Chicago Cubs: Offseason pickup gives Cubs the ultimate vote of confidence

The Chicago Cubs had declared that pitching would be their primary focus this offseason. They weren’t lying, although the nice detour to free agent Alex Bregman was greatly appreciated.

More News: Chicago Cubs manager marvels at surprise 20-year-old prospect: “Wow”

The front office restocked a depleted bullpen with four free agent signings and the re-signing of Caleb Thielbar.

They also pulled the trigger on the big trade to acquire emerging powerhouse starter Edward Cabrera from the Miami Marlins and bit the bullet to retain Shota Imanaga for one more season via $22 million qualifying offer.

Flying under the radar a bit, though, was their move to stockpile quality arms via minor league deals and fringe roster additions. During the offseason, the Cubs added a mini legion of pitchers with the potential of rebounding into major league assets and will likely sit on most as a reserve for when they might need pitching help.

One of those among the stockpile is Kyle Wright.

A 21-game winner opts for minor Cubs spot

More News: Chicago Cubs: Dansby Swanson is killing the ball after rewired hitting approach

The 30-year-old was once a well-regarded prospect who had finally managed to breakthrough to big league success in 2022 with the Atlanta Braves, posting a 21-5 record and a 3.19 ERA in 30 starts. Subsequent injuries, though, ruined his career momentum and ultimately led to him becoming an unheralded free agent trying to come back after two full seasons away from the majors.

Despite his status as a down-on-his-luck pitcher looking to come back from shoulder surgery, he still had options. Teams wanted him. There was the possibility that he’d even find a spot on someone’s 26-man roster come Opening Day.

Instead, he chose to sign a minor league deal with the Cubs– a team with an overflow of starting pitching and little discernible path to a major league roster spot. He picked the Cubs because he believed they offered him the best opportunity to get his pitching mojo back, even if it came at the Triple-A level.

Wright saw Cubs as the perfect fit, even if it’s at Triple-A

“I knew there was crazy competition in this locker room and maybe I could have signed somewhere else and had a better opportunity out of the gate, but for me it’s about how do we get back healthy and if I get back healthy then everything’s going to take care of itself,” Wright told The Chicago Tribune. “Because I know that I’m capable, I’ve got to get there first. So I knew they weren’t going to rush me. They were going to put the best plan in place to get me back to my previous self.”’

Chicago’s overstuffed pitching staff meant that Wright could take his time and immerse himself in the work of a coaching staff renowned for its ability to breathe new life into struggling major league arms.

Wright has opt-outs built into his Cubs contract– one that would allow him to leave after spring training– but it’s believed that he will stay on and be sent to continue his comeback in Iowa.

The Cubs’ best recruiting tool

The Cubs’ recent successes with the likes of Brad Keller and Drew Pomeranz have not gone unnoticed and the organization’s positive reputation is working as a recruiting tool to attract quality arms in search of a second big league chance.

Shortstop Dansby Swanson recently commented on this dynamic in an interview with the Foul Territory podcast.

“Understanding how to get the most out of guys…I think you’ve really seen that on the pitching side, which has been its own recruiting tool,” Swanson said. “Just guys that have been able to come back from some injuries or from a year or two of what they feel like is a subpar performance and being able to find themselves again and make some money from it. I think that’s a recruiting tool of its own…Just guys getting better coming to Chicago.

For the Cubs, a guy like Wright is money in the bank for possible use later on in the season. It’s also pretty smart to keep promising starters with a history of prior big league success close to the team with pitchers Jameson Taillon and Imanaga due to be free agents at the end of the season and Matthew Boyd staring down a mutual option for 2027.

The post Chicago Cubs: Offseason pickup gives Cubs the ultimate vote of confidence appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Source: https://www.chicitysports.com/chicago-cubs-kyle-wright-pitcher-spring-training-2026/