Cubs ink two pitchers to minor league deals |
It's almost comical how much the Cubs value minor-league depth signings over adding some MLB-caliber talent to their roster. Well, here we are again, as the Cubs made not only another Minor League signing but two minor league signings late Tuesday night.
As has been the case for the past month or so, both of these signings are viewed as depth pieces, and both are pitchers expected to contribute right away. Connor Schultz and Jackson Tetreault are the latest Cubs Minor League Acquisitions as they continue to stockpile down on the farm but not the MLB roster. With these two pickups, the Cubs have signed 11 minor league pitching free agents, most of which have come since May 1. Looking at some of the pickups, Kyle McGowin has been nothing short of impressive since he was added to the mix, while Dan Straily and Julio Teheran continue to struggle. You also have some former Independent League signings who have joined the Cubs, and all of them have shown promise during their short spurts on the mound. We will return to the latest signings and start with Schultz. The 25-year-old right-hander is getting his first opportunity in affiliated baseball after spending the past three seasons pitching in the Pioneer League, one of the four Independent Baseball leagues that runs off of MLB Guidance. The former Missouri and Iowa University pitcher was with the Missoula Paddleheads during his time in the Pioneer League and will look to build on his success with the Cubs organization. During his time with Missoula, the results were mixed, but he was an all-star pitcher last season, and he finished second in the Pitcher of the Year voting. For the season, Schultz was sporting a 3-1 record across four starts, posting a 4.09 ERA with five walks and 22 strikeouts. Schultz has posted a 14-6 record for his career with a 4.58 ERA, 46 walks, and 160 strikeouts. When it comes to a scouting report, Schultz is a guy who relies on a four-pitch mix with his fastball sitting in the mid-90s. A cerebral competitor who uses analytics, Schultz should benefit from the Cubs’ coaching staff. The Cubs also love his ability to go deep into games and believe he has the potential to tough triple digits in the rotation. Going to the big league. 👏 Tetreault, on the other hand, is a bit older than Schultz, as he is 28 years old. Unlike Schultz, who has been an Independent League star, Tetreault was the former seventh-round pick of the Washington Nationals and will be viewed more as a reclamation project, similar to McGowin, who has been pitching well since his arrival. Despite the mixed results, Tetreault has worked his way up through the Minor League ranks and has reached AA several times and AAA once, where he went 5-3 with a 4.19 ERA across 14 games. However, Tetreault did manage to reach the majors in 2022 only to have a fractured Scapula end his season. Since then, the right-hander has endured a series of injuries, which is why he elected to hit Minor League free agency following the 2023 campaign. This move was a little bit lost in the transaction wire as he has already appeared in three games with the ACL Cubs, delivering four strong innings in the process. In those innings, Tetreault has given up one run on three hits while striking out seven. He also has yet to walk a batter, as his overall command has been great. He looks to move back to AA Tennessee or AAA Iowa in the near future. Unlike the scouting report on Schultz, which describes him as a four-pitch, high-velocity guy, Tetreault is more of a low-90s type of Pitcher who likes to keep the ball down in the zone. Either way, the Cubs feel their minor league system is more important than their MLB team at this point when it comes to depth, as they will have to pull from their system in order to trade for better talent on this year's roster.
Congrats to PaddleHeads RHP Connor Schultz on being picked up by the Chicago @Cubs organization!
We are so proud of you and can't wait to see you shine. Go get 'em, Connor! 🎉 pic.twitter.com/hrm5vLvIuW
