Cubs Sign Hoby Milner to Strengthen Bullpen

The Chicago Cubs have signed left-handed reliever Hoby Milner to a one-year deal worth 3.75 million dollars, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. This contract includes additional incentives. Milner, 34 years old, has played for five different clubs over nine major-league seasons, with his longest tenure being four years with the Milwaukee Brewers, where he pitched from 2021 to 2023 under current Cubs manager David Ross.

In 2023, Milner had the best season of his career, recording a 1.82 ERA over 73 appearances. Although he has not been as dominant in the previous two seasons, posting a 4.27 ERA with the Brewers and Rangers, he has maintained an impressive groundball rate.

The Cubs have also added right-handed reliever Phil Maton to a two-year contract worth 14.5 million dollars and recently signed right-hander Collin Snider to a minor-league deal. As the Cubs enhance their bullpen, they are expected to explore a variety of relievers on one-year and minor-league contracts, especially after the recent signing of Robert Suarez by the Braves, which concluded the top tier of the free-agent reliever market.