Right-handed pitcher Brooks Kriske has agreed to a contract with the Cubs, the 30-year-old announced himself on his Instagram and X accounts. It is presumably a minor league deal, although the team has not yet confirmed the move and further details have not been revealed.
After growing up a Cubs fan, Kriske was selected by the Yankees in the 2016 draft. Although he was never a top prospect, the righty made an impressive comeback from early-career Tommy John surgery and quickly rose through the ranks of the minor leagues. In August 2018, he was still pitching at Low-A after losing so much development time to injury. Yet, by July 2020, he was pitching for the big league club. Heading into the 2021 season, he earned a spot on the Yankees prospect lists at both FanGraphs (no. 34) and Baseball America (no. 28).
Unfortunately, the big leagues have never been kind to Kriske. Over parts of two seasons in the Bronx, he gave up 20 runs (19 earned) in 11 1/3 innings, good for a 15.09 ERA. He allowed six home runs and walked more than 20% of the batters he faced. He also threw seven wild pitches – four of which came in the same inning. Following a particularly poor outing in September 2021, Kriske was optioned to Triple-A and designated for assignment a few days later.
The Orioles must have liked what they saw when Kriske held them scoreless and hitless across two appearances in 2020, striking out four of the eight batters he faced. They scooped him up off of waivers, and he pitched in four more games down the stretch. Yet, his results weren’t much better than they were in New York. While Kriske didn’t walk any batters, he gave up five runs on two homers in 3 1/3 innings of work. By the end of the 2021 campaign, he had a career 14.40 ERA, 5.11 SIERA, and -0.8 FanGraphs WAR.
Baltimore released Kriske that fall, allowing him to sign with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars of NPB. A relatively successful season in Japan (21 IP, 2.57 ERA, 11.1 K/9) earned him a minor league deal with the Royals in December 2022. However, Kriske struggled upon his return to affiliated ball. He pitched to a 5.52 ERA and 4.29 FIP over 29 1/3 innings at Triple-A Omaha. His 4.05 ERA over 6 2/3 MLB innings represented an improvement, but his 16% walk rate and 5.30 SIERA showed a pitcher who was still struggling to retire major league batters. Partway through the 2023 season, he was granted his release to pursue another opportunity in Japan, this time with the Saitama Seibu Lions.
Once again, Kriske looked much sharper overseas, putting up a 1.93 ERA in 14 innings with the Lions over the remainder of the 2023 campaign. He decided to come back stateside last winter, inking a minor league pact with the Reds. However, despite a strong performance in spring training (6 IP, 3.00 ERA, 8 K, 1 BB) and solid numbers at Triple-A Louisville (49 1/3 IP, 3.10 ERA, 36.7 K%, 4.06 FIP), he never got the chance to pitch for Cincinnati at the big league level. The Reds selected him to their 40-man roster in June (presumably to prevent him from exercising an opt-out clause in his contract) but never actually called him up. They DFA’d him two months later.
For the second time in three years, the Orioles claimed Kriske off of waivers, and he finished out the 2024 campaign in the O’s organization. Across eight appearances at Triple-A Norfolk, he pitched to a 5.00 ERA and 6.79 FIP in nine innings of work. He elected free agency at the end of the season.
Although he struggled late in the year with the Norfolk Tides, Kriske still finished his age-30 season with respectable Triple-A numbers: a 3.39 ERA and 4.48 FIP over 58 1/3 innings. He struck out 34.2% of his opponents. Free passes continue to be a problem for the righty – he walked 14.8% of hitters this past season – but a high walk rate is tolerable as long as he can maintain such a high strikeout rate and keep home runs at a manageable level. He’ll provide depth for the Cubs in the minor leagues, and the fewer batters he walks, the better his chances of getting back to the big leagues in 2025.
Doug S
Yet another Jed Hoyer dumpster dive.
