Shelby Miller’s baseball journey has taken plenty of twists and turns, but now he’s back in the NL Central-this time wearing Cubbie blue.
The Chicago Cubs have agreed to a multi-year major league deal with the veteran right-hander, bringing Miller back to Wrigleyville for a second stint. While his first go-round in 2021 amounted to just two innings, this one figures to be more substantial. And for those keeping score at home, that’s now four NL Central teams Miller has suited up for: the Cardinals, Pirates, Brewers, and now the Cubs.
It’s a full-circle moment for a pitcher who once looked like the future ace of the division.
Back in the early 2010s, Miller was one of the brightest young arms in the game. A first-round pick by the St.
Louis Cardinals in 2009, he was the crown jewel of a farm system that was churning out elite pitching talent year after year. When he made his big-league debut in 2012, he flashed the kind of electric stuff that had scouts buzzing.
And by 2013, he wasn’t just a promising rookie-he was one of the best young starters in baseball. That season, Miller went 15-9 with a 3.06 ERA over 31 starts, helping lead a loaded Cardinals team to the National League pennant.
Miller was part of a wave of young arms that included Michael Wacha, Carlos Martínez, Lance Lynn, and Trevor Rosenthal-names that defined a dominant era of Cardinals pitching. He was supposed to be a long-term fixture in St. Louis.
But baseball careers rarely follow a straight line.
After the tragic passing of outfielder Oscar Taveras in 2014, the Cardinals made a bold move to fill the void in their lineup, trading Miller to the Atlanta Braves for Jason Heyward. The deal was a win-now swing for St.
Louis, and while it stung to lose a young arm like Miller, he continued to shine in Atlanta. In 2015, he posted a 3.02 ERA across 205.1 innings, proving he could be a frontline starter in the National League.
Then came another blockbuster: Miller was traded to Arizona in a deal that sent top prospect Dansby Swanson to the Braves. But his time with the Diamondbacks was derailed by a freak injury, and from there, his career took a detour. The once-promising starter battled inconsistency, injuries, and stints in the minors, trying to rediscover the form that once made him an All-Star.
Over the past few seasons, though, Miller has quietly reinvented himself as a reliever-a role that’s breathed new life into his career. In 2025, he split time between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Milwaukee Brewers, showing enough to earn another shot at a consistent bullpen role. Now, the Cubs are betting on that resurgence, locking him into a multi-year deal that signals real confidence in what he can bring to their bullpen.
For Chicago, this isn’t just a depth signing. It’s a calculated move to add a veteran presence with high-leverage experience and a chip on his shoulder. Miller may not be the flame-throwing phenom he was in 2013, but he’s adapted, found a second act, and carved out a place in today’s game.
And for Miller? It’s another chapter in a career that’s seen just about everything-from top prospect to trade centerpiece, from injury setbacks to bullpen revival. Now, at 35, he’s back in the NL Central, ready to make an impact in a division he knows all too well.