.6% of batters faced and getting grounders at a fairly average 41% clip. His 11.4% walk rate is on the high side, but he’s largely been able to work around that.

In 2022, he signed a minor league deal with the Mets and was selected to their Opening Day roster. Unfortunately, Shreve posted a 6.49 ERA in 25 games and was released by the club in July. There are reasons to suspect bad fortune played a significant role and that Chasen deserved much better. His 25.4% strikeout rate was still strong and his 8.8% walk rate was actually better than many of his other seasons. A low 62.9% strand rate probably helped push his ERA northwards, as did 20.7% of his fly balls going over the fence. The advanced metrics were much more fond of his work last year, including a 5.01 FIP, 3.68 xFIP and 3.42 SIERA.

It’s possible that this deal for Shreve was referenced by Detroit’s president of baseball operations Scott Harris this weekend. After the club traded Gregory Soto to the Phillies, Harris spoke to reporters and said the club was looking to bolster their left-handed relief options in the wake of that deal. “We are hard at work on” this new acquisition, Harris said. “It may not be a major league deal, but [it’s] someone we’re excited about.”

After the Soto deal, the club is fairly short on left-handed relievers. Eduardo Rodriguez, Tarik Skubal, Matthew Boyd and Joey Wentz will likely all be starting, leaving Tyler Alexander as the lone southpaw relief option. Even Alexander is more of a swingman, having started 42 of his 95 games thus far in his big league career. It makes plenty of sense that the Tigers would look to add a lefty reliever who has past success. The club isn’t seen as an especially likely contender in 2023 after they had such dismal results in 2022. If Shreve can make the team, he can provide a veteran stabilizing force in the ’pen while also potentially turning into a midseason trade candidate.

Robert Murray of FanSided first reported that Shreve and the Tigers were in agreement on a minor league deal that could see him earn $2MM in the majors. Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press added that the deal had been signed and also provided the specific breakdown of the financials.

Share Repost Send via email

Detroit Tigers Transactions Chasen Shreve

22 comments

Dodgers Sign David Freitas To Minor League Deal

By Darragh McDonald | January 9, 2023 at 4:01pm CDT

The Dodgers and catcher David Freitas have signed a minor league deal, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. The client of PSI Sports Management will presumably receive an invitation to major league Spring Training.

Freitas, 34 in March, played in the majors for three straight years beginning in 2017. He got into 59 games over that stretch, suiting up for the Braves, Mariners and Brewers. His career batting line is currently .200/.268/.288. In 2020, he didn’t play in the regular season but was recalled by the Brewers to take a spot on their postseason roster, striking out in his sole plate appearance.

Though Freitas hasn’t done much in the majors, he got opportunities based on his strong work in the minors. In 2019, he hit 12 home runs in 91 Triple-A games and produced a slash line of .381/.461/.561 for a wRC+ of 154. That minor league work was enough to get him a chance to play in Korea in 2021, as he was signed by the KBO’s Kiwoom Heroes. However, he struggled to a .259/.297/.374 line and was put on waivers in June. He signed with the Rays in August and hit .245/.364/.434 in 16 games for their Triple-A team down the stretch. Last year, Freitas signed a minors deal with the Yanks but was released after hitting .239/.310/.345 in 36 Triple-A games.

The Dodgers have Will Smith and Austin Barnes handling the catching duties at the major league level, but the only other backstop on the 40-man is Diego Cartaya. He’s one of the most highly-regarded prospects in the league but he has yet to reach Double-A. The addition of Freitas gives the club a veteran depth option without using a roster spot. If he’s able to make his way back onto the roster, he’s out of options but has just over a year of service time. Should his bat finally break out at the big league level, the Dodgers could keep him around for the foreseeable future.

Share Repost Send via email

Los Angeles Dodgers Transactions David Freitas

16 comments

Braves Sign Ryder Jones To Minor League Deal

By Darragh McDonald | January 9, 2023 at 2:45pm CDT

2:45pm: Jones will be attempting a move to the mound, a switch he recently announced on Instagram. Hat tip to Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area. Jones has just a single inning pitched in affiliated ball but was a two-way player in high school.

