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Reds Re-Sign Wade Miley: What to Make of Move

Originally posted on New Baseball Media
By Chris Studley | Last updated Jun 4, 2025 4:41 PM ET

Just days after he became a free agent, Wade Miley re-joined the Reds organization. Miley signed with the team on a Major League deal, after he spent the last few weeks pitching in the team’s Minor League organization. The move comes after the news that Hunter Greene will head back to the IL.

A Look at Miley

The Brewers re-signed Wade Miley in December 2023 after a strong season with Milwaukee. As we noted back then, Miley once again showed his craftiness, thanks to his ability to jam hitters inside and induce movement despite below-average velocity.

Miley, though, didn’t last long in 2024. The veteran left-hander only made two starts last year before needing Tommy John surgery, which ended his 2024 campaign. The Reds, who Miley pitched for in 2020-21, signed him in February to a Minor League deal.

However, Miley didn’t put up tremendous results down in the Minors. Between High-A and Triple-A, Miley surrendered 19 runs over 19.1 IP and struck out 15. The 38-year-old went to free agency in June, as he had an opt-out clause that came at the end of May.

Miley’s velocity was up, roughly on par with where it was pre-surgery. He averaged 90 MPH with his four-seamer, with Miley gassing it as high as 92 MPH. The induced movement (16.9”) was roughly on par with where it was in past years.

Miley’s fluctuated between around 17-17.5” over the past few years.

Wade Miley Pitch Movement 2025 AAA; Note: While labeled as a slider, that pitch is a cutter. The curveball, meanwhile, is a slider. That’s on par with how Statcast tracks pitches in the Minors on some occasions. Via New Baseball Media

The veteran, though, relied heavily on changing speeds and looks with the cutter and changeup. Both pitches, despite the overall results, had roughly the same results before his injury. The separation between the fastball & changeup is on par, as he sat in the high-70s and low-80s with the offering.

Wade Miley was re-signed on June 4 on an MLB deal. Hunter Greene, who exited the team’s game on June 3, went on the injured list with a groin injury.

Analysis

Miley was going to get a shot with someone at some point. With so many pitchers on the injured list and very few available options, an arm like Miley can be invaluable for the simple reason that no asset had to be given up to get him.

For the Reds, it gives the team some depth in the interim, especially when taking into account this is the second time Greene has hit the injured list with a groin injury.

Now, he joins a Reds rotation that’s been very good this season. Aside from Greene, Andrew Abbott was one of the best pitchers in baseball during May. Nick Lodolo and Nick Martinez, despite the low strikeout numbers, have ERA+ figures above the league average.

The other perk regarding Miley is that with his cutter, changeup, and the rest of his arsenal, he leans heavily towards getting jam shots & ground balls. In Great American Ballpark, that’s a perk.

This article first appeared on New Baseball Media and was syndicated with permission.

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