Cubs Sign Shelby Miller
BySteve Adams | at
FEBRUARY 15: The Cubs made Miller’s deal official today, anddesignatedBen Cowles for assignment.
FEBRUARY 13: The Cubs and right-handerShelby Miller are finalizing a multi-year, major league contract,reports Robert Murray of Fansided.ESPN’s Jesse Rogers reports that a deal is in place and that Miller is guaranteed $2.5MM over two years but can boost that further based on 2027 incentives. The Excel Sports client is expected to miss the 2026 season after undergoing UCL and flexor surgery in mid-October. As such, it’ll likely be a backloaded two-year arrangement that allows Miller to rehab with the Cubs in 2026 with an eye toward joining their bullpen in 2027.
Miller, 35, has had an unusual career arc. The 2009 first-rounder was a top prospect with the Cardinals and finished third in NL Rookie of the Year voting back in 2013. He spent two seasons with St. Louis before being traded to Atlanta forJason Heyward in the 2014-15 offseason. The Braves got 33 excellent starts out of Miller in 2015 before trading him to the D-backs in a lopsided blockbuster that sentDansby Swanson — just six months removed from being the No. 1 overall pick in the draft —Ender Inciarte, and former first-rounderAaron Blair back to Atlanta. Miller’s time in Arizona was an injury-plagued nightmare; he pitched to a 6.35 ERA in 139 innings over the course of three seasons before being cut loose.
Miller bounced around the league for several seasons without much success — including a two-inning stint with the 2021 Cubs, where he was tagged for seven runs — but he’s found a second act to his career as a late-inning reliever. Over the past three seasons, he’s suited up for four clubs, including a much more successful return tour with the D-backs in 2025. Since Opening Day ’23, he’s posted a 3.13 ERA with a strong 25.3% strikeout rate, an 8.2% walk rate, 13 saves and 17 holds in 143 2/3 innings.
Last offseason, Miller and the D-backs agreed to a one-year pact that yielded outstanding results. He pitched 36 1/3 innings for Arizona and turned in a dominant 1.98 earned run average with a 28% strikeout rate. The reunion was cut short by a forearm injury, and the Brewers traded for Miller at the deadline while he was still on the 15-day IL.
Miller went on to make 11 appearances with Milwaukee, pitching well in August before making one lone appearance in September. He faced two hitters, allowing both to reach base, and called for a trainer after feeling what he described as a “pop” in his elbow. Miller later told the Brewers’ beat that an internal brace procedure and flexor repair was presented as an option when he was first placed on the injured list with the Diamondbacks. He wanted to continue to try to pitch that season, knowing he’d likely need eventual surgery and that doing so could mean a full Tommy John procedure, which comes with an even longer rehab window than an internal brace.
The Brewers were aware of the risk at the time they traded for Miller, which is why they didn’t send a prospect back to Arizona but rather just took on $2MM of the $22.5MM Arizona was paying left-handerJordan Montgomery last year (while Montgomery was rehabbing his own Tommy John procedure). Miller ultimately had Tommy John surgery in October — the second of his career. His first came during that original run with Arizona.
Miller will turn 36 in October, right around the one-year anniversary of his second UCL reconstruction. He’ll have to go on the Cubs’ 40-man roster when the deal is finalized — players cannot be signed and placed directly on the 60-day injured list — but he’ll move to the 60-day IL as soon as Chicago needs to free up another roster spot. He’ll be 16 months removed from surgery by the time pitchers and catchers report to spring training in 2027 (pending a potential lockout related to the expiring 2022-26 collective bargaining agreement).
86 Comments
Fire stump Merrill!
Because firing a guy who managed the Yankees 35 years ago is the right thing to do here and everybody knows it!
Dumpster divin’ Gene Michael !!!
He put together a pretty good run with the Yankees back in the 90s and early 2000s. I think he managed the Cubs for a little while as well. Good baseball guy.
back for seconds after the 31.50 era with them
You too can hire a broken arm today !
As a GM that has tried this strategy several times in the past, I do not recommend it.
Especially this year.
Baffling.
Why is it baffling to add a reliever for 2027 for $2.5 million?
Because he is 35 years old already with a LOONG injury history. I guess I could get this if he was younger, and I’m not mad at Miller for getting the bag, but this move doesn’t make a ton of sense. 2.5 million is nothing in baseball dollars, but seems like wasted money here.
Sometimes he’s terrible.
Sometimes he’s good
$2.5 won’t matter.
Because the 2027 season is questionable.
But hey, SFG just did the same thing.
So, rehab in 2026 and a lockout in 2027…what dirt does Shelby Miller have on Jed Hoyer?
Funny, i thougt the same thing, but said ownership
Lockout in 2027 ? The owners are going to Lockout the players because there is a group of owners that are angry at another group of owners for spending too much?
