Chicago Cubs Acquire Alec Mills From the Kansas City Royals, Another High Upside SP
The Chicago Cubs added more starting pitching depth and upside when they acquired Alec Mills from the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday night.
It was not long ago when starting pitching depth was a major concern I had for the Chicago Cubs. Their one through four of Jon Lester, Kyle Hendricks, Jake Arrieta and John Lackey is rock solid, but there are a lot of questions marks after that.
Instead of spending big in free agency or giving up a ton in a trade, the Cubs have added to their stock of pitching depth with strong low-cost, high-upside moves. It started with the Cubs signing Brett Anderson to an incentive-laden deal, and continued when they acquired former top prospect Eddie Butler from the Colorado Rockies last week.
On Wednesday night, the Cubs took another shot at upside, trading for 25-year-old right-handed pitcher Alec Mills from the Kansas City Royals. Mills was a surprising DFA choice by the Royals earlier in the day, as they had to make room on their roster for former Cubs pitcher Jason Hammel.
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The Royals had 10 days to find a trade partner for Mills, but it only took a handful of hours. The Cubs sensed another great buy-low opportunity and pounced.
Mills had a cup of coffee in the big leagues with the Royals in 2016, but is particularly interesting because of his recent minor league success. In 2015, he posted a 3.02 ERA and 2.09 FIP in 21 starts at the Advanced-A level. He continued his success last season in Double-A, posting a 2.39 ERA and 2.13 FIP in 12 starts.
Mills did struggle a bit at the Triple-A level (4.19 ERA in 12 appearances), but his lengthy success prior to that makes his Triple-A numbers look like the exception.
The right-handed pitcher throws four pitches at a high level; a fastball, change-up, curveball and slider. Mills shows incredible control and command over each of his pitches and does a great job of working down in the zone. He is the kind of guy who pitching coach Chris Bosio should be able to lead to success.
There is a lot to like about Mills on the mound, but he is an analytical darling as well. He was ranked as the 90th best prospect in baseball according to Dan Szymborski’s ZiPS model. ZiPS is a purely analytical-based system that looks at the advanced stats to project a player going forward. Mills ranking well in ZiPS is undoubtedly a good sign.
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The Royals giving up on Mills seems odd, but the Chicago Cubs we smart in being ready to capitalize. They did give up former second-round pick, outfielder Donnie Dewees in the trade. Dewees is a legitimate prospect who has some value, but an upper-level arm like Mills is much for valuable to the Cubs at this time.
Mills is unlikely to begin the season in the big leagues, but he is a talented pitcher who will provide quality depth for the team. This is another low-cost, high-reward deal that is a major win for the Chicago Cubs.