The Cubs have agreed to terms on a minor league contract with reliever Eric Stout, MLBTR has learned. He’ll receive an invitation to big league Spring Training.
It’s the second straight offseason in which the Chicago-area native has landed with the Cubs on a non-roster deal. He spent the first couple months of this past season in Triple-A Iowa, working to a 3.94 ERA in 29 2/3 innings to earn a big league call in mid-June. That marked his first MLB look since a three-game stint with the 2018 Royals, which had been his only work at that level before this year.
Stout, 29, pitched twice for the Cubs, allowing two runs in 3 2/3 innings. He was designated for assignment within a few days, but his quality Triple-A work was enough to catch the attention of the Pirates. Pittsburgh sent cash to their division rivals to bring him in, and Stout spent the remainder of the season bouncing on and off the active roster. The southpaw worked 18 2/3 MLB innings for the Bucs, allowing 13 runs (12 earned). His 20% strikeout rate was a hair below average, while he walked an elevated 15.8% of batters faced.
At season’s end, Pittsburgh outrighted Stout off their 40-man roster. He declined a minor league assignment and hit free agency, positioning him to head back to Chicago for a second stint. Stout’s coming off a combined 2.93 ERA showing in 43 innings of Triple-A work with an excellent 33.7% strikeout percentage but an alarming 15.5% walk rate.
Brandon Hughes is the only left-handed reliever who currently occupies a spot on Chicago’s 40-man roster. Adding some depth is thus a reasonable offseason target for president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer and his group, and they’ll start with another look at Stout. They’ll probably at least bring in another arm or two on a non-roster deal, and it stands to reason they could look into candidates for a big league contract like Andrew Chafin or Matt Moore as well. Stout still has a minor league option year remaining, so if he cracks the 40-man roster at any point, the Cubs can move him between Chicago and Iowa without putting him on waivers.
Chafin, Cueto, JT, Swanson, a few more relievers and they will be ahead of Milwaukee and battling it out with the Cards.
You said Cards. You must’ve mean Pittsburgh.
As in, battling it out for the basement.
That’s a lot to ask, though.
The Cubs should be all in on Senga because he has ace upside along with Steele who pitched like an ace the better part of the season.
I’m not sure Chaffin is the answer because of Hughes. Hughes was effective as a closer/set up man once Robertson was traded and you don’t want to go lefty/lefty 8/9. At least I wouldn’t.
If the Cubs sign Correa or Swanson, they will still need to add another plus bat at either 1st, 3rd or DH. Then the offense has enough potential and upside.
Looks like you’re not sold on Wesneski? It’d be no surprise to me, if he is the best RH SP on the staff. There doesn’t seem to be a lot for him to benefit from, going back to Iowa.
I’m not sold on Wesneski as a starter next season. His stuff looks great but he misses his spots pretty often and I have a feeling hitters will tee off on him hanging sliders unless he gets it sorted
Hope the Sheriff returns!
Cubs executive Crane Kenney on Chicago radio today said Jed Hoyer has been given the go ahead to spend a lot of money to improve the roster and he hasn’t done it. Maybe Cubs ownership is getting tired of Jed doing more talking than making the team a contender. It’s also possible he’s their scapegoat but maybe it’s justified
The Cubs rotation looks good?
Stroman
Assad
Sampson
Wesneski
Taillon
Steele(?)
Steele is not a question mark and Assad wtf
Agreed and where is Hendricks?
I don’t follow the Cubs, hence the questions.
The first 3 on that list are the only guys listed on the Cubs depth chart under rotation.
Clearly you don’t follow the Cubs…. Otherwise you’d realize Steele posted a sub two era in the second half with a ridiculous strikeout to walk ratio and the majority of the season he pitched like an ace. After Steele spoke to Lester and was told to attack hitters more often, dude was lights out.
A lot of guys pitched over their heads for the Cubs, which is the entire reason they brought in Gomes, to develop and bring along their pitching.
He forgot Keegan Thompson too. Keegan over Stout and Assad. Hendricks is better options that Stout and Assad.
Stroman
Taillon
Steele
Sampson
Wesneski
Hendricks will be in there if healthy. Assad is likely in AAA until someone gets injured. Keegan Thompson and Adbert Alzolay are rotation options as well, but are much better out of the bullpen.
The Cubs have six number 3 starters. There is no Ace and no 5 ERA guy at the back end, just a bunch of number 3’s. It’s not bad, might be enough to get to the playoffs. The Cubs played some good ball in September, looked like the beginning of something. We’ll see if it carries over
Well said. A solid group, but likely not good enough to contend in a playoff push.
@ egrossen Question for ya, who has a better starting staff – Cubs or the Cardinals, in your opinion?
@ Dogbone, on paper I’d say the Cardinals, but Wainwright started looking his age in the 2nd half of last season. Mikolas and Montgomery are still solid, but not great. Flaherty is injury prone and Matz stunk.
I think it’s closer than most people realize. The Cardinals absolutely have the better line up though (by a long shot).
Interesting point. What is the cheapest and most effective way to beat other teams, from a starting rotation standpoint?
Would it be cheaper and more effective (or as effective in terms of wins) to have better 3rd, 4th and 5th starters than most other teams? Or to have better 1st, 2nd and 3rd starters than most other teams?
The playoffs are obviously a different story.
The third best record in the NL after the all star break.
It was ~60 games. Remember Tigers fans after 2021 proclaiming they would be the breakout team of 2022?
If the Cubs don’t end up with one of the remaining shortstops, and another starting pitcher, it will be a very disappointing and underwhelming offseason. One middling mid-rotation starter and a very expensive 4th outfielder. I guess that’s what Jed calls “spending intelligently.” I can’t stand him as a GM.
And he’s done a terrible job rebuilding the farm system.
I hope all the posters who hate Tom Ricketts and Jed Hoyer remember their posts when the Cubs are back in the post season.
Typical cubs fan.
@rem. . .coop: Your pretty short sighted. I’m not big on Ricketts, but if you can’t see all the good that Jed Hoyer is doing – within the parameters Ricketts gives him, you don’t seem to want to get it.
Zzzzzzzzzzzzz…….this is something the A’s would do
The Cubs demise is an interesting story. Like a lot of people, I thought that when they were loaded a few years ago—a major market team with a good GM and an owner with deep pockets—this would be a prolongated era of winning.
Somewhere along the way, the train ran off the tracks. Now they’re taking our Pirates’ discards?
Cubs should try to pry Logan Porter from the Royals, Anthony Gose from the Guardians, and Seth Beer from the DBacks.
A stout is always a porter but a porter isn’t always a stout
Stouts are what to strong for me. I keep it simple Samuel L Jackson beer.
But can he catch?
I think Gomes/Higgins is a decent tandem.
I don’t really know much about Higgins behind the plate, but he has hit in the minors. If he is a good defender, may as well roll with it. If not, they should go after a defense first catcher, who excels at pitch framing. Once Gomes took over (when Contreras was hurt), the Cubs pitching looked much better.
drop the ballons. World Series here we come. Cannot wait . Insert eye roll here