Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Meet a Prospect: Andrew Miller


Andrew Mark Miller signed a four year deal with the New York Yankees taking less money and less years over teams like the Chicago White Sox and the Houston Astros. Miller will join a Yankees bullpen that already has the likes of Shawn Kelley, Adam Warren, Dellin Betances, Justin Wilson and others but not before he is introduced right here on the blog. Let’s meet a prospect, the Andrew Miller edition.

Miller was born on May 21, 1985 and had spent time with the Detroit Tigers, Florida Marlins, Boston Red Sox and the Baltimore Orioles before coming to New York. Miller played his college ball at the University of North Carolina and even won the Baseball American National Player of the Year and Roger Clemens Award in 2006.  When Miller left UNC he was the single season record holder for the school in IP (133) and strikeouts (325) while finishing his career with 27 wins.  That warranted Miller with being the sixth overall pick in the 2006 MLB First Year Players Draft when the Tigers selected him.

Miller wasted no time in making his debut as the big lefty was already in the show in 2007 conveniently making his major league debut against the New York Yankees. It was after he made his debut in that season that the Tigers traded him along with Cameron Maybin, Mike Rabelo, Dallas Trahern, Eulogio de la Cruz and Burke Bradenhop to the (then) Florida Marlins for Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera.  Miller’s stay in Florida was overall an uneventful one that led up to him being traded to the Boston Red Sox before the 2011 season.


It was in Boston that Miller scrapped the idea and dream of being a starting pitcher in lieu of being a relief pitcher and the idea stuck. While it didn’t happen right away, Miller won three of his first four starts with the Red Sox, it was an injury before the 2012 season that eventually caused the move. Miller battled injuries in 2012 and torn ligaments in his foot in 2013 that caused him to miss half a season before really breaking out and taking a step forward in 2014. Miller would begin the campaign with Boston before being traded to Baltimore on July 31st before the trading deadline. Miller did nothing but post a 1.04 ERA with Baltimore and was on the mound in the game where the Orioles clinched their first American League East division title in 17 years. The Orioles were defeated in the ALCS by the Kansas City Royals but not before the team swept the Detroit Tigers behind 3.1 IP from Miller not allowing a hit or a run to score with three strikeouts.

Welcome to New York Andrew and welcome to the family! 

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