The Arizona Diamondbacks came into the 2015 offseason looking to acquire at least one starting pitcher. They’ve already acquired two aces before Christmas.
The D-Backs signed Cy Young candidate Zack Greinke to a lucrative deal, the largest in team history to be exact, and now they have gone and acquired Atlanta Braves ace Shelby Miller. In return, the D-Backs will be sending #1 overall pick in the 2015 MLB Draft, Dansby Swanson, to the Braves.
Following from Steve Gilbert of MLB.com.
The D-backs added another All-Star starter to their rotation Tuesday, acquiring right-hander Shelby Miller and Minor Leaguer Gabe Speier from the Braves in exchange for outfielder Ender Inciarte and Minor Leaguers Aaron Blair and Dansby Swanson, according to sources.
The clubs have not confirmed the trade.
Miller, 25, was originally drafted by the Cardinals in the first round of the 2009 MLB Draft but he was traded to the Braves prior to last season in the trade the centered around outfielder Jason Heyward. Miller has been long considered a guy who can hold down the top spot of any rotation and last year he started to prove it. He posted career highs last year in innings pitched at 205 1/3, 171 strikeouts and Baseball Reference’s WAR metric at 3.6.
On the flipside, Miller pitched for the horrible Braves in 2015. Atlanta failed to score a run when he was in the game 14 times, which helps explain why his record was 6-17 despite a 3.02 ERA. He did, however, get off to a 5-1 start and was selected as a member of the 2015 MLB All-Star Game.
Swanson, a shortstop, was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 Draft and is also regarded as the top prospect in the D-backs organization, while Aaron Blair, a right-handed pitcher, is the club’s No. 3 overall prospect.
Swanson joins Adrian Gonzalez in 2000 with the Florida Marlins and Shawn Abner in 1984 with the New York Mets Mets as the only No. 1 overall picks to be traded by the team that drafted them before they reached the big leagues.
