The Chicago Cubs have let another arm go so that he can seek out a more lucrative opportunity in Asia.
First it was righty swing man Colin Rea, and now it’s lefty reliever Matt Dermody:
Left-hander Matt Dermody, who agreed to a minor league deal to return to the #Cubs this winter, has now been granted his release so that he can sign a one-year deal with #NPB’s Seibu Lions, I’m told.
— Steve Adams (@Adams_Steve) January 21, 2021
本日1/21(木)、元シカゴ・カブスMatt Dermody(マット・ダーモディ)投手の入団が決定いたしましたのでお知らせします。
▼プロフィールはこちらhttps://t.co/aOtJI8RFtA#埼玉西武ライオンズ #seibulions— 埼玉西武ライオンズ (@lions_official) January 21, 2021
These situations tend to wind up the rare win-win-win, with the player benefiting from more money/a better opportunity, the Cubs benefiting from a transfer payment from the NPB team, and the NPB team landing a new player on a deal they’re happy to pay. It’s a hit to depth for the Cubs, yes, but when it benefits a player who might not make the team anyway (and you do get a little cash in the deal), it’s hard to say they’re doing the wrong thing.
I was looking forward to seeing what Dermody could do after working with the Cubs, but obviously the refurbishment wing of the Cubs’ bullpen crew is incredibly deep at the moment (doesn’t mean all or many will work out! … but yeah, there’s a ton of guys trying to win a few jobs).