The Cubs have a new left-handed reliever:
This seems a signing well in line with Jed Hoyer’s practice of recent years — sign a mid-range reliever who’s had some success in the past and hope to make something out of him, as the Cubs did in 2025 with Caleb
Thielbar and Drew Pomeranz.
Milner, like Pomeranz, has a history with manager Craig Counsell. He pitched for the Brewers from 2021-24, so spent three years with Counsell in Milwaukee. One of those years (2023) was outstanding, as Milner posted a 1.82 ERA and 0.964 WHIP, good for 1.7 bWAR. The other two seasons Milner pitched for Counsell weren’t nearly as good.
Overall, Milner has a 3.82 career ERA in 367 games covering 341.1 innings, with 321 strikeouts and only 94 walks. He also has a history of keeping the ball in the ballpark (39 career HR allowed). He spent 2025 with the Rangers, posting a 3.84 ERA and 1.265 WHIP, with five home runs allowed in 70.1 innings.
Milner has a funky sidearm motion. Here are five minutes of Milner highlights from 2025:
The Cubs have not officially announced this signing but here we have some numbers for Milner:
The deal reportedly includes incentives that could raise the total to $4 million.
Milner turns 35 next month. At the right price this is probably a good signing. Once it’s official, there will be 32 players on the Cubs’ 40-man roster.
