Tampa Bay Rays Rumors: Brad Miller to Play Second Base?
By Brad Faber
Brad Miller played shortstop and first base for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2016 and had a breakout season. He may now be making the move over to second base.
Last week, the Los Angeles Dodgers acquired second baseman Logan Forsythe from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for promising right-handed pitcher Jose De Leon. The Dodgers were in the market for a second baseman all winter. Previously, Los Angeles had been linked to names such as Brian Dozier and Ian Kinsler.
With Forsythe no longer in town, the Rays must find a way to fill the hole at second base. According to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, the best solution at this point appears to be moving Brad Miller from first base to second. Topkin implies that Tim Beckham, Nick Franklin and Daniel Robertson currently present too many question marks to be handed the keys to the job.
Miller first came to Tampa Bay in a six-player trade with the Seattle Mariners during the 2015-16 offseason. Miller had success in the Mariners’ minor league system, hitting .334/.409/.516 across 999 plate appearances. However, he didn’t perform quite as well at the big league level. Over three seasons in Seattle, Miller hit a decent but unspectacular .248/.313/.394 (101 OPS+).
During Miller’s first season in Tampa Bay, his batting average and on-base percentage remained low. That being said, he had a major breakthrough in the power department.
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Miller ended up slashing .243/.304/.482 (113 OPS+) with 30 home runs and 81 RBI. During his three seasons in Seattle, Miller hit only 29 home runs. The only member of the Rays to hit more home runs than Miller was Evan Longoria, who hit 36 long balls. Miller also ranked second on the team with a .239 ISO.
Topkin also notes that by moving Miller to second base, it could open the door to signing another DH/first baseman. Though big-time sluggers such as Chris Carter and Mike Napoli probably wouldn’t factor into the Rays’ budget, one of the names Topkin mentions is Billy Butler.
Butler is now five years removed from his best season in 2012. Though he doesn’t hit for much power any more, Butler produced a solid .284/.336/.416 (108 OPS+) slash line with the Oakland Athletics and New York Yankees last season. He could be an interesting low-cost option, but Topkin suggests he’s “not a good fit.” Another possibility that is mentioned is swinging a trade with the Los Angeles Angels for C.J. Cron.
Miller last played second base as a member of the Mariners. He has logged a total of just 196.1 innings at the position throughout his career. Miller’s metrics were also a bit unsightly at shortstop last season (-14 DRS, -25.1 UZR/150).
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Even if Miller costs the Rays a few runs on defense, he showed last season that he can make up for it with his bat.