1:34pm: The Braves have signed infielder Ryder Jones to a minor league deal, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. Jones will presumably receive an invitation to major league Spring Training, though no official announcement has been made.

Jones, 29 in June, has 58 games of major league experience, all with the Giants. 53 of those were in 2017 and then five more the following year, but a dislocated knee ended that latter season. He hit just .184/.250/.316 in those seasons, was outrighted in 2019 and hasn’t been able to make it back to the big leagues since.

Ryder has previously had strong Triple-A results but struggled in 2022. After signing a minor league deal with the White Sox, he got into 67 games for the Charlotte Knights but produced a batting line of .196/.269/.318 while striking out in 32.6% of his plate appearances.

Jones will look to get back on track with his new club. If he does so, he can provide some infield depth, primarily at the corners. He did play three innings at second base last year and pitched an inning of mop-up duty, but otherwise lined up mostly at first and third base. Atlanta has Matt Olson and Austin Riley firmly cemented in those positions at the big league level but they don’t have many depth infielders on the 40-man. Vaughn Grissom and Orlando Arcia could be battling for the shortstop job, with Braden Shewmake also on hand as another middle infielder. Jones gives them an option for the corners that has struggled in recent years but at least has big league experience. If he earns his way back onto the roster, he still has an option and less than one year of MLB service time.

Share Repost Send via email

Atlanta Braves Transactions Ryder Jones

19 comments

Brewers Sign Josh VanMeter To Minor League Deal

By Darragh McDonald | January 9, 2023 at 2:38pm CDT

The Brewers have informed reporters, including Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, that they have signed infielder Josh VanMeter to a minor league with an invitation to major league Spring Training.

VanMeter, 28 in March, has appeared in the past four major league seasons, spending time with the Reds, Diamondbacks and Pirates. He first got the call in 2019 and spent that season being frequently optioned between the majors and minors for the Reds. His work in the majors was a bit below average, as he hit .237/.327/.408 for a wRC+ of 88. But in 49 minor league games, he hit an incredible .348/.429/.669 for a wRC+ of 175.

Unfortunately, VanMeter hasn’t been able to come close to that level of production in the three years since, either in the majors or the minors. He spent most of 2022 in the majors with the Pirates, hitting just .187/.266/.292 for a wRC+ of 59. He was designated for assignment and outrighted in September, reaching free agency at season’s end.

Though he hasn’t hit much in the past few years, VanMeter at least brings defensive versatility. In his time in the big leagues, he’s played the outfield corners, every infield position except shortstop, as well as an inning behind the plate and three innings on the mound. It’s also possible his bat gets a boost from the upcoming rules against extreme defensive shifts, as he hits from the left side and was shifted in 79.7% of his appearances last year.

The Brewers have a bit of fluidity to their infield picture since Jace Peterson reached free agency and signed with the A’s while Kolten Wong was dealt to the Mariners. The club received Abraham Toro back in that Wong deal and also acquired Owen Miller from the Guardians. Luis Urías could take over third base while prospect Brice Turang is an option to join Willy Adames in the middle infield, but Turang has still yet to reach the majors. Mike Brosseau is also in the mix. The addition of VanMeter gives the club an experienced player to add some depth without using a roster spot for now. If he earns his way back onto the 40-man, he’s out of options and will have to stick around or else be designated for assignment. He has between three and four years of MLB service time and could be retained for future seasons via arbitration if he can work his way into Milwaukee’s plans.

Share Repost Send via email

Milwaukee Brewers Transactions Josh VanMeter

42 comments

Phillies, Giants Swap Yunior Marté For Erik Miller

By Darragh McDonald | January 9, 2023 at 12:35pm CDT

The Phillies and Giants made a trade today, according to announcements from both clubs. Right-hander Yunior Marté is heading to the Phillies with lefty Erik Miller going the other way.

Marté, 28 next month, he spent most of his career with the Royals but never cracked their roster and reached minor league free agency after 2020. The Giants then signed him to a minor league deal and saw him post a 3.49 ERA over 56 2/3 Triple-A innings in 2021. He struck out 24.6% of batters faced, walked 9.1% of them and got grounders on 49.4% of balls in play. That was enough for the Giants to add him to the 40-man in November.

