The Chicago Cubs are leaving fans scratching their heads with their decision to designate right-hander Tyson Miller for assignment, even after activating him from the 60-day injured list. It’s a bit of a puzzler, considering that Miller had been on a rehab assignment and seemed on the mend from his previous injuries. Yet, the Cubs have opted not to bring him back into the fold, thereby keeping their 40-man roster fully intact.
Now, let’s rewind a bit. Tyson Miller, a player now entering his 9th year, found his way to the Cubs’ clubhouse after being traded from the Mariners last May. Seattle had previously designated him for assignment, a move the Cubs capitalized on. And boy, did Miller deliver. He wrapped up the 2024 season with an impressive 2.32 ERA over 62 innings when combining his Mariners and Cubs performances. He was striking out 23% of those who dared step into the batter’s box while only handing out walks to a mere 4.7% of them.
Fast forward to 2025, and Miller hasn’t had much of a shot to replicate or build on last year’s success. During the MLB venture to Japan, Miller tagged along with the Cubs but didn’t get the call to the mound for the Tokyo Series major league games. Shortly after, a hip impingement sidelined him right before the domestic Opening Day. The injury list became his new home as he was moved to the 60-day IL in mid-May to make way for Moises Ballesteros on the roster.
In recent times, Miller’s made strides back onto the field, showing up for a rehab stint with a 2.77 ERA over 13 innings in Triple-A. However, there’s a catch. His performance here features a less-than-stellar 19% strikeout rate and a concerning 15.5% walk rate, numbers that don’t quite jump off the stat sheet. Adding to the intrigue, his fastball’s been clocked at an average of 88.6 mph, a slight dip from last year’s 89.6 mph. But hey, let’s not forget this is a guy still shaking off the rust after a lengthy absence from the mound.
The kicker? Miller is out of options, a predicament shared by nearly every arm in the Cubs’ bullpen. Daniel Palencia, the team’s newly anointed closer, remains the only one who could be sent down to the minors, but he’s a critical piece right now and not on the chopping block.
The solution, it seems, was to let Miller go into DFA purgatory, a process that could stretch up to a week. During this time, the Cubs will have 48 hours to navigate the waiver landscape, potentially exploring trade interest in the meantime. Given Miller’s accomplishments last year, there’s a decent chance another club might roll the dice on him, especially one with a bullpen a tad more flexible. Financially, it’s a low-risk gamble for potential suitors since Miller remains under club control without yet reaching arbitration eligibility. Wherever he lands, if he sticks, they could hold onto him for the remainder of the season and up to four more.
So, while this move may seem a bit of a head-scratcher to some, in the chess game that is baseball roster management, the Cubs are making their move. The question now is, what role will Miller play in another team’s strategy? Only time will tell.
