Wade Miley, Astros agree to $4.5 million, 1-year deal
HOUSTON (AP) — The Astros filled an opening in their rotation, agreeing to a $4.5 million, one-year contract with 32-year-old left-hander Wade Miley.
Miley could earn an additional $500,000 in performance bonuses under the deal announced Friday: $100,000 each for 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 starts, and $100,000 apiece for 25, 35, 45, 55 and 60 relief appearances.
Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole head a rotation also projected to include Collin McHugh and possibly Brad Peacock.
Dallas Keuchel became a free agent after the World Series and remains unsigned.
Miley was 5-2 with a 2.57 ERA in 16 starts and 80 2/3 innings for the Milwaukee Brewers last year.
He agreed to a minor league contract in mid-February, made three starts at Double-A Biloxi, then joined the Brewers in early May. He went on the disabled list with a strained oblique after just two starts and did not return to the Brewers until July 12.
Miley had a 1.23 ERA in four postseason starts — in Game 5 of the NL Championship Series, he walked leadoff batter Cody Bellinger, then was replaced by right-hander Brandon Woodruff in an unusual strategy employed by Brewers manager Craig Counsell.
Miley earned $2,743,011 last year, which included a prorated share of his $2.5 million salary and $700,000 in performance bonuses based on innings and starts.
An eight-year major league veteran who was an All-Star in 2012, Miley is 71-76 with a 4.26 ERA. He also has pitched for Arizona (2011-14), Boston (2015), Seattle (2016) and Baltimore (2016-17).
