Andrew Miller

Indians Place Andrew Miller On 10-Day DL

By Jeff Todd | August 29, 2018 at 1:55pm CDT

The Indians have placed lefty reliever Andrew Miller on the 10-day disabled list with an external impingement in his left shoulder. Fellow southpaw Tyler Olson was recalled to take the open roster spot.

Details on Miller’s outlook are not yet known, but it’s obviously concerning to see the 33-year-old hitting the shelf yet again. He has already missed time this year, owing to hamstring and knee issues, and has not been quite himself when he has been available.

Through 24 innings on the season, Miller carries a 3.38 ERA with 12.4 K/9 and 4.9 BB/9. Those are still productive numbers, needless to say, but they’re a far cry from the dominant levels at which Miller has performed in recent years. He is still tough to square up, but now owns a 1.292 WHIP in 2018 after averaging a minuscule 0.789 figure since the start of the 2014 season.

There are other less-than-encouraging signs as well. Miller’s 12.4% swinging-strike rate is his lowest level since he first became a full-time reliever in 2012. His average fastball is down to 93.2 mph; it had registered at 95.4 (2016) and 94.5 (2017) in the prior two campaigns.

The DL placement may just be an opportunity to get Miller some added rest, to be fair. It isn’t as if the Indians are desperate to squeeze out wins down the stretch; they’ll understandably be prioritizing his readiness for the postseason. Still, it’s not exactly promising that the move was deemed necessary, particularly given the general struggles exhibited this season by the Cleveland relief corps.

Indians Designate Zach McAllister For Assignment

By Steve Adams | August 3, 2018 at 1:45pm CDT

The Indians announced Friday that they’ve activated lefty Andrew Miller from the 60-day disabled list and cleared roster space by designating right-hander Zach McAllister for assignment. McAllister, who has been with the team since 2010, was one of the team’s longest-tenured players.

McAllister, 30, was traded to Cleveland by the Yankees eight years ago this month as the player to be named later in 2010’s Austin Kearns swap. While he never found his footing as a stater with the Indians, McAllister blossomed into a quality bullpen piece when taken out of the rotation in 2014. Over the next three seasons, from 2015-17, he pitched to a pristine 2.99 ERA with 10.0 K/9 against 3.3 BB/9 through 183 1/3 innings of work.

This season, however, has been another story entirely for McAllister. Through 41 2/3 innings, he’s limped to a 4.97 ERA with a diminished 7.3 K/9 mark against 2.2 BB/9 while serving homers at a career-worst rate (1.5 HR/9). He’s yielded seven homers through those 41 2/3 frames after surrendering only eight long balls throug 62 innings in 2017.

The 2018 season would’ve been McAllister’s last year of club control anyhow, as he’s now accumulated the requisite six years of Major League service time needed to reach free agency. Unfortunately for him, he’ll hit the open market on his worst full season as a reliever.

It’s still possible, of course, that another club could snag McAllister and plug him into its relief corps in the hopes that a change of scenery and some different coaching will foster a return to form. McAllister, after all, is still averaging just over 95 mph on his fastball with a near-identical swinging-strike rate to the one he posted in 2017, and his chase rate has actually jumped by nearly five percent. He’s only earning a $2.45MM base salary, with about $773K of that sum yet to be paid out, so he wouldn’t exactly break the bank for a team in search of a bullpen mercenary to close out the season.

If he ultimately is run through outright waivers and clears, McAllister does have enough service to reject an outright assignment to the minors in favor of free agency while retaining the rights to the remainder of his salary. At that point, he’d be a free agent available to all 29 other teams for only the pro-rated league minimum.

