NEWSLETTER
The Chicago Cubs are seriously going off on the minor league pitching signings here after the start of the season. Sure, you sometimes see one, but this is entirely different (and I suspect it’s because of the new stateside org roster limits, so the Cubs are smartly filling in new guys when they get a roster chance (as other guys get hurt)).
So, in the last couple weeks, the Cubs have signed big leaguer depth types Julio Teheran and Dan Straily, international pitcher Daniel Missaki, pitching prospect types Nico Zeglin and Mitchell Tyranski, and now they’ve also signed Triple-A/MLB border guy Jake Wong.
Wong, 27, pitched at Double-A, Triple-A, and MLB last year for the Cincinnati Reds, though he did not see productive success at the latter two levels (the MLB appearance was one very bad 3.0-inning outing). A former San Francisco Giants prospect and third round pick in 2018, Wong was mostly a starting pitcher until last year, and I wonder if the Cubs are just intrigued by a continued conversion to relief. He generally rated out as having a trio of average or better pitches back when he was a starting pitching prospect, and he showed average-ish velocity in the big leagues, but I can’t say I know too much about him other than that.
So, you have some pitching prospect pedigree, some pitches that rate average, and a lack of success at Triple-A/MLB in the first year of a conversion to relief. It’s not too hard to see why the Cubs might want to see what they can work out in the pitch lab, and also add a little extra relief depth.
For now, Wong has been assigned to the Double-A Tennessee Smokies roster.
