Report: Former Dodgers Utility Player Signs With NL West Rival
Brad Miller's only spring training in a Dodgers uniform was a good one.
The veteran utility player batted .385, with a .429 on-base average and a .615 slugging percentage in 12 games with the Dodgers in 2019. That might have been good enough to break camp with most clubs — but not the Dodgers, who were awash in positional versatility and even left-handed hitters (Cody Bellinger, Corey Seager, Max Muncy, etc.).
Miller, now 34, will try to replicate his spring success for another National League West team this month:
After rising the big league ranks primarily as a shortstop with the Seattle Mariners and Tampa Bay Rays, Miller's career has continued as a journeyman utility player.
The Padres represent his 10th organization. Miller is a career .236 hitter for the Mariners, Rays, Milwaukee Brewers, Cleveland, Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers.
Miller played 27 major league games last year with Texas, slasing .214/.328/.339, but was not included on the playoff roster of the eventual World Series champions.
The Dodgers released Miller from his minor league contract in the middle of March 2019, allowing him to latch on with Cleveland before camp ended.
The Padres enter the 2024 season with a dearth of experienced outfielders, so Miller's chances of popping up in the National League West this season are at least decent.
