Cubs Sign Miller to 2-Year $2.5 Million Contract

Chicago Cubs have agreed to a two-year, $2.5 million major league contract with veteran right-handed reliever Shelby Miller, who is expected to miss the entire 2026 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery, according to a person familiar with the agreement.

The deal, reported Friday and pending a physical, positions Miller to join the Cubs' bullpen in 2027 after rehabilitation. The 35-year-old underwent his second ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction in October 2025, following an elbow injury sustained late in the season. This surgery, combined with a prior forearm strain, will keep him sidelined through next year, but the multiyear commitment allows the Cubs to oversee his recovery closely. Miller can be placed on the 60-day injured list, preserving flexibility on the 40-man roster without impacting the 2026 active lineup.

Miller's 2025 season highlighted his resurgence as a reliever before injuries derailed it. He began the year with the Arizona Diamondbacks, where he appeared in 37 games and posted a 1.98 earned run average over 36 1/3 innings, earning 10 saves and stepping in as interim closer amid injuries to other pitchers. Traded to the Milwaukee Brewers at the...