The Cubs bet on Kyle Wright's 2022 Cy Young-caliber performance, hoping their pitching lab can unlock his potential after significant injury setbacks.
The Chicago Cubs have been known to take chances on pitchers each offseason. Their goal is to sign a few pitchers to Minor League deals who they believe they can fix. These moves are seen as low-risk, high-reward signings.
Last offseason, the Cubs signed both Brad Keller and Chris Flexen to Minor League deals. Keller finished with a 2.07 ERA across 69 ⅔ innings pitched, and Flexen had a 3.08 ERA before being designated for assignment in late July.
The Cubs are hoping that right-hander Kyle Wright can follow a similar path as those two pitchers this year. The front office signed the 30-year-old veteran to a Minor League deal on Tuesday night.
It’s not a surprise to see the Cubs continue to add pitchers via Minor League deals at this point in the offseason. Signing pitchers to Minor League deals has worked for this team in the past, and Chicago’s pitching staff has a history of fixing pitchers.
The Cubs likely believe they can fix Wright.
Injuries have really held back the right-hander in recent years. He missed most of the 2023 season due to an ongoing shoulder injury. He began the year on the 15-day IL before suffering a shoulder strain in early May that cost him almost four months.
Wright then decided to undergo surgery for a torn capsule at the end of that season, which caused him to miss the entire 2024 campaign. The Atlanta Braves also traded him away to the Kansas City Royals before the 2024 season.
Unfortunately, Wright's injuries continued to pile up in 2025. He started the season on the 15-day injured list as he was still recovering from shoulder surgery, was scratched from a Minor league start in early May due to shoulder fatigue, and suffered an oblique strain in late June that ended his season.
While the injuries are definitely a concern, the Cubs are likely looking at the pitcher Wright was before all these injuries.
Back in 2022, Wright broke out with the Braves. He finished with a 3.19 ERA, 21 wins, and 174 strikeouts across 180 ⅓ innings pitched. The right-hander led all pitchers in wins and finished 10th in National League Cy Young voting.
So, if you’re the Cubs, why not take a chance on Wright?
He is just four years removed from a dominant Major League season, and there could be something there if he manages to stay healthy. If there is any team that can fix Wright, it’s the Cubs’ pitching lab duo of Tommy Hottovy and Tyler Zombro.
There’s a chance that Cubs fans never see Wright pitch in a Major League game. He hasn’t thrown in a Major League game since 2023 and hasn’t been able to stay healthy in each of the past three years.
But there’s also a chance he showcases some of that 2022 form across the spring. That makes this a potential low-risk, high-reward signing.