April 15: It’s a minor league deal for Teheran, tweets ESPN’s Jesse Rogers.
April 14: The Cubs have signed right-hander Julio Teheran, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post (Twitter link). After the Mets designated Teheran for assignment earlier on Tuesday, he opted for free agency after clearing waivers, and has now quickly landed with a new team to complete a whirlwind week.
Teheran’s time in New York lasted all of one start, as he allowed four runs over 2 2/3 innings in an 8-7 win over the Braves on April 8. Since the Mets signed Teheran to a Major League (albeit non-guaranteed) contract, one imagines that the team would’ve given him a longer look if he had pitched well, but the Mets chose to move one once roster technicalities allowed them to recall Jose Butto.
Since the Cubs are also trying to deal with some injuries within the rotation, Teheran looks like he’ll again be in line to cover a few starts until the team gets healthier. Jameson Taillon might be close to returning from the 15-day injured list but Justin Steele will still be out until sometime in May, leaving the Cubs with a current rotation mix of Kyle Hendricks, Shota Imanaga, Jordan Wicks, Javier Assad, and Ben Brown. There isn’t much MLB experience within that group apart from Hendricks, so between Taillon’s return and Teheran’s signing, Brown seems like the odd man out, and the Cubs can then decide on whether Wicks or Assad will remain as the fifth starter. It is also possible that Teheran could pitch as a depth option at Triple-A, if Chicago wants a longer look at any of their younger arms.
Teheran pitched for Milwaukee last season, meaning Cubs manager and ex-Brewers skipper Craig Counsell is very familiar with the veteran righty. Teheran’s 71 2/3 innings with the Brew Crew represented his highest Major League workload since the 2019 season, and he delivered a respectable 4.40 ERA while starting 11 of his 14 games for Milwaukee. A two-time All-Star during his heyday with the Braves, Teheran moved from front-of-the-rotation arm to durable mid-rotation starter to journeyman, as the Cubs are now his seventh different organization since the start of the 2020 campaign.
Mets should retire his number. What a run
CONGRATULATIONS!!! You are the 500 millionth person to make a joke about his stint with the Mets! Have one original thought to collect your prize!!!
Just wait till Lindor comes up in here next. It’s going to be worst
@13
My bro, hating just to hate is not a good look in the modern day. Don’t know how old you are but please try and keep up. It’s 2024!
It is in fact 2024, so stop saying “My bro”….. unless you have been sent here from the past, then it is o.k.
Indeed. “Bruh” is the proper terminology in 2024.
@cohens
I don’t think 13morgs13 is necessarily “hating.” It seems to me he was just making a joke.
My brother in Christ it is current year, do the current thing.
A fan of a team that will be paying Trea Turner until he’s 41 yo should not be throwing stones , mate.
Tabata didn’t raise no fool
@Baseballcrew
Please enlighten everyone as to what was the time frame to “My Bro” lol
Go ahead and look it up, I’m sure someone out there cares.
LMAO
@More
I took his 1st comment as a joke, the 2nd not so much. All good though, just way too much hate on this site.
Like the Johnny Utah guy always hating on everything lol. Just be happy!
CONGRATULATIONS KAREN!!! You are the 500 millionth person to complain about someone making a joke about his stint with the Mets! Talk to the manager to collect your prize!!
Julio, get the stretch!
it finally happened.
i remember wanting tehran so bad like 12 years ago. his name was floated in talks for ryan dempster or ted lilly or someone, but the cubs couldnt get him.
The way a couple of guys in the pen are throwing, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him take a spot as a reliever. Or maybe Brown gets a shot there.
Immediately what I thought! It was for Dempster
Godspeed, Cubbie fans
Hope he gets a guaranteed contract this time!
Tigers legend. Mets Legend. Ready to write his next chapter
Would have been a great move. 8 years ago when I first suggested it.
cubs blundered not hiring you for gm
It probably would have been a pretty terrible move 8 years ago. He posted a solid era but his FIP was awful and he was so untrusted by the Braves management he was left off their playoff rosters. He was also so untrusted the Braves declined their team option on him and he had to settle for a one year 9 million dollar deal from the Angels.
With all that said, I don’t like the move as anything other as a AAA depth move. Hopefully that is all it is. Brown, Wicks and Assad have been more than suitable holding down the rotation.
I think the Cubs did fine in 2016 without him.
This is the move that puts them over the top!
So it was almost as if the Cubs traded Joe Hudson for him.
Good for him. I truly hope he finds some of that lost magic
I really don’t understand all the hate on this guy not on this thread per se. He was what he once was, which was overrated to a degree, and is who he is now. He’s good for a handful of starts to get you through a rough patch. The team probably loses all but one but that’s an innings eater if I’ve ever seen one
What exactly is a non guaranteed MLB contract? I thought every major league contract was guaranteed.
It seems you can write into the contract that it’s not guaranteed. Then it’s up to the player whether or not to sign it .
Tehran was a good starter for the Braves a long time ago.
Hoyer passed on Jordan Montgomery just for this move
Lots of dumb[butts] who are worse at their jobs than Teheran throwing around insults here
I think people forget how solid he use to be.
I mean, he’s a body and depth can’t complain.
I approve of this signing. Go Cubs to the basement!
Good for him. He’s at the very least a guy.
Good for Paleobros. He’s at the very least a guy.
Good signing
Mets keep paying for other teams pitchers.
The mets aren’t paying him to pitch for the cubs. Yikes dude. Don’t let your bias get in the way of facts. Do you know what a non guaranteed contract it?
It looks like Brown might stick around in Chicago even when Taillon comes back later this week. Rotation is currently (Steele IL), Imanaga, Taillon, Assad, Wicks, Hendricks at this point with Brown as the swing man.
I won’t be surprised if they put Hendricks on the IL with a torn ability when Taillon comes back. That would make Teheran the break glass guy for any emergency. And with a non-guaranteed contract, it’s basically $4-5k plus airfare if they need him for a game and then DFA him.
A note on Julio Teheran that may have slipped by most of us; but quickly brought up in this article. He was drafted by Atlanta as a 16 year old waaaay back now in 2007. He began to throw pro ball in America in 2008. He’s 33 – with 16 years now of pro ball plus whatever he was throwing to get scouted. Lotta years on that arm now.
Teheran has become the Flexseal of pitchers.
I fully expect the Cubs to groom Teheran for a bullpen role, likely multiple innings.
Another player to use in Immaculate Grid!
Why the hell would they keep Hendricks in the rotation over Ben Brown? Are they trying to lose? Danm