In 2022, Marté made his MLB debut with a 5.44 ERA in 48 innings for the Giants. That came with a 20.6% strikeout rate and 10.4% walk rate, with both of those numbers being a bit worse than league average. He did get grounders at a strong 48.6% rate and might have had some bad luck with a 63.2% strand rate. Statcast found a lot to like in his work, placing him in the 97th percentile in terms of barrel rate, 84th in terms of average exit velocity and 94th in terms of fastball velocity, averaging 97.8 mph. He also tossed 25 2/3 Triple-A innings with a 3.16 ERA and a huge 37.2% strikeout rate, though his 38.8% ground ball rate was lower down there.

Marté still has a couple of option years, so he’ll give the Phils an intriguing arm that they could potentially keep in the minors until needed. The bullpen has been an area of focus for the team this winter, as they’ve signed free agents Craig Kimbrel and Matt Strahm, in addition to swinging a trade for Gregory Soto this weekend and Marté today. For the Giants, it seems like Marté was nudged out of their plans when they signed Luke Jackson today, requiring them to open a roster spot with this trade. Though it was surely tough to part with a talented pitcher like Marté, they are at least getting something in return.

Miller, 25 next month, was a fourth round selection of the Phillies in 2019. He’s been considered one of the better prospects in the Philly system since then, with Baseball America having him in the club’s top 30 in each of the past three years. Between the canceled minor leagues in 2020 and an injury-marred 2021, he hadn’t pitched much coming into 2022. But he seemed to get into a groove at Double-A, tossing 36 1/3 innings with a 2.23 ERA. He struck out 30.1% of batters faced but also walked 11.6% of them. He was promoted to Triple-A but his control problems worsened. In 10 games at that level, he walked 21.5% of opponents, leading to a 7.50 ERA.

Miller got some attention here at MLBTR as the Rule 5 draft was approaching but he ultimately went unselected. That means the Giants have now swapped one intriguing arm for another, with Miller not occupying a roster spot. Baseball America highlights that his fastball can reach 98 mph, with a plus slider and changeup as well. However, they note that a lack of consistency has kept him from truly reaching his potential thus far.

Share Repost Send via email

Philadelphia Phillies San Francisco Giants Transactions Erik Miller Yunior Marte

45 comments

P.J. Higgins Elects Free Agency

By Steve Adams | January 9, 2023 at 12:13pm CDT

Catcher P.J. Higgins has rejected an outright assignment from the Cubs in favor of free agency, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post (Twitter link). Chicago designated Higgins for assignment in late December in order to open a spot on the roster for newly signed Tucker Barnhart, and Higgins cleared outright waivers last week. It was the second time in his career he’d gone unclaimed and been assigned outright to a minor league affiliate, however, which granted him the right to reject that assignment and explore his opportunities elsewhere.

Higgins, 29, appeared in 74 games for the Cubs in 2022, batting .229/.310/.383 with six homers, 11 doubles and a triple in 229 plate appearances. He walked at a 9.6% clip and punched out in 25.3% of those trips to the plate. That marked just the second season in which Higgins has had big league experience, with the 2021 season — when he appeared in just nine games — standing as the only other.

A 12th-round pick out of Old Dominion back in 2015, Higgins has been a generally productive hitter in the minors but has never received a particularly long big league look with the Cubs — due in no small part to the presence of Willson Contreras in the Majors for the entirety of his pro career to this point. Higgins has torn through Triple-A pitching at a .338/.429/.535 pace, though that’s come through just 274 plate appearances in a generally hitter-friendly setting. Overall, he’s a career .279/.365/.378 hitter in parts of seven minor league seasons.

Higgins was touted as an average or better defensive catcher back when Baseball America ranked him 22nd among Cubs farmhands in 2017, but he had some struggles in the Majors this past season. Higgins threw out just 16% of runners who attempted to steal against him — well below the league-average 24% — and he ranked near the bottom of the league with his average “pop time” in such situations, per Statcast. Both FanGraphs and Statcast pegged him as a below-average framer, as well, and Defensive Runs Saved dinged him at -6 for his work behind the plate in 2022.

