Obvious Cubs late-season DFA target emerges in wake of Dansby Swanson injury

The Chicago Cubs were moving all kinds of pieces around ahead of the Crosstown Classic series opener on Monday night. Among the team's roster moves, Dansby Swanson was placed on the IL and Owen Miller was called up from Triple-A Iowa for added infield depth.

Miller signed a minor-league deal with the Cubs last offseason and played for Craig Counsell in Milwaukee back in 2023. As a short-term, stop-gap measure, fine. He's put up big numbers at Iowa this season, slashing .296/.350/.457 in more than 400 plate appearances, while also playing first, second, third, shortstop, left and right.

But in the background, the New York Mets designated Gabriel Arias for assignment (opening a spot for former Cubs fan favorite Christopher Morel in the process) - and he represents a clear upgrade over Miller, at least in terms of defense, which has been the backbone of this team through all the ups and downs of the 2026 campaign.

With Matt Shaw's return approaching, Chicago may prefer to prioritize defense in the short-term, especially with David Peterson's (likely) return to the rotation with Edward Cabrera headed back to the IL. Counsell plans on going with Nico Hoerner at shortstop and Pedro Ramirez at second with Swanson sidelined, so Arias would be the backup for Hoerner for the time being.

Cubs are in a good position to handle the loss of Dansby Swanson

A prolonged loss of Swanson during the final weeks of the regular season could have been a death knell for the team in the not-so-distant past. In 2024, the Cubs would have been forced to turn to Miles Mastrobuoni or Nick Madrigal. Even last year, we're talking Willi Castro, Nicky Lopez or Vidal Bruján.

Having Ramirez, who's enjoying a breakout rookie season, and Shaw in the mix is a huge upgrade (even knowing that means Hoerner is sliding over to short). Both are above-average offensive players with impressive versatility, which allows Counsell to keep his defensive flexibility across the roster. Anything behind that is just a bonus - which is what Arias could be for the Cubs if they choose to prioritize him in the coming days.

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