Savvy veteran could become Reds' best offseason signing without even playing a game

Sure, Terry Francona’s best teams have been full of youthful talent. Think Rookie of the Year Dustin Pedroia in 2007 or the baby-faced duo of Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez in 2016. But the guys that give a Francona club its distinctive flavor are the vets: 40-year-old Curt Schilling and Tim Wakefield grinding out more than 300 innings on the way to the 2007 World Series championship, for example. That’s the role Wade Miley will be asked to play in 2025.

No one is expecting Miley to put in 150-plus innings of work, particularly when he won’t be back from shoulder surgery until at least May, but he’s not on the team to grind. He’s on the team to lead. With the flock of promising young arms on the brink of joining the majors, the value of a player like Miley, who is entering his 15th big-league season and has tremendous baseball smarts, cannot be overstated.

Wade Miley’s biggest impact will come in the Reds clubhouse, not on the mound

Miley got a taste of the “wise mentor” role with the Milwaukee Brewers last season. Milwaukee relied on Freddy Peralta and Tobias Myers, both in their 20s, to shoulder much of the starting load, and Bryse Wilson, 26, played a Nick Martinez-esque role, making starts and pitching out of the ‘pen. The youngsters saw Miley as the “old mule”... until injury shut down the southpaw after just two starts.

So Miley’s minor league contract with the Reds is a do-over of sorts. Until he is fully healthy, he’ll have a hand in guiding the dozen or so young pitchers in camp that are vying for attention and promotion. 

Miley isn’t just in camp for his wisdom, though. Francona doesn’t just pick up veterans for their leadership qualities; he expects them to perform. Mike Napoli, now a member of the Reds’ coaching staff, spurred Francona’s young Cleveland team to the World Series in 2016 while winning the club’s Heart & Hustle Award.

That is the impact Francona may be expecting from Miley. When he does take the mound again, he could be a solid option for a club with few lefty arms outside of Andrew Abbott and Nick Lodolo, whose roster spots may already be in jeopardy. Until then, the Reds should feel lucky just to have him around.

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