Cubs sign veteran Miller as potential rotation depth originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
The Cubs' search for starting pitching depth has brought them to a familiar NL Central face.
The Cubs have agreed to a minor league deal with former Cardinals and Brewers starter Shelby Miller, according to MLB.com's Mark Feinsand.
The deal is worth $875K if Miller, 30, makes the Opening Day roster, and includes $600K in possible performance bonuses.
The Cubs had shown interest in Miller early in his career, and he's bounced around after a promising debut with the Cardinals. The right-hander pitched three seasons in St. Louis (2012-14), where he posted a 3.33 ERA in 69 games (63 starts).
The Cardinals dealt Miller to the Braves in the 2014-15 offseason and he had a career year in 2015 with Atlanta, making his lone All-Star team. Atlanta dealt him to Arizona after the '15 season, though he made just 29 appearances (28 starts) with the Diamondbacks from 2016-18 with a 6.35 ERA.
Miller underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2017, returning briefly in June 2018 before right elbow inflammation sidelined him until that September. After struggling with the Rangers in 2019, the Brewers signed him to a minor league deal last February, though he opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19.
Miller is a low-risk addition for the Cubs, whose rotation has faced significant upheaval this offseason. They traded Yu Darvish to the Padres, and Jon Lester, Tyler Chatwood and José Quintana are free agents — with only Lester, if anyone, likely to return.
The rotation is currently projected to include Kyle Hendricks, Zach Davies, Alec Mills and Adbert Alzolay, with prospects Brailyn Marquez, Cory Abbott and Tyson Miller in the pipeline.
The Cubs released Colin Rea earlier this month so he could pursue an opportunity in Japan.
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