Andrew Miller, the New York Yankees' vaunted closer-turned-setup-man, has heard the trade rumors. But, he said, team executives assured him he won't be packing his bags anytime soon.
"The media has been throwing a few things out there, but I've had reassurances from them at the times I've talked to them that it's something that hasn't been discussed or planned for or anything like that," Miller told MLB.com's Bryan Hoch. "I think that's kind of nice."
Miller, however, wouldn't offer specifics when asked who assured him he won't be dealt, and without a no-trade clause in his contract, the 31-year-old acknowledged he may very well be packing his bags sometime soon.
"But I have no trade protection," said Miller. "I'm at the mercy of that what they decide to do. I get it. It's a business. I want to be here. I want to play here. But it's impossible to avoid sometimes."
Hearing his name pop up in trade rumors isn't a new development for Miller. In 2014, his name was frequently bandied about as the non-waiver trade deadline approached, and, on July 31, the Boston Red Sox traded the 6-foot-7 left-hander to the Baltimore Orioles for Eduardo Rodriguez.
At this point, however, it remains unclear if New York will sell at the deadline. Though the Yankees are 3.5 games back of the second American League wild-card spot, team president Randy Levine sounded ambivalent about the prospect of a firesale, conceding it could happen while also calling the idea "nonsense."
Miller, for the record, wants to stay. He isn't closing anymore, having lost the ninth-inning role when Aroldis Chapman was reinstated in May, but Miller has still been the Yankees' best reliever in 2016, crafting a career-best 1.51 ERA and 0.65 WHIP with a 49.2 percent strikeout rate in 35 appearances.
"I hope that they keep me around," Miller said. "But I understand there are situations and there are offers that could be too good to refuse. That's the reality of the business. I can't worry about it. I have zero leverage in the situation, but I came here to play for the Yankees."
