Mariners move on from Wade Miley, who was prepared for trade
Jul 31, 2016, 4:13 PM | Updated: 5:25 pm
CHICAGO – With less than 24 hours to go until the trade deadline, the Mariners have a task at hand with Sunday Night Baseball against the Cubs at Wrigley Field. It is clear, though, that the deadline is also a priority, as eyes are on cell phones and the scroll across the bottom of the television screens in the clubhouse.
“It’s an interesting time in baseball,” said manager Scott Servais in his afternoon media session. “Pretty wild if you think about all the people looking at their phones and all the discussions about players and how their lives get changed. I’ve been on the other side of it; it’s not a fun time. It’s fun for the fans, it’s not fun for the players.”
Drayer: Mariners remain in interesting position before trade deadline
Wade Miley is one of those players who it has probably not been fun for, although at least there has been resolution to his situation. Jon Heyman was first to report and the Mariners have since confirmed that Miley has been traded to the Baltimore Orioles. I caught up with Miley about an hour before the news broke and he said that the possibility of a trade was something he was trying not to think about.
“You can’t really look into it, you just have to come to work like there is nothing going on. Whatever happens, happens. It’s out of our control,” Miley said.
Miley had dinner in Chicago on Saturday night with some former college teammates, and that’s when the realization really set in of just how crazy this business can be.
“We were talking and I told them it’s funny because I have no control over my life,” he said. “They could tell me now and it’s just pack up and leave. It’s nothing you can let bother you or worry about. It’s baseball.”
So Miley will pack his bags and say his goodbyes as the Mariners come in from batting practice. This will mark the third time he has been traded in the last 20 months.
“It’s a bittersweet ending to the trade we made last winter with high hopes,” said Jerry Dipoto in a statement. “We are appreciative of everything that Wade did for the Mariners organization, culminating with his best performance of the season yesterday against the Chicago Cubs, one of the best teams in the league. We are glad that Wade can go from one team in playoff contention to another, and to a division that he has had success in during his career. This decision is the best move for the Mariners’ present and future.”
In return for Miley, the Mariners will get Ariel Miranda, a 27-year-old left-hander out of Cuba who the Orioles signed in 2015. In 19 starts in Triple-A this year, he has a 3.93 ERA and has walked 31 while striking out 87.
“Ariel Miranda is a power left-handed pitcher with a four-pitch mix that is Major League ready that provides us with flexibility,” Dipoto said. “We are very excited for what he can bring to the Mariners.”
Miranda will report to Triple-A Tacoma. The Mariners now have a rotation spot to fill as earlier in the day Servais announced the tentative pitching plans for the series against the Red Sox as James Paxton, Wade LeBlanc, Hisashi Iwakuma and Miley. Cody Martin, who was called up Saturday, could slide into that spot.
