Yanks sign Miller, make trade

NEW YORK >> The Yankees made their first big moves to reshape for 2015, acquiring a shortstop to replace Derek Jeter and a relief pitcher who could t a ke over from David Robertson as closer.

As par t of a threeteam trade, the Yankees obtained shortstop Didi Gregorius f rom Arizona and dealt right-hander Shane Greene to Detroit. A few hours later, they agreed to a $36 million, four-year contract with reliever Andrew Miller.

New York is uncertain whether it will re-sign Robertson, who had 39 saves in his first season af ter replacing retired great Mariano Rivera as closer. A free agent, Robertson is expected to command a four-year deal at a much bigger price than Miller.

“I can’t predict yet as his free agency continues where he’s going to land,” Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said. “I certainly would not allude to the level of our participation. We’ve been in touch with his agency, and I’ll just leave it at that.”

A 29 -year - old lefthander who is an imposing 6-foot-7, Miller held opponents to a .153 batting average this year while going 5 - 5 with a 2.02 ERA for Boston and Baltimore. He averaged 14.87 strikeouts per nine innings, second in the major leagues behind Cincinnati’s Aroldis Chapman (17.67) among pitchers who faced at least 50 batters.

Cashman said Miller turned down a $40 million, four-year offer from a team he didn’t specify. He called Miller “a highend weapon to go along with what we already had and what we’re collecting” and said the Yankees didn’t commit to using him as closer.

“It ’s protecting us. It gives us some diversification there,” Cashman said. “I am not opposed t o obv iously c ont i nuing to pursue someone that has obv iously t he known closing abilities versus the maybe- cando-that.”

After allowing a . 282 opponents’ batting average from 2006-12, Miller simplified his mechanics and limited his pitches to mainly fastballs and sliders by pretty much dropping his sinker and changeup. He held hitters to a .175 average the last two years.

“He’s now found a niche where he has excelled extremely well. Clearly we took notice as well as the rest of the game,” Cashman said.

Miller lives in Tampa, Florida, where the Yankees hold spring traini ng. He joins a bullpen that includes hardthrowing r ight-hander Dellin Betances, who finished third in AL Rookie of the Year voting. New York’s relievers also include Shawn Kelley and Adam Warren — unless they get shifted to the rotation.

Gregorius, a 24 -yearold le f t -handed hit t er who was born in Amsterdam and raised in Curacao, becomes the favorite to take over at shorts top following Jeter’s retirement . Gregor ius hit his f ir st big league homer at Yankee Stadium in April 2013 in his first at-bat with the Diamondbacks but lost t he st ar t i ng shor t st op job to Chris Owings during spring training this year and was sent to the minors.