Cubs Release Hoby Milner

The Cubs have released reliever Hoby Milner, per his MLB.com transactions log. The club initially placed him on waivers last week, then designated him for assignment. Milner passed through waivers unclaimed and is free to sign with another team. Chicago signed Milner to a one-year, $3.75MM deal over the winter. The team is on the hook for the remaining money. If Milner signs elsewhere, his new team will only owe him the prorated league minimum, which is subtracted from the Cubs’ figure. The veteran lefty didn’t attract any suitors as a waiver claim, but could garner interest now that he will be cheaper. The 35-year-old Milner hit the injured list at the end of June for an appendectomy. The lefty began a rehab assignment in late July and was DFAed after it concluded. He was pitching well at Triple-A, posting a 2.53 ERA across 10 games. Milner was having a solid season with the Cubs before heading to the injured list. His 3.53 ERA doesn’t tell the whole story. Milner was annihilated for six earned runs while recording one out in an 18-3 loss to the Giants. He gave up eight earned runs combined in his other 37 appearances. Milner’s success was spurred by a .261 batting average on balls in play. He needed some good fortune on contact given his career-low 12.1% strikeout rate. Chicago’s rampant injury issues in the bullpen thrust Milner into a high-leverage role. He picked up six holds and the second save of his career over the first three months of the year. The bullpen got reinforcements while Milner was out, with Daniel Palencia getting healthy and Aaron Civale and Ryan Zeferjahn coming over via trades. The club decided it didn’t need to add Milner back to the mix when his rehab ended. Milner’s fastball rarely cracks 90 mph, but his soft-tossing approach has helped him rack up appearances. The Brewers leaned on him frequently from 2022 to 2024. Milner averaged 67 appearances per year in that span. The Rangers ran him out there 73 times last season, which matched a career high. He was well on his way to another heavy volume campaign before the appendectomy. Consistent availability could be attractive to a contender dealing with bullpen concerns down the stretch. Photo courtesy of David Banks, Imagn Images View Comments (0)