Quick Hits: Altherr, Schoop, Santana, Allen, Miller

By Mark Polishuk | July 23, 2018 at 12:01am CDT

The Phillies announced that outfielder Aaron Altherr and righty Mark Leiter Jr. have been optioned to Triple-A, with corresponding roster moves coming tomorrow. It was just a season ago that Altherr looked like a breakout member of the Phils’ outfield picture, as he hit .272/.340/.516 with 19 homers over 412 plate appearances, though he has been unable to come anywhere close to that production in 2018. Altherr has been a sub-replacement level (-0.7 fWAR) player through 248 PA this season, hitting just .171/.290/.305 and subsequently losing regular playing time. He’ll look to get back on track in the minors, while his absence could put Philadelphia in the mix for a backup outfielder in its trade discussions.

Here’s more from around baseball as we’re just over a week away from the trade deadline…

Jonathan Schoop’s time with the Orioles may be coming to an end, if recent trade rumors are any indication. The second baseman tells The Athletic’s Dan Connolly (subscription required) that he hopes he can remain in Baltimore to become a building block for the O’s as they go through a rebuild. That said, the team also didn’t engage in any extension talks with Schoop last winter in the wake of his strong 2017 season. That move may have been prescient on the Orioles’ part, as Schoop suffered through a nightmarish first three months that saw him miss time with an oblique injury and post just a .587 OPS over 266 PA. Though he has hit better in July, the Orioles would still be selling low on Schoop, so they could retain him for the rest of the season to see if he can rebuild any value in the second half. Schoop has one remaining year of arbitration eligibility before hitting free agency after the 2019 campaign.
Ervin Santana will make his season debut on Wednesday when he takes the hill for a start in Toronto, Twins skipper Paul Molitor told reporters (including MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger). Santana underwent surgery on the middle finger of his throwing hand back in early February, a procedure that was thought to require only a 10-to-12 week rehab stint. Unfortunately for the right-hander, he battled continued soreness in his finger as well as a rather troubling velocity drop during his recovery process, and is only now ready to return to action. Due to that extended absence, Bollinger writes that Santana’s $14MM club option for 2019 is ” not expected to be picked up” by the Twins, though I’d suspect that the team would at least consider retaining the veteran if he shows any of his old form over the final two-plus months of the season. Santana did post excellent numbers in 2016-17, delivering a 3.32 ERA, 2.77 K/BB rate, and 7.2 K/9 over 63 starts and 392 2/3 IP for Minnesota.
The Indians’ acquisitions of Brad Hand and Adam Cimber from the Padres in this week’s blockbuster trade likely means that the Tribe will let Cody Allen and Andrew Miller leave after the season, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer opines. Hand is signed to a reasonable contract through at least the 2020 season while Cimber is controlled through 2023, making them better value over Allen and Miller, considering what the two veteran relievers are likely to ask for in free agency this winter. Cleveland has stretched its payroll beyond its usual mid-market comfort zone in an attempt to win a World Series, and it always seemed unlikely that the Indians would continue to heavily invest in the bullpen by re-signing Miller and/or Allen when lower-cost options could be found elsewhere.

AL Central Notes: Santana, Rupp, Rodon, Miller

By Jeff Todd | June 6, 2018 at 8:18am CDT

Let’s check in on the latest from the AL Central:

There’s good news for Twins starter Ervin Santana, as conveyed by Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press on Twitter. After putting a hold on his rehab assignment a week ago, Santana is now just about ready to begin throwing again and may do so as soon as tomorrow. The solid veteran hurler will still need to complete a full ramp-up before he returns to the majors, but it seems promising that his earlier setback has only required a brief respite.
New Twins backstop Cameron Rupp has an opt-out opportunity on July 15th, per Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (via Twitter). That will give the team some time to assess its situation at the MLB level, and to get familiar with Rupp, before deciding whether to promote him. At the same time, it allows the backstop a chance to find a new opportunity before the trade deadline, if he doesn’t come up with the Twins.
The White Sox are finally set to welcome back lefty Carlos Rodon, as Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times tweets. It seems he’ll take a start this weekend, though it’s not yet clear who’ll end up being bumped from the rotation. Considered a can’t-miss prospect when he was drafted, Rodon zipped to the majors and has mostly been effective, with a 3.95 ERA over 373 2/3 career innings. While he surely could still iron some things out — in particular, limiting walks and long balls — the real question is his health after shoulder surgery late last year. Rodon has certainly bee in form on his rehab assignment, allowing three earned and carrying a 28:5 K/BB ratio in 17 2/3 innings.
Indians lefty Andrew Miller seems to be making progress from the right knee problems that sent him to the DL. Per MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian, via Twitter, Miller will do some mound work today that will help with an assessment as to whether he needs a rehab stint. That seems generally to be a positive sign given the uncertainty when Miller was sidelined. Inflammation is hardly the most ominous diagnosis, to be sure, but in this case Miller has dealt with repeat problems in the same joint. He has also been unusually human on the mound this year, allowing seven earned runs and issuing an uncharacteristic ten walks over his 14 1/3 innings.

