Brad Miller had a disappointing follow up to his 30 homer campaign of 2016, hitting .201/.327/.337 and with an 83 wRC+. In othwr words, he went from average regular to replacement level, despite the Rays’ belief in him.
The Rays began 2017 expecting Matt Duffy and Brad Miller to man the middle infield, but neither stayed healthy, prompting the acquisition of Adeiny Hechavarria and promotion of Tim Beckham. When Miller’s return created a roster crunch, the Rays believed in Miller enough to trade Beckham away instead.
Now, despite the dismal results on offense, Miller is set for a pay raise yet again.