3 Brewers free agents who could follow Craig Counsell to the Cubs
By Josh Wilson
Wade Miley would be a nice rotation piece
With Marcus Stroman opting out of his deal with the Cubs and Chicago signaling a move onward from the pitcher who clamored for an extension for much of 2022, Chicago will likely need to bolster their rotation elsewhere. Even if they can find a reunion that makes sense with Stroman, they would be wise to sign another rotation piece.
Stroman was open to a relief role when necessary and could be used in that capacity if they need to clear a rotation spot. Plus, struggles from others like Jameson Taillon could give Chicago pause and need to sign some insurance, regardless of if they re-sign Stroman.
Wade Miley, 36, went 9-4 in 23 starts last year with a 3.14 ERA and 1.139 WHIP. Miley could emulate Stroman in that he forces a lot of ground balls. What he does better than Stroman, though, is keeping batters away from hard hits, allowing them just 31.3 percent of the time (93rd percentile per Statcast).
Also like Stroman, Miley has a great mix of stuff, leaning on a fastball far less than your average starting pitcher. His most-used pitch last year was his cutter (44.3%), followed by his changeup (24.6%).
The cutter performed well with a run value of nine, per Statcast.
Of course, Miley is familiar with Chicago, having pitched with the Cubs in 2022. He only played nine games that year due to injury.