The St. Louis Cardinals have signed free-agent reliever Andrew Miller to two-year contract with a vesting option with a third year, the team announced. Miller had received multiple two-year offers but has been seeking a three-year deal, so the two sides compromised with a vesting options.
Miller, who will turn 34 on May 21, struggled in 2018 and missed time due to hamstring and shoulder issues while also ending up on the 60-day disabled list because of a right knee injury. He finished with a 4.24 ERA in just 34 innings. Last season's injuries and struggles aside, Miller has been one of the game's best relievers in recent years and he was an essential part of the Cleveland Indians' American League pennant-winning team in 2016.
From 2014-17, Miller complied a 1.72 ERA with averages of 14.5 strikeouts and 2.3 walks per nine innings. In 22 playoff games, Miller has a 1.09 ERA and 48 strikeouts over 33 innings pitched. He only walked 11 for a 0.879 WHIP.
The Cardinals' biggest priority this winter was adding to their relief corps, and Miller, a top tier left-handed reliever, will provide a powerful presence in the back end of their bullpen. The unit finished 12th in the National League in ERA (4.38) while posting the league's second-highest walk rate (4.34 per nine innings) and fourth-lowest strikeout rate (8.31 per nine innings) in 2018.
"One of our stated goals this off-season was to improve our bullpen," John Mozeliak, the Cardinals' president of baseball operations, said via statement. "Andrew Miller is one of the premier relievers in the Major Leagues, and his addition certainly strengthens our bullpen."
Miller was the MVP of the AL Championship Series against Toronto, becoming just the fourth reliever ever to win the award, joining Dennis Eckersley (1988), Mariano Rivera (2003) and Koji Uehara (2013). Miller was even better in the 2017 season, going 4-3 with two saves and a 1.44 ERA in 57 appearances, striking out 95 in 62 2/3 innings.
