Brewers' hated division rivals continue annoying 2025 trend with latest bullpen signing

At various points throughout the Milwaukee Brewers' NLDS showdown with the Chicago Cubs, the team faced old friends Aaron Civale, Colin Rea, and Drew Pomeranz. Civale was a member of the Brew Crew on Opening Day of the 2025 season, Rea was a rotation staple over the last two seasons, and though Pomeranz hasn't been a Brewer in more than five years, his major impact in just half of a season back in 2019 is enough for fans to remember him in the Crew's old uniforms.

It's perhaps an unsurprising phenomenon, the Cubs picking up former Brewers relievers, when you consider the common thread. Though Civale never played for Craig Counsell in Milwaukee, the other two were favorites of the Brewers' former skipper during his tenure in the Good Land. So, when Chicago was searching for a way to fill out their pitching staff, it's no shock that they turned to two players who their manager was already a fan of. On top of that, it's likely that many of the same philosophies Counsell instilled in regard to building a pitching staff in Milwaukee have carried over to his new front office, making it even less surprising that the two organizations continue to have personnel overlap.

If Brewers fans were hoping that this annoying pattern of watching former Brewers don the jersey of the team's biggest rival was simply a 2025 trend, they will be disappointed to learn who the Cubs just added to their 2026 bullpen. As initially reported by Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, Chicago has agreed to a one-year, $3.75 million deal with left-handed reliever Hoby Milner.

Cubs agree to one-year deal with former Brewers reliever Hoby Milner

The Cubs continue their offseason bullpen makeover by bringing in a crafty left-hander. Milner becomes the third notable relief pitcher Chicago has added to their bullpen since their NLDS loss to the Brewers back in October. He joins Phil Maton, who inked a two-year $14.5 million deal with Chicago -- one of the best contracts handed to a relief pitcher this offseason -- and Colin Snider, who joins Chicago on a minor league deal, but has the track record to suggest he will be a part of the big league bullpen at some point.

Milner was "non-tendered" by the Brewers last offseason, but signed a deal with the Texas Rangers less than a month later. He was excellent in the Rangers' bullpen, posting a 3.84 ERA in a whopping 73 appearances. It was an improvement on his shaky 2024 season that ultimately led to his departure from Milwaukee, but Milner didn't quite reach the sub-2.00 ERA peak that he hit in 2023. Even still, Milner's ability to generate soft contact, as evidenced by a hard-hit rate in the 79th percentile, and avoid handing out free passes, with a career 6.5% walk rate to prove it, makes him a savvy addition to any big league bullpen. Chicago, who is in desperate need of left-handed relief options, becomes the club to reach an agreement, requiring a modest $3.75 million to get the deal done.

Chicago still has a long way to go this offseason, and not just in their bullpen where much of their focus has been through the first six weeks of the offseason. The Cubs still have to decide whether or not they will be replacing Kyle Tucker's bat in their lineup this offseason, and if they will be adding a top-tier starting pitcher to their rotation as their fanbase is expecting. Without a major move or two, it's unlikely the Cubs dethrone the back-to-back-to-back NL Central champion Milwaukee Brewers in 2026.