After 16 big-league seasons, two with the Yankees, lefty reliever Andrew Miller is calling it a career.
The dominant setup man who earned an ALCS MVP with Cleveland after being traded by New York confirmed the news to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, ending his career at 36 years old.
Miller pitched just 49 innings over the last two seasons, but in his prime, was one of the most dominant relievers in all of baseball. A two-time All-Star, he represented a pillar of the Yankees’ “No Runs DMC” trio that also included Dellin Betances and Aroldis Chapman in a dominant bullpen. Miller tossed 107 innings with the Yanks in 2015 and 2016, pitching to a 1.77 ERA with 177 strikeouts. He was traded midseason in 2016 to Cleveland for a package highlighted by Clint Frazier, and immediately helped the Guardians to a World Series berth, including the ALCS MVP in a series victory over the Blue Jays.
In 2017, he gave up one of the biggest Yankee home runs of the past decade, when Greg Bird launched a go-ahead home run in game three of the ALDS, turning the series around and helping spark the Yankees to three straight wins after facing an 0-2 hole.
Miller pitched for seven big-league teams, including the Cardinals for his final three seasons. He ends his career with a 4.03 ERA in 829 innings of work, but will be remembered more for being one of the best setup relievers the game has ever seen when he was in his prime.
“I feel very fortunate that my career worked out the way that it did,” Miller told Derrick Goold of the Post-Dispatch. “Of course there were tough stretches, injuries, and times of doubt. I also won’t deny that I can find myself in moments of wondering what if this or that had happened differently, could it have somehow been better? I’m usually pretty quick to be able to step back though and see how lucky I have been.
“The hard times were necessary for me to grow and to be able to appreciate the highs along the way. Ultimately, I was able to play for many great franchises, wear historic uniforms, and play in some amazing ballparks.”
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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