Cubs add two intriguing pitchers on minor league deals |
I will give Jed Hoyer and Carter Hawkins a ton of credit this season as they refuse to back off on the signings. While it would be nice for the Cubs to add some MLB-caliber signings, especially in the bullpen, depth is equally as important as the Cubs continue to stockpile depth within the minor leagues.
After adding a pair of arms to their minor league roster last week, the Cubs continue to do their homework and have signed two more pitchers to minor league deals: Aaron Perry and Carlo Reyes. While it is unclear where these players will be stashed once they arrive, it is expected that they will be between high-A and AA as the Cubs continue to be creative with their pitching signings. Perry is a 24-year-old righty who was part of the Boston Red Sox organization through the 2023 season. A 14th-round pick back in 2017, Perry has had a rough go of things since, as he has never pitched in more than 19 games in any season. Perry has appeared in 45 games (6 starts), going 4-6 for his career with a 5.89 ERA. There is a reason why he didn't stick with the Red Sox beyond last season, and after failing to find a new home this offseason, he was able to latch on with the Cubs. While this acquisition may have gone unnoticed, Perry is currently with the South Bend Cubs and has even pitched in a game, which resulted in two scoreless innings. With the Red Sox, Perry missed a lot of time with injuries and was designated to relief-only duty, which is the role he is expected to have here with the Cubs. Despite never making it past High-A at this point in his career, there are some positives to note when he was on the mound, with the high strikeout rate being the one that comes to mind. Knowing that, Perry has some plus stuff, and now it becomes a case of staying healthy to show that stuff. Reyes is the more intriguing of the two pickups as the 25-year-old righty came up in the Phillies organization before reaching AA with the Dodgers last season. Across his career, Reyes has seen time in 104 games (24) starts, going 209 innings. He has posted an 11-10 with a 3.31 ERA, all while sporting a 77BB to 251K strikeout-to-walk ratio. Like Perry, Reyes was a minor league free agent, but he wasn't released right away. He spent all of spring training with the Dodgers before being released. Part of that had to do with their roster crunch before opening day, but it seems odd that no one claimed him on the open market. Now, with the Cubs, it will be interesting to see what the plan is for him as he is expected to get some reps with the ACL Cubs before heading to AA Tennesee. The biggest thing with Reyes is his strikeout numbers, as he can easily put hitters away. Yet, for some reason, he has never been able to get over the AA hump, which will be his main goal with the Cubs. In an era when very few minor league pitchers are relief-only pitchers, both Perry and Reyes fit that role, which could be huge for the Cubs. Whether that is the reason they added these guys or another reason, the Cubs clearly liked both of them enough, as they will now have them for the rest of 2024 to see what they truly have in each one of them. Big congratulations are in order for our man Carlo Reyes 🎉🥳 Reyes has had his contract purchased by the @Cubs 😎 We wish you the best of luck⚾️ #staydirty #DirtyBirds pic.twitter.com/CHf3xvuiUI While it is unlikely either of these guys will contend for a roster spot this season, if at all, Reyes is the closest to making AAA, and should that happen, who knows what will come next? Regardless, the Cubs won't stop making these types of deals, as they have a great history of finding diamonds in the rough.
