Bryce Miller's bullpen remarks have unfortunate echoes of Mariners' piggyback fiasco

Bryce Miller as a relief pitcher? It's clear from how he was available out of the bullpen on Wednesday that the Seattle Mariners are open to it. It's a good idea, even if (or especially if) he was used exclusively as part of a piggyback tandem. But is it too much to ask that the Mariners be more upfront about what they're thinking?

As reported by Adam Jude of The Seattle Times, it wasn't until before Wednesday's 6-0 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies that the Mariners asked Miller to be ready to throw out of the pen. It was meant as a sort of Plan B if Bryan Woo's shoulder was still an issue after 10 days of rest.

Wednesday was Miller's scheduled between-starts throw day anyway. Had he been asked to pitch in relief of Woo, it would have been high-intensity version of his bullpen routine, which he ended up doing after the game.

Even so, that's not the only context that matters. Wednesday was a day game, meaning that Miller basically rolled out of bed and was then told to be ready for something different. Given that Woo's physical status was no mystery, the Mariners could have at least given Miller a heads up the night before, if not sooner.

Bryce Miller clearly values communication, so Mariners shouldn't jerk him around with their plans

As far as what comes next, Jude reports that "a more permanent" move to the bullpen for Miller is something the Mariners are considering. Yet nobody has approached the 28-year-old righty about it, which feels like asking for trouble.

Remember what happened before his appearance out of the pen this year? It was back on May 25 as part of the piggyback experiment with Luis Castillo, and it got messy. Miller pitched five innings of two-run ball in relief, but admitted that he'd had just one to two days' notice about the plan. He didn't bother to hide his discomfort after the game, saying the "setup's not very comfortable."

Given all this, it feels like fair game to make a public plea to the Mariners: If you're going to move Miller to the bullpen, please do so in a way that doesn't pull the rug out from under him.

There must be a good-faith discussion in which the exact reasons why he's moving to the pen are spelled out. His recent struggles (i.e., 7.19 ERA in eight starts since July 9) must be part of it, and the same goes for questions about his own physical well-being after his recent confession to dealing with a minor lat issue. Yet there can also be a positive angle.

Miller's stuff still rates well, and he's shown a pattern of having his best fastball velocity early in games. His best role might be as a multi-inning fireman out of a bullpen that could badly use a guy like that. If the end result is the playoff berth the Mariners want, everyone wins.

Ultimately, the Mariners need to recognize Miller for the straight shooter he is and shoot straight with him. It beats jerking him around, and maybe game will recognize game if they do it right.

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