Cubs Hire Steve Miller as New VP of International Scouting

Some people call him the space cowboy; some call him the gangster of love. Some people call him Maurice, ’cause he speaks of the pompatus of love. But now they call Steve Miller the Cubs’ new VP of international scouting after serving in a similar role for the Rays since 2019. Francys Romero was the first to report that Miller had taken the money and run to a jet airliner bound for Chicago, not long after Jeff Passan reported that Jared Banner had left to take the Orioles’ long-vacant GM job.

While the timing of the moves may be slightly more than coincidental, it should not be assumed that Miller is a direct replacement for Banner. As noted in the linked piece from earlier today, Jed Hoyer will likely be reshaping his front office in order to produce necessary changes in player evaluation and development at both the amateur and professional levels.

Even without knowing too much about Miller, the easy assumption is that it’s never a bad idea to hire someone away from the Rays. After all, it worked out pretty well for the Cubs the last time they made a high-profile addition from Tampa. Do you think Jed Hoyer showed up at the door of Miller’s RV with a bottle of wine?

What we know for certain is that Miller served as a coach at Central Missouri State University for several years after graduating from Huntingdon College in 1993. He was a Southeast and South regional cross-checker and Texas and Midwest area supervisor for the Jays from 2006-13 before joining the Rays as an international cross-checker. He was promoted to director of international scouting in 2019, a role he held until the Cubs plucked him away.

I spoke with a former scout who worked with Miller in the Blue Jays organization and praised him as “the best” and an “absolute grinder.” Miller also apparently lives in Chicago, so maybe he didn’t have to fly like an eagle to get to his new job after all. Expect to hear more about front office shuffling on the North Side in the coming days.