Andrew Miller Retires With A Selfless Legacy In The Bullpen And At The Negotiating Table

On May 9, 2015, following a routine save for the Yankees over the Baltimore Orioles former manager Joe Girardi finally outright declared Andrew Miller the closer.

Although Miller was up to 13 saves at that point, it took that long for Girardi to actually say the word “closer”, doing so in a fairly awkward exchange that featured some stalling and some teeth clenching before the following statement: “Well, is there a reason I have to? “He’s been closing games for us. He’s our closer. Is that better? Is that gonna be the headlines tomorrow?”

So armed with that answer, the surrounding media presented Miller with his relatively new manager’s response and his answer was one of humility and a vibe to loosen up the atmosphere.

“They’ve been very honest with us the whole time and I think they’ve done a good job of putting us in situations to succeed,” Miller said. “It’s worked pretty well. I was honest with them and I’ve been honest with you guys — for what they’re paying me, I’ll do anything. They got me for a few more years. That’s the honest truth. I came here to win. I didn’t come here for saves or a certain role. I’m here to win.”

At the time, Miller was in the second month of a four-year, $36 million contract for the Yankees, who signed him despite having one save to his name. It was the richest contract at the time for a setup reliever and since then, his fellow relievers have cashed in.

It is a trait that defines the selfless nature of Andrew Miller, who announced his retirement Thursday. While someone announcing his retirement is always notable, it is a especially noteworthy circumstance for Miller.

He announced the end of his 16-year career as a pitcher without a job during a time when transactions are happening rapidly for many teams. And perhaps more impressively is he announced the end of his career after an offseason spent trying to do the right thing by his colleagues in the MLBPA.

Miller was part of the eight-man executive sub-committee that had direct contact with the owners during the contentious bargaining process that finally ended two weeks ago with a new Collective Bargaining agreement.

He was willing to take time out from training and getting set up for possibly another contract by doing some of the heavy lifting in the negotiations that often seemed like they teetered the sport on the brink of doom.

On a podcast hosted by Jayson Stark and Doug Glanville, Andrew Miller said he was motivated by stories of past sacrifices for the players, who had not been involved in a labor stoppage since the 1994 strike.

And for his efforts, it earned him significant appreciation from fellow union members, especially with the realization Miller will not play under the terms of the new agreement.

“I have an appreciation for what he did for the entire game of baseball,” Adam Wainwright told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “As many hours as that guy put in for the union over these past few years is kind of staggering. He may retire and that means this whole offseason he still spent 16 hours on the phone a day, for us, for who’s next – that means a lot.”

Besides putting in the long hours of negotiating and being part of trades for Miguel Cabrera, Eduardo Rodriguez and Frazier, Miller will be remembered for his postseason work, especially in 2016.

After being traded by the Yankees in the deal for Frazier, he was brought into games in the sixth inning several times to neutralize the most effective opposing hitters. He was used for at least four outs in eight appearances, fanned 46 in 29 innings and did not blow a single lead.

Those numbers helped Cleveland win its first division title since 2007. As Cleveland marched toward its first World Series appearance since 1997, he entered three games in the fifth inning and pitched multiple innings in nine of Cleveland’s 10 wins

Overall, Miller went from a top prospect who disappointed in Florida and Detroit. Although suffered a season-ending foot injury in 2013 for the Red Sox, he still managed to total a 14.1 strikeout per nine inning ratio in 37 appearances, the second-highest among relievers with at least 30 innings in 2013.

He held opponents to a .105 average in 2014 with Boston and the Red Sox parlayed that into a trade for Rodriguez, who was successful enough to get a five-year, $77 million contract with Detroit before the lockout.

It was then his slider came into play as opponents his .092 against the pitch in 2015 for the Yankees according to Brooks Baseball. He was just as effective in 2016 for the Yankees despite a fractured bone in his right hand and when the Yankees dealt him Miller had 77 strikeouts in 45 1/3 innings.

Overall, Miller retired with a career 4.03 ERA, 63 saves and 141 holds in 829 innings. He also had a strikeout rate of 27.1 percent after emerging towards the later part of his career.

He also will be remembered among his colleagues in the MLBPA for his selfless efforts at the bargaining table in protracted and often ugly negotiations.