The Chicago Cubs have already made marked improvement to their pitching staff this winter.
By trading for Eli Morgan in the early part of the offseason and then adding previous first-round pick Phil Bickford, they have added much needed arms to a unit that has struggled the past two years.
Then, they handed a contract to Matthew Boyd to boost their rotation. It's not a move that will blow anyone away, but it adds a veteran depth piece who can provide good outings and eat up innings over the course of the season.
At this point, the Cubs seem to be searching for a high-profile player.
While they don't seem to be active towards the top of the free agency market, they were the center of attention when it looked like they were going to pull off a trade to bring in Kyle Tucker from the Houston Astros.
Talks seem to have calmed a bit on that front, but with Cody Bellinger's seemingly impending move back at the forefront, Chicago continues to be one of the most active front offices in the league.
The Tucker and Bellinger deals are what people are talking about, but behind the scenes, it seems like the Cubs are working towards adding yet another bullpen arm to the mix.
"The Cubs haven't hidden their plans to add more pitching. Both the starting rotation and bullpen are areas where the Cubs want to — at minimum — create much more depth ... There is a need for more certainty when it comes to their left-handed relievers. Sources said one reliever who has received real interest from the Cubs is former Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Hoby Milner," insiders Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic report.
It's hard to understate the Craig Counsell connection here.
Since he took over as manager in Chicago, the thought of him reuniting with his past players is something that's been brought up on numerous occasions by pundits and analysts alike.
Hoby Milner would certainly be an interesting option.
The eight-year veteran resurrected his career with the Milwaukee Brewers under Counsell, going from a 6.50-plus ERA in all of the previous three seasons to immediately posting a 5.40 in his first year with the Brewers.
While that number is nothing to write home about, he continued to get better.
In 2022, Milner appeared in 67 games and posted a 3.76 ERA and 107 ERA+.
He followed that up with the best season of his career the following year with a sizzling 1.82 ERA and 238 ERA+ across his 73 outings.
Keep an eye on how this develops for the Cubs.
With a want and need to bring in more bullpen arms, specifically left-handers, Counsell might push to add someone he knows well.