Indians Place Andrew Miller On 10-Day DL

By Kyle Downing | May 26, 2018 at 3:12pm CDT

According to Jordan Bastian of MLB.com, Indians lefty Andrew Miller is headed back to the DL with right knee inflammation. It’s the same knee issue that caused him problems last year, which is surely incredibly disheartening news to a Cleveland ballclub whose bullpen situation just seems to keep getting worse. For the time being, the Indians have recalled right-hander Evan Marshall from Triple-A Columbus.

A separate tweet from Bastian reveals that the knee has been an underlying issue “the entire time” this season, according to manager Terry Francona. That could be considered good news in the sense that it helps explain Miller’s uncharacteristic struggles this season (he’s pitched to a 4.40 ERA this season, which would be his career high as a full-time reliever). However, it’s obviously deeply concerning news considering the Tribe’s desperate need for Miller to put his health issues behind him and help shore up a bullpen with a 6.23 ERA on the season.

Though Miller’s 14.44 K/9 is right in line with his marks in recent years, it’s his 6.28 BB/9 that stands out as an alarming red flag. That’s more than double his full-season mark in any of the past four years. There’s currently no timetable for his return, but it seems likely that the Indians will proceed with extreme caution considering Miller’s value to the club in the postseason. Despite having a sub-.500 record, Cleveland is currently leading the AL Central and is considered a strong favorite to win the division for the third consecutive year.

AL Central Notes: Miller, Harvey, Tigers, Wilson

By Mark Polishuk | May 6, 2018 at 7:36pm CDT

It was on this day in 1917 that the White Sox lost both ends of a Sunday double-header to the St. Louis Browns, which came on the heels of another defeat to the Browns the previous day. What made this miserable weekend particularly ignominious for Chicago was that the Sox were no-hit in two of the three losses. Browns southpaw Ernie Koob held the White Sox hitless on Saturday, and teammate Bob Groom also tossed a no-hitter in the second game of Sunday’s double-header. This is still the only time in MLB history that a team has been no-hit on consecutive days, though no club has to date been no-hit in consecutive games. Adding to the historical quirkiness of the feat was that the 1917 White Sox were the furthest thing from a no-hit candidate — the club won 100 games and the World Series that season.

Some modern-day notes from the AL Central…

Andrew Miller is on track to return from the disabled list on Friday, Indians manager Terry Francona told MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian and other reporters, provided that Miller gets through another scheduled throwing session on Tuesday without any problems. Miller already threw one bullpen on Saturday without any ill effects from the hamstring strain that sent him to the DL back on April 26. Cleveland has sorely missed Miller, as the Tribe’s relievers entered play today with the third-worst bullpen ERA in the game, even before an ugly late-game collapse against the Yankees.
It doesn’t seem like the Tigers will be making a play for recently-designated Mets starter Matt Harvey, according to Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press. Claiming or trading for Harvey would mean Detroit would take on at least a portion of the roughly $4.25MM Harvey is guaranteed for the rest of the season, which isn’t a fit for a rebuilding team. (“We’re not here to spend more money,” manager Ron Gardenhire said.) While the Tigers have a longstanding relationship with Harvey’s agent Scott Boras, the team has also generally shied away from acquiring players with notable off-the-field controversy, which makes it unlikely that the Tigers would pursue Harvey after his ten-day DFA period is over.
Bobby Wilson’s minor league deal with the Twins will pay him $950K now that the veteran catcher has reached the 25-man roster, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press writes. Wilson’s past relationships with GM Thad Levine and farm director Jeremy Zoll (when Wilson played for the Rangers and Dodgers, respectively) helped him pick Minnesota ahead of other teams that approached Wilson about a minors deal last winter. Wilson was in the starting lineup for the Twins’ 5-3 win over the White Sox today, which marked his first MLB game since 2016. With regular starter Jason Castro on the disabled list, Wilson is in line to get a fair amount of playing time backing up Mitch Garver behind the plate.

