Headlines

  • Latest On Tigers, Tarik Skubal
  • Phillies Expected To Trade Or Release Nick Castellanos
  • Nestor Cortes Undergoes Arm Surgery
  • Aaron Judge Will Not Require Elbow Surgery; Rodón, Volpe Expected To Start 2026 On IL
  • Anthony Volpe Undergoes Shoulder Surgery
  • Alex Bregman Will Opt Out Of Red Sox Contract
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors
  • Pro Hockey Rumors

MLB Trade Rumors

Remove Ads
  • Home
  • Teams
    • AL East
      • Baltimore Orioles
      • Boston Red Sox
      • New York Yankees
      • Tampa Bay Rays
      • Toronto Blue Jays
    • AL Central
      • Chicago White Sox
      • Cleveland Guardians
      • Detroit Tigers
      • Kansas City Royals
      • Minnesota Twins
    • AL West
      • Athletics
      • Houston Astros
      • Los Angeles Angels
      • Seattle Mariners
      • Texas Rangers
    • NL East
      • Atlanta Braves
      • Miami Marlins
      • New York Mets
      • Philadelphia Phillies
      • Washington Nationals
    • NL Central
      • Chicago Cubs
      • Cincinnati Reds
      • Milwaukee Brewers
      • Pittsburgh Pirates
      • St. Louis Cardinals
    • NL West
      • Arizona Diamondbacks
      • Colorado Rockies
      • Los Angeles Dodgers
      • San Diego Padres
      • San Francisco Giants
  • About
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Tim Dierkes
    • Writing team
    • Advertise
    • Archives
  • Contact
  • Tools
    • 2025-26 MLB Free Agent List
    • 2026-27 MLB Free Agent List
    • Projected Arbitration Salaries For 2026
    • Contract Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Agency Database
  • NBA/NFL/NHL
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors
  • App
  • Chats
Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Cubs, Zach Pop Agree To Minor League Deal

By Anthony Franco | July 23, 2025 at 9:25pm CDT

The Cubs reached agreement with reliever Zach Pop on a minor league contract, according to Tommy Birch of The Des Moines Register. The right-hander was assigned to Triple-A Iowa.

Pop is on his fourth organization of the season. He has bounced between the Blue Jays, Mariners and Mets. Pop was on the injured list with Toronto and combined for five outings between Seattle and New York. He was tagged for 12 runs (11 earned) including four homers in 6 2/3 innings. Pop is out of minor league options, so teams couldn’t afford to give him much rope when he was struggling to that extent.

The 28-year-old has pitched in parts of five MLB seasons. He threw 48 1/3 frames for the Jays last year, working to a 5.59 ERA with a well below-average 15.8% strikeout percentage. Pop doesn’t have huge swing-and-miss stuff, but he sits around 96 MPH with his sinker and has posted a 55% ground-ball rate in his MLB career. He carries a 3.71 ERA in 80 career Triple-A innings.

Share Repost Send via email

Chicago Cubs Transactions Zach Pop

Reds Have Expressed Interest In Eugenio Suarez
Main
MLB Mailbag: Spencer Jones, Mason Miller, Angels, Cubs, Blue Jays, Dodgers
View Comments (22)
Post a Comment

22 Comments

  1. King. Of. Cards

    3 months ago

    Its clear from this move the Cubs saw a need in the pen and wanted to fill it. Good for them. This should help them get over the hump.

    #championship

    1
    Reply
    • Bruce wulff

      3 months ago

      I detect sarcasm

      2
      Reply
  2. Not a clever name

    3 months ago

    I like his music. He did a pretty good job plying the open.

    Reply
  3. Not a clever name

    3 months ago

    Opry^

    Reply
  4. Whifff

    3 months ago

    Brewers have to counter. Should be interesting. Who says Hoyer doesn’t have stones, now?!!! …….

    Reply
  5. scurvyrickets

    3 months ago

    Worries r over!!

