Cubs add veteran pitcher Dan Straily |
Given how many injuries have been piling up at the MLB and MILB levels, you had to think some moves were coming for the Chicago Cubs. You saw them address their MLB needs by calling up some of their young prospects, but that still leaves some holes remaining on the MILB roster, especially when it comes to pitching.
What better way to fill some of those needs than by bringing back an old friend? The Cubs and Dan Straily have agreed to a minor-league contract. These are always fun stories to report, as so many people often forget about some of the players involved during the rebuild that helped get this team to where it is now. Like many pitchers who have gone through some MLB struggles, Straily looked to rejuvenate and save his career by heading overseas to play in the KBO. While the overall results in the KBO were up and down, Strialy still spent several years trying to latch back on an MLB roster, but could not find a good situation for him. He has found the right situation as Straily is once again returning to an MLB organization and will be back with the Cubs in their system. The now 35-year-old is signing an interesting contract as this will be a split where the Cubs pick up some of his salary while his KBO team covers the rest he was most recently associated with. Should he prove he still has something left and can find a way to make it back to the majors, this would be one heck of a story to follow. Straily has been in Korea for the past four seasons and has put up incredible numbers in the process with the Lotte Giants. He went 15-4 with a 2.50 ERA in 2020, 10-12 with a 4.07 ERA in 2021, and has gone a combined 7-7 with an ERA north of 5.00 the past two seasons. The ERA numbers aren't great, but anytime you go 32-23 over a three-year stretch, you are doing something right, and the Cubs must like the way he pitched. Looking at his MLB numbers, you have a pitcher who has been close to .500, going 44-40 with a 4.56 ERA. That includes a brief stint in Chicago during the 2013 and 14 seasons, where he went 2-5 with an ERA north of 6.00. That falls right in line with where he was the last time we saw him on an MLB mound, as he went 3-3 with the Diamondbacks in 2022 with a 6.35 ERA. Given that most of his success in the past four seasons has come overseas, it will be hard to say if his success will translate once he gets back to the States, especially when you look at his age. With the sudden rash of injuries that have started to trickle down to the minors, the Cubs are looking to add more depth to their rotation and have already brought in Julio Teheran. Straily will fill a similar role to Teheran's as he will be a back of the rotation arm while filling the veteran presence every minor league team needs. Should the Cubs ever see Straily and Teheran in the majors this season, it would be a real problem, as that would mean nearly every one of their reliable starters has gone down with an injury. While that is unlikely, Carter Hawkins and Jed Hoyer are just playing it safe, and they want to make sure they cover all the bases before it's too late. Best of luck to Straily, as every player deserves a second chance at reaching the Majors, especially one that had a decent run before.
