Cubs announce several roster moves

Miguel Amaya is one of the top Cubs prospects (Photo credit: Larry Kave)

by Press Release - Wed Nov 20 21:22:16 GMT-04:00 2019

CHICAGO – The Chicago Cubs today selected the contracts of right-handed pitcher Tyson Miller from Triple-A Iowa, infielder Zack Short from Iowa, catcher Miguel Amaya from Single-A Myrtle Beach and right-handed pitcher Manuel Rodriguez from Myrtle Beach. Chicago’s 40-man roster now stands at 36 players.

Amaya, who has represented the Cubs at each of the last two Futures Games, played the entire 2019 campaign with High Single-A Myrtle Beach as a 20-year-old and was just named a 2019 Rising Star while playing for the Mesa Solar Sox in the Arizona Fall League. With Myrtle Beach, Amaya batted .235 (80-for-341) with 24 doubles, 11 homers and 57 RBI in 99 games. He posted a .351 on-base percentage and a .402 slugging percentage, good for a .753 OPS. Amaya threw out 34.8 percent of runners attempting to steal (46-of-132).

A native of Panama, Amaya began the 2019 season ranked by Baseball America as the number two prospect in the Cubs organization. In 2018 with Single-A South Bend, he was named to the Midwest League All-Star team at the age of 19, his first full season of professional baseball. Overall, Amaya is a career .243 hitter (289-for-1,191) with 71 doubles, 27 homers and 157 RBI in 331 minor league games covering the last four seasons in the Cubs system. He originally signed with the Cubs as a non-drafted free agent on July 17, 2015.

Miller, 24, combined to go 7-8 with a 4.35 ERA (66 ER/136.2 IP) in 26 starts last season between Double-A Tennessee and Triple-A Iowa. He began the season with Tennessee, his first-career stop at the Double-A level, and went 4-3 with a 2.56 ERA (25 ER/88.0 IP) in 15 starts to earn a spot on the Southern League All-Star team and a promotion to Iowa on July 4. Miller went 3-5 with a 7.58 ERA (41 ER/48.2 IP) in 11 starts in Triple-A. Between the stops, he combined to limit foes to a .252 batting average against, including a .230 mark by right-handed hitters.

The 6-foot-4 Miller was originally selected by the Cubs in the fourth round of the 2016 Draft out of California Baptist University. He has combined to 24-25 with a 4.05 ERA (186 ER/413.0 IP) in 85 career appearances, 74 as a starter, covering the last four seasons in the Cubs organization. Miller is a native of Fairfield, California.

Rodriguez, 23, went 1-3 with two saves and a 3.45 ERA (18 ER/47.0 IP) in 35 relief appearances with Myrtle Beach last season. He struck out 65 batters and walked only 17 in 47.0 innings, an average of 12.4 strikeouts and 3.2 walks per nine innings, while limiting foes to a .242 batting average. Rodriguez turned in a 1.96 ERA (5 ER/23.0 IP) in 17 outings after the All-Star Break, holding opponents to a .212 average while posting a 1.04 WHIP in that span.

A native of Mexico, Rodriguez signed with the Cubs as a non-drafted free agent on July 21, 2016 after pitching for three seasons for Yucatan in the Mexican League from 2014-16. He has gone 5-8 with seven saves and a 5.00 ERA (65 ER/117.0 IP) in 83 relief outings covering three seasons in the Cubs minor league system.

Short, 24, batted .235 (50-for-213) with 14 doubles, six home runs and 25 RBI last year in a season limited to 63 games due to a broken left ring finger on April 9 with Iowa, as he reached Triple-A for the first time in his professional career. He posted a .363 on-base percentage and a .404 slugging percentage, good for a .767 OPS, last year with Iowa (41 games), Tennessee (16 games) and rookie league Mesa (six-game rehab assignment). Between Iowa and Tennessee, Short played 40 games at shortstop and 15 games at second base.

Originally selected by the Cubs in the 17th round of the 2016 Draft out of Sacred Heart University (Conn.), Short is a career .241 hitter (310-for-1,288) with 79 doubles, 37 homers, 162 RBI and a .782 OPS in 371 professional games covering the last four minor league seasons. He was named to the Southern League post-season All-Star team in 2018 while with Tennessee. Short is a native of Kingston, New York.

The #Cubs added Zack Short and Tyson Miller to the 40-Man Roster. Zack is a slick fielding shortstop that brings ?? to the game. Very positive person and great teammate. Tyson can really pitch. He has excellent location and is intelligent on the mound. Very much like K.Hendricks
— Mick Gillispie (@BroadcasterMick) November 21, 2019

Congrats to Miguel Amaya, Tyson Miller, Manuel Rodriguez and Zack Short, added to the @Cubs 40-man roster today. pic.twitter.com/GxazPUk2jz
— Jared Ravich (@JaredRavich) November 21, 2019

ICYMI: Four former #SBCubs have been added to the @Cubs 40-man roster. #BendToTheBigs #RoadToWrigley
Miguel Amaya (@mamaya_9)
Tyson Miller (@Tyson_Miller07)
Manuel Rodriguez (@manuel_rodro)
Zack Short (@zshort_20) pic.twitter.com/4nHof1lumd
— South Bend Cubs (@SBCubs) November 21, 2019