Andrew Miller is retiring from baseball after a 16-year career that included a pair of All-Star nods and over 600 MLB appearances, he told Derrick S. Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Thursday.
"The list of people who took me aside, put their arm around me, made me laugh when I needed to, or taught me something is endless. It's safe to say I would have been faced with the next chapter much earlier on if it weren’t for them," Miller wrote in a text message to Goold.
"As someone who thought their career was practically over in 2010, to be able to experience everything I did along the way is incredible You shouldn't ever hear complaints from me. It was a heck of a run."
Selected sixth overall by the Detroit Tigers in the 2006 draft, Miller spent his first two MLB seasons with the Tigers before they traded him to the then-Florida Marlins in the Miguel Cabrera deal ahead of the 2008 campaign.
The left-hander began his career as a starting pitcher but struggled to find consistency and success. It wasn't until the Boston Red Sox shifted him into a relief role in 2012 that he finally blossomed.
Miller later had stints with the Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees, and Cleveland Guardians, emerging as one of MLB's premier relief weapons.
The 2016 season was arguably the best of Miller's career. He posted a 10-1 record with the Yankees and Cleveland, amassing a 1.45 ERA and 123 strikeouts in 74 1/3 innings pitched. Miller elevated his performance in the postseason, recording a 1.40 ERA in 10 games while helping Cleveland reach Game 7 of the World Series against the Chicago Cubs.
Miller joined the St. Louis Cardinals in free agency before the 2019 campaign and posted a 6-7 record with a 4.34 ERA and 126 strikeouts in 103 2/3 innings over three seasons with the club.
The 36-year-old also served as a member of the Major League Baseball Players Association's executive committee during the recent lockout.
The players' association issued a statement congratulating Miller on a successful career and praising his advocacy for current and future players.
Statement from the Major League Baseball Players Association: pic.twitter.com/cHYcR5BQIV
— MLBPA Communications (@MLBPA_News) March 24, 2022
Cardinals right-hander Adam Wainwright saluted Miller for his work with the MLBPA while on the verge of retirement.
"I have an appreciation for what he did for the entire game of baseball. As many hours as that guy put in for the union over these past few years is kind of staggering," Wainwright said. "He may retire, and that means this whole offseason, he still spent 16 hours on the phone a day for us, for who's next - that means a lot."
