Veteran left-hander Wade Miley declines mutual option with Brewers, becomes a free agent
There isn't going to be a reunion between the Milwaukee Brewers and Wade Miley – at least for now.
The left-hander on Friday declined his half of the mutual option in his contract, making him a free agent. The move comes a day after the Brewers bolstered their starting-pitching depth by bringing back right-hander Colin Rea on a one-year deal with a team option for 2025.
Miley, who turns 37 on Nov. 13, turned in a solid season for Milwaukee after signing a one-year, $4.5 million contract on Jan. 5.
The deal included a $10 million mutual option with a $1 million buyout for 2024, so either Miley believes he can land a more lucrative (and possibly multi-year) offer on the open market or he and the Brewers are looking at working out another deal that's amenable to both sides.
Miley had a resurgent 2023 for Milwaukee after injuries limited him to only nine appearances for the Chicago Cubs the previous season.
Miley went 9-4 with a 3.14 earned run average and WHIP of 1.14. His 23 starts ranked third on the team and 120 ⅓ innings ranked fourth.
A lat strain and sore elbow led to two separate stints on the injured list for Miley, but for the most part the 13-year veteran was available and reliable for a Brewers team that suffered through a multitude of injuries suffered by its starters going all the way back to the outset of spring training.
Milwaukee has one remaining year of control of Corbin Burnes, while Brandon Woodruff is expected to miss most if not all of 2024 after undergoing shoulder surgery last month.
Freddy Peralta is coming off the best season of his career and Aaron Ashby is expected to return after missing all of 2023 due to shoulder surgery.
The Brewers have until Monday to decide on their club option on outfielder-first baseman Mark Canha, who is due either $11.5 million in 2024 or a $2 million buyout.
Canha hit .287 with five homers and 33 runs batted in to go along with an OPS of .800 in 50 games after being acquired by Milwaukee leading up to the trading deadline, helping revitalize the offense along with Carlos Santana.
But Canha also turns 35 on Feb. 15, and the Brewers have a wealth of young outfielders already in the fold.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Veteran Wade Miley declines mutual option, making him a free agent