That said, there’s more to Higgins’ defensive skill set than just his work behind the plate. He was an infielder at Old Dominion and in his first season of pro ball, and the Cubs have continued to get him work at other positions throughout his career. Catcher has remained his primary position since 2016, but Higgins has a total of 732 innings at first base, 575 innings at third base and even 93 innings at second and 37 innings at shortstop. He’s unlikely to be viewed as a regular option at any of those infield slots, of course, but it’s a nice bit of versatility to be able to market to other clubs as Higgins looks for a new opportunity as a minor league free agent for the first time in his career.

Share Repost Send via email

Chicago Cubs Transactions P.J. Higgins

17 comments

Giants Sign Luke Jackson To Two-Year Deal

By Steve Adams | January 9, 2023 at 12:07pm CDT

The Giants announced Monday that they’ve signed free-agent righty Luke Jackson to a two-year contract that includes a club option for a third season. He’ll be guaranteed $11.5MM that’s paid out in the form of a $3MM salary in 2023, a $6.5MM salary in 2024 and then a $2MM buyout on a $7MM option for the third year. Jackson, a client of Beverly Hills Sports Council, didn’t pitch in 2022 after undergoing Tommy John surgery back in April. The Giants didn’t provide a timeline, but given the date of his surgery, it’s likely Jackson will open the season on the injured list.

The 31-year-old Jackson had something of a roller-coaster tenure in the Atlanta bullpen, at times operating as the team’s closer and on other occasions being relegated to low-leverage roles while struggling through rocky results. He saved his best performance for last, however, dominating as the team’s primary setup man during their run to the World Series in 2021.

Jackson, who shook off a disastrous 6.84 ERA in the shortened 2020 season, pitched to an outstanding 1.98 ERA with a 26.8% strikeout rate and 11.1% walk rate for the Braves during the ’21 regular season. He was virtually unhittable in the season’s final couple months, recording a 1.35 ERA and 33-to-10 K/BB ratio with just one homer allowed over his final 26 2/3 frames that year.

For much of the postseason, the same was true. Jackson was unscored upon through his first six games in the playoffs — four NLDS games and two in the NLCS — before the Dodgers ambushed him for four runs in just one-third of an inning. The Braves lost that game (with Jackson taking the loss) but hung on to win the series. The World Series offered a chance at redemption for Jackson, and he seized it, firing 3 2/3 shutout innings with just one hit, no walks and four punchouts.

Looking at Jackson’s career from a broader perspective, the former No. 45 overall pick (Rangers, 2010) was a touted pitching prospect with Texas before being sent to the Braves in exchange for right-handers Tyrell Jenkins and Brady Feigl. Neither of those pitchers did anything for Texas, and while Jackson’s first season with the Braves in 2017 was rather nondescript, he began to turn a corner the following season.

It was 2018 when Jackson entirely shelved his changeup, scaled back the usage of his four-seamer and curveball, and began to throw his slider more than any other offering. Since that point, Jackson has seen his strikeout rate leap from an awful 13.4% to a very strong 27.1%. He’s averaged 95.5 mph on his heater along the way and also gone from a fly-ball pitcher to a robust ground-ball worker, keeping a whopping 55.8% of balls put into play against him on the ground. Command has been a frequent issue, evidenced by a 10% walk rate in his past 203 1/3 innings (2018-21), but Jackson’s ability to miss bats, induce double-plays and avoid home runs (0.93 HR/9) have helped him to offset that below-average ability to locate the ball.

Though he’s likely IL-bound to start the year, Jackson could still jump back into the big league bullpen before the season’s halfway point. Once he does, he’ll add some more swing-and-miss to what has become an increasingly sound relief corps in San Francisco. Lefty Taylor Rogers was signed for late-inning work alongside presumptive closer Camilo Doval, and the Giants will also have John Brebbia and Tyler Rogers (Taylor’s twin brother) in the mix for late-inning opportunities. The pitching staff has as many as seven capable starters — Logan Webb, Alex Cobb, Alex Wood, Ross Stripling, Sean Manaea, Anthony DeSclafani, Jakob Junis — and the potential for two of them (Junis and perhaps DeSclafani) to pitch in relief only further deepens the bullpen.

