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| Miller will be in LA or NY next year. Photo Credit: Joy R. Absalon/ USA Today Sports |
Andrew Miller is close to cashing in on a very rich contract from a big market team.
By: Michael Hanley
Reports are that Miller is in line to receive the highest paid non closer player in baseball history. The two jockeying for his services? The Yankees and Dodgers, two clubs that badly need help at the end of their bullpen and need a compliment to their closers.
Miller is bound to fetch a four year deal that could be worth as much as $40 million over the entire deal. Yes that means he is going to be paid nearly $10 million a year to be relied upon to get those three outs and get the game into the closers hands with a lead.
It is allot of money to give to a pitcher of the reliever type but that 8th inning role is such a crucial one to get right & have a reliable arm to man that role. As both the Yankees & Dodgers found out painfully, trying to patch work that role will result in close wins turning into painful losses and questions about the ability of the team to finish games.
The availability of solid to elite set up man in the current day and age of baseball are hard to find with many who cannot find any consistency and bounce around from team to team, trying to find that right environment and pitching coach that can straighten them out.
It is what makes the ones that can deliver one quality outing after another so valuable, case in point with Miller. He had two tremendous stints with e Red Sox than the Orioles this past season, posting sub two E.R.As with both clubs.
Very impressive season considering he switched teams and how to battle in the rough and power heavy lineups of the American League and yet still be able to buckle down and get through those hitters without too much damage to his numbers or the team's win and loss column.
The Dodgers have a dynamite closer in Kenley Jansen, the problem has been who could LA manager Don Mattingly trust to give the ball to in a tightly contest game in the 8th inning? Brian Wilson lost the magic that he had when he came up a few seasons ago for Los Angeles and solidified that set up man role for the second half of that regular season and into the postseason.
Other high priced options failed and that lack of a set up man came back to haunt the Dodger sin the postseason against the Cardinals as they failed to hold a lead of any significance which ultimately led to their early exit from the postseason this past season.
The Yankees are in talks still with their free agent closer David Robertson but are looking to go down this route with Miller instead.
New York would be able to get Miller into the closer role at a lower price than if they tried to re sign David Robertson to the same length of contract as Miller. Also, the Yankees would not have to part with a draft pick that would be attached to a Robertson deal.
This deal for Miller should become official with one of these two teams in the next few days. LA or NY will be able to boast about having the top setup man in their bullpen for the foreseeable future, making their bullpen all that more formidable for opponents to deal with.
Follow me on Twitter: @Magic20099
