The Chicago Cubs today acquired right-handed pitcher Alec Mills from the Kansas City Royals for minor league outfielder Donnie Dewees.
To make room for Mills on the 40-man roster, left-handed pitcher David Rollins has been designated for assignment.
Mills, 25, combined to go 5-5 with a 3.22 ERA (45 ER/125.2 IP) in 24 appearances, all but one as a starter, last year between Double-A Northwest Arkansas and Triple-A Omaha. He went 1-2 with a 2.39 ERA (18 ER/67.2 IP) in 12 starts in Double-A to earn Texas League mid-season All-Star honors and a promotion to Triple-A, where he went 4-3 with a 4.19 ERA (27 ER/58.0 IP) in 12 appearances, 11 as a starter. Mills made his major league debut with the Royals in May of last season and made a second stint with the club in September, posting no record and a 13.50 ERA (5 ER/3.1 IP) in three relief outings.
The 6-foot-4, 205-pound Mills was originally selected by the Royals in the 22nd round of the 2012 Draft out of the University of Tennessee at Martin. The Clarksville, Tennessee, native is 19-22 with nine saves and a 3.03 ERA (132 ER/392.1 IP) in five minor league campaigns.
Mills was designated for assignment today by the Royals upon their signing of right-handed pitcher Jason Hammel.
Dewees, 23, batted .278 (221-for-796) with 10 home runs and 103 RBI in 195 minor league games covering the last two seasons. He was selected by the Cubs in the second round of the 2015 Draft out of the University of North Florida.
Rollins, 27, was previously claimed off waivers by Chicago from Texas on December 23 of last year.