    Reply
  6. bwmiller79

    3 months ago

    Cubs look soft today without Tucker in the lineup and Reece McGuire at C. Colin Rea got nailed too.

    They need Amaya back.

    Surprised Ballesteros hasnt gotten another look. Cassie hitting in AAA. Jonathan Long looks like he can hit some and they have him at 3B on Fangraphs.

    Bieber could be a high risk high reward add. They should grab Houser from the White Sox too for some depth. We’ll take a look at Long. Houser for Long sounds like a good trade for the ChiSox.

    1
    Reply
    • Alan53

      3 months ago

      The Cubs have looked flat lately. Some of the things that have been working up to now are not working as well. The Brewers are in their heads too, I think; it is kind of amazing how the Brewers can string together hits the way they have been lately.

      Hoyer needs to make the kind of move that adds energy to an offense. Remember when they got Castellanos at the deadline a few years ago, and he carried them for a while? Or when they got Daniel Murphy and he did the same? Hoyer needs to make a move like that.

      And it would be good if he did it sooner than the last hour before the deadline. They have 6 tough games before that, against a White Sox team that is much better than the one they faced in May, and then the Brewers. I’m not saying it will happen, but they might get buried as far as the division goes by July 31.

      Pop isn’t a bad minor-league add, btw. Not likely to be a difference-maker if he ever gets called up, but there’s really no downside to adding him at Iowa.

      3
      Reply
  7. Bruce wulff

    3 months ago

    By the time the baseball calendar turns to September the cubs will be 5 games out even with pop on board.

    1
    Reply
    • Alan53

      3 months ago

      Maybe by the time the calendar turns to August, Bruce. They have to play two hot teams between now and then.

      1
      Reply
  8. jhanley108

    3 months ago

    It’s still to early to bury the Wisdom-Bote Era of Cubs baseball as August approaches. Too soon.

    Reply
  9. James Midway

    3 months ago

    He’s on a mission to play for all 30 teams this year

    1
    Reply
  10. holecamels35

    3 months ago

    Throw hard and always find work, no matter how bad you are.

    Reply
  11. robw5555

    3 months ago

    Zach Pop is very useful. When you are losing 8-0 in the third inning, you bring him in. He can toas an inning or two of batting practice. Otherwise if you are in the 8th inning and winning 12-0 he might be able to get 3 outs against Pittsburgh or the White Sox.

    Reply
    • Alan53

      3 months ago

      Have a look at what the White Sox offense has been doing lately, Rob. It’s time to stop using them as a sort of archetype or byword for awfulness. They aren’t anymore.

      Reply
    • Steelers 6x

      3 months ago

      At least this is the last time this season we have to read Alan tell us that Chicken Little has arrived again because the Cubs are playing the White Sox.

      Reply
  12. SeanStL

    3 months ago

    What is the purpose of this signing? One terrible stat after another, and 3 other organizations already dropped him.

    Reply
    • Steelers 6x

      3 months ago

      With upcoming trade deadline this is backfill for Iowa. With any trade made, if not included in the deal, guys like Kriske, Neely, Flexen, Roberts, Holowell and a few others become instant DFA and free agent possibilities.

      Just a minor signing to refill depth chart area in the late teens or twenties.

      Reply
      • Unclemike1526

        3 months ago

        Same as all Hoyers other pitching signings. Stuff Iowa with pitchers to take innings away from prospects who might actually amount to something. You know like other clubs do. Cubs baby their prospects no end because they look pretty at Iowa I guess. God forbid they bring one up and you know, Give them a chance or something. Cubs pitchers don’t get injured in the minors. Because it’s hard to get injured when you don’t play.

        Reply
  13. jdgoat

    3 months ago

    Not Zach Poop. Sorry Cubs fans

    Reply
  14. whitesox2112

    3 months ago

    An embarrassing signing, have fun watching the playoffs.

    Reply
  15. Ray Epps

    3 months ago

    What is going with Luke Little? It seems like they have no use for him.

    1
    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Please login to leave a reply.

