Right-hander Mark Leiter Jr. has elected free agency, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. He had been designated for assignment and outrighted by the Cubs in recent days but had the right to reject the assignment by virtue of having been previously outrighted in his career.
Leiter, 32 in March, got some time in the majors in 2017 and 2018 with the Phillies and Blue Jays. He struggled in those seasons and was outrighted by the Blue Jays after the latter campaign. That proved to be an inopportune moment to lose his roster spot as he required Tommy John surgery in the spring of 2019. He then had to undergo the lengthy rehab process while not accruing any service time.
The Cubs signed him to a minor league deal prior to the 2022 campaign and he ended up having a pretty decent season after cracking the roster in April. He tossed 67 2/3 innings in the big leagues with a 3.99 ERA. He struck out 25.9% of the batters that came to the plate, walked 8.9% of them and got grounders on 48.9% of balls in play.
Despite those good results, he got squeezed off the roster, perhaps due to the fact that he burned his final option year in 2022. That means he would have to hang onto his spot all season long or else be designated for assignment, which the Cubs got out of the way early. All players who have a previous career outright have the right to reject outright assignments in favor of free agency, which Leiter has now done. None of the other 29 teams were willing to claim him off waivers, which suggests he’ll likely be limited to minor league deals. However, he can at least now seek out the organization that he thinks provides the best path back to the big leagues or is the best fit for some other reason. If he earns a roster spot at some point, he can be retained by a club for future seasons since he has between two and three years of MLB service time.
Wonder if he’d be a decent option for our sixth starter/long reliever slot.
Looks like he’d be an upgrade to Tucker Davidson.
He was awful as a starter but pretty darn good in the BP for the Cubs last season.
He will add a decent depth piece to someone’s staff. Be it in the bullpen or a fill in starter. I wish him good luck. He did a nice job for the Cubs last year, Ross used him wisely.
Definitely, I feel more of a reliever type guy.
almost as good as his dad!
Hopefully the Reds will give him a shot. Looks like a decent bullpen guy at least.
If they are going to dumpster dive, at least pick one in a good part of town.
Cohen gimmick signing?
San Diego should sign him, Preller was amassing a few minor league pitchers, and it doesn’t hurt that he had solid numbers last year.
Rangers
Never say never, you’ll eat them words
Flies smell meat up to 4 miles away.
Maybe ball players to
Still a bizarre move by the Cubs.
I agree. I fully expect him to be better this year than Boxberger.
And Boxberger hasn’t been going a very long time.
“Bizarre” is quite the overstatement. He’s nothing special.
I don’t know about bizarre. It was somewhat surprising, though. He will be a good get for a team on a minor league deal.
He made it though waivers unclaimed, so that’s an indicator. Leiter would be dangling off the back of the 26-man and he has no options at age 34. I preferred him over Rucker, but again the options thing. Rucker, 28, has options. Rucker has more velocity and bigger mix. It probably wasn’t an easy decision, but the Cubs have so many arms that can fill that role, they really don’t need Rucker either.
Cubs saw plenty of Boxberger, I assume they have a good feel for him. If were to question a 40 spot Merryweather would have to be the guy before Boxberger.
He’s 31. The only thing passing through waivers in January means is no team had a spot in their 40. If it were a 41 man roster he’d still be a Cub. He’s a serviceable ML pitcher. He will sign a minor league deal and be one of the 50 or so guys on similar contracts that make the team it of spring training
He would be a good minor league signing and fight in Spring Training for a rotation spot.
I think Leiter is the leader in K/BB over the past 3 years among remaining FA relievers.
He will def end up as somebody’s long reliever and spot starter. Wish he would’ve accepted his outright but I understand..he thinks he belongs on a big league roster and after watching him in relief last year I tend to agree. Cubs may regret DFAing him over Rucker or one of the utility guys.
I think he did a good job as a reliever, but I think the Cubs also inserted him in games at times where he’d be successful. I can’t say for sure, but I don’t really remember him being used in tight positions very often unless the team had already used too many relievers or others weren’t available due to pitching too many innings/pitches in the previous games. Like I do remember him coming up big in a game or two when all the other options were used, but he’s not a go-to type reliever that any team is gonna find success with him getting them out of jams consistently in the 7th or 8th innings.
Seems like a decent pickup for the Pirates to eat some innings while other develop at AAA. Shouldn’t be hard to crack the bullpen out of spring training.
He needs to pitch at least one game in a Yankees uniform to keep the Leiter family tradition alive
A bit short in the stuff dept., and thought it was telling that the woebegone Tigers didn’t give him a 2021 call up. But he showed enough last year to be worthy of another shot somewhere.
Dad was one of the nicest people around, Always rooted for Jr. just on that.
Sounds like someone’s going to Japan
Buyer Beware. He’s been lame as a starter for 10 years now. At best he could be an opener good for 2 or 3 innings. The stats he put up last year with the Cubs were mostly in relief against mostly lame competition and Ross used him spot on to get the most out of him. Also there was no pressure with the Cubs last year so expecting him to be good from the start of a season would be a stretch at best. Cubs have way better options IMO. Not surprised he’s going FA.
I think there is a 20% chance he goes to Korea, a 30% chance that be goes back to the Cubs on a NRI with an early opt out if he doesn’t get added when Hendricks, Heuer, and Evan Roberts get transferred to the 60-day once it opens, and a 50% chance that he spends the year bouncing around bottom feeding teams and teams with good AAA cities as a long reliever.
Memphis sounds reasonable.
This is a situation where you have to question the agents guidance.
Leiter had a really solid season for the Cubs last year and is almost ensured a 40 man roster slot as soon as Heuer, Roberts and Hendricks get bounced to the 60 day IL.
Reds should take a flier on him, if not as a starter perhaps in pen, he might learn something with Reds pitching staff & be some help to young arms, knows Cubs one of our biggest foes