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Shelby Miller is in the midst of an unforgettable season, albeit for the wrong reasons. He entered Friday ranked 174th in ERA and 168th in strikeout-to-walk ratio among the 176 pitchers with more than 50 innings. To make matters worse, Miller has dealt with various non-statistical indignities. He's left games due to an unusual mechanical flaw, he's been demoted to Triple-A, and now he's been floated in trade rumors less than a year after Arizona acquired him in exchange for a top-prospect horde. If any pitcher could use a change of scenery, it's probably Miller ... which is why this could be great news:


Presuming Stewart is telling the truth -- and that he intends to make a trade -- then just where might Miller land? Here are the five destinations we came up with, ranked in order of perceived likelihood.

Shelby Miller needs a new home. USATSI

5. Baltimore Orioles

While the idea of adding another high-beta arm to a rotation that already includes Ubaldo Jimenez and Yovani Gallardo is enough to give risk-averse folks the shakes, the Orioles make sense as a Miller suitor for multiple reasons. Dan Duquette doesn't have the best farm system to deal with, yet he needs to add rotation help if the O's are to hang on in the American League East. Miller's biggest pluses are that he could come at a reduced cost, and could so while featuring more years of control (two) and upside than the typical deadline acquisition. Obviously the Orioles don't have a great history with pitchers, and the conditions they could offer Miller -- a hitter-friendly ballpark in a loaded division -- are less than ideal. Still, Baltimore as Miller's landing spot feels more plausible than not.

4. Pittsburgh Pirates

Few teams have better reputations than the Pirates do when it comes to nurturing pitchers. As such, any and every buy-low opportunity gets linked to them by default, if only because we want the best for the pitcher, and the best means constant up-close-and-personal sessions with Ray Searage. There's another aspect to that assumption, too -- small-budget teams like the Pirates always have to be on the look out for potential bargains. Depending on Miller's price, he could fit the mold, and a rejuvenated Miller would give the Pirates a boost while allowing their young arms to spend more time in Triple-A.

The Pirates are among the teams that would make the most sense as a Miller suitor. Mark J. Rebilas, Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

3. San Francisco Giants

Hey, look, it's one of the few teams who might have a better reputation with pitchers than the Pirates do. Generally speaking, if Dick Tidrow and Dave Righetti think you can be saved, then you can be saved. The Giants could use some help to wake them from their second-half slumber and -- with due respect to Matt Cain and Jake Peavy -- Miller would provide them with a back-end option who has greater upside than the incumbents. The reason the Giants aren't higher on this list is because who knows if the Diamondbacks would willingly trade Miller within the division.

2. Detroit Tigers

The Tigers have suggested they aren't looking to add payroll or move prospects, but c'mon. Do you go out and sign Jordan Zimmermann and Justin Upton if you don't intend to make a push at the deadline? Besides, those well-intentioned plans might've been altered by the Tigers' recent five-game winning streak, which has them within a game of a wild card spot. Al Avila has to make some sort of move, right? And this is one would make sense on a few levels: the spacious Comerica Park seems like an ideal landing spot for Miller, and ridding the Tigers' rotation of Anibal Sanchez seems like an ideal move for Detroit's playoff chances. Maybe we're stupid, but to us this looks like a smart pairing.

1. Texas Rangers

As straightforward as it gets: the Rangers have a loaded farm system from which to deal from and desire a controllable young starter. Miller has his blemishes, and doesn't seem like the ideal fit for Arlington, yet if the price point is right (i.e. the trade doesn't involve any of the Rangers' big-league ready hitters) then all can be forgiven. Granted, you'd probably feel better about the Rangers' ability to get Miller back to good if Mike Maddux were still around, but that's a topic for another day.