Cubs steal under-the-radar exec from World Series bound Rays in intriguing front office move

The Tampa Bay Rays are headed to the World Series and on the same day they defeated the Cleveland Guardians in Game 6 of the ALCS, the Chicago Cubs poached an executive from Tampa Bay's front office that should add a needed new voice into the organization.

The Cubs have named Steve Miller as their new vice president, and he will be overseeing the international scouting department. Miller held the same position with the Rays since 2019, and became a vital piece of their front office and an influence on the roster that will now face the Milwaukee Brewers in the World Series.

Cubs make a smart front office gamble by stealing talent from the Rays

In terms of international free-agent signings, the Cubs have struggled in that area over the past decade. Meanwhile, the Rays have been among the best in baseball when it comes to developing international prospects. Look no further than their current crop of prospects, and the number of international prospects that FanGraphs placed a grade of 35+ FV on.

For reference, the first eleven prospects in the Cubs' system ranked by MLB Pipeline were all drafted. International free agency has been a weakness for how this current iteration of the front office operates, and what better way to start the improvement than by hiring someone from the Rays.

It's one of those hires that may go unnoticed right now, but a few years from now, if the Cubs starting hitting on their international free agents, we will look back at this moment.

Miller's reported arrival came on the same day that the Cubs lost Jared Banner to the Baltimore Orioles. If nothing else, there will be new voices in the front office. Considering how it seems the front office has grown stale under Jed Hoyer and Co., new voices under Hoyer would be the silver lining.

It remains to be seen if there will be larger changes to the front office this offseason. Carter Hawkins was believed to be a rising candidate for a role overseeing his own front office, but there's been little movement on that front. The looming lockout on December 2 could be thwarting front office changes, considering the timing that would be involved with making a change of that scale. Same for the coaching staff, as Ryan Flaherty has been a popular managerial candidate in recent years, but has yet to be strongly connected to the openings with the Mariners or Astros.

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