With six relievers sidelined by injuries, the North Siders need southpaw reinforcements. Former fan favorite Andrew Chafin is a free agent again after dominating Triple-A with a 0.96 ERA.
The Chicago Cubs always seem to be in the market for pitchers.
They’ve recently claimed Doug Nikhazy and Luis Peralta off waivers and could definitely use more relief pitching. The Cubs currently have six relievers on the injured list, including Riley Martin, Caleb Thielbar, Hunter Harvey, and Jordan Wicks.
With some key left-handed relievers dealing with injuries, Chicago could be in the market for a southpaw. Someone like veteran Andrew Chafin could make a lot of sense for the North Siders right now.
Chafin recently opted out of his Minor League deal with the Cincinnati Reds after appearing in 10 games for Triple-A Louisville. He had a 0.96 ERA, six walks, and eight strikeouts across 9 ⅓ innings pitched with the Louisville Bats.
The left-hander likely opted out of his deal as he searches for a Major League opportunity. Despite posting solid numbers at the Triple-A level to begin the season, the Reds didn’t seem ready to call up the 35-year-old reliever.
Chafin will now head to free agency. He’ll have the freedom to sign with any team and is hoping to land a Major League deal after a strong start to the year.
It has been an interesting few months for Chafin. He originally signed a Minor League deal with the Minnesota Twins in mid-February, but the Twins decided to release him before the start of the regular season. That led the southpaw to sign a Minor League deal with the Reds on March 31.
After a few weeks at Triple-A, Chafin decided it was time to seek other opportunities.
That’s where the Cubs could come in.
They could use another veteran reliever in their bullpen. Chafin looked solid for the most part at Triple-A Louisville, and he is coming off a solid Major League campaign in which he finished with a 2.41 ERA in 42 appearances.
Now, there are some question marks surrounding Chafin as he seeks a Major League deal. His walk rate in the spring (12%) and at Triple-A (16.2%) has been extremely high, and his four-seam fastball is topping out at just 88 mph.
But the low velocity and high walk rate have never been problems for Chafin in the past. The left-hander has overcome both of those concerns all across his 12 years in the big leagues.
That’s why Chicago should be checking in on the veteran southpaw.
The Cubs are also very familiar with Chafin, as he spent two seasons with the team back in 2020 and 2021. He posted a combined 2.13 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 47 appearances before the front office traded him away at the 2021 MLB Trade Deadline for Greg Deichmann and Daniel Palencia.