Shelby Miller turned heads in his brief stint with the Giants late last season, but he’ll be pitching for the other side of the rivalry in 2023.
The Dodgers signed Miller, 32, to a major league contract reportedly worth $1.5 million before performance bonuses. The former All-Star struck out 14 batters in seven innings for San Francisco in 2022.
The Athletic was the first to report Miller’s pact, which he confirmed on Instagram. ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel reported the terms.
Miller has struggled with injuries over the course of his 10-year career. He also opted out of the 2020 season, limiting his recent track record.
But Miller certainly has talent. He added a new slider in 2021, which he deployed with electricity for the Giants. In his first big-league appearance in nearly a year — on Sept. 23 against Arizona — Miller fanned seven in 2.2 scoreless innings.
He then tossed three no-hit innings spread across two games, striking out six batters in three innings. All five of his earned runs came in his last appearance of the season agains the Padres.
The righty only appeared in four games for San Francisco. He’s pitched in 45 MLB games since 2017.
Last week, Miller told The San Francisco Chronicle that the Giants offered him a minor-league contract with an invitation to spring training. Multiple other clubs, he told The Chronicle, extended big-league offers.
The Giants likely prefer having more relievers with minor league options remaining, such as Sam Long, Cole Waites, Sean Hjelle and Yunior Marte. This allows the front office to be flexible in-season around mainstays like Camilo Doval and likely John Brebbia and Tyler Rogers. Even with an improved close to the season, Giants relievers posted a 4.08 ERA in 2022 — 20th in MLB.
Miller posted a 6.43 ERA in four Giants appearances and has a 4.21 career ERA. He was an All-Star in 2015 as a starter for Atlanta.