Rangers Sign Free Agent Shelby Miller For Starting Rotation
ARLINGTON, Texas (CBSDFW.COM/AP) — The Rangers starting rotation is coming together with about a month to go before pitchers and catchers report to spring training.
Free agent right-hander Shelby Miller signed a $2 million, one-year contract with the Texas Rangers on Wednesday and can make another $3 million in performance bonuses.
The Rangers expect Miller to be fully healthy by the start of spring training.
The 28-year-old had Tommy John surgery in May 2017, and he made four only starts last year before going on the disabled list in mid-July with right elbow inflammation.
He made one relief appearance at the end of last season.
"We see this as a chance to add a relatively young, power pitcher to the staff," general manager Jon Daniels said. "Healthy now after rehabbing last year, we think Shelby has more in the tank."
Miller, who is from Brownwood, Texas, was the 19th overall pick by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2009 MLB draft. He is 37-53 with a 3.83 ERA in 131 games (124 starts) over seven big league seasons with St. Louis, Atlanta and Arizona.
With the Rangers, Miller can earn $1.75 million in bonuses based on innings: $100,000 each for 60 and each additional 10 through 100; $150,000 apiece for 110 and each additional 10 through 170, and $200,000 for 180.
He can earn another $1.25 million in bonuses for days on the active major league roster: $150,000 for 60, $250,000 each for 90 and 120, and $300,000 apiece for 150 and 180.
As a rookie with the Cardinals in 2013, Miller was 15-9 with a 3.06 ERA in 31 starts. He was an All-Star with Atlanta in 2015 even though the Braves scored only 2.6 runs per nine innings when he pitched and he finished with a league-high 17 losses. He was 5-5 with a 2.38 ERA his first 18 starts, and 1-12 with a 3.83 ERA his last 15 games.
The Rangers also signed outfielder Danny Santana and right-hander Jeanmar Gomez to minor league contracts with invitations to major league spring training.
Santana has hit .256 with 13 homers and 100 RBIs in 364 major league games the past five seasons with Minnesota (2014-17) and Atlanta (2017-18). Gomez has appeared in the majors each of the last nine seasons, going 0-2 with a 4.68 ERA in 26 relief appearances with the Chicago White Sox in 2018.
(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
