Cubs Trade for Pitcher, Make Room in Bullpen for Best Returning Reliever

Hey, the Cubs made a trade! Well, it’s only a depth move, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be getting back their best reliever soon. First, the deal. On Tuesday, the Cubs announced that they traded for right-handed pitcher Jesus Tinoco from the Kansas City Royals.

Jose Cuas 2.0? I mean, no offense to Jesus Tinoco, but I hope he only remains a depth option down at Triple-A with the Iowa Cubs and isn’t actually counted on like Cuas was down the stretch last year following his acquisition. The Cubs sent the Royals some cash for Tinoco, who was pitching at Triple-A in Kansas City’s farm system.

Tinoco, 29, began the season in the Texas Rangers organization and had been called up to the majors in May. The right-handed reliever struggled in nine appearances with the Rangers, posting s 8.10 ERA in 10 innings before he was DFA’d in June and then elected free agency after rejecting a minor league assignment. He then signed a minor league deal with the Royals.

Overall in his career, Tinoco has recorded a 4.58 ERA with a 1.49 WHIP in 76.2 innings. The right-hander broke into the big leagues with the Colorado Rockies in 2019, was traded to the Miami Marlins in 2020, only to return to the Rockies later in that season and then pitched a year in Japan between his two stints with the Rangers.

Tinoco’s best stretch in the majors came during the 2022 season, when he had a 2.18 ERA in 20.2 innings with 18 strikeouts and a 1.06 WHIP in 17 appearances.

Cool. Pitching depth.

The bigger news was that the Cubs optioned right-handed reliever Daniel Palencia back to Triple-A, making room in the bullpen. Palencia came up from the Iowa Cubs this past weekend after the injury to rookie lefty Luke Little following Friday night’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals. Palencia joined the team in St. Louis for the second game of Saturday’s double header, but did not pitch in the series.

So, now that there’s a spot open in the bullpen the obvious question is who are the Cubs adding to the group ahead of Friday’s series opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks? Well, that seems to be right-hander Julian Merryweather, who appeared in a few rehab appearances at Triple-A before the All-Star break, and pitched again this week in Arizona.

The 32-year-old has been out since early April, forced out of action because of a rib fracture and Merryweather’s loss was huge in the Cubs bullpen. Sure, his 2023 season was the first time Merryweather had a complete year of success, but he was one of the guys that Craig Counsell was counting on in 2024 and so far the righty has pitched a total of 4.2 innings.

In 2023, Merryweather had a 3.38 ERA in 72 innings and from April 29 through the end of the year he had a 2.60 ERA in 62.1 innings with a 33.7% strikeout rate. He shook off some early-season struggles and became one of if not the best reliever in the Cubs bullpen for most of the year.

Fingers crossed that Merryweather returns at 100% because he could be great in the Cubs bullpen and possibly take over the closer role.