I was prepared for the unexpected this offseason in regards to the Cubs and MLB in general, but the Cubs' first official move really shocked me, though I see the benefit.
Cubs Get Wade Miley
Lets start with a little background. Apparently the Reds were shopping Miley, trying to find trade options for him, and reportedly talked to all 30 teams regarding him. None showed interest, however, and Miley, who was entering his last year before becoming a free agent, was placed on waivers, open to any team that wanted to sign him (kind of like a free agent, though it's a bit different).
The Reds have been trimming their payroll by trading Barnhart and now getting rid of Miley, and it works out for the Cubs to be on the receiving end of it. The Cubs apparently played it close in "not being interested" in trading for Miley, but as soon as he went up on waivers, they snatched him.
Was this a good move or not? Like I've mentioned before, GM Hawkins has had experience with developing star pitchers (Bauer, Kluber, Bieber and others), and I would expect he would know what to look for and how to get the Cubs pitchers like that.
Miley had a surprising 2021 season, being very dominant and throwing a no-hitter in the course of the year. Overall he posted a 3.37 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP in 163 IP and 28 GS. He had 125 K to 50 BB.
He is a soft-thrower, however, much like Hendricks. He averages 90 MPH with his fastball, and slower than that with his cutter, sinker, slider, changeup and curve. That's mainly what confused me with this signing- the Cubs were clear they wanted to target harder throwers- guys like Gerrit Cole and Jacob deGrom.
He has good production- good strikeouts, not too many homers allowed, and good durability, so maybe the Cubs want him as more a No. 3 starter? Perhaps Mills will not get a rotation spot, and Hendricks and Miley are more No. 3-4 starters? I must admit I'm not too sure.
Getting Miley means the Cubs will pay his 10M 1-year left contract, which they certainly do have the money to spend on that, and also meaning Miley is not intended to be a long-term solution to the Cubs' rotation.
What if, however, the Cubs do not intend to spend big on the rotation? What if they are actually planning to target high-risk, short-term pitchers like Miley as a short-term solution? I think it's a definite possibility. The Cubs very well might spend more on long-term position players, and address the rotation more next year, while still getting decent pitchers to hold up the rotation in 2022.
That means the Cubs will be targeting players like Correa, Taylor, and trade options like Marte or Ramirez. If the whole "rotation going to be a big goal" stuff is just a misleading statement, and the Cubs are going to be spending big on long-term position players, that will change a few things when looking at their offseason goals.
Hawkins might want to get his bearings together in 2022 as the Cubs GM, and focus more on developing star pitchers throughout the season. I think it's a good possibility, and at least it's a change of pace from the same old Cubs news you have been hearing lately.
Cubs Roster Moves
Now, the Cubs made some more roster moves, outrighting INF Trent Giambrone, C Higgins, and SP Sampson. These don't come as too big of a surprise, as Giambrone had an awful season in Triple A, Higgins couldn't handle the MLB stage, and the Cubs are trying to thin out the soft-pitchers like Sampson.
These will all become minor-league free agents, which the Cubs could sign back. Out of all of them to sign back, I can see Higgins the most. It's good to have catching depth in your farm system, and he could possibly be a trade piece.
That brings the current roster down to 34, and they will keep trimming the roster to make room for FA, prospects, etc.
That's all for today, folks, and I must say I appreciate all of your support for Cubbies Gazette! Keep it up and follow Cubbies Gazette for the latest Cubs News!
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