Chicago bolsters its injury-riddled staff by acquiring reliever Tyler Ferguson from the Athletics. The right-hander offers high-strikeout potential as the latest reclamation project for a surging Cubs bullpen.
The Chicago Cubs continue to add pitching depth.
They made a small move on Thursday evening to acquire reliever Tyler Ferguson from the Athletics for cash. Ferguson was designated for assignment by the Athletics on Wednesday, and the Cubs traded for him just one day later.
This is now the third pitcher the Cubs have added to their organization over the past 10 days. They claimed both Doug Nikhazy and Luis Peralta off waivers last week and traded for another pitcher in Ferguson on Thursday.
Ferguson hasn’t exactly pitched well to start the 2026 season. He allowed four runs across 1 ⅓ innings in his only appearance with the Athletics and had a 6.17 ERA in 11 ⅔ innings at Triple-A Las Vegas.
After being called up by the Athletics on May 3 and giving up four earned runs on May 5, the team decided to designate him for assignment on May 6. Ferguson gave up two home runs and four total hits in that relief appearance against the Phillies on Tuesday.
But it makes sense why the Cubs are taking a chance on Ferguson amid a rough year.
For starters, Chicago had one 40-man roster spot open. With the Cubs designating Corbin Martin for assignment before Thursday’s game, they had the flexibility to add another pitcher to that 40-man spot.
Additionally, the Cubs could use more pitching depth in the Minors.
This team has lost so many pitchers due to injuries in the early going. Cade Horton is out for the season, Justin Steele has suffered a setback, Matthew Boyd is out for the next six weeks with a meniscus tear, and key bullpen arms like Caleb Thielbar, Hunter Harvey, Ethan Roberts, and Riley Martin are all on the 15-day injured list.
Ferguson gives the Cubs more depth in the Minors, just in case another injury arises or a reliever struggles. The right-hander is also more than capable of making an impact at some point in the big leagues this year.
Back in 2024, Ferguson posted solid numbers in his first Major League season. He had a 3.68 ERA and 62 strikeouts across 51 ⅓ innings and finished in the upper half of the league in expected ERA (3.67), expected batting average against (.209), and strikeout rate (30%).
Even in 2025, Ferguson showed some encouraging things. Although he ended the year with a 4.66 ERA, his expected ERA (3.74) was 92 points lower than his actual ERA. He also ranked in the top 20% of the league in expected batting average against (.209), hard-hit rate (31.8%), average exit velocity (87.5 mph), and barrel rate (6.5%).
The Cubs are notorious for picking up veteran pitchers and fixing them. Just look at last season when the front office signed Brad Keller to a Minor League deal, traded for a struggling Drew Pomeranz, and agreed to a Minor League contract with Chris Flexen. Those three pitchers went on to have pretty good seasons in a Cubs uniform.
That makes this Ferguson trade a sneaky move by the front office.
Ferguson didn’t really cost the Cubs anything, and the 32-year-old has shown his potential in the big leagues in the past. Most importantly, he gives Chicago some much-needed depth at Triple-A.