Cincinnati Reds: Wade Miley might be the free agent to pursue

As the Cincinnati Reds continue their search for quality starting pitching, it becomes more likely that free agency is where they will finally get the pitching, as promised. A potential free agent the Reds could go for is lefty Wade Miley.

Wade Miley may be the answer for the Reds starting pitching woes. He was drafted in 2008 by the Arizona Diamondbacks and signed a one-year deal with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2018 where he went 5-2 with a 2.57 ERA. Not too shabby, especially in comparison to the Cincinnati Reds starters this year.

There are definitely pros and cons to this potential signing. For one, Miley has a lot of experience he could bring to the rotation in addition to his good numbers. It’s also worth mentioning that he spent the last year in Milwaukee working with the Cincinnati Reds new pitching coach, Derek Johnson.

It’s a bit trivial and not something that everyone finds significant, but the Reds need a good left-handed pitcher in their rotation. With Johnson on board, there is a lot of potential in left-hander Cody Reed. But the only other lefty who made any starts for the Reds this year was Brandon Finnegan, who was more than a little disappointing. Miley is a strong left-handed pitcher the Reds can use against the left-hand heavy batting lineups of the Brewers and Cubs.

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Miley only pitched 80 innings last season; but in that time he had 50 strikeouts, gave up only 23 earned runs and 3 home runs. Again, not exactly stellar, but when compared to the Reds starting rotation last season those are great numbers. There is definitely potential for Miley to be a great addition to the Cincinnati Reds 2019 starting rotation.

There are some cons to consider as well though. The biggest thing to consider is money. Miley, like any decent free agent, is not going to come cheap. But he may come at a lower cost than other free agents the Reds have reportedly been in talks with.

Dallas Keuchel is another free agent name that keeps popping up in the Reds rumor mill. While I would actually really like to see Keuchel in the the queen city, he is going to cost more than Miley and require a longer commitment.

Reds fans also need to consider the cons of Miley’s numbers. He only threw 80 innings this past year and he has been on the disabled list several times in the last couple of years. His numbers for those 80 innings were good, but the next starter to be added to the Reds rotation has to be someone consistent who can go every fifth game with little to no issues.

Another thing to consider is the longevity of a deal with Miley. The Reds need starting pitchers who are going to stick around if they want to contend, not just in 2019, but down the road. It would cost even more money to sign Miley, or any free agent, to a multi-year contract. But spending the money will be worth it if Miley can deliver the goods for Reds Country.

Next. If you were the Reds, which trade would you make?

Personally, if I could pick a free agent to sign, I would go for Keuchel over Miley. But at this point there are so many things up in the air and pieces to consider that almost anything could happen. I think most fans are just waiting for a move to be made so they can react to it as it comes . Signing Wade Miley could go either way, but I definitely think that if the Reds can sign him to a team-friendly deal Wade Miley would be a good addition to the 2019 rotation.

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