St. Louis Cardinals expected to target Andrew Miller
To no surprise, the St. Louis Cardinals are in search of a much-needed left-handed reliever. Even though they have left-hander Randy Choate, they would like a lefty that can offer more versatility. The team would most likely prefer to sign a southpaw out of free agency instead of attempting to trade for one.
That being said, the Cardinals are expected to target free agent left-handed pitcher Andrew Miller this offseason, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Goold noted on his Facebook page that he has “been told a few times” that the Cardinals plan on targeting the 29-year-old left-hander.
Miller did not receive a qualifying offer from the Baltimore Orioles due to the fact he was acquired in a deadline deal from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for pitching prospect Eduardo Rodriguez. He’s viewed by many as the second-best reliever option on the open market among free agents, only behind right-handed closer David Robertson, who received a $15.3 million qualifying offer from the New York Yankees.
Miller is expected to draw interest from many other teams, including the Orioles, Detroit Tigers and Red Sox. Miller should command somewhere in the range of a three or four year deal. According to MLB Trade Rumors, he is projected to land a deal of four-years, $32 million. If the Cardinals are unable to land him due to his high asking price, they could go after a lesser option like Craig Breslow or Zach Duke.
Miller pitched like everything that had been publicly endorsed about him once he was traded from the Red Sox to the Orioles. In 23 relief appearances for Baltimore, he pitched to a 2-0 record with a 1.35 ERA, 289 ERA+, 1.13 FIP and a 15.3 K/9, which included an impressive 34-to-4 strikeout-to-walk ratio. In 73 total appearances out of the bullpen between the Red Sox and Orioles, Miller managed to record a 5-5 record, along with a 2.02 ERA, 193 ERA+, 1.51 FIP and a 14.9 K/9. If David Robertson accepts his qualifying offer from the Yankees, Miller could very well be the most coveted reliever in this year’s free agent class.