4:09pm: The Cubs have officially selected Newcomb’s contract heading into Game 2. Infielder David Bote was optioned to Triple-A Iowa to clear the necessary active roster spot.
11:22am: Prior to today’s doubleheader against the Cardinals, the Cubs announced some roster shuffling to reporters, including Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago. Left-hander Matt Dermody has had his contract selected and will serve as the club’s “27th man” during the twin bill. Fellow lefty Sean Newcomb will also have his contract selected to start the second game. Neither player was on the 40-man roster coming into today, though the trade deadline moves left the Cubs at 37, meaning no corresponding moves will be required. However, a spot on the active roster will need to be created for Newcomb between games.
Newcomb, 29, was once a highly-touted prospect with Atlanta and pitched well for them over the 2017-2019 stretch. In that time, he threw 332 1/3 innings with a 3.87 ERA, 23% strikeout rate, 11.6% walk rate and 44.7% ground ball rate. However, he had a miserable 2020 then was moved to the bullpen in 2021 but hasn’t really recaptured his previous form since. Atlanta designated him for assignment in April and then flipped him to the Cubs, who were surely hoping for a bounceback.
He didn’t last very long with the Cubs, getting designated for assignment and then outrighted after clearing waivers. Since then, he’s been pitching well in the minors and getting stretched out in the process. He’s thrown 24 Triple-A innings with a 3.38 ERA, 30.7% strikeout rate and 44.9% ground ball rate, though with a scary 17.8% walk rate. His outings have gradually increased as the season has gone on, logging four innings in each of his past two appearances.
It’s possible that this is just a spot start for Newcomb to help cover the doubleheader. He’s out of options and can’t be sent back down to the minors afterwards. Though if he hangs onto a roster spot, he can be retained beyond this campaign via arbitration.
Dermody, 32, has 29 games of MLB experience under his belt, most of those coming with the Blue Jays in 2017. Since then, he has just a single big league appearance, which came with the Cubs back in 2020. He spent last year with the Seibu Lions of Nippon Professional Baseball before returning to sign a minor league deal with the Cubs in January. Though primarily a reliever for most of his career, the Cubs have been giving him some length in the minors this year. He’s made 13 starts and seven relief appearances in Triple-A on the season, logging 79 1/3 innings with a 3.74 ERA, 20.3% strikeout rate, 5.2% walk rate and 51.2% ground ball rate. Unlike Newcomb, he does have options and could be sent back down to serve as depth in Triple-A.
NUKE
Well this is the greatest season ever I tell ya!
KBO twitter is saying Dermody is on his way to Korea to replace Wes Parsons on the Dinos.
Duke Newcomb is back!
Meet the New Comb, same as the Old Comb.
When I read that the Cubs will have to make a roster move between games I immediately checked the lineup to guess what at bat Madrigal was going to hurt some point of his lower body. He’s not in the starting lineup—-I’ll be watching for the pinch hit appearance a little bit later.
I had them 25 and 37 before these adds. So no roster spots moved were needed for either.
I had them 25 and 37 before these adds. So no roster spots moved were needed for either. So…
They were at 25 and 37 prior. So no moves were needed
They are definitely at 26 going into the first game. I’ll make a pretty solid guess that Castro was only called up for the first game, just in case and will be shuttled back down to make room for Newcomb. Castro is definitely number 26—so minor of a move that it didn’t make any stories.
THIS…. they get 27 today….so Castro for the first, Newcome for the second.
Good for Newcomb. Met him near the back fields at Spring Training that first Spring after he was drafted. Good guy. Strong handshake.
MLB should punish the home team whose city’s weather caused the double header. If the visiting team is forced to play two, the home team automatically forfeits not only the first game, but also a draft choice.
Right! The competitive balance one.
I’ve always thought that every stadium in the north needs to have a roof of some sort. Now I get any stadium without one currently isn’t going to get one but in the future yes, should be a rule to be honest. Now the open air dorks won’t like it but it’s better for the fan overall. Going to a game knowing there will be no rainout. Not to mention all the load management players go through these days you want less doubleheaders not more.
Has Bote fallen that far and hard? Don’t get to see many Cubs anymore like back in the day (old WGN days)
I think they know what they have in Bote plus he is signed through 2024. So, David will be the good soldier while the Cubs take a look at the new guys like McKinstry and Velazquez to see what they’ve got.
The Cubs have to be one of the worst run organizations in baseball. Now they are in last place lol. Watch out here comes 5 years of mediocrity.
Blah blah blah…. The Cubs have become a laughing stock again. After being a force to be reckoned with, here we are. I’ve been a fan since I was a kid watching mid-day games on WGN. Seeing the struggle for yrs and we’re struggling like this again. The front office is horrible, those are the guys who need to be sent to single A. Let’s see what they can do while they’re proving themselves to all of us again. My grandpa could do a better job then this crap.
Newcomb will be DFAd after the game, no one will claim him, and he heads back to Iowa. Just the latest version of Drew Hutchison/Robert Dugger – AAAA pitcher
Sean Newcomb is a perfect example of a player who was most value as a prospect. A team could ask a high return for him. He had one good season but he hasn’t improved his control