Brad Miller Booted
August 3rd, 2016
One Rays player had his world turned upside down with Tampa Bay’s addition of Matt Duffy.
Brad Miller, formerly known as a shortstop, was told Duffy would become the Rays’ answer at Miller’s old position after the former Giants infielder arrived as part of a move that sent left-hander Matt Moore to San Francisco. Miller received the bad news shortly after the trade went down Monday.
“Obviously pretty disappointing,” Miller told reporters before the Rays’ 3-2 loss to the Royals at the Trop yesterday, via The Associated Press. “They said him playing shortstop was our best chance to win. I’ve been playing very well and I feel like I’ve only gotten better.”
Joe can understand where Miller is coming from, but no tears will be shed here. Miller was downright awful at shortstop at times this season. To think, Miller’s butterfingers – he has 13 errors this year – made Joe long for the days of Yunel Escobar!
It sounds like Miller will be moved to first base, a spot open after Steve Pearce was sent back to the Orioles like a re-gifted Christmas sweater. It would be in Miller’s best interests to be a no-drama presence at his new spot on the field — and to keep hitting home runs.
August 3rd, 2016 at 2:20 pm
Maybe Miller is living in Cinderella Land. When you’re tied for last on errors for a shortstop, you shouldn’t feel bad by being moved out. Hey – Earth to Brad, This is the 2nd baseball organization that’s moved you out of the SS spot. You are up in the majors for your bat, not your glove. So be a good little soldier and stop whining.
August 4th, 2016 at 12:30 am
With his power bat the Rays will find Miller a spot in the lineup, probably 1st base, a bit of DH and the occasional spot at 2nd or even SS when Duffy needs a day off. He nailed an Edison Volquez ball on a line out of the Trop tonight making it 5-0 Rays early…. 13 errors is about 8 too many and a few of them contributed to these gut wrenching losses the rays like to throw at us fans!
August 4th, 2016 at 2:16 am
BTW: Odo looked good tonight, 6 strong innings and Kiermaeir, Souza and Miller going yard as well as Forsythe and Nicky Franklin (WTH?) getting multi hits off the Royals. Only Timmy Beckham was his usual inning ending self, going 0-5 in the 8 hole with 5 LOB; Rays could have got Royal Hasner with that Beckham pick; *&^*^&*…. Rays playing better but still think they are closer to 100 losses than 70 wins come the end of the season.
August 4th, 2016 at 3:37 pm
Congrats to Souza on his 3 run homer putting the Rays up 4 to 1. That being said, he should be looking over his shoulder at competition as this was his 1st homer in 2 months. He was the main “Get” in the Myers trade to San Diego. Myers has 66 RBIs. Souza has 36. Yes, I know Souza was hurt, but so was Myers. Batting .245 with 10 HRs is not getting the job done for right field. Currently, I would take Brad Miller or Mikie Matook over Souza. Been a disappointment.
August 5th, 2016 at 11:49 am
Yeah Darth: Souza has been a major disappointment. In that Myers deal the Rays got top prospect Trea Turner (2b/OF) and a pitcher by the name of Joe Ross (who is performing quite well in the Nats rotation right now) and flipped them for Souza and a guy named Ott. Thus the rays got burned twice, first by letting Myers go (at the time I was for it after the refusal to cut hair for cancer but in retrospect maybe the rays should have cut the kid some slack and had someone “mentor” the young man as he appears to have grown up in SD and found his bat again once he got away from the “hitting guru” Derek Shelton) and then by getting an average bat in Souza for a top prospect and a # 4 starter. Yuck! Her’s a link talking about the trade back about a year ago at asked the same questions we fans are asking about the rays front office:
https://rayscoloredglasses.com/2014/12/20/understanding-why-tampa-bay-rays-traded-joe-ross-trea-turner/
August 5th, 2016 at 2:30 pm
Good look up. I guess I see Silverman’s point, plus I should give him a little slack as he was just starting out as GM. What I was amazed at was Silverman and his mentor Friedman didn’t make a trade. Dodgers need pitchers in the worst way as they keep getting injured and were 2 games back from San Fran. Only to see their rivals slide in under them to grab Matt Moore. Who would know Rays pitching better than Friedman and they have a ton of major league ready players in their minor league system. Maybe Silverman was worried he was going to get fleeced by his ex boss.
August 5th, 2016 at 2:46 pm
How about Brad Miller hitting his 14th home run in his last 45 games ! That’s the rarified air of Ernie Banks territory for a shortstop (512 Homers). Ernie Banks, the greatest shortstop Major League Baseball has ever seen. Who else won Most Valuable Player of the year in back to back years ? …..For a last place team ? Oh, and don’t forget his golden glove award too. (Golden Glove awards only started in 1957 which excluded three of his best seasons)
August 7th, 2016 at 8:27 am
Ernie Banks: “Lets Play Two”! What a class act! MLB and the world as a whole could use another icon like him!