Miller coveted, but Braves setting high price
Potential rotation anchor drawing interest from clubs
ATLANTA -- Shelby Miller spent this summer providing an indication that he could serve as a strong frontline starting pitcher in Atlanta for many years to come. But his success simply made him a target of teams who have spent the past couple of weeks attempting to see if Braves general manager John Coppolella's aggressive nature might lead him to deal his ace.
At least 15 different teams have expressed interest in Miller over the past couple of weeks. As the Braves have fielded these offers, they have made it clear that they are not currently looking to move the 25-year-old right-hander unless they receive a significant return.
The D-backs were among the first clubs to express interest in Miller, but they backed away when they learned they would need to include A.J. Pollock in the deal. The Dodgers heard a similar message when the Braves revealed Corey Seager would likely have to be part of the return.
"The Braves are doing the right thing in that they're looking for everyone's top guy," one National League scout said.
One American League representative said that Coppolella is seeking an everyday bat in exchange for Miller. But Coppolella has said he would love to get pitching back in every deal that he does. This might explain why CBS Sports reported the Braves asked for Luis Severino when the Yankees expressed interest in Miller earlier this month.
Still, while the Braves are certainly willing to gauge what they might get for Miller, they do not appear to be actively shopping him. In fact, one National League club said the talks did not go anywhere after it expressed interest in Miller.
Even if the Braves were able to get a significant bat by trading Miller, they would seemingly be adding to the challenge of meeting their goal to become competitive again by the start of the 2017 season.
With Miller and Julio Teheran, the Braves have a pair of proven and controllable top-flight starters who can anchor their rotation over the next few years, while some of the club's highly regarded pitching prospects endure the inevitable growing pains at the Major League level.