The Tigers have signed right-hander Ryan Miller to a minor league deal, per Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press. The righty receives an invite to big league spring training and will make a salary of $800K if he makes the major league club next year.
Miller, 29 in March, just made his major league debut with the Angels. Getting selected to the roster in late August, he tossed 13 innings for the Halos, allowing six earned runs, striking out 11 opponents while walking eight. He was designated for assignment at the end of the season when the club signed Kyle Hendricks and later released.
That’s not much of a sample to go on, so the Tigers are probably giving more weight to his minor league performance. He tossed 62 1/3 innings over 34 appearances at the Triple-A level in 2024, only allowing 2.45 earned runs per nine despite pitching in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. He paired a 24.6% strikeout rate with a 5.6% walk rate. His 2023 was somewhat similar, as he tossed 60 1/3 innings over 41 Double-A appearances in the Red Sox’ system with a 4.03 ERA, 25.8% strikeout rate and 7.3% walk rate.
The Tigers are likely intrigued by those strikeout and walk numbers, so they will bring Miller aboard for some non-roster depth. If he earns his way into a roster spot at any point, he still has a full slate of options.
Former Spartan great
Wrong one. Lol
Low risk depth move.
Relief pitchers are notoriously volatile. This guy might be the next hot arm and we got him super cheap. This has been a great off-season so far for us, but it would really help if they capped it off by signing Goldsmidt and DFAing Baez. We need to dump the dead weight and pick up some Tork insurance.
Not sure if I would go as far as calling it a successful offseason, but it hasn’t been awful. Whether we admit it or not, the Tigers are not going to the WS next season. And people being upset about not signing Bregman for 5 years at $200M need to take a chill pill. This team needs to keep playing the kids and see what we have with them, Then next offseason, write a huge check to Skubal and THEN add 2-3 pieces where needed and only then can we perhaps start competing with the big boys. If they signed Bregman now, by the time we are truly starting to compete rather than just making the postseason, he will be on the downside of that albatross contract and not helping us., Just an opinion, but thats what it looks like to me.
I agree with most of what you said. I think some short term pieces to address holes and depth might be prudent though. Even then, do you sign a guy like Santana or trade for Wade to platoon with Tork or just let Malloy try to figure out a 1B glove to split time? Let Jung play 3B or grab Kim and split 3B him between 3B and SS.l? Cut Baez and let Sweeney play or see if the surgery works? Let the kids pitch or add another starter? See if someone like Miller ends up being the next Holton or add an experienced BP fireballer on a short term contract?
I think Kim would be a good add due to his versatlity, along with an older 1B/DH like Santana or Goldschmidt, another starter in addition to Cobb who I like (either move the chips in for Flaherty or go for upside on a short term like Heaney or Verlander if they feel Jobe can be a top 3 guy) and an older power arm for the bullpen.
I think if they add a few veteran tweaks they can represent the AL in the world series.
pITcHinG CHaoS!!!!
small market team = reasonable comments on a depth signing. big market team signs a similar player = outrage
Remember when Dan Akroyd randomly showed up in Temple of Doom?
Angels should’ve resigned him to a MiLB deal.
Likely this will be one of the top off-season moves by the Tigers. 🙂
From your lips to God’s ears.
Since you say you know Harris, did you know he has never done anything like that? Also did you know that only Baez got big money out of Chris Illitch, and Avila got fired for that?
How many of your holes did he put his fingers in?
You and Moj need to get a room, although I have a feeling it might end poorly for one of you. I just don’t know which one!
YES!! Time to start the season!! Who said Chris Illitch is cheap???
Everyone!
In Detroit, its MILLER TIME !!
Ryan Miller is not how you spell Jack Flaherty.
**yet anotherYAWNer**
Thanks Motorcitykitties !
I’d like to go on record and say to all the people out there calling Chris cheap….
You obviously have no idea how a well run organization is built, nor how it operates. All of you pining for a big name free agent have no idea what it’s like to spend that kind of money, which is actually an admission that you can’t develop its own players. Those big boppers are only needed when your team is horribly imbalanced. And the more you get, the more complacent they become.
Give me a team that has a .250 BA spread equally over 9 hitters versus a team with the same BA with only 3 or 4 responsible for it.
