On Tuesday, the Baltimore Orioles acquired outfielder Jai Miller from the Oakland Athletics in exchange for cash considerations.

Miller played well for AAA Sacramento as he played in 110 games and hit .276 with 32 home runs and 88 runs batted in. He also hit 24 doubles and stole 16 bases.

Dan Duquette, Baltimore’s VP of Baseball Operations, stated that Miller will compete for a spot on the major league roster come spring time. With Adam Jones set in center and Nick Markakis set in right, it looks like Miller will be competing against Nolan Reimold for left field.

Miller, who will turn 27 in mid January, has spent the last four seasons in AAA compiling a .271 average with 85 home runs and 253 RBI. Miller’s major league experience has been limited, but did hit .250 in 12 at bats last year with Oakland while hitting one home run. While with the Kansas City Royals in 2010, Miller hit .236 with one home run in 55 at bats.

One cause of concern has been his alarmingly high strike out rate. While he did hit those 32 home runs at AAA Sacramento in 2011, he also struck out 179 times in 410 at bats. While getting experience with the Royals in 2010, he struck out 23 times in those 55 major league at bats.

Miller was drafted by the Florida Marlins in the fourth round of the 2003 draft. During his time with the Marlins, he only saw one at bat in the pros, an at bat in which he struck out.

While he does have great speed and base running ability, Baltimore does not need another strike out prone hitter. With Mark Reynolds and Chris Davis already on their team, I can’t see Miller making the roster as a starter, but picking up a player with good speed and some power for cash considerations was not a bad move by Duquette.

Reimold deserves to get his fair shake as the starter in left this year. Last season while in Baltimore, Reimold hit .247 with 13 home runs and 45 RBI in 267 at bats. He also stole seven bases for the O’s.

Currently, I cover the Orioles for the Baltimore Guide along with being addicted to the entire Major Leagues as well as the NFL.

REFS:

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/reimono01.shtml

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/milleja04.shtml

Orioles Press Release

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BALTIMORE – The Baltimore Orioles have obtained outfielder Jai Miller from the Oakland Athletics, who parted with the part-time player for cash considerations.

Miller was designated for assignment by Oakland on Dec. 23 after the A’s received four players for pitcher Gio Gonzalez.

The 26-year-old Miller went 3 for 12 with a homer and two RBIs for Oakland last season after being called up in September. He played in 110 games with Triple A Sacramento, battiing .276 with 32 home runs and 83 RBIs. Miller also stole 16 bases without being caught.

Orioles president of baseball operations Dan Duquette says Miller will compete for a roster spot this spring.

In another deal Tuesday, Baltimore traded infielder Brandon Snyder to Texas for cash. Snyder played in six games with the Orioles last year.

BALTIMORE- The Orioles on Tuesday announced that they have acquired OF JAI MILLER from the Oakland Athletics in exchange for cash considerations and have also traded INF BRANDON SNYDER to the Texas Rangers in exchange for cash considerations.

Miller, 26, batted .276/.368/.588 with 32 home runs, 88 RBI and 16 stolen bases without being caught in 110 games for Triple-A Sacramento in 2011. He also appeared in seven games for the A’s, going 3-for-12 with a home run.

Miller has batted .271/.351/.516 with 85 home runs and 253 RBI in 423 games at the Triple-A level in the last four seasons. His major league time also includes 20 games with the Kansas City Royals in 2010, when he batted .236/.300/.345. He made his major league debut in 2008 with the Marlins.

“Jai Miller has the power, speed, base stealing skills and good athletic ability to be an asset in our outfield as he competes for a spot on our ballclub this spring,” said Orioles Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations DAN DUQUETTE.

Snyder, 25, batted .261/.312/.406 in 114 games with Triple-A Norfolk in 2011. He also appeared in six games for the Orioles, going 3-for-13.

The Orioles 40-man roster remains full with these moves.

BALTIMORE (AP)—The Baltimore Orioles have obtained outfielder Jai Miller
from the Oakland Athletics, who parted with the part-time player for cash
considerations.

Miller was designated for assignment by Oakland on Dec. 23 after the A’s
received four players for pitcher Gio Gonzalez.

The 26-year-old Miller went 3 for 12 with a homer and two RBIs for Oakland
last season after being called up in September. He played in 110 games with
Triple A Sacramento, battiing .276 with 32 home runs and 83 RBIs. Miller also
stole 16 bases without being caught.

Orioles president of baseball operations Dan Duquette says Miller will
compete for a roster spot this spring.

In another deal Tuesday, Baltimore traded infielder Brandon Snyder to Texas
for cash. Snyder played in six games with the Orioles last year.

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Bobby Valentine has found his new man for the back end of the Boston bullpen.

The Oakland Athletics traded All-Star closer Andrew Bailey and outfielder Ryan Sweeney to the Red Sox on Wednesday for outfielder Josh Reddick and infield prospect Miles Head and minor league pitcher Raul Alcantara.

