ST. LOUIS -- One of the reasons Miles Mikolas netted a two-year deal this offseason, when so many more known, more domestic pitching quantities could not, was because the Cardinals weren't his only suitor. The Cubs also courted the righty, figuring he could fill up the strike zone and generate soft contact in blue and white the way he has thus far in red, which is to say at elite rates. With competition fueling his market, Mikolas eventually signed with the Cardinals, citing personal ties to St. Louis and Jupiter, Fla., the club's Spring Training home.
Five months later, almost to the day, Mikolas showed the Cubs what they missed.