Cleveland pitcher Andrew Miller chosen MVP of ALCS

MVP: Most Versatile Pitcher.

The humble workhorse in a wipe-out bullpen, Andrew Miller was selected A.L. Championship Series MVP after his latest splendid performance in relief helped the Cleveland Indians win their first pennant since 1997.

Miller tossed 2 2/3 scoreless innings in a 3-0 victory Wednesday over Toronto, capping a five-game series in which the lanky left-hander overpowered the Blue Jays.

He had one strikeout in Game 5 and finished the series with 14 – an ALCS record for a reliever. Miller gave up three hits in 7 2/3 shutout innings against the Blue Jays and earned a save in Game 3.

Now, he and the Indians are on to the World Series for the sixth time – looking for their first championship since 1948.

Miller was acquired from the New York Yankees for a package of prospects in a July 31 trade.

Drafted sixth overall by Detroit out of North Carolina in 2006, Miller was part of the blockbuster deal that sent Miguel Cabrera from the Marlins to the Tigers after the 2007 season. Miller made 66 starts in the majors but never fulfilled his promise until switching to the bullpen. His first full season as a reliever – with Boston in 2012 – provided a hint of what was possible.

Miller posted a 3.35 ERA in 53 appearances that year, and the following season he had 48 strikeouts in 30 2/3 innings.

After stops with Baltimore and the Yankees, Miller ended up in Cleveland, and the Indians had an unorthodox plan for his usage.

“When they were upstairs in their meetings about the trade talks and they were talking about Andrew, they were actually talking – and I was in there listening and doing some talking – just about how he would fit into a bullpen and how you could leverage him, just like we are now,” manager Terry Francona said. “So the thought was alive before we got him. We envisioned using him like we are.”

There have been plenty of other important contributors in the Cleveland bullpen – particularly closer Cody Allen, who had 32 saves during the regular season and hasn’t allowed a run in the postseason.

In fact, Indians relievers racked up 22 innings in the ALCS – the same amount as their starters.

But it’s Miller who strikes the most fear in opposing hitters after he whiffed a whopping 14.9 per nine innings this season while going 10-1 with a 1.45 ERA and 12 saves.

In the playoff opener against Boston, Miller entered in the fifth inning and pitched into the seventh. That set the tone for an October in which Miller could be available pretty much any time the Indians need him. He’s worked 11 2/3 shutout innings in six appearances. It’s a workload that might not be sustainable in the regular season, but with off days built into the playoff schedule, this approach has served the Indians well.

In Game 3 against the Blue Jays on Monday night, Cleveland’s bullpen had to pitch 8 1/3 innings after starter Trevor Bauer’s finger injury acted up in the first. Miller got the final four outs of that win, helping the Indians take a 3-0 ALCS lead.

Preller returns

A.J. Preller returned from an unprecedented suspension on Wednesday. A month ago, Major League Baseball banned the Padres general manager for 30 days after determining he had withheld medical information in the July trade of left-hander Drew Pomeranz.

A week ago, the Padres ousted then-president and CEO Mike Dee for reasons that remain unclear but, according to multiple sources, are unrelated to Preller’s suspension.

Preller, who had reported directly to Dee, now does so to Padres owners Ron Fowler and Peter Seidler. That structure is likely to carry over after the Padres name Dee’s replacement, though the search for a new business-side leader has barely begun.

The state of the Padres’ baseball operations is of arguably greater concern. Preller’s bosses have steadfastly supported him, even as others throughout the game have questioned his credibility and their willingness to work with the GM. A litmus test will arrive next month at the general managers meetings in Phoenix.

Despite recent speculation that MLB’s investigation of Preller and the Padres is not completely over, industry sources this week said the matter is closed. The scrutiny of the GM, however, is at an all-time high.

Preller, while working in the Texas Rangers’ front office, was previously suspended 30 days for running afoul of international signing rules. Last year, he was dinged for arranging an illegal workout in Aruba. Another scrape with the commissioner’s office would thrust his career into jeopardy.

Preller’s latest penalty – which was without pay and included an undisclosed fine for the Padres – may have stemmed from Pomeranz’s move to the Boston Red Sox, but other trade partners this summer alleged that San Diego concealed relevant medical information.

Most notably, the Marlins complained when Colin Rea, acquired in late July, exited his Miami debut with elbow soreness. The two teams subsequently reworked the original, seven-player deal, with an injured Rea being returned to the Padres.

Since the Marlins received compensation – the Padres sent back young arm Luis Castillo – that case was resolved. Early this month, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred revealed that Boston declined an offer to reverse the Pomeranz trade, which netted the Padres top pitching prospect Anderson Espinoza. Owing to their decision, the Red Sox were left without options for seeking recompense.

There are those who believe Preller’s discipline was too lenient, and some rival officials have said they could exact a form of frontier justice by effectively refusing to deal with the Padres. For now, that remains speculation.

Meanwhile, the Padres have vowed to remediate the issues that landed Preller in hot water. The organization intends to add a position charged with oversight of medical records, putting compliance in the hands of a uniquely qualified official.

Preller’s authority over baseball operations is not expected to diminish; Padres ownership has been pleased with his talent-acquisition efforts, and further front-office turnover would impede progress. There are no plans to hire a president of baseball operations.

As for Dee, team officials have yet to speak on what led to his departure, though the cause is believed to be a business-related incident. Fowler and Seidler have steadfastly declined comment on the matter, noting it is being handled by legal counsel.