Wade Miley has chosen to opt out of his major league deal with the Cincinnati Reds, making him a free agent.
The 38-year-old left-hander is recovering from Tommy John surgery and had a rough stint this season, going 1-2 with an 8.84 ERA in seven starts at Triple-A Louisville.
The Reds had until Sunday to decide on Miley, who is seeking a starting role. They could have called him up and used him in the bullpen instead.
Reds manager Terry Francona commended team president Nick Krall for allowing Miley the freedom to explore other options. Francona said, “Putting him in the bullpen just to keep him—while understandable if we had an emergency—isn’t really fair to him. I appreciate how Nick handled the situation.”
Miley, an All-Star in 2012 with Arizona, has a 14-year MLB career record of 108-99 with a 4.07 ERA over 310 starts and seven relief appearances. Last year, he went 0-1 with a 6.43 ERA in two starts for Milwaukee before getting injured.
Francona mentioned that Miley could return to the Reds if he doesn’t find a better opportunity as a free agent.
Additionally, Francona said infielder Jeimer Candelario will start a minor league rehab assignment on Monday as he recovers from a lower-back injury. The 31-year-old will begin playing games in Arizona before moving his rehab to Louisville.
Francona explained that starting Candelario’s rehab in Arizona offers a controlled environment to see pitches before advancing to Triple-A.
Candelario is struggling at the plate this season, hitting just .113 with two homers and 10 RBIs in 22 games. He signed a three-year, $45 million deal before the 2024 season.