Jackson’s modest $3MM salary in 2023 will push the payroll to a projected $192.2MM, per Roster Resource, while the Giants are now up to more than $213MM in luxury-tax obligations. That leaves plenty of room for some additional signings, whether to further deepen the relief corps or to add another bat to the lineup.

Share Repost Send via email

Newsstand San Francisco Giants Transactions Luke Jackson

55 comments

Brewers Sign Wade Miley

By Anthony Franco and Darragh McDonald | January 9, 2023 at 11:30am CDT

Jan. 9: The Brewers formally announced their one-year deal with Miley. This weekend’s trade of Justin Topa to the Mariners opened a spot on the 40-man roster.

Jan. 4: The Brewers are in agreement with veteran starter Wade Miley on a one-year deal. It’s reportedly a $4.5MM guarantee for the O’Connell Sports Management client. Miley will make $3.5MM next season and is guaranteed a $1MM buyout on a $10MM mutual option for the 2024 campaign.

The deal also contains various innings-based incentives that could max it out at $6MM. He’d earn an extra $150K by getting to 75 innings pitched, followed by $350K for getting to the 100-inning plateau and two $500K bonuses available at 125 and 150 innings. The deal also contains a $250K assignment bonus if Miley were traded.

Miley, 36, heads to his third NL Central team in as many seasons. He spent two years with the Reds from 2020-21, including a 3.37 ERA through 28 starts during the latter campaign. The Reds nevertheless placed him on waivers at the start of last offseason, as they’d evidently determined not to trigger a $10MM option on his services. Miley was claimed by the Cubs, who promptly exercised the option, and he went on to spend one year on Chicago’s North Side.

It wasn’t the kind of season the Cubs had envisioned. The 12-year MLB veteran began the season on the injured list thanks to inflammation in his throwing elbow. He made his team debut in early May, but that return proved short-lived. He went back on the IL after four starts, this time due to a strain in his shoulder. Miley wound up out of action for over two months, not returning until September. He pitched five times down the stretch, concluding his season with nine appearances.

To his credit, the crafty veteran remained effective when able to take the hill. The former All-Star pitched to a 3.16 ERA through 37 innings. He averaged only 85.1 MPH on the cutter that served as his primary pitch and struck out a below-average 17.6% of opponents. Miley has never overpowered batters, relying instead on solid enough control and the ability to avoid barrels.

That was again the case during his limited 2022 work. Miley induced grounders on a very strong 52.6% of batted balls. He held opponents to a subpar 86.7 MPH average exit velocity and allowed fewer than one home run for every nine innings pitched for a third straight season. While he hasn’t topped a 20% strikeout rate in a season since 2014, his heavy reliance on a cutter and changeup has allowed him to consistently keep away from damaging contact.

That track record is clearly of appeal to a Milwaukee club that plays in a fairly hitter-friendly home park. The Brewers already have six quality starting pitchers. Corbin Burnes and Brandon Woodruff headline the group, followed by Freddy Peralta and Aaron Ashby. Eric Lauer and Adrian Houser are quality options at the back end. Miley has started 285 of his 292 MLB appearances, though it’s possible Milwaukee prefers to deploy him in a more flexible swing role considering his lack of innings in 2022.

If the plan is for Miley to secure a season-opening rotation spot, that could free up general manager Matt Arnold and his front office to market Lauer or Houser in trade. The Brewers could look for another bat to incorporate into the right field and first base mix, and it’s possible they bring in a veteran infielder to lessen the workload for Luis Urías or rookie Brice Turang. Dealing one of their incumbent starters would be a way to bolster a lineup that was middle-of-the-pack last season.

It’s Milwaukee’s first significant dip into major league free agency this offseason. Miley’s relatively modest salary brings the Brewers payroll projection to approximately $119MM, as calculated by Roster Resource. Milwaukee opened last year with a player payroll just shy of $132MM, so there should still be room for Arnold and his group to build out the roster as they try to close the gap with the Cardinals at the top of the division.

Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic first reported Miley and the Brewers were in agreement on a one-year, $4.5MM deal that could max out at $6MM. Bob Nightengale of USA Today was first to report Miley would receive a $3.5MM salary in 2023 and that the deal contained a $10MM mutual option with a $1MM buyout; Nightengale was also first with the specifics of the incentive structure and the assignment bonus.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Share Repost Send via email

Milwaukee Brewers Newsstand Transactions Wade Miley

115 comments
« Previous Page
Load More Posts
    Top Stories

    Yankees Re-Sign Paul Goldschmidt

    Rockies Sign Jose Quintana

    Jackson Holliday To Begin Season On Injured List Following Hamate Surgery

    Phillies Release Nick Castellanos

    Rangers Top Prospect Sebastian Walcott To Undergo Elbow Surgery

    Dodgers, Max Muncy Agree To Extension

    Orioles To Sign Chris Bassitt

    Brewers To Sign Gary Sánchez

    Francisco Lindor To Undergo Surgery For Hamate Fracture

    Dodgers Re-Sign Evan Phillips, Designate Ben Rortvedt

    Corbin Carroll To Undergo Surgery For Hamate Fracture

    Reese Olson To Miss 2026 Season Following Shoulder Surgery

    Braves Place Spencer Schwellenbach On 60-Day Injured List

    Rangers To Sign Jordan Montgomery

    Tigers Sign Justin Verlander

    Shane Bieber To Begin Season On Injured List; Bowden Francis To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

    Rays Sign Nick Martinez

    Tigers Sign Framber Valdez To Three-Year Deal

    Anthony Santander To Undergo Shoulder Surgery, Out 5-6 Months

    Rockies Sign Tomoyuki Sugano, Place Kris Bryant On 60-Day IL

    Recent

    Angels To Re-Sign Chris Taylor

    Yankees, Rafael Montero Agree To Minor League Deal

    Marlins Designate Josh Simpson For Assignment

    Elroy Face Passes Away

    Yankees Injury Notes: Cole, Rodon, Schlittler

    Yankees Re-Sign Paul Goldschmidt

    Do The Brewers Have Another Move Up Their Sleeve?

    Dodgers To Sign Keston Hiura To Minor League Deal

    Rockies Sign Jose Quintana

    Marlins Sign Chris Paddack

    MLBTR Newsletter - Hot stove highlights in your inbox, five days a week

    Latest Rumors & News

    Latest Rumors & News

    • Every MLB Trade In July
    Trade Rumors App for iOS and Android iTunes Play Store

    MLBTR Features

    MLBTR Features

    • Remove Ads, Support Our Writers
    • 2025-26 Top 50 MLB Free Agents With Predictions
    • Front Office Originals
    • Tim Dierkes' MLB Mailbag
    • 2025-26 Offseason Outlook Series
    • MLBTR Podcast
    • 2025-26 MLB Free Agent List
    • 2026-27 MLB Free Agent List
    • Projected Arbitration Salaries For 2026
    • Contract Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Extension Tracker
    • Agency Database
    • MLBTR On Twitter
    • MLBTR On Facebook
    • Team Facebook Pages
    • How To Set Up Notifications For Breaking News
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors

    Rumors By Team

    • Angels Rumors
    • Astros Rumors
    • Athletics Rumors
    • Blue Jays Rumors
    • Braves Rumors
    • Brewers Rumors
    • Cardinals Rumors
    • Cubs Rumors
    • Diamondbacks Rumors
    • Dodgers Rumors
    • Giants Rumors
    • Guardians Rumors
    • Mariners Rumors
    • Marlins Rumors
    • Mets Rumors
    • Nationals Rumors
    • Orioles Rumors
    • Padres Rumors
    • Phillies Rumors
    • Pirates Rumors
    • Rangers Rumors
    • Rays Rumors
    • Red Sox Rumors
    • Reds Rumors
    • Rockies Rumors
    • Royals Rumors
    • Tigers Rumors
    • Twins Rumors
    • White Sox Rumors
    • Yankees Rumors

    Navigation

    • Sitemap
    • Archives
    • RSS/Twitter Feeds By Team

    MLBTR INFO

    • Advertise
    • About
    • Commenting Policy
    • Privacy Policy

    Connect

    • Contact Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS Feed

    MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

    Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

    hide arrows scroll to top

    Register

    Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version