In the deal, first reported by ESPN, Bailey gives the Red Sox a reliable ninth-inning guy to replace the departed Jonathan Papelbon, who signed a $50 million, four-year contract as a free agent with the Philadelphia Phillies in November.

Bailey — the 2009 AL Rookie of the Year who made the All-Star team that season and again in 2010 — has been the subject of trade talk this offseason.

The right-handed Bailey, 27, went 0-4 with a 3.24 ERA and 24 saves in 41 2-3 innings and 42 appearances this year. He spent time on the disabled list for the second straight season, pitching for the first time in 2011 on May 29 after being sidelined with a strained right forearm.

Bailey becomes the fourth key pitcher traded this month for the rebuilding A’s, who dealt starter Trevor Cahill and reliever Craig Breslow to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Dec. 9 and then sent left-handed starter Gio Gonzalez to Washington last Thursday.

Reddick, who began last season at Triple-A Pawtucket before being promoted in late May, will look to fill a big void in Oakland’s open outfield.

The 24-year-old Reddick batted .280 with seven homers and 28 RBIs in 87 games for Boston in 2011. He can play any outfield spot and likely will get immediate action for the A’s, who already lost outfielders David DeJesus and Josh Willingham in free agency. Center fielder Coco Crisp isn’t expected to return either.

Oakland general manager Billy Beane is retooling his roster for the future in hopes of the franchise getting the go ahead to build a new ballpark some 40 miles south in San Jose despite the San Francisco Giants owning the territorial rights to technology-rich Santa Clara County. Beane and owner Lew Wolff have said they expect to hear soon from Commissioner Bud Selig, and Beane said the unsettled stadium situation would affect him being able to sign his own free agents this winter.

The A’s (74-88) haven’t posted a winning record or earned a playoff berth since being swept in the 2006 AL championship series by Detroit.

At last summer’s trade deadline, the A’s and Red Sox were near completion on a deal that would have sent Oakland right-hander Rich Harden to Boston for Triple-A first baseman Lars Anderson, but it fell through late because of Harden’s lengthy list of injury issues.

Former Red Sox pitching coach Curt Young returned to the A’s this offseason to work under manager Bob Melvin.

Head, a first baseman, batted .299 with 22 home runs and 82 RBIs in 129 games with the Red Sox two Single-A affiliates, at Greenville and Salem.

The right-handed Alcantara, 19, combined for a 1-4 record and a 2.20 ERA in 13 starts with Single-A Lowell and the Red Sox affiliate in the Gulf Coast League. He struck out 50 and walked just 12 while holding opponents to a .208 batting average.

OAKLAND, CALIF. The Oakland Athletics traded all-star closer Andrew Bailey and outfielder Ryan Sweeney to the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday for outfielder Josh Reddick and prospects Miles Head and Raul Alcantara.

In the deal, first reported by ESPN, new Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine has found a reliable ninth-inning guy in Bailey to replace the departed Jonathan Papelbon, who signed a four-year, $50-million US contract as a free agent with the Philadelphia Phillies in November.

Bailey — the 2009 AL Rookie of the Year who made the all-star team that season and again in 2010 — has been the subject of trade talk this off-season.

The right-handed Bailey, 27, went 0-4 with a 3.24 earned-run average and 24 saves in 41 2-3 innings this year. He spent time on the disabled list for the second straight season, pitching for the first time in 2011 on May 29 after being sidelined with a strained right forearm.

Bailey becomes the fourth key pitcher traded this month for the rebuilding A’s, who dealt starter Trevor Cahill and reliever Craig Breslow to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Dec. 9 and then sent left-handed starter Gio Gonzalez to Washington last Thursday.

Reddick will look to fill a big void in Oakland’s open outfield.

The 24-year-old Reddick batted .280 with seven homers and 28 RBIs in 87 games for Boston in 2011. He can play any outfield spot and likely will get immediate action for the A’s, who already lost outfielders David DeJesus and Josh Willingham in free agency. Center fielder Coco Crisp isn’t expected to return either.

Oakland general manager Billy Beane is retooling his roster for the future in hopes of the franchise getting the go ahead to build a new ballpark in San Jose despite the San Francisco Giants owning the territorial rights to technology-rich Santa Clara County. Beane and owner Lew Wolff have said they expect to hear soon from commissioner Bud Selig, and Beane said the unsettled stadium situation would affect him being able to sign his own free agents this winter.

The A’s (74-88) haven’t posted a winning record or earned a playoff berth since being swept in the 2006 AL championship series by Detroit.

At last summer’s trade deadline, the A’s and Red Sox were near completion on a deal that would have sent Oakland right-hander Rich Harden of Victoria to Boston for triple-A first baseman Lars Anderson but it fell through late because of Harden’s lengthy list of injury issues.

Former Red Sox pitching coach Curt Young returned to the A’s this off-season to work under manager Bob Melvin

The Associated Press