It’s evident that the juggernaut Los Angeles Dodgers superteam should take first place in the National League West division rather seamlessly. However, there’s another team in the division that’s made noise in free agency over the last three months, a team that could give the Dodgers an honest run for their money in October.
The Arizona Diamondbacks have generated lots of buzz during the offseason as a potential dark-horse Wild Card team. Unfortunately, the team took a huge step backward in 2024. The defending National League champions didn’t even earn a playoff spot. This fall-off fell on the shoulders of their pitching rotation, which finished 27th in MLB in team ERA.
But fans should remain hopeful, as the D-Backs have addressed their biggest hole from last season. Their big splash occurred on December 28, when the team swooped in and added ace Corbin Burnes, signing him to a six-year deal.
They’ve also added reliable reliever Kendall Graveman, and expect rising star Drey Jameson back from a successful Tommy John surgery.
Furthermore, they made a sneaky good move with lots of potential upside this past Sunday. Arizona is reportedly reuniting with right-handed pitcher Shelby Miller, paired with an invite to spring training.
Free-agent pitcher Shelby Miller in agreement with the Arizona Diamondbacks on a minor-league contract, sources say. The deal includes an invite to spring training.
— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) February 16, 2025
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Shelby Miller’s Up-and-Down Career
Unfortunately, after his one (and only) All-Star appearance in 2015, the former first-round pick has been plagued with injuries.
Miller was on the other end of the Dansby Swanson trade, where he landed with Arizona for the first time in 2016. He started with a 6.15 ERA in just over 100 innings and then went down with an elbow injury. After receiving Tommy John, Miller only threw 38 innings in his final two years with the D-Backs before being released.
Since then, he’s spent lots of time in the minor leagues. Interestingly enough, his career starts in the minors have been very competitive. Miller has a 3.65 ERA across the huge sample size of 166 games.
Also, Miller’s arsenal has never been the problem. His fastball is electric, and his sweeping slider pairs very nicely alongside it. In the minors, Miller totaled 734 strikeouts in just 585 innings pitched. His central issue has always been staying on the field, and limiting free passes.
Things also took a promising turn for Miller in 2023, when the Dodgers signed him on a whim, just like the Diamondbacks did with this deal. That season, he threw 42 innings out of the bullpen for the Dodgers and posted a 1.71 ERA. He truly looked like his old, top-of-the-line prospect self.
However, Miller was surprisingly released by the Dodgers after 2023 due to roster constraints. The Detroit Tigers then added him in 2024, where he surrendered a good (not great) 4.53 ERA across 55 2/3 innings, and pitched some crucial late-innings during the team’s postseason push.
As usual, Miller was released at the end of the season. The Diamondbacks offered Miller $1.3 million if he makes the active roster, which he’s proven to be able to do for the past three seasons with various clubs.
How Miller Can Re-Establish Himself in D-Backs Bullpen
While the starting rotation is essentially set, the Diamondbacks bullpen has plenty of holes. Most notably, the team is heading into spring training without a definitive closer.
A.J. Puk is a name who’s been in the conversation, and the team also has electric arms like Justin Martinez and Kevin Ginkel. But there’s plenty of mixing and matching to be done.
Miller could find work similar to his previous roles with the Dodgers and Tigers. He has the capacity to throw multiple innings as a long reliever and isn’t a stranger to high-leverage situations.
Miller’s splits are much better against right-handed hitters, making him a very viable option to play the matchup game. He just needs to remain consistent, limit the walks, and most importantly, stay healthy.
With spring training quickly approaching, Shelby Miller will have to make the most of his time. If he finds success and his stuff continues to profile as it has the previous two seasons, he’ll likely find himself on the 40-man roster come Opening Day. The deal is incredibly low-risk, but the reward could be a resurgent season for the former All-Star arm.
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