Why Hoby Milner is an important early move for the Cubs

Jerome Miron - USA Today Sports

Dustin Riese · Senior Writer · 8 hours ago

To no one's surprise, the Chicago Cubs' offseason has gotten off to a slow start, similar to the past few. With Phil Maton being the lone free agent signing apart from retaining their own players, the Cubs entered the Winter Meetings hopeful to make some moves that could further improve their roster.

Despite another Winter Meeting coming and going and the Cubs once again failing to land a big fish, there remains optimism surrounding the organization as the Cubs remain linked to plenty of big fish, with Jed Hoyer having the confidence that a big move is coming. During his press conference in Orlando, Hoyer indicated that his team was still in the market for relief pitching, as the Cubs only have three guaranteed players under contract for their bullpen.

Well, you can make that four pitchers as the Cubs and left-hander Hoby Milner came to terms on a one-year contract, worth 3.7 million plus incentives. Milner may not be considered one of the better relievers on the market, but he is a left-hander, which the Cubs needed, and he has familiarity with Craig Counsell, who was his manager during his time with the Milwaukee Brewers.

Like Maton, Milner spent last season with the Texas Rangers, but is coming off a down year, whereas Maton was as reliable as ever. Milner is also one of those guys who comes with plenty of deception, and the Cubs are looking at this as another reclamation project, one they have had plenty of success with.

Not a hard thrower by any means, Milner tends to sit in the 90-91 MPH range with his fastball, but it's his unique delivery that has always made him tough to hit. While he may not be an elite strikeout guy, what makes Milner so successful is his ability to produce plenty of bad contact while also posting some of the better ground ball rates in the game.

Those are the types of players the Cubs have fallen in love with in the past few seasons, and considering who the Cubs have defensively, pitching to contact is equally as good as striking people out. Entering what will be his age-35 season in 2026, Milner has been around since 2017, appearing in 367 games during that time.

In those games, Milner has posted a 13-9 mark with a respectable 3.82 ERA, which is all you can ask for from a veteran reliever. 2025 would be considered a down year for Milner, but with a 3.84 ERA in 73 games, it was far from a bad season as he continued to be counted on in plenty of situations.

Seeing Milner land on the Cubs shouldn't be a surprise, as he was linked to the Cubs last season when he became a free agent. That never came to fruition, as he latched on with the Rangers last season and performed the role he had been in. Now a free agent again this season, it was only a matter of time before Milner latched on with the Cubs, and that has become a reality this week as he will have a chance to make north of five million with his incentives tied in.

What makes this such a logical signing for the Cubs is the fact that they needed more relievers to add to their bullpen, while also having a need for at least one lefty. Milner fills those boxes and has experience with Counsell. During his three years in Milwaukee, Milner had moments when he was one of the game's best, but also moments of struggle.

The 2023 season was when he was at his best, posting a 1.82 ERA across 73 games that season while emerging as the Brewers' most trusted left-handed option that year. Even if his numbers the past two seasons haven't been anywhere near his 2023 numbers, Milner continues to prove he is one of the more valuable left-handers in the game, as this is a nice addition for the Cubs.

Adding him to the pen solves the Cubs' lack of a left-hander for the time being while also adding an experienced and versatile arm that can pitch in a variety of roles. As good as Drew Pomeranz and Caleb Thielbar were last season, there is no guarantee that either of them come back, and if they do, you have to consider the likelihood of a regression.

Milner, at the very least, gives the Cubs an insurance policy should neither of them come back. At the same time, his familiarity with Counsell is an added bonus, as Counsell will know what positions to put him in to make him successful. All in all, this has to be considered a B-level signing for the Cubs, as Milner isn't an elite arm but is also far from the worst on the market.