Reds a suitor for LHRP Miller

[Mario-Rijo]

Just thought I'd a new thread for this since we have really had many substantial discussions about FA pitching. also an ex-farmhand sighting.

St. Louis Cardinals continue pursuit of reliever Trever Miller

11/22/2008

The Cardinals continued to work Friday toward an agreement with Trever Miller, a lefthanded reliever. Miller came to St. Louis on Thursday for a physical, and after its completion the Cardinals and Miller's agent remained in conversation about details of the contract. Multiple sources indicated that the framework for a two-year deal was in place.

While negotiating the deal with Miller, 35, the Cardinals remained in contact with agents for several other lefthanded relievers. They intend to add two lefty relievers from the free-agent pool, having already acquired Charlie Manning via waivers and Ian Ostlund in a minor-league deal.

Sources said that the Cardinals and Cincinnati were two of the chief pursuers of Miller, who was last with the American League champion Tampa Bay Rays.

The Cardinals and Miller's agent have declined to comment.

The Cards outrighted starter Mike Parisi to Class AAA, reducing their number of players on the 40-man roster to 36. The righthander had surgery on his pitching elbow at the end of the season, and he will miss most of the 2009 season recovering from the ligament transplant.

Parisi, a ninth-round pick in 2004, pitched in 10 games as a reliever and started two games for the Cardinals this past season, going 0-4 with a 8.22 earned-run average overall.

In Class AAA Memphis' starting rotation, Parisi went 8-2 with a 3.86 ERA. Opponents hit .252 against him in the minors.

— DERRICK GOOLD

[*BaseClogger*]

He's a good LOOGY for the right price...

[OnBaseMachine]

No thanks on Miller. Plus that article is more than a week old. The Cardinals were reportedly close to signing him.

[*BaseClogger*]

I'd certainly rather have Reyes or Ohman, but Miller is not a bad option...

[Joseph]

Some days doing something is better than doing nothing. Today would be one of those days. This is the most boring off season in recent memory for me.

[OnBaseMachine]

I'd like to have Will Ohman.

[Falls City Beer]

I'd like not to pay 4 million a season for a guy your farm should produce for nothing.

[cincrazy]

I'd like not to pay 4 million a season for a guy your farm should produce for nothing.

I agree with that line of thinking. There's no question we need help in the pen, but I'd hate to see us spend that much money on a position that should be filled from in-house.

[RedsManRick]

I'd like not to pay 4 million a season for a guy your farm should produce for nothing.

This.

[Kc61]

Reading these threads, you'd think that the RedsZone fans are primarily concerned with Castellini's finances.

I'm a fan. I don't care how much a player costs unless it will cripple the ballclub from further acquisitions.

If Castellini is willing to pay $4 million for a replacement for Affeldt, ok with me. It's not a lot for an accomplished reliever in today's market.

I don't know this pitcher at all, but if he is good, I'm all for it.

Generally, there's much negativity about virtually every veteran the Reds may acquire. Furcal is hurt. Dye can't field. Beltre has a low OBP. This pitcher Miller is too expensive.

Good, proven, major league players can be helpful to a team. The Reds should get a few more.

[RedsManRick]

Reading these threads, you'd think that the RedsZone fans are primarily concerned with Castellini's finances.

I'm a fan. I don't care how much a player costs unless it will cripple the ballclub from further acquisitions.

If Castellini is willing to pay $4 million for a replacement for Affeldt, ok with me. It's not a lot for an accomplished reliever in today's market.

I don't know this pitcher at all, but if he is good, I'm all for it.

36 year old LOOGY with 2 legitimately good seasons under his belt. Per Fangraphs, he's a FB, SL, CU guy who tops out in the upper 80's and works around 86. He didn't really display LOOGY tendencies until 2007, when he abandoned a curve ball he didn't use that much anyways. Affeldt is a pretty comp, but only if you keep in mind that Affeldt had a career year last year and completely ignore the stuff comparison.

He's not a bad guy to have on your staff. But if he inhibits the team from adding a starting player anywhere else, it's a poor use of resources. I'd really like to see Herrera get a thorough try out at the major league level as he's got nothing left to prove in the minors. I think any LOOGY added in FA likely takes his spot.

[Highlifeman21]

No thanks on Miller. Plus that article is more than a week old. The Cardinals were reportedly close to signing him.

I could have sworn Miller was a Card already...

[SMcGavin]

I'd really like to see Herrera get a thorough try out at the major league level as he's got nothing left to prove in the minors. I think any LOOGY added in FA likely takes his spot.

Yeah. Tons of groundballs, rarely walks people. He's got excellent K numbers in the minors, but I think the point that people are missing with Herrera is that he doesn't have to keep up those really high K numbers to be successful. The control and the groundballs are his ticket.

I should say though, Herrera isn't a LOOGY. His screwball breaks away from righties, and he's got better numbers against them in the minors (2.77 FIP vs RHB, 3.48 FIP vs LHB). Doesn't mean Baker won't pull him before he faces a righty hitter though.

[RedsManRick]

Yeah. Tons of groundballs, rarely walks people. He's got excellent K numbers in the minors, but I think the point that people are missing with Herrera is that he doesn't have to keep up those really high K numbers to be successful. The control and the groundballs are his ticket.

I should say though, Herrera isn't a LOOGY His screwball breaks away from righties, and he's got better numbers against them in the minors (2.77 FIP vs RHB, 3.48 FIP vs LHB). Doesn't mean Baker won't pull him before he faces a righty hitter though.

I didn't mean to imply Herrera would be used a LOOGY (though I certainly wouldn't put it past Dusty). Rather, I think that the Reds are so conventional as to think of Herrera as a trick pitcher rather than as a standard middle reliever. Thus, they wouldn't allow him to occupy the spot in the bullpen they would otherwise give to a more standard issue pitcher.

[Mario-Rijo]

I could have sworn Miller was a Card already...

No not yet, the Cards backed off and started to pursue Arthur Rhodes for whatever reason. Maybe they seen something in his medical report they didn't like.

From MLB.com today:

12/01/08 7:20 PM EST

Cardinals unlikely to sign Miller soon
Deal with left-hander looked imminent just days ago
By Matthew Leach / MLB.com

ST. LOUIS -- Nearly two weeks after a signing first appeared imminent, Trever Miller remains a free agent. And while the Cardinals are in contact with the left-hander, the club does not expect a deal to be done right away.
"We still have dialogue going on in Miller's situation, and have been in contact with lots of other players at this point," St. Louis general manager John Mozeliak said on Monday.

On Nov. 20, it was reported that Miller and the Cardinals had agreed to a contract. The club brought Miller in for a physical, but no deal was finalized.

Now, though Mozeliak is not ruling out a deal with Miller, he also said the signing is less of a slam dunk than it appeared before Thanksgiving.

"I think that's fair," he said.