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Andrew Miller Not Expected to Sign With Astros
By Jason Burke
Word has come down from Evan Drellich that coveted free agent reliever, Andrew Miller, is not expected to sign with the Houston Astros.
Source: Astros likely will not sign Andrew Miller. http://t.co/DvyW8YMNb6
— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) December 4, 2014
Miller had been linked to Houston throughout the day, obviously leading to some excitement among the Astros faithful. Yet, the 29-year old lefty reliever may not have been the best fit for Houston. Sure, his numbers are fantastic, earning a 2.02 ERA between his time in Baltimore and Boston in 2014, but for the amount of money that Miller will likely command, the Astros could sign both a set-up man and a closer.
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There is also the fact that Andrew Miller has primarily been a setup man throughout his career, garnering just one save in nine seasons. Luke Gregerson, another prominent setup man, was given a shot at closing games in 2014 with Oakland after Jim Johnson struggled out of the gate. Gregerson held a similar 2.12 ERA in 2014, but blew eight saves, while nailing down just three.
The ninth inning is a different beast entirely. Yes, the Astros have struggled in closing out games. Yes, the Astros need to upgrade their bullpen. Yet, Andrew Miller is not the right fit for this club. Miller is expected to receive a deal with an AAV of well over $10M. That is a lot to commit to a player when you are not absolutely positive that they can handle the ninth inning.
Would I like Andrew Miller as a setup man? Absolutely! Yet Miller doesn’t want to be a setup guy. He had a great 2014 season, and there are big market teams that are in need of a closer. Sometimes it sucks being the little guy, because other teams can always outspend you. Yet, there are other times that being the little guy has its advantages, and this could definitely be one of those times.