Cubs left-hander Matt Dermody has agreed to sign with the NC Dinos of the Korea Baseball Organization, according to Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors (Twitter link). While Dermody was signed with the Cubs, it isn’t uncommon for teams to release players for opportunities overseas if that player isn’t in the team’s long-term plans.
Dermody is no stranger to pitching outside of affiliated baseball, as he pitched the independent Sugar Land Skeeters in 2020 and then in Japan with the Seibu Lions in 2021. (In between, he also made a few appearances in Dominican Winter League ball.) Returning to the MLB ladder on a minor league deal with the Cubs in January, Dermody made one appearance on the big league roster. Just this past Thursday, Dermody was the 27th man for the Cubs’ doubleheader against the Cardinals, and he tossed an inning in the second game.
That cup of coffee marked Dermody’s fourth appearance in a Major League season, with 27 1/3 total big league frames pitched — to a 5.60 ERA — since the start of the 2016 campaign. The southpaw had some decent numbers at Triple-A Iowa this year, with a 3.74 ERA, 51.2% grounder rate, and 5.2% walk rate over 79 1/3 innings (starting 13 of 20 games).
Serious question: did the Cubs add him to the 40-man and promote him to MLB to secure a bigger fee from the KBL?
Either that or maybe they gave him one final MLB appearance… Or maybe both.
If I’m not mistaken, Dermody grew up a big Cubs fan (from Iowa) so this brief MLB appearance may have been a tip of the cap out of respect before he set sail overseas.
Class act by the cubs imo. Hometown kid, let him play a game and now he gets more money than he was gonna make in the minors
He was the 27th man. Didn’t need to be added to 40 man.
No, he needed to be added to the 40 man before activation as the 27th man.
America, Japan and now Korea. This guy is a true journey man.
If he signs to play in Russia, let’s hope he leaves his stash at home.
If not we got plenty of Russian war criminals to barter for him back
Ironic, they get their trained spies back, we get our dope smugglers in return. LOL
NC finally gave up on Wes Parsons being healthy this year.
He was the international league player of the month last month. Wow that’s weird.