TUCSON, Ariz. -- The Chicago Cubs beefed up their catching Wednesday, acquiring Damian Miller from Arizona for two minor leaguers in the first trade at the general managers' meetings.

"We're happy to have him. He's a quality guy and player and we wanted to address the catching situation,'' Cubs general manager Jim Hendry said. "He's a good handler of pitchers and has done a good job for a long time. He was in the All-Star game last year and part of a world championship team and a strong contributor.''

	Damian Miller Catcher Arizona Diamondbacks Profile
	2002 SEASON STATISTICS GM HR RBI R SB AVG 101 11 42 40 0 .249

Miller, 33, batted .249 with 22 doubles, 11 homers and 42 RBI in 101 games last season for the Diamondbacks, who won the NL West.

Miller had a .997 fielding percentage behind the plate, committing two errors in 767 total chances, and threw out 36 percent of base runners who tried to steal.

He hit his first career inside-the-park homer in August against the Cubs and had a pair of doubles and an RBI in the All-Star game at Milwaukee.

"It certainly was a difficult thing to do,'' Diamondbacks general manager Joe Garagiola Jr. said. "He's been with us from the beginning -- from the expansion draft to the world championship.''

Chicago was looking to upgrade its catching. Joe Girardi is a free agent and Todd Hundley, who hit .211 last season, has been in two-year batting slump.

"He's an above average defensive guy and he's caught two of the best pitchers who ever pitched,'' Hendry said, referring to Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling.

Hendry said this trade wouldn't necessarily prevent him from making a run at free agent Ivan Rodriguez, the top catcher on the market.

The Diamondbacks acquired left-hander David Noyce and outfielder Gary Johnson.

"Noyce is a big kid who has shown durability and effectiveness,'' Garagiola said. "Johnson is a really good defensive outfielder who we think can become a good offensive player.''

Miller was limited during the second half by a low back strain, which sent him to the disabled list for the first time during his professional career July 24-Aug. 14.

The Diamondbacks will use Chad Moeller and Rod Barajas as their catchers. After appearing in 71 first-half games, he started only 24 times after the All-Star break.

"We felt like that was one area where we had some depth at the major league and minor league level,'' Garagiola said. "That made the move easier.''

The Diamondbacks will also save money in the deal. Miller, who made $2.7 million last season, is eligible for salary arbitration.

Miller began his professional career in 1990 after being selected by Minnesota in the 20th round of the amateur draft. He made his major league debut with the Twins in 1997, but was then chosen by the Diamondbacks in the November 1997 expansion draft.

In 492 big league games, he has batted .269 with 50 homers and 207 RBI. He has a .993 career fielding percentage in 470 appearances behind the plate.

Noyce, a 25-year-old left-hander, spent the 2002 season with the Cubs' Double-A West Tenn affiliate and went 3-2 with a 2.72 ERA in 53 relief appearances. Noyce started his professional career in 1998 after being selected by Florida in the 12th round of the amateur draft. He was traded to the Cubs on July 31, 2000, in a deal involving Henry Rodriguez.

Johnson, 26, also played for West Tenn last season, batting .257 in 121 games with six homers and 45 RBI. He was a ninth round selection by the Cubs in 1997.