When Wade Miley went underneath the knife for Tommy John surgical procedure this previous April, he wasn’t certain if he’d ever return to a significant league mound. He informed Adam McCalvy of MLB.com that he’d wait to get by means of a few of his rehab earlier than deciding whether or not or to not retire, although he added that he’d want to exit on his personal phrases moderately than as a consequence of an harm, saying “I nonetheless really feel like I’ve bought extra within the tank.”
Right now, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel provided an replace on Miley’s rehab and future plans. Lengthy story brief, the veteran southpaw is doing all the pieces in his energy to get again on the sphere. Not solely does he plan to pitch in 2025, he desires to pitch as quickly as potential. It’s been lower than eight months since he underwent TJS this previous Could, however he hopes to be pitching in video games by the top of spring coaching and able to pitch within the majors as quickly as late April/early Could. The overall restoration timeline for pitchers who bear TJS is 12 to 18 months, and Miley isn’t your typical affected person – he was 37 when he had his surgical procedure and turned 38 in August. But, he’s optimistic he can get again to the very best degree of competitors barely a 12 months after he hit the shelf.
Curiously, Miley suggests his superior age may really assist him make a speedy return. Whereas a youthful pitcher would possibly want to train the utmost warning with the way forward for his profession in thoughts, Miley is barely considering within the brief time period. His precedence isn’t to lengthen his pitching profession for so long as potential, it’s to get again to motion as quickly as he can. “I’m not dragging [out] this factor for 14 to 16 months,” he defined. “…If it doesn’t work out, it doesn’t work out. And that’s on me.”
The 2024 season was a misplaced 12 months for Miley, who threw simply seven innings over two outings. The 12 months prior, he made 23 begins for the Brewers. He pitched to a 3.14 ERA, 4.33 xERA, and 5.04 SIERA over 120 1/3 innings between two stints on the IL with again and elbow points. He put up barely higher numbers with the Cubs the 12 months earlier than that, though extra accidents restricted him to simply 37 innings. His final certified season got here with the Reds in 2021. He tossed 163 frames in 28 begins with a 3.37 ERA, 4.09 xERA, and 4.52 SIERA.
All that to say, Miley can nonetheless be a productive pitcher when wholesome, regardless that well being has been onerous for him to come back by. Maybe that’s sufficient to earn the veteran a one-year, main league deal. If not, it ought to make him the perfect candidate for an incentive-based minor league contract. The massive query, nevertheless, is that if he’ll be capable to discover a membership that’s keen to let him try such a fast return from TJS. Most groups would possibly want that he take a slower and steadier method to his rehab, each to maintain him wholesome and to maintain him on the 60-day IL till they want him for depth later within the 12 months.
As badly as he desires to pitch in 2025, Miley clarified that he wouldn’t signal simply anyplace. For one factor, he isn’t serious about becoming a member of a group that might stash him on the IL for the primary a number of months of the season. Moreover, geography appears to be vital to him, seemingly as a result of he doesn’t wish to relocate his household throughout the nation. To that finish, he expressed a desire to signal with a Central division group; he’s been within the NL Central since he signed with the Reds forward of the 2020 marketing campaign. Particularly, Miley closely implied that the Brewers stay his group of alternative. “I might signal again within the Central, ideally sporting blue,” he stated. “Darkish blue.”
Hogg notes that the curiosity is mutual, and the Brewers have spoken with Miley this winter a few new contract. Whereas the 2 sides haven’t made a lot progress but, that doesn’t imply a deal received’t come collectively. Miley’s representatives are looking for him a assured massive league deal, whereas the Brewers are usually not but keen to supply something greater than a minor league contract. Finally, nevertheless, Miley informed Hogg that he’d be completely satisfied to signal a non-guaranteed contract with monetary incentives. He’s not doing his brokers any favors by saying that out loud, nevertheless it looks as if Miley isn’t too involved in regards to the cash.
As for the Brewers, they hardly ever spend vital cash on free agent pitchers. Mix that truth with Miley’s harm historical past, and it’s not onerous to see why they’d be hesitant to supply him a giant league deal. What’s extra, Milwaukee already has a full rotation together with Freddy Peralta, Brandon Woodruff, Nestor Cortes, Tobias Myers, and Aaron Civale, in addition to DL Corridor and Aaron Ashby. Nevertheless, this group is aware of higher than anybody that there’s no such factor as an excessive amount of beginning pitching depth – their rotation was tormented by accidents all through the 2024 season – and so they clearly like what Miley brings to the desk. They’ve already acquired him thrice earlier than, and for what it’s value, they received their division in all three years (2018, ’23, ’24). Thus, it’s not onerous to image these two sides coming collectively on a brand new deal for 2025.
With all that stated, it’s nonetheless no assure Miley is pitching for the Brewers, or anybody, in 2025. He implied to Hogg that he’d moderately retire than signal with a group that isn’t the best match. He additionally made it clear that he doesn’t wish to pitch within the majors if he isn’t going to be productive. “I don’t wish to be a burden on anybody and make three begins and be carried out,” he stated.
To that time, Miley mentions that bone spurs behind his elbow have been an issue up to now in his rehab. If the bone spurs proceed to trigger bother and stop him from pitching this spring, it’s definitely potential he’ll resolve to hold up his hat. In any case, he informed Hogg that he’s already achieved all the pieces “he ever dreamed of” in Main League Baseball over the course of his 14-year profession.
