Chicago’s front office gambles on a bounce-back candidate, hoping its renowned pitching lab can revitalize Aaron Bummer following a turbulent release from the Braves.
The Chicago Cubs continue to do all they can to fix their pitching.
They have claimed pitchers like Doug Nikhazy and Luis Peralta off waivers, traded for reliever Tyler Ferguson, agreed to a deal with Liam Hendriks, and recently re-signed Ty Blach to a Minor League contract after being designated for assignment last week.
The Cubs have now signed veteran left-hander Aaron Bummer to a Minor League contract, according to MLB insider Bob Nightengale.
Bummer was released by the Atlanta Braves last week amid a rough start to the season. The 32-year-old owned a 7.63 ERA and a 16.9% strikeout rate in 19 appearances before the Braves decided to let him go.
His final straw in Atlanta came when he allowed six runs on three hits with five walks against the Marlins on May 18. The Braves then made the tough decision to release the 10-year veteran just one day later.
Bummer has been around the game for a very long time. He started his career with the Chicago White Sox back in 2017 and was a solid reliever for the South Siders during his prime. The southpaw had a combined 2.59 ERA and 179 strikeouts in 161 appearances from 2019 to 2022.
The veteran was then traded to Atlanta before the 2024 season in a blockbuster deal that netted the White Sox five players in return. Bummer posted solid numbers in his first two years with the Braves (3.69 ERA and 120 strikeouts) before falling off this season.
Despite his poor numbers to start the 2026 campaign, this is a low-risk, high-reward signing by the Cubs. Bummer has been a quality reliever in the past, and the team’s pitching lab has fixed veteran pitchers over the years.
Just last season, the Cubs helped both Brad Keller and Drew Pomeranz have career years on the mound. Keller posted a career-best 2.07 ERA with 75 strikeouts, while Pomeranz finished with a 2.17 ERA across 49 ⅔ innings pitched.
Whether Bummer can get back to his former self on the mound remains to be seen. However, these are the type of signings the Cubs should continue to make. Take a chance on a veteran pitcher who has been good before.
Bummer has a career 3.94 ERA and 442 strikeouts across his 10 Major League seasons. He had a 3.81 ERA and a 21.6% strikeout rate in 42 appearances last year and displays an interesting 9° arm angle.
The Cubs will try to fix Bummer to get him back to his former self. The left-hander will likely report to Triple-A Iowa, and the front office is hoping that he shows enough in the minors to warrant a promotion to the big league club.
Although his early-season metrics suggest that the best is behind him, this is a nice pickup by the Cubs. Bummer is just two years removed from finishing with a sub-3.60 ERA and a 28.3% strikeout rate.
