NEWSLETTER
Some 40-man roster culling begins.
Per the Cubs’ transaction log, righty reliever Spencer Patton has been released. (Looks like the transaction occurred as the Cubs were adding additional players to the 40-man roster to protect them from the Rule 5 Draft, but it didn’t post to the log until last night, as near as I can tell.)
Patton, 28, was acquired almost exactly one year ago in a trade with the Rangers, as the Cubs looked to build up their bullpen depth. In the exchange, the Cubs sent middle infielder Frandy De La Rosa, who had a decent, but not great, year in A ball this past season.
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Patton’s year was mixed, insofar as his performance at AAA was Andrew Miller-like, in terms of his dominance, but it never translated in the big leagues, where he posted a 5.48 ERA, a 5.02 FIP, and a 4.99 xFIP over 21.1 innings with the Cubs. Patton was out of minor league options and turns 29 in February. If he didn’t make the big league roster out of Spring Training, the Cubs were going to have to put him on waivers anyway. In other words, the odds that Patton stayed with the Cubs next season – short of returning on a minor league deal – were extremely slim.
He’ll now seek work somewhere else, though a return to the Cubs on a minor league deal is not out of the question.
The Cubs’ 40-man roster now stands at 38.
