Report: Cubs pitcher wants Andrew Miller in Chicago this summer

While Yankees reliever Andrew Miller has tried his best to ignore a slew of rumors that have mentioned his name in trade scenarios, one National League contender in particular has placed a keen eye on the 31-year-old, a team that has ties to Miller's roots. Chicago Cubs general manager Theo Epstein, who acquired Miller in 2010 as general manager of the Boston Red Sox, has already begun the scouting process for the southpaw over the last two weeks. But Epstein isn't the only man on the Northside of Chicago who's lobbying for a Miller reunion. “I love Andrew,” Cubs pitcher Jon Lester told CSN Chicago. “I definitely would vouch for Andrew. Obviously, his stuff and stats speak for itself. And it would be nice to get him out of the Yankees organization and somewhere he could grow his beard and long hair back and we could call him ‘Jesus’ (Spanish pronunciation) again.” Lester, who was teammates with Miller for three seasons in Boston, doesn't undermine the importance of team chemistry, and with Chicago in clear need of a back-end reliever, Lester believes that Miller's transition to Wrigley Field would be smooth and welcoming. “I know Andrew, and I think his personality would fit in just fine here," said Lester. "He wouldn’t have an issue with the transition — (and) that is a tough transition."

Lester's personal catcher and teammate, David Ross, also spent time in Boston with Miller, insisting that Miller is a package player. "Great teammate," Ross said. "He’s a winner. He’s got nasty stuff. He throws mid-to-upper 90s with a filthy, filthy slider. Righties and lefties — it doesn’t matter. (Whatever) the matchup, he can get through the inning. As Chicago (52-32) approaches the All-Star break with an 8.5 game lead in the National League Central, the Cubs remain as baseball's postseason favorite, and Ross commends Miller's professionalism, along with his desire to win at any cost. "He doesn’t have an ego," said Ross. "I’ve read his quotes in New York where it’s: ‘I don’t care if I’m closing.’ And that fits right into this team. We’re here as a 25-man group that is after one goal. And he understands that.” Despite that several teams have expressed interest in Miller, Lester will continue to lobby for a trade deadline move, even if acquiring Miller means that one of his current teammates has to leave. “A lot can happen,” Lester said. “Hopefully, nobody goes down and we don’t have a dire need. Any time you’re talking about an addition, you’re going to have a subtraction. That’s always a tough thing. (But) I’d like to say: ‘Yeah, it would be awesome to get some big-name stud in here.’”