Cubs Actually Signed Another Free Agent Reliever to a Multi-Year Contract
Who says Jed Hoyer hates signing relievers to multi-year contracts, he’s done it twice this offseason! This one has a definite eye toward the future because veteran right-hander Shelby Miller is going to miss most of the 2026 season as the 35-year-old will be rehabbing from Tommy John surgery.
Robert Murray reported the signing on Friday. Fun fact, Miller’s multi-year contract with the Cubs puts him into an exclusive list of free agent relievers.
According to Jesse Rogers, Miller earn at least $2.5 million over the two-year deal with the Cubs. No doubt that he’ll have the chance to earn more in incentives when he comes back next season.
In 2025, Miller began the season with the Arizona Diamondbacks and he was one of bullpen arms in baseball before his first stint on the injured list. In his first 37 appearances Miller recorded a 1.98 ERA with 40 strikeouts in 36.1 innings. He was so good that despite being on the injured list at the trade deadline the Milwaukee Brewers struck a deal to acquire Miller from the Diamondbacks.
After being sidelined for a month Miller returned to the mound on Aug. 9, for the Brewers. The veteran made 11 relief outings for Milwaukee, but his there was obviously something off with his arm and he was shut down in early September after he failed to get an out against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Miller was placed on the injured list for the second time in 2025, with an elbow strain that ended his season in October the right-handed pitcher underwent Tommy John surgery. Unfortunately, that was Miller’s second Tommy John surgery as the previous one limited him to four starts in 2017, before he went under the knife.
At one point of his career Miller seemed destined to become a star pitcher after a few solid years with the St. Louis Cardinals and then an All-Star Game nomination in 2015 with the Atlanta Braves. The righty was a full-time starting pitcher from 2013-18, but it took him a while to get back on track after his first Tommy John surgery.
Miller was actually with the Cubs for a brief time during the 2021 season, but he only made three appearances and was then placed on the injured list with a back strain. He was sent on a rehab assignment to Triple-A and his time in the organization came to an end when he was released by the Cubs on May 31.
He had minimal MLB time after his Cubs tenure, but then Miller resurfaced in a major way in 2023 with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Miller posted a 1.71 ERA in 42 innings. That led to an up and down 2024 campaign with the Detroit Tigers and then his bounce back season between the Diamondbacks and Brewers in 2025.
Overall, the last three years give you some optimism on Miller’s future performance with the Cubs once he comes back in 2027.
Shelby Miller as RP (2023-25)
2023: 41 IP, 1.76 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 25.8 K%
2024: 55.2 IP, 4.53 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 21.8 K%
2025: 46 IP, 2.74 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 29.0 K%
Fingers crossed that all goes well in Miller’s rehab in 2026, and hopefully he’ll be good to go in 2027.