The Cubs signed lefty reliever Trever Miller to a minor league deal, tweets ESPN's Jayson Stark. The deal includes a spring training invite, and the Praver/Shapiro client will make $800K if he's in the big leagues.
Miller, 38, posted a 3.80 ERA, 5.1 K/9, 5.1 BB/9, 0.84 HR/9, and 38% groundball rate in 21 1/3 innings for the Cardinals, Blue Jays, and Red Sox in 2011. Miller began 2011 with the Cards and was traded to Toronto as part of the July Colby Rasmus–Edwin Jackson–Marc Rzepczynski–Octavio Dotel eight-player deal. His inclusion was mostly a salary dump, as the Jays designated him for assignment less than a month later. After Miller was released, then-Red Sox GM Theo Epstein signed him to a minor league deal. Epstein is now the Cubs' president of baseball operations.
The Cubs' trade of Sean Marshall to the Reds created an opportunity in their bullpen for lefty relievers, especially if Travis Wood makes the Opening Day rotation. The Cubs also have lefties Jeff Beliveau, John Gaub, Scott Maine, and James Russell on their 40-man roster. Aside from Miller, the Cubs' non-roster invitees include Justin Berg, Manny Corpas, Rodrigo Lopez, Jason Jaramillo, and Bobby Scales.
After the Miller signing, the free agent market for left-handed relievers still includes Mike Gonzalez, Arthur Rhodes, and Hong-Chih Kuo, among others.