Log in Register

    Top Stories

    Latest On Tigers, Tarik Skubal

    Phillies Expected To Trade Or Release Nick Castellanos

    Nestor Cortes Undergoes Arm Surgery

    Aaron Judge Will Not Require Elbow Surgery; Rodón, Volpe Expected To Start 2026 On IL

    Anthony Volpe Undergoes Shoulder Surgery

    Alex Bregman Will Opt Out Of Red Sox Contract

    Mike Shildt Steps Down As Padres Manager

    Tigers Extended Manager A.J. Hinch Earlier This Season

    Munetaka Murakami To Be Posted This Offseason

    Cody Bellinger To Opt Out Of Contract With Yankees

    Angels, Albert Pujols Discussing Managerial Deal

    Projected Arbitration Salaries For 2026

    Rangers Hire Skip Schumaker As Manager

    Albert Pujols To Interview For Angels’ Managerial Vacancy, May Be “Leading Choice”

    Bill Schmidt Will Not Return As Rockies’ GM

    Brian Snitker Will Not Return As Braves’ Manager In 2026

    Angels To Have New Manager In 2026

    Rays Sale To Patrick Zalupski’s Group Officially Completed

    Guardians Promote Chase DeLauter For Wild Card Series

    Bruce Bochy Will Not Return As Rangers Manager Amid Financial Uncertainty

    Recent

    Latest On Tigers, Tarik Skubal

    Phillies Expected To Trade Or Release Nick Castellanos

    Nestor Cortes Undergoes Arm Surgery

    Angels Planning To Interview Torii Hunter, Kurt Suzuki For Manager

    Offseason Outlook: Arizona Diamondbacks

    Joey Loperfido Replaces Anthony Santander On Blue Jays’ Playoff Roster

    Poll: Will Anthony Volpe Be The Yankees’ Shortstop In 2026?

    Coaching Notes: Varitek, Ramirez, Molina

    Rays Re-Sign Kodi Whitley To Minor League Deal

    Kevin Alcántara Undergoes Sports Hernia Surgery

    MLBTR Newsletter - Hot stove highlights in your inbox, five days a week

    Latest Rumors & News

    Latest Rumors & News

    • Every MLB Trade In July
    Trade Rumors App for iOS and Android App Store Google Play

    MLBTR Features

    MLBTR Features

    • Remove Ads, Support Our Writers
    • Front Office Originals
    • Tim Dierkes' MLB Mailbag
    • Front Office Fantasy Baseball
    • MLBTR Podcast
    • 2025-26 MLB Free Agent List
    • 2026-27 MLB Free Agent List
    • Projected Arbitration Salaries For 2026
    • Contract Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Extension Tracker
    • Agency Database
    • MLBTR On Twitter
    • MLBTR On Facebook
    • Team Facebook Pages
    • How To Set Up Notifications For Breaking News
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors

    Rumors By Team

    • Angels Rumors
    • Astros Rumors
    • Athletics Rumors
    • Blue Jays Rumors
    • Braves Rumors
    • Brewers Rumors
    • Cardinals Rumors
    • Cubs Rumors
    • Diamondbacks Rumors
    • Dodgers Rumors
    • Giants Rumors
    • Guardians Rumors
    • Mariners Rumors
    • Marlins Rumors
    • Mets Rumors
    • Nationals Rumors
    • Orioles Rumors
    • Padres Rumors
    • Phillies Rumors
    • Pirates Rumors
    • Rangers Rumors
    • Rays Rumors
    • Red Sox Rumors
    • Reds Rumors
    • Rockies Rumors
    • Royals Rumors
    • Tigers Rumors
    • Twins Rumors
    • White Sox Rumors
    • Yankees Rumors

    Navigation

    • Sitemap
    • Archives
    • RSS/Twitter Feeds By Team

    MLBTR INFO

    • Advertise
    • About
    • Commenting Policy
    • Privacy Policy

    Connect

    • Contact Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS Feed

    MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

    Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

    hide arrows scroll to top

    Register

    Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version