We had no big name free agent pitchers in the spring of ‘24 but look how that staffed performed as a team. That staff was decimated by the end of the year, but they led us into and through the playoffs.
Give me a team over free agents.
Thank you for enlightening us on how a well run organization works, very insightful. Could you give more insight on what it’s like to spend that kind of money? Because, I would like to spend that kind of money, I just don’t know how.
First, become a billionaire and buy a ball team. Then TroyVan will tell you how to spend your money wisely.
We are a small market team and Scott Harris is a small market GM that needs to be ok with not spending money that Chris Ilitch doesn’t have. Well, something like that, I haven’t watched money ball in quite a while. I say buck up, in 3 years we will get our chance to watch Skubal pitch in the World Series.
Pitching for whom? Dodgers, Yankees, or Mets?
Thinking the Yankees but could be the Dodgers
I see what you did there
Ilitch signed Baez to a huge contract. Wouldn’t you be careful after that mess? I’m betting they go get a decent bat, a high octane bullpen arm and another closer. Would I like that to mean Bregman and/or Walker, a trade for Devin Williams or Ryan Helseley and Corbin Burnes? Yes, but in the real world I know it’s more likely going to be Kim or a Santana/Wade type 1B, one of the older closer types still available and at most Flaherty but more likely a Heaney/Means/Verlander type starter. I think we are forgetting how young the playoff team was last year and how much they will likely continue to develop this year.
In 3 years they might have developed a stud rotation with some combo of Jobe, Hamm, Melton, Olson, Hurter, Montero, Madden that allows them to let Skubal walk and sign that $350 million contract elsewhere. Do I want Skubal to stay? Hell yeah. But as TroyVan said when you get too many of those huge albatross contracts as a mid market team suddenly you are left filling in open spots with .200 hitters and AAAA players. The Yankees, Dodgers, Red Sox et al can afford that risk and absorb it if it goes bad. Look at how the deals for Cabrera (the later years only because he ROCKED overall) and Baez limited the ability to field a TEAM. Last year they had a TEAM and they didnt break the bank. I hope Harris and Greenberg fill in the holes without crippling the team long term. To me Kim, Santana, Heaney (BP and SP experience) and a power arm in the bullpen to address short term needs coupled with internal improvements would not be a bad offseason.
But as a fan I’d be happier with at least one big signing sprinkled in (Bregman, Walker, Flaherty) as an Xmas present!
No offense Motor but why do Tigers fans continue to make excuses for the Tigers. Baez makes 24 million a year, that is nothing in today’s baseball yet we use that to justify why the Tigers don’t spend money. They just gave 38 year old Cobb 15 million for one year after missing most of last year from injury. The Tigers get away with being cheap because everyone accepts it from GM to the manager to the press to us fans. Sorry but some of us are sick of it. Hinch just came out in an interview and said our goal is to win the central. Think Aaron Boone would still have his job if he came out and said the Yankees goal is to win the east. Our manager can’t even bring himself to say our goal is to win the World Series.
They need to fill the holes for sure. We agree on that and you are not wrong there. But if the hole gets filled with a combo of a young player (Jung or Tork) and cheaper vet (Kim or Santana) who costs them a minimal amount or a borderline star vet (Bregman or Alonso) who costs $200 million is there any difference if they produce the same amount?
I’ve been there for the crap years too and want them to sign some good players. I remember 1984 when they built a team with mostly homegrown players and filled in around the edges. I get why they are cautious though because no one wants any more messes like Baez or Zimmerman.
Hopefully they give us a nice Christmas present and sign someone good. Cheers dude.
3rd lowest in MLB?
We deserve better.
Ryan Miller may not be any good but he’d fit in well in accounting. He’d be the nondescript guy who laughs at your jokes at the water cooler, brown bags it to work each day, and always remembers to bring donuts on Thursday. Until that one fateful evening at the office Christmas party where he ingests a little of the brown sauce and transforms into Mr. Hyde
Give him brown sauce then and let Mr Hyde close games next year!
It’s true!
Chris Illich is not cheap! He’s been saving his money for all these years….
to hire the Superfife!
Any fan at this point, would be totally appalled if he went out and spent like a ninny. It’s been a really, really, really long time, really. We expect our guys to become those guys you spend all that money on and they actually become “the” team…..
Prediction: Phillies sign Bregman, Tigers trade for Bohm