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Indians beef up bullpen by acquiring Andrew Miller from Yankees

Andrew Miller had a 6-1 record and 1.39 earned-run average with the Yankees this season.
Andrew Miller had a 6-1 record and 1.39 earned-run average with the Yankees this season.
(Mike Stobe / Getty Images)
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Serious about winning it all this season, the Cleveland Indians acquired left-handed reliever Andrew Miller from the New York Yankees on Sunday in exchange for four players.

The stunning trade came less than 12 hours after the AL Central leaders agreed with Milwaukee on a deal to send Brewers All-Star catcher Jonathan Lucroy to Cleveland.

However, that trade was stopped by Lucroy, who exercised his no-trade clause, a person familiar with the situation told the Associated Press. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because no statements were authorized.

Still, the Indians did land Miller, one of baseball’s best setup men. Cleveland sent four minor leaguers, including highly touted outfielder Clint Frazier, to New York in exchange for the 31-year-old. The Indians have been lacking a quality lefty in the seventh and eighth innings, and Miller fills that void.

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“He’s the perfect guy to have and we got him,” Indians closer Cody Allen said before the club’s series finale with Oakland. “It breathes a lot of life into this clubhouse. We’re in first place with the guys we have, but to get a game-changer like Miller, that lets us know everybody in the front office wants to win as badly as we do right now. We’re not thinking about two years from now, we’re thinking about winning in 2016.”

The Indians are also feeding off a positive vibe in the city started when the Cavaliers, their next-door-neighbors in Gateway Plaza, won the NBA championship last month to end Cleveland’s 52-year title drought.

New York’s decision to move Miller comes after the team traded closer Aroldis Chapman to the Chicago Cubs.

Possessing a nearly unhittable slider, Miller is 6-1 with a 1.39 ERA. He is signed through the 2018 season at $9 million per year. He’s averaging an astounding 15.3 strikeouts per nine innings and has allowed runs in just eight of 44 appearances.

In addition to Frazier, the Yankees are getting minor league pitchers Justus Sheffield, Ben Heller and J.P. Feyereisen. Sheffield is a left-hander.

Orioles add to rotation by trading for Miley

Baltimore hopes Wade Miley can turn his solid July into a big finish with the AL East leaders. The Orioles acquired Miley from the Seattle Mariners on Sunday, giving Manager Buck Showalter a veteran left-hander for his rotation as the team tries to hold off Toronto and Boston for the division title.

Miley is 7-8 with a 4.98 ERA, but he had a 3.45 ERA in five July starts. He pitched seven innings of one-hit ball in Seattle’s 4-1 victory against the major league-leading Chicago Cubs on Saturday.

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“He was probably as good as he has been all year,” Seattle Manager Scott Servais said after Saturday’s win at Wrigley Field. “He kind of brought a different attitude, mentality, whatever you want to say to the mound today. He was very aggressive from the get-go.”

Seattle received left-hander Ariel Miranda in the trade. The Cuban pitcher has spent most of the year with triple-A Norfolk. He appeared in one game for Baltimore on July 3 at Seattle, giving up three runs and four hits in two innings.

Etc.

Miami Marlins right-hander Colin Rea has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with a right elbow sprain after his debut with the team was curtailed by the injury. The move was made Sunday, when Miami recalled right-hander Nefi Ogando from triple-A New Orleans. … Left-handed pitcher Zach Duke has been traded by the Chicago White Sox to the St. Louis Cardinals for minor league outfielder Charlie Tilson.

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