Jose Quintana has officially joined the Chicago Cubs, which means the team needed to open up a 25-man roster spot (there was a spot already available on the 40-man roster). Thus, reliever Dylan Floro has been optioned back to AAA Iowa.
Taking Floro’s spot in the bullpen, for now, is Eddie Butler, who pitched out of the pen just before the All-Star break, but had otherwise been starting all year. It’s a fair guess that Butler will go back to Iowa to continue starting when John Lackey is activated from the disabled list in this upcoming turn through the rotation, but we’ll see if anything else shakes loose on the roster before then.
Butler figures to be something of a long reliever in the big league bullpen right now.