Cubs sign righty reliever |
With the non-tender deadline now behind us and with the Chicago Cubs releasing more players than expected, several new spots have opened up on the 40-man roster as the Cubs look to retool this roster. You knew some tough decisions would have to be made at some point, but watching Mike Tauchman and some of the others get released opens the door for the Cubs to do more than anticipated.
The first of what is expected to be a flurry of moves did take place on Saturday, and although it doesn't affect the 40-man roster right now, it could have an impact down the road. In case you missed it, the Cubs and Right Hander Phil Bickford have come to terms on a Minor League deal with an invite to Spring Training. The second part of the deal is what to keep an eye on as Bickford is expected to compete for a job in the Cubs pen, and should he make the team, he will need to be added to the 40-man. This is another one of those low-risk deals that Jed Hoyer and Carter Hawkins continue to make as they love those reclamation project players. Bickford falls into that category, as the Cubs are banking on the season he had in 2024 as a step in the right direction. At 29 years old, Bickford has been around for a while and has bounced between the Dodgers, Brewers, Mets, and Yankees organizations. He was never what you would call a lockdown reliever by any means, but he did show plenty of promise at times to the point where you could trust him in most bullpen spots. The past few seasons best sum up Bickford and are the main reason why he is a reclamation project. While with the Dodgers in 2021, Bickford dominated, posting a 2.81 ERA across 57 games, including a 2.50 ERA in 56 games with the Dodgers. He did everything and more for Dave Roberts that season and was looking to be a future piece in that bullpen. Once the calendar turned to 2022, Bickford began to struggle. He was haunted by homers in 2022, leading to a 4.72 ERA. Then came 2023, when the homers weren't as much of an issue, but the command was, as he posted a 4.62 ERA across 26 games with the Mets. Put all that together, and you have a guy who has appeared in 187 career MLB games and has posted a 4.62 ERA in those games. Sounds like the perfect Cubs target. Well, if I could deter you away from his career numbers for a bit, Bickford had a great 2024 season with the New York Yankees organization, although that success came in AAA. Bickford posted a 3.40 ERA in AAA last season, but his 30.0% K rate and 7.7% BB rate are what stood out, as both of those numbers were the best he has been at in years. Looking at how he performed last season, it does seem like a foregone conclusion that he was one of those fringe roster guys who pitched well enough to reach the bigs last season but wasn't given the opportunity to do so. Both he and the Cubs are hoping that was a sign of things to come this season, as he could make for a versatile piece in the pen. Unlike many relievers who live on a big-time heater, Bickford isn't one of those guys. His fastball tends to sit in the 92-93 MPH range. However, it does come with a lot of movement, as his lower arm angle creates deception out of the hand while also coming at the hitter with some rise and cut. Everyone knows what the Cubs pitching lab is all about, especially when they see a pitch they like. Maybe the movement on his fastball is what they like the most about Bickford. There is some connection between Bickford and Craig Counsell, as he made his MLB debut in 2020 with the Milwaukee Brewers, which Counsell was managing at the time. Could this be the reason why the Cubs are bringing him in? Maybe, but these are the types of deals the front office has grown accustomed to the past few offseasons. This is only a minor move, but it is the start of what could be a busy next month or so, as the Cubs have money to spend and plenty of roster spots to fill.
