Cubs put World Series champion on waivers
Chicago Cubs lefty relief pitcher Drew Smyly may soon be on the move. The team has placed him on outright waivers, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
The decision allows a contending team to claim him provided they’re willing to take on the rest of his contract. Smyly is in the second year of a two-year $20.5 million deal with a mutual option for a third year at $10 million. The team that claims him would owe him the approximately $1.9 million remaining for his 2024 salary and, if they do not pick up his option, would owe a $2.5 million buyout.
So any team that is willing to part with at least $4.4 million can claim him off waivers. The Cubs did not designate him for assignment, so this isn’t the typical situation where a team would have to trade the player they waived. Smyly can keep pitching for the Cubs while the process plays out and the team cannot pull him back. If someone claims Smyly, he’s gone.
Smyly could be a valuable add to any team looking to make a playoff push. With the trade deadline past, there aren’t many opportunities to add experience to your roster. Smyly has been around since 2012, winning the 2021 World Series with the Atlanta Braves.
After starting for the majority of his career, including 23 times last year, Smyly is enjoying a resurgent 2024. In 39 appearances — all out of the bullpen — he has a 2.84 ERA and 1.184 WHIP. While lefties are actually hitting him for a higher batting average than righties (.226 vs. .219), they have not been as productive with those hits. Lefties only have a .603 OPS against him with two home runs, compared to six homers for righties.
The timing of the Cubs’ decision is important. It comes on August 26, six days before rosters expand. In order for Smyly to be eligible to pitch in the postseason for a contender, he must be on their 40-man roster before the start of next month.
The Drew Smyly waiver move may signal the end of the Cubs’ playoff pursuit
Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
If you squint hard enough, the Cubs aren’t truly out of the playoff race. They’re a game under .500 but only 5.5 games out of the National League Wild Card hunt with five weeks to play. On the other hand, they’re also looking up at three teams ahead of them in the Wild Card standings, so they’d have to hope those teams go through rough stretches.
FanGraphs gives them a 2.5% chance at the postseason, and by putting Smyly on waivers, it appears the Cubs have decided that’s not good enough. Giving another team the chance to claim him would save at least $4.4 million as the team heads into its fourth straight offseason without October baseball.
From here, the question becomes who else might join Smyly on waivers. If Chicago has decided to punt on the remainder of the year, the team might as well see if it could free up some more money by offloading guys it doesn’t see as part of its future. Mike Tauchman is a candidate. He has two years of arbitration left and has performed well as a fourth outfielder and could be an attractive pick-up for a team looking to add another lefty bat.
The post Cubs put World Series champion on waivers appeared first on ClutchPoints.
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