A former infielder from the Texas Rangers has now landed on the west coast, as Brad Miller has signed a minor league contract with an invitation to Major League spring training with the San Diego Padres, according to MLB.com.
Miller entered free agency after the Rangers clinched their first World Series title, but he had to observe from the sidelines following a hamstring injury that placed him on the 60-day injured list in September.
Ahead of the 2022 season, the Rangers signed Miller to a two-year contract, where he assumed a utility role but struggled to secure consistent playing time due to injuries and the emergence of Ezequiel Duran and Josh Smith as versatile players.
This limited Miller to just 27 games and a .214 batting average in 2023. Although he saw more action in 2022, appearing in 81 games, his batting average was only .212. Miller hasn’t been a regular starter since his 2021 season with Philadelphia, where he participated in 140 games, batting .227, while hitting 20 home runs and driving in 49 runs.
Since 2018, he has mostly served as a journeyman, transitioning between teams and fulfilling a utility player role. This trajectory began when Tampa Bay traded him to Milwaukee in June 2018, followed by Miller undergoing surgery to repair a torn hip labrum.
Subsequently, he moved on to play for the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Cleveland Guardians, the New York Yankees, the St. Louis Cardinals, and the Phillies.
Miller experienced his most significant success with the Rays, whom he joined in 2016 after being traded from Seattle. During his time with the Rays, he achieved career highs with 30 home runs and 81 RBIs.
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