Miller To Sign With Cubs

ESPNChicago.com is reporting that the Cubs are close to signing first baseman Kevin Millar to a minor league deal. Kevin will agree to a one year minor league deal with the Cubs according to an email he sent to ESPN. The deal will include an invite to Cubs' minor league camp, so Kevin could join the mix competing for a bench spot in Spring Training.

Hendry has been very busy adding guys that could add depth to what at first look to be a weak Cubs bench in 2010. So far this winter, they've dumped Aaron Miles and Jake Fox but added Brian LaHair, Kevin Millar, Chad Tracy, and Xavier Nady to the mix that already included Mike Fontenot, Jeff Baker, Micah Hoffpauir, Koyie Hill, Sam Fuld, and Andres Blanco. Miles, by the way, was traded today for the second time this offseason. The Cubs sent him to the A's along with Fox for pitcher Jeff Gray, and his stayed in Oakland was short lived as he returns to the NL Central to play for the Reds.

Also, the series of minor league deals with first basemen (LaHair, Tracy, and now Millar) indicates that the Cubs do not have too much confidence in Hoffpauir. I like the fact that everyone will have to earn a spot on the roster, and there will be plenty of competition. At this point, I wouldn't be shocked if Hoffpauir was moved before or during Spring Training.

Let's check out some info on Kevin Millar:

• Full Name: Kevin Charles Millar
• Born: September 24, 1971
• Age: 38
• B/T: Right/Right
• College: Lamar University, LA Community College
• Drafted: Signed as an undrafted free agent by the Marlins in 1993
• MLB Debut: April 11, 1998
• Teams: Florida (1998-2002), Boston ('03-'05), Baltimore ('06-'08) and Toronto (2009)
• Games by Position: 1B (1246), LF (196), RF (170), 3B (159), DH (110), OF (30), 2B (4)
• 2009 season: Played in 78 games with the Blue Jays hitting .223 to go along with an OBP of .311, 7 HR, and 29 RBIs.
• Career Numbers: .274 AVG, 170 HR, 699 RBIs in 12 big leagues seasons

That's it for now, but I'll keep you posted!