With a 39-47 record, the Chicago Cubs are 12 games behind in the NL Central and 5.5 games back in the Wild Card race. As the MLB trade deadline approaches, the Cubs might need to consider selling.
If they do, Cody Bellinger would be their most valuable trade asset. However, relief pitcher Tyson Miller is also attracting significant attention, according to Will Sammon, Patrick Mooney, and Katie Woo of The Athletic.
The Cubs reacquired Miller from the Seattle Mariners in early May, reuniting with the player they originally drafted in 2016. Miller has impressed with a 1.53 ERA and a 16/3 K/BB ratio over 16 appearances in 2024, becoming a key figure in the Cubs’ bullpen.
Miller showed promise with the Mariners earlier in 2024, posting a 3.09 ERA over his first nine appearances. Despite a career 4.62 ERA and playing for five teams, Miller has found a resurgence with the Cubs. He aims to prove his strong start isn’t a fluke.
“It took a little while to try and find myself as a pitcher over the years,” Miller said. “With new teams, it’s people telling you, ‘Try this. Try that. We don’t like this pitch.’ I’m just trying to figure out who I am as a pitcher. The Mariners helped show that.”
The Cubs must now decide whether to trade Miller. While they’d prefer to keep him, his trade value might be too high to ignore.
Trading Miller would allow the Cubs to improve their farm system, which already features seven players in MLB Pipeline’s top 100. Miller, set to become a free agent after the season, could attract a bidding war, maximizing his trade value.
With relief pitching in high demand at the trade deadline, Miller’s name is likely to surface in trade discussions. The Cubs face a tough decision, but if Miller continues to perform well, they might have no choice but to trade him.
