New York Yankees’ Andrew Miller could be unexpected trade chip

It seems crazy to think that the New York Yankees could even consider dealing away relief pitcher Andrew Miller after the kind of season he just had, but Jon Heyman brought up the possibility in his latest column for CBSSports.com.

Heyman reports that Miller’s name is “out there a bit” in trade discussions with other teams, although a move including the All-Star closer is viewed as rather unlikely at the moment. The rumor is a logical extension of recent comments by Yankees GM Brian Cashman suggesting that he is open to any and all trade possibilities this offseason.

Miller’s first season in New York after signing a four-year contract last winter was a highly memorable one. The lefty went 36-for-38 in save opportunities as the team’s new closer, posting a 2.04 ERA and a ruthless 14.6 K/9 rate. Along with setup man Dellin Betances, he formed one of the most fearsome (not to mention tallest) bullpen duos in the game.

Would it really make sense for the Yanks to break up such a potent late-inning relief combination? The New York Daily News’ Andy Martino speculates that the Bombers could trade Miller for help elsewhere on the roster, and then flip prospects for another top relief pitcher like the Padres’ Craig Kimbrel, who they were very much interested in prior to last July’s trade deadline. Considering the long-term unpredictability of relievers, it might actually make some sense to sell high on Miller.

The back-end of the bullpen was arguably the Yankees’ greatest strength in 2015, and having both Miller and Betances seemed like a luxury at times earlier in the season. However, they leaned on that bullpen heavily as the season wore on, and those relief arms began to noticeably strain under the workload as the calendar turned to September.

Betances tossed 84 innings during the regular season, the most by a reliever in 2015. As the Yankees’ starting pitchers often struggled to get through six frames on any given night, Betances and others were often called into action for multi-inning appearances. By the end of the year it was obvious that manager Joe Girardi didn’t have much faith in anyone in the bullpen outside of Miller and Betances.

Betances in particular showed some signs of fatigue late in the season. Over his final 20 regular season innings, he pitched to a 2.70 ERA. Under most circumstances that’s a fine mark, but considering he entered that stretch with a 1.12 ERA on the year, it represented a definite hiccup for the right-hander. He struggled with his command at times, walking 14 batters in those 20 frames, and he also served up four of the six homers he surrendered during the season.

The Yankees should look to bolster their bullpen even if they keep both Miller and Betances for 2016. If they trade Miller, they would have to do so while still addressing their reliever situation. A scenario like the one posited by Martino is probably the only way the Yanks part with their incumbent closer for the time being.

Heyman mentions Stephen Strasburg as a potential trade prize the Yankees could target with Miller, but it would almost certainly take a lot more than that to pry him from the Nationals. However, the right pair of moves in tandem could allow the Yanks to improve another area of their roster while still maintaining a strong stable of bullpen arms.

Next: Twins win bid for Byung-Ho Park

The early sense is that if the Yankees do anything notable this offseason, it is more likely to come via the trade market than a splashy free agent signing. Fans might look at last year’s acquisition of shortstop Didi Gregorius as a template of how the team could upgrade in small yet crucial ways.