Cubs add lefty pitcher Mitchell Tyranski |
Typically, when the Chicago Cubs have an off day, there isn't much to talk about. However, there are some cases when surprise news comes out of camp, which was the case for the Cubs on Monday. For those who pay attention to the team's daily newswire, you will notice a new name in the organization, as the Cubs added left-hander Mitchell Tyranski.
The 26-year-old lefty has been a minor league pitcher his entire career but has yet to reach the higher levels of the Minor Leagues. In just over 42 innings with the Dodgers organization last season, Tyranski posted a 3.83 ERA. He walked 21 and struck out 47, so there are some things to like about his overall game. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Tyranski, the Dodgers drafted him out of Michigan State in the 12th round of the 2019 MLB Draft. During his time with the Spartans, Tyranski had a ton of success out of the bullpen before they made him more of a starter during his junior season. Once he was drafted, he did make a handful of rookie league appearances for the Dodgers organization, but since then, there hasn't been much mention of him. Why such a gap from 2019 to 2023? The answer is simple, 2020 was the COVID year where no Minor League baseball activities took place. The very next season, he suffered the worst-timed Tommy John surgery you could imagine. That injury took place ahead of the 2021 season, losing that entire year and then losing more time in 2022. Eventually, he returned to the mound in 2023, but by then, he had missed nearly four years of baseball action, hence his age, and still being in Low-Level A-Ball. Seeing the Dodgers release him shouldn't surprise anyone, which begs the question. Why did the Cubs add a guy with very limited experience the past four innings? This has the feel of an extreme reclamation play as opposed to a contribution in the near future, but the Cubs love their reclamation projects. Given that he finally found some time on the mound last season and now has an opportunity within a new organization, there is hope that he can develop a bit quicker than in the past and start moving up the Minor League ladder. For a team that lacks lefty relief help, it would be quite a story to see him make his way up the ladder to potentially put himself within striking distance of the Cubs MLB roster. If he shows that he is back to being 100% healthy, there shouldn't be an issue with him sticking around for a while. However, if he struggles, it wouldn't cost the Cubs much of anything to part ways. Giving him a look is a no-risk proposition that could benefit both parties. Tyranski is once again getting an opportunity to show he belongs, while the Cubs are hoping last season was just the tip of the iceberg for what could be the beginning of a nice story. According to reports, Tyranski has already reported to the Cubs organization and is expected to be with Myrtle Beach when they return to action on Tuesday. At the same time, he will also be given an opportunity to climb the ladder quickly, hoping to land in South Bend or even Tennessee by season's end. Most fans are going to laugh at this acquisition and call it a joke, but you saw this with the Julio Teheran acquisition last week. This team isn't going to shy away from bringing in more talent, no matter the age or where they come from. Hopefully, this works out for him, as Tyranski is the classic case of a pitcher bitten by bad luck and unfortunate timing. Dodger prospect Mitchell Tyranski got on the bump today in game action for the first time in nearly 4 years! Here's every pitch from his perfect 9th inning for Great Lakes, the 2019 12th round pick out of Michigan State struck out two: pic.twitter.com/EgPR2zs3gC