Patriot12992
Every team makes minor league signings, doesn’t preclude anything larger.
rememberthecoop
While I’m definitely not a fan of Hoyer, this is misplaced bc all teams do things like this.
mike127
Coop—100% agree…..MLBTR should, maybe every three days or so, have a quick update with minor league signings, listed collectively in team order. Probably 95% of minor league signings are not headline worthy by themselves.
And, obviously this is one of them as it was Kriske, himself, on his own social media accounts announcing it.
BigBallsLongBat
Yet another obtuse comment.
Pete'sView
If only I’d leaned to pitch instead of playing CF. I coulda been an almost millionaire.
Damn_Yankees
This guy made an absolute joke of himself in New York. They couldn’t DFA him fast enough. This is a desperate move in my opinion. Kid doesn’t have it between the years.
Old York
It’s a minor league deal so whatever but honestly, not a lot to get excited about here. He’s 31 next year so not much upside for a guy with a 5.00 ERA last year in AAA and a career ERA of 11.
HoDeeHum
4 years $40 Million would a very Cubs thing to do.
BigBallsLongBat
What are you talking about?
rememberthecoop
You don’t know what you’re talking about.
drewskis86
the cubs will do nothing exciting this offseason, as is tradition
mad1
Cubs are going for it!
ray1
As Jiminy Ricketts buys more real estate.
sad tormented neglected mariners fan
Profits!
Dumpster Divin Theo
Pottersville
refugee
Give the guy a chance people. And on this awesome weekend, be thankful for a country with freedom of speech where you can spill out your snark.
BigBallsLongBat
Sports/porn site comment sections: Where the best and brightest of humanity lives
dano62
This was not the Black Friday sale news I’m hoping for… I hope these agents realize that March is closer than you think
drewnats33
While I doughnut want him to fail, if he blows a save, we’ll expect a Kriske Creamed headline.
BigBallsLongBat
I bet no one was excited to see you yesterday
sad tormented neglected mariners fan
I was
HalosHeavenJJ
He’s given himself a chance to pitch for his childhood team. That’s pretty cool
BigBallsLongBat
Yeah
Atlanta Jack
Holy cow, did the cus really sign Kriske.
jhanley108
Gosh, I hope they give him the no trade clause the team likes to give to the other underperforming overhyped garbage on their roster.
BigBallsLongBat
Yeah. He needs to sigh his usual garbage like Imanaga and Tallion
jawinks
Just your usual Jed Hoyer stuff+ play, nothing to see here
Logjammer D"Baggagecling
I read this as officer Barbrady “okay people move along nothing to see here”
Edp007
Haha i almost forgot but I just was reminded by this article that when I go shopping , my kids asked for Rice Krispies
Brick House Coffee Tables Inc
They found the guy they will send on the Spring Training bus trips to Goodyear and Surprise to pitch the 8th inning against AA scrubs.
Logjammer D"Baggagecling
Discount Jed at it again
Jiggs
Cub fans are so negative!! What’s wrong with signing a hometown guy to a AAA contract? If you never hear of him again, it didn’t hurt any of you one bit.
Dogbone
As one of my teachers from grade school used to tell us:
Empty barrels make the most noise!
CubsAreMidButTheresAlwaysHope
Welp…might as well print the World Series tickets right now. This is just the move that is going to deliver not only the NL Central title, but a World Series Championship. Suck it Dodgers!
WhiteSx2024
They need like 6 new pitchers an they sign this garbage ️.. another long year fellas
Dogbone
@whitesox: and tell us again, how many games did your boys win last summer, and how many pitchers do you think, they’ll have to bring in?
How can you have any business criticizing any other organization?
BigBallsLongBat
Sox fans are too slow to know good baseball
Citizen1
Has Kriske ever considered switching to be a hitter/fielder? Of or 3b?
Dumpster diving Jed should be signing Corbin Burnes.
Dumpster Divin Theo
Crucial
Jump 84
Buckle up. Gonna be a fun summer.