NEWSLETTER
The first big pitching free agent goes off the board, though it’s a reliever.
The Yankees had been expected to get Andrew Miller in recent days, and it sounds like it’s happening. Jack Curry reports that the two sides have agreed on a four-year, $36 million deal. (And the Yankees have confirmed.)
That’s a huge amount of money for a reliever, especially one with such a short track record of success. But Miller was one of the best relievers in the game the last two years, and the Yankees really need to add as much as they can without losing draft picks. I don’t think this is a crazy contract, by the way. New reality and all that.
The figure is less than some were projecting for Miller (I was guessing he’d get 4/$40M), but it’s still more than you’d want to see the Cubs dedicating to a bullpen arm, given their own internal options and financial considerations. If Miller remains the guy he’s been the last two years, then it’s a steal for the Yankees. If his performance dips even a little, it’s not so great (but not a hardship for the Yankees). If Miller’s performance drops significantly or he gets hurt – relievers are fickle, man – then it’s a pretty significant sunk cost in an area where you would like to not have to take big money risks.
Now we see what happens with former Yankees closer David Robertson, who likely moves on from New York. Early buzz had the Cubs connected to him, which didn’t make a ton of sense, unless it’s a late-in-the-offseason, steal-of-a-deal situation. That could still happen, but I’d more likely expect Robertson to sign relatively soon with either a team that didn’t get Miller or the Astros, who are apparently very into Robertson.
