MLB: New York Yankees Still Shopping Andrew Miller
The New York Yankees have one of the best formidable late-inning corps in the MLB after acquiring Aroldis Chapman from the Cincinnati Reds last week to go along with Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller. However, the Yankees are still shopping Miller, who they have tried to trade the entire offseason.
According to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, the Yankees are looking for a young starting pitcher that could anchor their rotation. Teams like the Houston Astros and Toronto Blue Jays have reportedly inquired about Miller, but New York had a very high asking price.
The Yankees wanted 22-year-old Lance McCullers from the Astros while they targeted Marcus Stroman from the Blue Jays. Houston immediately back out of the deal considering as they deemed McCullers as off-limits, and there is no way Toronto will be dealing their future ace in the 24-year-old Stroman.
In a report by NJ Advance Media Group, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said that he is willing to retain Miller if he can't find any deals for him. The 30-year-old lefty reliever has a team-friendly contract with $27 million left on his deal for three more years.
He signed with the Yankees last season and was named the AL Reliever of the Year because of his 2.04 ERA with 36 saves and 100 strikeouts in just 61 and two-third innings pitched in 2015. Miller has a career ERA of 4.59 but has a 2.29 ERA since 2012 when he became a full-time reliever, per Baseball Reference.
If Miller won't be traded, he said in a previous interview that he is willing to change his role from closer to a setup man after the arrival of Chapman. "Like I told Cashman since Day 1 this time last year, I'm here to help in any capacity that I can," Miller said.
There is also the fact that Chapman is under investigation by the MLB because of a reported domestic abuse incident involving his girlfriend. Under the league's new domestic abuse policy, the Cuban is facing a suspension of 45 or more regular season days that will delay his free agency until after the 2017 season.
John Harper of the New York Daily News suggested a possible deal for Miller with the Yankees, sending him along with Brett Gardner to the New York Mets for Zack Wheeler, Rafael Montero and Alejandro De Aza. Wheeler is coming off a Tommy John surgery but has an immense potential to be an ace while Montero can become a starter or reliever.
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