GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- There are 60 players in the Indians' Spring Training camp, so it can take a little while for a new guy to get to know everybody.

But when Kerry Wood and Adam Miller get past the formalities and start seriously talking baseball, they'll find they have quite a bit in common.

The two Texas-born right-handers were both high-profile Draft picks straight out of high school -- Wood with the fourth overall pick by the Cubs in 1995 and Miller with the 31st overall pick by the Indians in 2003 -- largely because of their blazing fastballs. Both also saw their promising starting careers thrown off track by a multitude of injuries, and, as a result, both now find themselves in a relief role.

An unintended benefit of the Indians' signing of Wood might be the impact he can have on Miller. Because if the club's top pitching prospect needs a little advice on his move to the 'pen, Miller could scarcely find a better source of information than the 31-year-old Wood.

"No doubt," pitching coach Carl Willis said. "The only real difference [between the two] is that Kerry experienced starting at the Major League level. But you look at a power-type arm and plus stuff and the mind-set it takes to transition [to relief work]. There's nothing like experience, and a young guy learning from a guy who has experience going from one role to another and succeeding is a positive."

Wood learned plenty when he made that transition in 2007.

Coming back from a lengthy stint on the disabled list with right shoulder tendinitis, Wood made the move out of necessity. The Cubs needed him in the playoff race, and he needed to limit his innings to protect his arm and prolong his career.

The move certainly worked. Wood adapted quickly, going 1-1 with a 3.33 ERA in 22 appearances down the stretch. When the Cubs were unceremoniously bounced from the playoffs in the first round, Wood felt like he was just getting started.

"I still wanted to keep pitching," Wood said. "I was just starting to get the hang of the routine and figuring out where I wanted the ball to go."

Wood, who saved 34 of 40 opportunities last season, didn't scrap any of his pitches when he moved to the bullpen. In fact, he picked up a cutter that he now wishes he would have had when he was a starter.

"It would have saved me a lot of pitches and a lot of innings," Wood said.

Because he came into the league with a fastball capable of hitting triple digits on the radar gun, Wood had what you might call a closer's mentality in his youth.

"I wasn't setting anybody up," Wood said. "I was going after everybody like it was the ninth inning anyway. It took me four or five years to learn how to pitch and set guys up and judge their swing and what they're trying to do."

Miller has gone through a similar process in the Minors. In 2005, he strained his right elbow during Spring Training and was shut down for the first half of the season. When Miller came back, his fastball wasn't completely intact, so he was forced to reinvent his approach to hitters. He began incorporating a two-seam fastball into his repertoire, and he began having success with his changeup.

Miller's not expecting to change his approach much with the move to the 'pen.

"I'm facing that hitter, I'm trying to get him out," Miller said. "I'm going to keep it as simple as that. Will there be stuff that changes? Probably. I'll probably use the changeup less and stick with the fastball and slider more. I'm still going to stick to my strengths -- fastballs, and when I get ahead, and the slider is my out-pitch. The only difference is the changeup. It will probably decrease."

Approach on the mound is one thing. But it's the mental side of the 'pen -- namely, the ability to rebound the day after blowing a late lead -- that is the true test of a reliever.

When Wood took over the closer's role for the Cubs last year, his toughest experience was learning how to face his teammates after a blown save. He said sometimes it doesn't matter if you have eye-catching raw stuff, because, if you can't approach the job with the right mentality, you won't last long.

"It's not for everyone," Wood said. "If you give up runs, your team loses. That's a lot of pressure, and it's hard to bounce back the next day sometimes. But you better learn how to get used to it."

Miller got his first exposure to relieving during winter ball in the Dominican Republic this past offseason. Because of a right finger strain that required surgery, Miller threw just 28 2/3 innings at Triple-A Buffalo last season, so he'll be limited to about 100 innings this year. That's why the Indians decided to move him to the 'pen.

Looking ahead, Miller is open to the possibility of returning to starting in 2010. The Indians might have more long-term use for him in a starting role, especially if Wood, who has no designs on starting again, anchors the bullpen in the ninth inning for the next few years.

In the meantime, Miller, who is competing for the last spot in the Indians' bullpen, is a full-time reliever, and he could have a fine mentor to lean on.

"If you're going to come out of the bullpen, you've got to enjoy doing it," Wood said. "There will be a little adjustment period. But once he gets in the game and gets that adrenaline rush, his mentality will change. You're going after them with your best stuff, and it sounds like he has the stuff to do it. I think he'll have fun in that role."