The Cubs have signed right-hander Peter Solomon to a minor league deal, reports MLBTR’s Steve Adams. The O’Connell Sports Management client will report to Triple-A Iowa and provide the Cubs with some non-roster depth.
Solomon, 28, has a bit of major league experience. He tossed 14 innings with the Astros in 2021 and another 13 1/3 with the Diamondbacks in 2023. He allowed 6.59 earned runs per nine innings in that small sample.
The Cubs are presumably a bit more interested in his larger body of work in the minors, where he has shown some strikeout stuff but also control issues. Back in 2021, he logged 97 2/3 innings with the Astros’ Triple-A club, posting a 4.70 ERA with a 26.3% strikeout rate and 9.9% walk rate. But his minor league ERA jumped to 5.58 in 2022 and then 7.64 in 2023. He started last year in Indy Ball but was able to secure a minor league pact with the Rangers in May. He went on to toss 72 Triple-A innings in a swing role for that organization, with a 6.50 ERA, 21.6% strikeout rate and 12.7% walk rate.
The Cubs have health issues both in the rotation and the bullpen. Justin Steele recently underwent UCL surgery and will miss the rest of the season. Javier Assad has been out all year with an oblique strain. Relievers Ryan Brasier, Eli Morgan and Tyson Miller are on the IL as well. Solomon gives them an extra non-roster depth option. If he gets added at any point, he has one option season remaining and less than a year of service time.
Photo courtesy of Ron Chenoy, Imagn Images
Wow they must really feel the pipeline is empty signing this guy.
Just more depth for cheap. He can easily be released.
Hoyer’s gonna Hoyer.
It’s minor league depth. That’s all it is. Having to explain this all the time to “baseball fans” is exhausting.
First Pomeranian and now Solomon Grundy. Hoyer is cooking.
Solomon Grundy born on a Monday.
Pomeranian, that got me lol
A guy with a minor league ERA approaching 7.00 is depth? They might as well sign me.
These transactions happen because the scouting department’s are understaffed. The top tier guys get looks, the rest are cherry picked by stats. Expansion and this type of crap is why baseball has become the game of mediocrity.
Which will give hoyer more reason to not go splurging when the real trade activity opens up at the trade deadline. Solomon and Pomeranz, give me a break! And when will the very conservative hoyer be adding Cade Horton to start when I see all these other additions happening around the league?
Hoyer’s hoarding arms like a chess grandmaster planning 10 moves ahead. Is this the spark for a Cubs rotation renaissance?