Arizona Diamondbacks Add All-Star Shelby Miller To Their Rotation

After signing Zack Greinke earlier this offseason, the Arizona Diamondbacks pitching rotation has gotten even better. As Major League Baseball’s hot stove continues to heat up, the D-backs acquired all-star pitcher Shelby Miller as part of a five player trade.

Arizona will give up three of the five players in the deal. Their package is led by Dansby Swanson, the first overall pick in this year’s draft. Ender Inciarte and pitching prospect Aaron Blair will also head east, while minor league pitcher Gabe Speier will join Miller going the other way. Arizona was able to avoid parting ways with outfielder A.J. Pollock, who the Braves were reportedly keen on adding.

Last season Miller went 6-17 last season but posting a career-best 3.02 ERA. He and Greinke are set to be a major improvement over Arizona’s starting pitchers from last season.

“Our ownership stepped up in allowing us to get Zack Greinke,” Diamondbacks GM Dave Stewart said. “It puts us in a position to get better as a team, but we weren’t complete. We needed an additional piece to our rotation. We’ve got Goldy [Paul Goldschmidt] and we’ve got Pollock, our core group of guys, who last year really put on a good display of baseball. And quite frankly we think that it’s time to try to take it to the next level.”

 

Photo: St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Shelby Miller. Photo by dbking, via Wikimedia Commons