Indians Place Andrew Miller On 10-Day DL, Purchase Contract Of Jeff Beliveau

By Jeff Todd | April 26, 2018 at 1:10pm CDT

The Indians have announced that star reliever Andrew Miller is heading to the 10-day DL with a strained hamstring. Replacing him on the active roster will be southpaw Jeff Beliveau, while fellow lefty Jack Leathersich was designated for assignment to open a 40-man spot.

Miller suffered the injury in last night’s game. Its full severity is not yet known, so it’s also unclear how long he’ll be down. The 32-year-old has been in typically dominant form thus far in 2018, producing a 17:4 K/BB ratio in ten scoreless innings.

He’ll be replaced for the time being with Beliveau, who had joined the Cleveland organization on a minors deal over the offseason. The 31-year-old had a compelling but brief run in the Rays bullpen back in 2014 but has since been ineffective in limited opportunities at the game’s highest level.

That said, Beliveau did record 17 strikeouts in his 15 2/3 innings last year with the Blue Jays. And he was off to quite the start this year at Triple-A. In 8 2/3 frames over seven appearances, the former 18th-round pick has racked up 14 punchouts while permitting two hits, one walk, and no runs.

As for Leathersich, who was claimed from the Pirates late this spring, he has not shown well in his time at Columbus. The 27-year-old has recorded nine strikeouts and has allowed just three hits through five frames over seven appearances, but has also permitted six earned runs by virtue of issuing seven free passes.

Quick Hits: Miller, Tribe, Conforto, Ubaldo, Cubs, Rangers

By Connor Byrne | March 25, 2018 at 9:08am CDT

Indians reliever Andrew Miller could be one of the faces of a star-studded class of free agents next winter, but he’d prefer to continue his career in Cleveland. “I’m focused on this season. But absolutely. If I have an opportunity to stay here, I would. I love it here. The city’s been great to us. I can’t imagine a better place to be,” Miller told Grant Segall of Cleveland.com. After combining for a 1.93 ERA with 14.7 K/9, 2.48 BB/9 and a 51 percent groundball rate from 2013-17, the 32-year-old Miller will attempt to turn in yet another elite campaign in 2018. He’ll earn $9MM in the process.

Quick Hits: Miller, Kikuchi, Cashner, Cubs

By Mark Polishuk | March 12, 2018 at 12:09am CDT

Andrew Miller’s four-year, $36MM deal with the Yankees from the 2014-15 offseason has become one of the most influential contracts in recent baseball history, the New York Post’s Joel Sherman opines. Miller’s contract set a new standard for non-closer relievers, and its value has only grown in import thanks to the Indians’ usage of Miller as a multi-inning fireman. As teams have put a focus on deep and flexible bullpens, relievers have been increasingly well-compensated in free agency; even during this unusually slow offseason, several relief arms have scored hefty multi-year commitments. The fact that many notable relievers out-earned several notable sluggers and starting pitchers this winter is of no small concern to Miller, who is also a Players Association Representative. “We have to understand the economics of how this works. If one position or one skill is valued more highly, you probably will have another skill valued not as highly,” Miller noted.

