Highly coveted free-agent pitcher Andrew Miller reportedly agreed to a four-year, $36 million deal with the New York Yankees on Friday.
Jack Curry of the YES Network reported the news and offered details on Miller's new deal:
Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal confirmed the deal.
Joel Sherman of the New York Post put the financial end of things in perspective:
ESPN's Buster Olney notes that the Yankees didn't even have the highest bid:
Miller, 29, struggled to fit in as a starter early in his career but has since settled into a role as a setup man and has found immense success. As a member of the Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles in 2014, Miller compiled a 5-5 record with a 2.02 ERA and 103 strikeouts in just 62.1 innings.
In the postseason with Baltimore, he pitched 7.1 innings of one-hit ball in five appearances without yielding a run, which only boosted his open-market value.
The 6'7" southpaw is a formidable presence on the mound, and he relies on two extremely effective pitches, his fastball and slider, to befuddle batters.
Sportsnet.ca's Jeff Blair had been told by a source on Nov. 17 that the Toronto Blue Jays were going to be aggressive in their pursuit of Miller this winter. Many teams hoping to bolster their bullpens were going to push rather hard for Miller's services, though, according to Rosenthal, via MESNSports.com's Steve Melewski:
Mark Rodgers, Miller's agent, spoke at the MLB general managers' meetings about a potential role change that could make his client even more valuable to the Yankees.
"I think Andrew's evolution in the bullpen and his numbers this year fortify the belief in baseball that he's a closer-in-waiting—and maybe the time for waiting is over," said Rodgers, per ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick.
The Yankees can deploy Miller at just about any late stage of the game, and he should be up to the task to record holds or saves.
With his pick of many destinations, Miller had to weigh the price tag and his chances of playing for a winning club. It appears he chose a fitting combination by taking his talents to New York.
Although this is his third team in less than a year, New York figures to be Miller's home for the foreseeable future. Provided Miller performs as well as he has recently, this free-agent acquisition could prove to be among the most significant of the entire offseason not just for the Yankees but for all of baseball.
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