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Cubs Add Wade Miller
By Mike Maguire | Feb 08, 6:18 AM
I know it, you know it, and the Chicago Cubs know it; you can never have too much pitching. The Cubbies added another arm on Monday by signing 29-year old right hander, Wade Miller. Miller spent last season battling injuries in Boston, spending a good chunk of the season on the DL and pitching only 91 innings. In Miller, the Cubs have another project coming back from a shoulder injury, and another pitcher who is not projected to be ready to go on opening day.
Miller broke on the scene with the Houston Astros in 1999 and was a thorn in the side of the Cubs for many years. Miller has a career record of 62-43 to go with a 3.98 lifetime era. He had been a very dependable starter before his shoulder injury, posting a .500 or better record in all but one of his major league seasons. He was 4-4 with a 4.95 era during his injury plagued stop in 'bean town' last year.
The Cubs acquired Miller for a song (relatively speaking, of course). Miller signed a one year contract for $1 million dollars, and could earn another $1 in incentives based on the number of starts he is able to make.
Doctors predict that Miller will be ready to go sometime in May. Mr. Miller is hungry, he has a lot to prove, and he is at a critical juncture in his career. Jim Hendry and the Cubs have high hopes for Miller, and at the very least, Miller is expected to compete for a starting spot with Jerome Williams or Glendon Rusch as soon as he is healthy.
Given the amount of time Cubs pitchers have spent in the trainer's room the last few seasons, Miller might not have to compete much at all to get his chance. The move also opens up the possibility of using Kerry Wood out of the bullpen, if the Texas fire-baller is unable to get it together as a starter. Wood is also due to begin his season sometime in May.
The last guy with a shoulder problem that the Cubs took a chance on worked out pretty well for the ball club. The Cubs grabbed Ryan Dempster off of the injury scrap heap and he has flourished as the team's closer.
Nice Work, Jim Hendry. I believe that Wade Miller has the talent to be entrenched in the rotation by June. At the very least, Miller is accomplished enough and still young enough to have some trade value no matter what, if the Cubs need offensive help before the trading deadline.
Miller broke on the scene with the Houston Astros in 1999 and was a thorn in the side of the Cubs for many years. Miller has a career record of 62-43 to go with a 3.98 lifetime era. He had been a very dependable starter before his shoulder injury, posting a .500 or better record in all but one of his major league seasons. He was 4-4 with a 4.95 era during his injury plagued stop in 'bean town' last year.
The Cubs acquired Miller for a song (relatively speaking, of course). Miller signed a one year contract for $1 million dollars, and could earn another $1 in incentives based on the number of starts he is able to make.
Doctors predict that Miller will be ready to go sometime in May. Mr. Miller is hungry, he has a lot to prove, and he is at a critical juncture in his career. Jim Hendry and the Cubs have high hopes for Miller, and at the very least, Miller is expected to compete for a starting spot with Jerome Williams or Glendon Rusch as soon as he is healthy.
Given the amount of time Cubs pitchers have spent in the trainer's room the last few seasons, Miller might not have to compete much at all to get his chance. The move also opens up the possibility of using Kerry Wood out of the bullpen, if the Texas fire-baller is unable to get it together as a starter. Wood is also due to begin his season sometime in May.
The last guy with a shoulder problem that the Cubs took a chance on worked out pretty well for the ball club. The Cubs grabbed Ryan Dempster off of the injury scrap heap and he has flourished as the team's closer.
Nice Work, Jim Hendry. I believe that Wade Miller has the talent to be entrenched in the rotation by June. At the very least, Miller is accomplished enough and still young enough to have some trade value no matter what, if the Cubs need offensive help before the trading deadline.
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