PHOENIX — Shelby Miller doesn’t seem to mind being traded for the second time in two years.
Speaking on a conference call Tuesday, the 25-year-old right-hander sounded elated about the trade that sent him from the Atlanta Braves to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Miller said that, by giving up outfielder Ender Inciarte and two top prospects, the Diamondbacks showed how much "they wanted me over there."
"I’m excited to be a part of it. I like what they’re doing," he said. "I like the direction they’re headed and I couldn’t be happier about it."
Miller spent one season with Atlanta after being traded to the Braves by the St. Louis Cardinals.
"At any point you can be traded," he said. "I found that out, obviously. You never know what’s going on."
Miller went 6-17 with the Braves but had a 3.02 ERA and 171 strikeouts for a team that consistently failed to provide him with run support.
"Wins and losses are a great stat," he said. "Everybody wants to win, but at the same time, you can still go out and pitch a great game and get the loss."
The Miller acquisition came shortly after the Diamondbacks agreed to a six-year, $206 million contract with free agent Zack Greinke, who went 19-3 and led the majors with a 1.66 ERA with the Los Angeles Dodgers last season.
Greinke, Miller and left-hander Patrick Corbin are at the top of a greatly upgraded rotation for an Arizona team that had one of the best offences in the National League last season.
"I’ve faced the Diamondbacks many times in the past and they’ve given me trouble," Miller said. "They’ve got a lot of great hitters. Not only that, they’re so defensively sound, a lot of exciting players to watch. … I’m stoked."
Miller said that over the past two seasons he’s become more of a pitcher than just a thrower.
"Just the knowledge of the game," he said, "facing the hitter, knowing the hitters, finding new ways to get guys out."
Miller said he no longer is so focused on striking batters out. He said his sinker and cutter are his major pitches.
Now, he said, he wants to "try to get guys out as soon as possible."’
"My motto was ‘three pitches or less,"’ Miller said.