That will be an interesting presser…We have decided to lock out the players. Because of a group of selfish owners players salaries are escalating. Some teams have bought more talent than others, and we are going to put a stop to it……..yeah, that’s not gonna work for the players union, salary cap is a non starter.
If MLB wants parity then instead of the current revenue sharing system, reinvent it. All teams open the books and revenue share on all net profits to the extent that every team has a relatively equal revenue stream.
Super League in 2029 as big market teams leave MLB to the mids and smalls.
Didn’t realize that was a trigger for you. Wow.
Sunday, who in their right mind would ever agree to that? You think the Yankees, Mets, dodgers, cubs and Boston should all share an e equal piece of the pie with the transient A’s or the Marlins? Pfff ha!
Sunday Lasagna, the Owners will never open their books because MLB is the only professional league in sports that has an Anti-Trust exemption with the federal government. All the owners of every other sports team wish they had it. They were given a blanket exemption back in 1922 after a lawsuit with the National League that the Supreme Court ruled in their favor. The only lawsuit that defeated it was the Curt Flood act that allowed for players to have free agency. The court gave the players union more power than any sports union. The Owners who have majority power of their team can’t be sued or prosecuted for price-fixing, bid-rigging, or market allocation.
Section 2 prohibits monopolization and attempts to monopolize through exclusionary tactics,so they are excluded from that as well. If the Owners opened their books they’re is a good chance congress would either challenge their exemption in the Supreme Court or create a law forbidding then to be protected from Anti-Trust laws. Remember when baseball all of a sudden got serious about combatting steroids and other drugs? Remember the Mitchell report? Remember all of the players who were called up the hearings about steroids and HGH? This was a tactic used by the Senate that if baseball didn’t start enforcing the illegal use of performance enhancing drugs, the Senate might try to take away Baseball’s Anti-Trust exemption. The value of MLB teams would plummet. This is why being a MLB owner is like belonging to the most most exclusive of club in America. Why do you think Marge Schott was allowed to own the Reds? Not permitting her to own the team would open the MLB Owners to a lawsuit against the Anti-Trust exemption and why would they ever want that?
Contact tolls of no baseball next year so they’d have him in ‘28
Then he doesn’t have to pay him if there’s no season.
The same dirt that Ian Happ has on Jed after he got a full no trade clause included in his last extension. It’s Dexter Morgan levels of dirt that they have on Jed
Looking at bbref, I had no idea he ever pitched for the Pirates.
Whenever you see news of a reclamation project, just assume he’s been through here. I give Miller credit though. Most guys make it the last stop before heading off to Japan
I will say that when this guy first came up to the bigs, I thought he was gonna set the world on fire
Perfect fit.
It wouldn’t be a Cubs offseason without Hoyer paying someone not to play.
He certainly does that often. This signing might have some upside in 2027 depending on how his rehab goes.
Hopefully, he’ll recover enough to hold up a picket sign during the lickout.
Apparently, there was a dumpster near a doctors office
the peskiest, most resilient pitcher to ever do it. Miller will not go away, and I mean this in the most respectful manner.
Shelby…Dansby. Dansby…Shelby.
Mark Prior is tanned and well rested ,Chicago, grab him before the Angels do!
Good move by the cubbies.
Gifted at giving up runs
Ooo! Look at you with the zingers
Guessing it’s a back loaded deal. Low risk flyer by the Cubs.
All right! Let me hear ya! A 1, a 2, a 3…
2016-2025, thats 10 years, his era is 5.41, whip is 1.43
how does he keep getting work??
He’s had one heck of a roller coaster ride of a career. 662 out of 921 career innings came in 4 years. Averages 30 innings per season since he moved to the bullpen which is actually higher than I expected. Results are just as wild with 1.7 ERA up to 10.7 ERA in a season.
he’s had era’s of 6.15, 6.43, 8.59, 9.24, and 10.69
…and a 3.13 ERA over 143 innings for the last three seasons. This is how Jed puts his bullpens together with value signings. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.
Same draft class Trout fell to 25th lol.
This is a strange move. Paying someone who won’t pitch in the 2026 season. Really, what’s the point? I can see a younger guy who’s had success. Yeh, maybe you take a chance.
To get him. For. 2027.
Yeh, I guess. Looking at a 37 year old with a long injury history on the Cubs pitching staff in 27.
Note to anti-Cubs folks pretending here to be Cubs fans: You give yourselves away by referring to “the Cubbies.” No real Cubs fan ever does that.
That depends on if you call Cole wright a cubs fan.
