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A former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher is returning for a second stint with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The National League West rival and Shelby Miller have reportedly agreed to a minor league deal that includes an invite to major league camp.
Miller will reportedly earn $1 million if he makes the team and has a chance to make another $750,000 in bonuses, according to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic.
Miller’s first stint with the Diamondbacks was from 2016 to 2018 after arriving in a highly scrutinized trade with the Atlanta Braves, which sent Dansby Swanson and Ender Inciarte to Atlanta.
It was also very disappointing. Arizona envisioned him as a key part of the rotation alongside Zack Greinke, but he struggled mightily.
In 2016, Miller finished the season with a rough 6.15 ERA over 101 innings. The following year, an elbow injury led to Tommy John surgery, limiting him to just 38 more innings with the Diamondbacks over the next two seasons, with little success. Over 28 starts, he recorded a 6.35 ERA.
Since leaving Arizona, Miller has become a different pitcher. He has reinvented himself as a reliever and spoke exclusively to Jack Sommers of Diamondbacks on SI about the transition to the bullpen.
“Getting three outs is a lot easier than going seven,” Miller said. “It’s definitely been different. Getting the body ready as you get older. Having to be ready every day is a challenge. You’ve got the training staff the best one in the big leagues I’ve ever been around here.
“Being ready every day is not going to be tough. I think that helped, being able to go to reliever and have a different mindset going into the baseball game, knowing what you’ve got to do. It’s probably helped me a little bit, for sure.”
Miller has an opt-out at the end of spring training as well as during the season, according to Sommers. He’s not trying to get too far head of himself and thinks the familiarity of the organization will help him settle in.
“Not much has changed,” Miller added. “It’s nice to see familiar faces. That’s one thing I really wanted. Playing for nine teams over the past five years. I wanted to come somewhere I knew and was familiar with. It felt good to be back.”
Since moving to the bullpen two years ago with the Dodgers, Miller posted an impressive 1.71 ERA over 36 appearances, recording 42 strikeouts in 42 innings.
Last season, he struggled more, finishing with a 4.53 ERA across 55.2 innings for the Detroit Tigers.
