Dave Stewart's wild offseason continued Tuesday evening, when the Arizona Diamondbacks general manager acquired right-hander Shelby Miller as part of a blockbuster trade with the Atlanta Braves.
In exchange for Miller and minor-league left-hander Gabe Speier, the Diamondbacks will send shortstop prospect Dansby Swanson - the first overall pick in the 2015 draft - to Atlanta along with outfielder Ender Inciarte and minor-league right-hander Aaron Blair, the teams confirmed Wednesday morning.
Miller, who turned 25 in October, became a popular trade target this offseason after crafting a career-best 3.02 ERA over 33 starts in 2015. Following an impressive performance in his lone season with the Braves, Miller will join a revamped Diamondbacks rotation headlined by right-hander Zack Greinke, who finalized a six-year, $206.5-million deal with Arizona on Tuesday.
Projected 2016 rotation
| Player | 2015 ERA | 2015 WAR |
|---|---|---|
| Zack Greinke | 1.66 | 5.9 |
| Shelby Miller | 3.02 | 3.4 |
| Patrick Corbin | 3.60 | 1.5 |
| Robbie Ray | 3.52 | 2.1 |
| Chase Anderson | 4.30 | 1.6 |
For the Braves' front office, unloading Miller represents the latest salvo in a rebuilding process that compelled general manager John Coppolella to trade shortstop Andrelton Simmons and Cameron Maybin earlier this offseason.
“You've never heard me come out one time and try to sort of make this pretty," president of baseball operations John Hart said earlier this week. "I say, look, this is hard. This is painful. Here's what we're doing. It's the right thing to do. I’ve been there before. I understand it. We've got a lot of good people that are shoulder-to-shoulder on this, and we've got to take the hit. We're taking the hit right now. But we are absolutely wanting us to be the best club that we can have in '16, knowing that, you know, the skies part going into '17."
Painful as it is, Miller commanded a considerable haul that immediately improves a farm system largely devoid of high-ceiling position players.
Swanson, who the Diamondbacks drafted mere moments after his Vanderbilt Commodores clinched a spot in the College World Series, enjoyed an auspicious first season as a professional despite suffering a concussion in July that delayed his debut. In 22 games with Low-A Hillsboro, the 21-year-old hit .289/.394/.482 with 11 extra-base hits and a 14.1 percent walk rate.
Blair, a first-round pick back in 2013, could contend for a spot in Atlanta's rotation this spring after crafting a 2.92 ERA with a 1.17 WHIP over 25 starts and one relief appearance split between Double-A Mobile and Triple-A Reno this past season.