Chicago Cubs Sign Reliever

While the owners and players continue to battle over the billions, the Chicago Cubs have made a move of their own at the low end of the salary scale, signing pitcher Kevin McCarthy to a minor league deal.

The 30-year-old reliever did not pitch in the majors in 2021, but was with the Kansas City Royals the previous 5 seasons. He has a decent career 3.80 ERA, and works best as a groundball pitcher, garnering a very strong 58.7% groundball rate. He only strikes out 3 batters per 9 innings, but that's just not his thing. 

McCarthy bounced around the minor league systems of the Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox last season. 

At the moment, were the season to begin now (unfortunately, that's another story altogether), the Cubs have very little experience in their bullpen, so a non-roster player with several years of big league experience, such as McCarthy owns, could have a shot at sticking. 

Photo Credit:  Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports