D-BACKS BEAT BRAVES
ATLANTA – As the Diamondbacks hope for the best with right-hander Shelby Miller’s latest elbow issue, their return to this city stirred bad memories of the trade that brought him to Arizona in the first place, a deal that has – almost impossibly – managed to look even worse as time has passed.
It is almost certainly the worst trade in franchise history. It likely cost the previous baseball operations regime their jobs. It set the organization back in a variety of ways.
And a case can be made that the mistakes involving Miller didn’t end for the Diamondbacks with that original trade – and that those mistakes stretched into the most recent offseason.
In December 2015, just days after signing right-hander Zack Greinke to a $206.5 million deal, the Diamondbacks felt the time was right to push all-in. In exchange for Miller, they sent, among others, outfielder Ender Inciarte and that year’s No. 1 overall pick, shortstop Dansby Swanson, to the Atlanta Braves.
Miller was coming off a year in which he posted a 3.02 ERA in 205 1/3 innings and owned a 3.22 ERA in three-plus seasons. The Diamondbacks felt he was the final piece to a contending roster.
The deal was an instant disaster. The industry was floored by the price the Diamondbacks paid, and Miller went on to
have a nightmare season with his new club, pitching so poorly he spent much of the second half in the minor leagues.
The Diamondbacks then made what turned out to be another big mistake: They chose not to trade Miller away.
In July 2016, the Diamondbacks were deep in discussions about a deal that would have sent Miller to the Miami Marlins in exchange for three prospects, including right-handers Jose Urena and Luis Castillo. The trade was squashed by Diamondbacks ownership.
At the time, the reasons for that decision could be defended. The prospect haul was solid, but it was remarkably light compared to what the Diamondbacks had to give up just seven months earlier. It felt like the Diamondbacks would have been moving Miller when his value was at its absolute lowest; he was still in Triple-A Reno as trade talks were ongoing, and pitching well, leading to some optimism that he could get right.
Moreover, ownership was considering changes in the front office – changes that eventually came at the end of the year – and seemed reluctant to let the Tony La Russa/Dave Stewart regime make another significant decision.
Nearly two years later, it looks like ownership shouldn’t have stood in the way. Both Urena and Castillo are young major league starters. Urena is in the Marlins rotation; he has a 4.13 ERA in 104 2/3 innings. Castillo, now with the Reds, was dominant as a rookie last season but is struggling this year.
And Miller’s value not only hasn’t improved, it’s fallen. He had nearly all of last season wiped out by Tommy John surgery. He returned last month only to pitch poorly in four starts, the last of which came on Wednesday, when he might have reinjured his elbow.
The Diamondbacks lost each of those four starts – games that could come back to haunt them in a tight National League West race -- raising questions about whether the current regime should have non-tendered him in December rather than paying him the $4.9 million he received in arbitration.
And, of course, there’s also the other side of the deal, the players the Braves received who have helped get them back on the winning track.
They’re not having big years at the plate, but both Inciarte and Swanson remain valuable and coveted commodities in the industry. Inciarte is signed to a team-friendly contract that could keep him in Atlanta through 2022. Swanson still has four years beyond this one before he reaches free agency.
Miller is well liked by teammates and coaches.
He is praised for his work ethic, particularly over the past year as he recovered from injury.
When manager Torey Lovullo said he “hurts for Shelby” after seeing him exit Wednesday’s start, he spoke for everyone with the team.
But there’s no overlooking how disastrous the trade that brought him to Arizona has been – and continues to be -- for the Diamondbacks.