Some more from around the baseball world as we head into a new week…

Seibu Lions left-hander Yusei Kikuchi has continued to express interest in a jump to Major League Baseball, with some in the industry feeling that the 26-year-old could land close to a $100MM deal from a North American team, The Athletic’s Dennis Lin writes (subscription required). Kikuchi has a 2.76 ERA, 8.0 K/9 and a 2.30 K/BB rate over 871 2/3 innings for Seibu (plus a brief stint in the Australian Baseball League in his rookie year). Since Kikuchi is older than 25, he is exempt from the international bonus pool system, and he should command a hefty contract from teams bidding for his services should Seibu decide to post him — Kikuchi isn’t eligible for complete free agency until 2020.
Andrew Cashner wouldn’t have signed his two-year, $16MM deal with the Orioles unless he was allowed to keep his beard, Jon Meoli of the Baltimore Sun reports. The O’s usually have a ban on facial hair (besides “a well-manicured goatee”) but an exemption was made for Cashner, provided that he keeps his beard neatly trimmed. “I just think it’s a part of who I am, and it’s a part of my personality — it’s just me. I think this length is kind of what it’s supposed to be, I guess,” Cashner said, who noted that he disliked having to shave his beard when he played for the Marlins, another club with a facial hair ban.
The Cubs are probably done their major offseason shopping, The Athletic’s Patrick Mooney writes (subscription required), as the team is likely to save its remaining money for potential in-season additions. By Mooney’s calculations, Chicago has roughly $13MM left for the trade deadline without going over the $197MM luxury tax threshold.

Indians Notes: Machado, Miller, Yelich

By Kyle Downing | January 20, 2018 at 10:47am CDT

The Indians and Orioles were in contact last month about a trade that could have sent Manny Machado to Cleveland, Jon Morosi of MLB.com writes, although he adds that the two teams are no longer actively discussing a deal. The O’s have a notable dearth of viable starting pitchers, while Cleveland is said to be willing to trade right-hander Danny Salazar. For their part the Indians are one of the few teams who could afford to deal from their rotation in order to add a premium position player like Machado. Morosi describes 2018 as a “pivotal year” for the Orioles franchise, while Dave Cameron (formerly of Fangraphs) wrote a piece a month ago detailing the Tribe’s limited window of eliteness as a reason to splurge on Machado now. A Machado acquisition would likely push Jose Ramirez to second base and push Jason Kipnis back to positional limbo, which complicates a hypothetical deal from a logistics standpoint.

More news and rumors about the Indians…

Lefty fireman Andrew Miller is well-known as a force on the mound, but he’s also got a big voice in the MLBPA. Jerry Crasnick of ESPN discussed the subject of pitch clocks with the Indians reliever recently. One of four elected representatives of the association, Miller hopes that the pitch clock negotiations don’t lead to “some sort of ugly showdown.” He told ESPN that the players understand that they need to put out the best product possible from an entertainment standpoint, and that there’s certainly a need for an adjustment. However, he expresses that the lack of a ticking clock is “one of the things about the sport that makes us so appealing and so unique.” Miller’s viewpoint, while level-headed, reveals a polite distaste for the way MLB is going about the process.
Ryan Lewis of the Akron Beacon Journal outlines his case for an Indians-Marlins trade involving outfielder Christian Yelich. Such a move, Lewis says, would help improve the Tribe’s competitive window through 2020, by which point they stand to lose the bulk of their core (Carlos Carrasco, Trevor Bauer, Edwin Encarnacion and Jason Kipnis, to name a few). Lewis does take care to mention that the team already has a large surplus of left-handed-hitting outfielders, but also points out that Yelich would serve as an upgrade in 2018 regardless, and would fill what could be a potential hole in right field starting in 2019. From my own standpoint, it seems that while the Indians make sense as a potential fit (I mentioned them when I explored Yelich’s trade value last week), adding the 26-year-old Yelich to the fold would involve dealing heavily from their depth to add a player who seems more of a luxury than a necessity.

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