Report: Padres sign veteran Brad Miller to minor league deal
Mar 30, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers designated hitter Brad Miller (13) in action during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Philadelphia Phillies at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
The Padres are reported to have signed veteran Brad Miller to a minor league deal on Tuesday.
The Padres have a big need for left-handed hitters and depth on the bench. They signed veteran Brad Miller, according to MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell.
Some news: The Padres have signed longtime infielder Brad Miller to a Minor League deal with an invite to big league camp. A lefty hitter, he's expected to vie for a bench spot.
— AJ Cassavell (@AJCassavell) March 5, 2024
Miller has been a major leaguer for 11 seasons. The Florida native was a second-round pick of the Mariners in 2011. In 11 years as a big leaguer, he carved out a career that mainly saw him as a super-utility man. With seven MLB teams, he played every defensive position except catcher (yes, he even pitched once). He has 740 career hits with 123 home runs, with a lifetime .236 average and .730 OPS.
Last season, he earned himself a World Series ring, playing in 27 games for the Texas Rangers (but did not play in the postseason).
Over his career, he has rarely been an everyday starter. He has only played more than 81 games once since 2017.
What Miller offers the Padres is depth and versatility. He has MLB experience at every defensive position and is experienced coming off the bench, with 174 career pinch-hit appearances.
If he makes the team (which is no guarantee, given it’s a minor league deal), he offers another option from the left side. As of now, the Padres’ only true left-handed hitters are Jake Cronenworth and maybe Jackson Merrill if he breaks camp with the Padres.
Miller was a designated hitter for the majority of his shortened season in 2023. His main position during the prime years of his career was shortstop.
With the bat, he has 20-homer power. He has hit 20 or more homers twice in his career, including 20 in 2021. He smacked 30 bombs in 2016. He is a hitter who gives his team a professional at-bat every time. Since 2020, he owns an 11.4% walk rate, which ranks 46th out of 309 batters with at least 800 plate appearances in that timeframe.
For the Padres, he provides another lefty option for the bench, being able to fill in at any of the defensive positions needed, or DH.
Native of Escondido, CA. Lived in San Diego area for 20 years. Padres fan since childhood (mid-90s). I have been writing since 2014. I currently live near Seattle, WA and am married to a Seattle sports girl. I wore #19 on my high school baseball team for Tony Gwynn. I am a stats and sports history nerd. I attended BYU on the Idaho campus. I also love Star Wars.