You wouldn’t want to know what I call Cole Wright…
Cole Wright is annoying to hear on Marquee…
I kind of would actually, I may want to call him that too
“Note to anti-Cubs folks pretending here to be Cubs fans: You give yourselves away by referring to “the Cubbies.” No real Cubs fan ever does that.”
Here’s a video of fans at Wrigley chanting “Let’s go Cubbies!”
youtube.com/shorts/VsG7rTznEaY?feature=share
This is a fine strategy as a long shot. Dodgers have done it multiple times. I think almost all them failed though. As long as this isn’t money you could have used on this season!
When the Cubs say they’re all in for 2026, it’s difficult to fathom giving up a 40 man spot for someone who won’t contribute until 27, best case.
And yes, I get the fact he can be placed on 60 day IL before Spring Training ends, but who gets released if we have an opportunity to improve this year?
If he is on the 60 day dl, he doesn’t count toward the 40 man roster.
Can’t be signed directly to 60 day DL.
No, but once they put him there, he isn’t on the 40 man roster anymore.
Thanks, Sammy. I was wrong on the rules.
Ryan Reynolds “but why” gif here?
2.5 per year, so a 5M lottery ticket on next season? Thats a fair gamble. Not a bargain, but not an overpay either.
“Miller is guaranteed $2.5MM over two years but can boost that further based on 2027 incentives.” Probably league minimum in ’26 and $1.72 million in ’27 plus incentives.
I agree but if he earns incentives everyone including the team will be pleased. That part is neutral or slightly positive
Wasteful signing. He should be paying the Cubs!!!
absurd signing
If you want to throw away money cubs, I’ll take $2.5 million off your hands. I might bring more value to your team over Shelby Miller.
This is the ultimate reclamation project. I can’t understand why we are reaching out to Shelby Miller but not to Zac Gallen. Jed, please start worrying about 2026 and not 2027.
Why would you think Jed was going to toss $22 million plus for an SP7?
As I’ve said before…CC wants anybody who’s ever worn a Brewers uniform.
Everybody knows every pitcher had or will have Tommy John Surgery sometime in their career so you might as well sign one who was right in the middle of it and just get it out of the way.
What is the contract offer on the table for Gallen?
Everyone seems to believe there will be no Baseball in 2027 but the reality is that doesn’t benefit either side. The owners took a beating with the fanless 2020 season (and early part of 2021), it’s doubtful they want to lose another season of revenue. And the players won’t get paid at all so there is nothing in it for them either. I think the negotiations will be nasty but i think they will come to an agreement to avoid losing money on both sides
There will be baseball in 2027.
I will take any wager, win, and laugh at all of you who lose.
What would you like to wager?
You name the wager and the specifics.
There will be baseball in 2027. Cash, bitcoin, chocolate bars.
Doesn’t matter. I won’t pay.
There will be baseball in 2027.
If nothing else, college and minor league baseball. If you don’t consider baseball baseball, then you deserve to lose the bet
He was good when he was with the Cards but is always hurt, in a major way. As the police officer says at the train wreck “Move along….there’s nothing here to see”.
That was Frank Drebin in front of the exploding fireworks store.
Poor guy, even his one really good season he turned in a 6-17 record.
Great person hope he can figure it out and continue on with the cubs.
Great person, good pitcher. Should help boost the BP.
Dude needed to retire 5 plus years ago
So they’re signing a pitcher who can’t pitch this year. Please tell me how this makes sense………
To have him in 2027.
Not hard to grasp.
Braves should have signed him . Then traded him to Arizona .
I’m not necessarily a Cowles fan, but it seems to me they could have just put Steele on the 60-day IL to make administrative room for Miller. Steele certainly won’t be ready by late May. I suspect they didn’t do that because they want to flatter Steele’s belief that he could be back by then, and felt that it would “disrespect” Steele to put him on the IL too soon. That is a very Hoyer-esque way of looking at things.
Losing Cowles wouldn’t change an iota of strategy. He’s probably something like IF9 for the Cubs. If he gets claimed, “C’est la vie.”
If unclaimed, he goes to Iowa.
Rummaging through the fringe 38th-42nd guys on a 40 man roster is how executives amuse themselves.
If the Senate and Donald Trump threatened to take away MLB’s Anti-Trust exemption, there would never be a work stoppage. Baseball players would actually make more money if the Owners had to open their accounting books. If the cheap owners decided to threaten this internally to other owners maybe they could avert a strike. If they’re is baseball labour stoppage, it’s because their is a civil war happening internally with all of the ownership groups taking different sides. The way the Dodgers were treated after the Frank McCourt era gave the new ownership group every advantage imaginable compared to other teams. Take one look at their TV contract and you will immediately see the disparity.
Well, since the cubs can’t beat the Brewers, they might as well take all of the Brewer’s rejects(includes the current cub Manager).
Can’t beat them, might as well copy them.
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