The St. Louis Cardinals signed left-handed reliever Trever Miller, recently of the AL Champion Tampa Bay Rays. The Cardinals were in the market for left-handed relief pitching, though given the disastrous performance of nearly all in the St. Louis bullpen, it's odd that they're focused so heavily on left-handers.
Miller was adequate for the Rays, with a 4.15 ERA in 2008, but is really a one-out pitcher, given his right-handed split (7.50 ERA, 20 H, 10 BB, 14 K in 18 IP against RHB). Against lefties, he allowed only 19 H and 10 BB in 25.1 IP, while also striking out 30.
This isn't a move that I think represents much of an upgrade for the Cardinals, but it's not likely to be a particularly expensive deal either. The present left-handed options were Tyler Johnson (decent in 2007, missed 2008 with rotator cuff surgery), Randy Flores (who walked more batters than he struck out in 2008 and compiled a BAA of .314 against lefties and .316 against right-handed batters), and Jaime Garcia, whose numbers are too incidental and small in size to warrant mention.
If Tyler Johnson can post his 2007 numbers again, I think he'll probably have a better season than Trever Miller. But for a manager who manages like Tony LaRussa and uses pitchers for as many 0 inning appearances or 1/3 inning appearances, I'm sure Miller appears to play a valuable role. I'd have pushed harder for a Dennys Reyes, though, who has a lot more positive upside (or even Alan Embree, who got hit last year, but has strung together a lot of good seasons. Miller is still a pitcher who's had two career seasons with a WHIP under this season's 1.36 (2004, 2006). If that's what he has to offer, the Cardinals might have done well to wait and sign Mike Lincoln.
Cardinals' bullpen:
CL Chris Perez
RHP Ryan Franklin
RHP Jason Motte
LHP Trever Miller
RHP Kyle McClellan
LHP Tyler Johnson
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