MLB Player News

Shelby Miller put together a solid second half of his 2014 season, but Fantasy owners weren't especially impressed with his post-break 2.92 ERA or 0.99 WHIP. His activation rate in CBSSports.com leagues barely crept over 50 percent over the season's final weeks, so owners may not feel as if the Braves pulled off a coup in acquiring Miller as the main part of their haul in dealing away Jason Heyward and Jordan Walden to the Cardinals.

There's little doubt that Miller was a far better pitcher in the second half than in the first half, but skepticism over his future is warranted, especially now that he will spend it as a member of the Braves' rotation. As a flyball pitcher, Miller will be even more challenged to keep the ball in the park at Turner Field, which is home run-neutral. He has a career 1.0 HR/9 ratio, but that's only because he has had the luxury of making home starts at pitcher-friendly Busch Stadium, where he has compiled an 0.7 HR/9 ratio. Elsewhere, that mark has ballooned to 1.4 HR/9.

So, yes, Miller became a much better control pitcher down the stretch, throwing 66 percent of his pitches for strikes and walking 19 batters over 74 second-half innings. That won't be enough to make up for Miller's propensity for giving up the long ball. His best hope is to rediscover the ability to induce swings-and-misses, but that was not evident even during his better stretches last season.

Miller was no more than a streaming option for standard mixed league owners last season, and the change of scenery won't improve his status.

The Braves and Cardinals announced a significant trade Monday afternoon. The Braves acquired starting pitcher Shelby Miller and pitcher Tyrell Jenkins from St. Louis in exchange for outfielder Jason Heyward and reliever Jordan Walden.

"It was very difficult to trade Jason, but deal was made to help us short-term and long-term," Braves president of baseball operations John Hart said. "This deal also improves us in an area where we are woefully, woefully thin -- our minor-league system."

Heyward had been mentioned in trade rumors leading up to Monday's deal. He is in the final year of his contract after signing a two-year extension in Feb. 2014. The 25-year-old outfielder is coming off a disappointing 2014 season. He hit .271 with a .384 slugging percentage, .735 OPS, 11 home runs, 26 doubles and 58 RBI in 149 games.

The 24-year-old Miller is also coming off a disappointing campaign. The once highly touted pitching prospect went 10-9 with a 3.74 ERA and 1.27 WHIP in 32 appearances (31 starts). While he reached a career high in innings (183), Miller struggled with his command (3.6 BB/9) and saw his strikeout rate drop significantly (6.2 K/9).

"As we look at Shelby, we see that he has a chance to become a front-of-line rotation type of guy," Hart said.

Walden, the former Angels' All-Star closer in 2011, is under team control through 2016. He was 0-2 with a 2.88 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and three saves in 58 appearances for Atlanta last season.

Jenkins is a former top-100 prospect whose career has been slowed by a shoulder injury he sustained in 2013. He returned to action in 2014, going 6-5 with a 3.28 ERA and 1.31 WHIP in 13 starts at high Class A.

The Diamondbacks have moved four players off the 60-day disabled list, according to the Arizona Republic. 

Bronson Arroyo, Patrick Corbin, David Hernandez and Matt Reynolds were activated Thursday. Players are not allowed to be on the 60-day disabled list during the offseason. They can be put back on the 60-day DL once the season begins again. 

The Diamondbacks have picked up options on Daniel Hudson and Matt Reynolds, according to the Arizona Republic. 

Hudson returned to the majors after undergoing two Tommy John surgery. He tossed just 2 2/3 innings, posting a 13.50 ERA. Reynolds spent all of 2014 recovering from Tommy John surgery. 

Mets pitcher Vic Black is good to go, according to the Star-Ledger. 

Black was sidelined late in the year due to neck and shoulder issues, but is expected to have a normal offseason. He'll be able to resume throwing next month, and said his shoulder feels "great."

Reds closer Aroldis Chapman has switched agents, a source told Yahoo Sports. Chapman is leaving Hendricks Sports for Relativity Sports, according to the report.

Chapman is eligible to become a free agent after the 2016 season.

The Pirates designated two relievers for assignment Saturday, removing pitchers John Axford and Jeanmar Gomez from the 40-man roster.

The moves clear spots for Justin Sellers, who was acquired via trade Saturday, and Charlie Morton, who was activated from the 60-day disabled list. Axford posted a 4.09 ERA and 12:6 K:BB ratio in 11 innings after being acquired in a trade from the Indians in mid-August. Gomez posted a 3.19 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and 38:23 K:BB ratio in 62 innings.

Cardinals pitcher Shelby Miller wasn't a factor in the decision Wednesday, giving up three earned runs on six hits and two walks in 3 2/3 innings while striking out three in his team's 6-4 loss to the Giants in Game 4 of the NLCS.

Miller surrendered a sacrifice fly in the first inning and was touched up for two more runs in the third. He was pulled with two outs and one on in the fourth after throwing just 65 pitches in the start but left with the lead. The teams head into Thurdsay's Game 5 of the NLCS with the Giants ahead 3-1.

The Cardinals announced starting pitcher Adam Wainwright will start in Game 1 of the NLCS against the Giants. He will be followed by Lance Lynn, John Lackey and Shelby Miller, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Cardinals coach Mike Matheny said Wainwright is perfectly fine heading into the NLCS. There was concern Lynn might have had to start the NLCS opener, if Wainwright was unavailable due to soreness or stiffness.

Cardinals pitcher Shelby Miller didn't factor into the decision Tuesday, giving up two earned runs on five hits and three walks in 5 2/3 innings while striking out four, but the Cardinals came through with a 3-2 Game 4 win to send the team to the National League Championship Series.

Miller turned in five scoreless innings before the Dodgers opened up the sixth with back-to-back singles, and while the St. Louis starter was able to coax a double play out of the next batter, the first run of the game came home on the play. Miller then hit a batter and walked the subsequent batter before being pulled, and one of the runners left on base came around to score. Though the starter was on the hook for the loss, a seventh-inning three-run blast gave the Cardinals the lead and ultimately the series-clinching win.