The Cubs released righty Chris Flexen, as first reflected on the MLB.com transaction log. Chicago had designated him for assignment last week. MLBTR has learned that Flexen declined an outright assignment, leading to the release. As a player with five-plus years of service time, Flexen will collect the remaining portion of his $1.5MM salary.
Flexen signed an offseason minor league deal and was called up at the end of April. That initially worked brilliantly. The 31-year-old fired 28 innings of 0.65 ERA ball over his first two months. Flexen’s 13.5% strikeout rate and pre-2025 track record suggested he was in line for significant regression. That arrived in July, when opponents blasted six home runs and tagged him for 15 runs (13 earned) through 15 2/3 innings. He allowed multiple runs in each of his final four appearances.
The Cubs pulled the plug last week. Flexen concluded his organizational tenure with a 3.06 earned run average over 43 2/3 innings. Estimators like SIERA, FIP and xERA all felt his true level was closer to allowing five earned runs per nine — essentially a match for the 4.95 ERA he posted over 160 innings for the White Sox a year ago.
Flexen has the ability to log multiple innings out of the bullpen or build back out as rotation depth. That’ll at least get him interest on a minor league contract, and it’s not out of the question that he finds a big league deal. A signing team would only pay him the prorated portion of the $760K league minimum for the final couple months. That’d be subtracted from the Cubs’ commitments.
The Giants on line 1
He grew up in the Newark / Fremont area, closer to the A’s territory ….. :o)
Twins are already texting Flexen’s agent.
Looking for the next Noah Davis
Mariners legend
Perry, Grab him now and hope to keep him next year.
Flexen has sucked ever since he came up with the Mets in 2017, pitching to an 8.07 ERA for them through 2019.
That he is considered a major league pitcher at all is totally amazing.
Flexen is bottom of the barrel dumpster diving but some of these teams just need bodies, and Flexen can provide that in spades.
Flexen was solid for the M’s for two seasons, then imploded in his third.
He’ll have a job till he decides he doesn’t want one. You never checked his numbers after thw Mets
His nickname is Big Baby. When he gets hit hard his face gets all pouty , pretty funny.
Donning an Orioles uniform in 3, 2, 1…
Might want to hold up on that and change name to Soroka
I’m sorry, folks–Brett Taylor is just so incredibly lame. Writing things like “cool, cool” when the Cubs’ opponent gets a lucky break, like a swinging-bunt hit or two, is childish and silly, but beyond that, it is not useful. It is not informative. I get the feeling he knows that kind of thing is stupid, and that’s why he does it; he thinks it’s cute to, as it were, “perform” stupidity. It’s not. Do you think it is?
The Cubs are losing because they are playing badly. They are eventually going to be the seventh of the six NL playoff teams because that’s how good they are. Infantile expressions of pseudo-frustration are not going to change
Alan, get a life.
@Dog: I will when Tucker gets a homer
Where would we be without our little Alan? How he must perk up when he sees a chance to pull out the old Commodore 64, wait for the landline to accept his AOL 6 hour of online access to write useless drivel about a team he pretends to cheer for. His wisdom is beyond his years, all 67 of them. Can’t wait for his next post, and the next!
The Mariners broke him. 0 ER in 12 appearances before he faced the Mariners and gave up 2 runs, and 15 ER in the 9 appearances after that
He got shelled in his last 5 games
sadmarinersfan: See my comment about his Mets tenure. He was awful before the Mariners ever got him.
That he pitched effectively for them is astonishing.
Alan53: What are you sorry about? Who’s Brett Taylor and where did he make these comments?
Blue, Brett Taylor runs a local Cubs site and has banned Alan for his constant trolling, racist accusations and general unhealthy musings.
Alan uses this platform to do the same and swipe at Brett at any opportunity.
He’s nothing more than a 72 year old man (yep, 72 not 11) with a keyboard and an AI generator to help him form what looks like cogent thoughts.
He throws stuff out and when he gets the one out of eight right throws confetti around in a one man parade.
Then he wakes up the next morning and realizes he has to clean his mom’s basement floor.
If he’s 72, his mom is likely dead.
Folks are plugging away well into their 90’s these days Blue! (Well more of them are.) With the state of medical science and people more aware of deleterious lifestyle choices, I’m seeing some success stories. My Dad is a robust & healthy 88 years young (knock on wood) and hasn’t lost a tick mentally. He has friends into their mid 90s still banging away. (Okay small sample size & whatnot but still lol…) cheers happy Tues.
My mom was robust and healthy at 88 until she had a stroke in her sleep one night and passed away 11 days later.
Most people have lost their parents well before they hit their 70s.
Can you link the local Cubs site you referenced?
Bleachernation.com
If he’s not scheduled for elbow surgery, he will probably get a job. MLB Pitching is watered down more than most people’s yards right now.
Does it really matter with flexes or whoever. Brewers all the way. All starts and ends with lack of production king tuck. Kong hardly worth $500 m plus, injury no excuse but he has no backup so he plays regardless. Sane with o a- he looks Ike she’ll.
Are you having a stroke?
I think I heard the softly whispered “Hell yah…” in those words when Bruce clicked Post Comment right before hitting the floor.
Pca
Cubs have so much spare pitching, they be flex-en!
Nothing like watching a White Sox fan flex when his team is, checks notes, 42-70!
These two stories back-to-back are classic Cubs.
Flexen’s nickname was “the big baby”. He disrespected Jose Reyes, he really is a big baby. I don’t feel bad in the slightest. He will go down in infamy as one of the worst Mets relievers/bulk inning relievers of the late 2010s, to go along with Stephen Nogosek, Tim Peterson, Eric Hanhold, Tyler Bashlor, Drew Gagnon, Jacob Rhame, Vic Black, Josh Edgin, Corey Oswalt, Neil Ramirez, Paul Sewald, Tim Stauffer, Buddy Carlise, Eric O Flaherty, Carlos Torres, Hansel Robles, Daniel Zamora, Drew Smith and Chasen Bradford
Not many people will be feeling sorry for Jose Reyes.
I hope any of the developmental people & pitching coaches responsible for that list of infamy are completely jettisoned from the franchise by now.
Ngl that’s a cool nickname. Better than Tiny Adult
Wow that’s a lot of trauma
Flexen
Presley
Green
I’d go Presley.
Watch tape Fetters.