Wade Miley Returns to Cincinnati Reds on Minor League Deal Amid Tommy John Recovery

The Cincinnati Reds are bringing Wade Miley back into the fold, signing the 38-year-old southpaw as he looks to bounce back from the elbow surgery he underwent with the Milwaukee Brewers.
Sep 14, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Wade Miley (22) delivers against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at PNC Park.
Sep 14, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Wade Miley (22) delivers against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at PNC Park. / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The Cincinnati Reds have signed veteran pitcher Wade Miley to a minor league contract, the Cincinnati Enquirer's Gordon Wittenmyer reported Wednesday morning.

The deal includes an invitation to the Reds' big league Spring Training camp, but it remains to be seen how healthy Miley will be during Cactus League action. While the 38-year-old left-hander underwent Tommy John surgery last May, it was a hybrid procedure meant to shorten his recovery time.

Miley, who had his $12 million club option declined by the Brewers in October, is hoping to return to big league action by late April or early May.

Of course, Miley will have to have his contract selected by Cincinnati if he is going to pitch in the majors again. Per USA Today's Bob Nightengale, Miley will make a prorated salary of $2.5 million at the MLB level.

The Reds are plenty familiar with Miley already, considering he pitched there in 2020 and 2021. Miley's COVID-shortened 2020 campaign was lackluster, but he went 12-7 with a 3.37 ERA, 1.325 WHIP and 5.3 WAR across 28 starts in 2021.

Miley kept that momentum going with the Chicago Cubs in 2022, then the Brewers in 2023. He went 11-6 with a 3.15 ERA, 1.157 WHIP and 2.7 WAR in 32 appearances in that span.

Prior to his elbow injury in 2024, though, Miley was 0-1 with a 6.43 ERA, 1.429 WHIP and -0.1 WAR through two starts.

Miley was an All-Star with the Arizona Diamondbacks all the way back in 2012, when he finished second in NL Rookie of the Year voting. He went on to pitch for the Boston Red Sox, Seattle Mariners, Baltimore Orioles, Brewers and Houston Astros through the rest of the 2010s.

For his career, Miley is 108-99 with a 4.07 ERA, 1.360 WHIP, 1,361 strikeouts and an 18.1 WAR.

Cincinnati has a promising – albeit young – rotation as it stands, with Hunter Greene, Andrew Abbott and Nick Lodolo leading the way. Veteran swingman Nick Martinez came back on a qualifying offer, while Brady Singer arrived via trade following another solid year with the Kansas City Royals.

If Miley can break into the rotation, perhaps the Reds can roll with six starters. They could have done so with Brandon Williamson filling that role, but he underwent Tommy John surgery of his own last September and is set to miss all of 2025.

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Sam Connon
SAM CONNON

Sam Connon is a Staff Writer for Fastball on the Sports Illustrated/FanNation networks. He previously covered UCLA Athletics for Sports Illustrated/FanNation's All Bruins, 247Sports' Bruin Report Online, Rivals' Bruin Blitz, the Bleav Podcast Network and the Daily Bruin, with his work as a sports columnist receiving awards from the College Media Association and Society of Professional Journalists. Connon also wrote for Sports Illustrated/FanNation's New England Patriots site, Patriots Country, and he was on the Patriots and Boston Red Sox beats at Prime Time Sports Talk.