ST. LOUIS -- The Pirates are adding a veteran to their Class AAA pitching staff after signing right-hander Shelby Miller to a minor-league contract.
He will report to Indianapolis, per a source.
Miller was once a promising young starter and an All-Star with the Braves in 2015, but his career quickly took a turn once he was traded to the Diamondbacks the following offseason. He spent most of his time there on the injured list, including undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2017.
He made 19 appearances with the Rangers in 2019, his last extended look in the Majors, and pitched to an 8.59 ERA over 44 innings. He opted out of last year’s season because of the pandemic.
Miller signed a minor-league deal with the Cubs this offseason and briefly returned to the Majors, where he allowed seven runs over two innings. He was released by the Cubs last month.
Over his career, Miller has compiled a 38-56 record with a 4.18 ERA over 760 ⅓ innings.
Despite his horrible results the past few years, Miller is still sitting in the mid-90s with his fastball with a slider and cutter that spin fairly well in support. Hardly anything is guaranteed by this minor-league deal, but the Pirates are the latest team that has taken a flyer on him, hoping he can rekindle what made him so effective earlier in his career.
If nothing else, he provides some pitching depth, something that the organization very openly covets while managing workloads after the pandemic-shortened season.
Miller will be one of several veteran pitchers who are looking for a way back to the Majors through Indianapolis. Chase De Jong started the season with the Indians and is now part of the Pirates’ rotation. James Marvel and knuckleballer Steven Wright are also trying to rejoin the roster and the rotation.