Cubs Sign Free Agent Pitcher
In their quest to piss off Cubs fans around the world the team has signed free agent pitcher Trevor Richards to a minor league deal as other top relievers sign with the Dodgers. Not actually, but the timing of these types of deals is hilarious given what’s happening in the background as the Cubs have now reportedly lost out on Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates within a few days of each other.
Meanwhile, Richards is the latest reliever to sign on with the Cubs in hopes of eventually getting some big-league time with the club in 2025. The 31-year-old righty pitched for the Toronto Blue Jays and Minnesota Twins in 2024. He made 55 appearances last season and posted a 4.55 ERA in 65.1 innings.
The Cubs and RHP Trevor Richards have agreed to a minor league deal, sources tell @JustBB_Media
— Aram Leighton (@AramLeighton8) January 20, 2025
Richards, 31, pitched to a 4.55 ERA in 65 1/3 innings with the Blue Jays and Twins last season.
Richards has pitched for five different teams during his seven-year MLB career.
In 2018, Richards made 25 starts as a rookie with the Miami Marlins, posting a 4.42 ERA in 126.1 innings. He made 23 more starts the following year before being moved to an almost full-time reliever.
Overall, Richards has recorded a 4.50 ERA in 560 innings. His best season came in 2021, when Richards pitched for three teams. He began the year with the Tampa Bay Rays, who then traded him to the Milwaukee Brewers along with shortstop Willy Adames for Drew Rasmussen and J. P. Feyereisen. Richards was good for the Brewers, posting a 3.20 ERA in 15 games before he was once again traded in July to the Toronto Blue Jays.
Richards had a 3.31 ERA and 0.80 WHIP in 32.2 innings to end the 2021 season with the Blue Jays. That was his first full year in the bullpen and you would think he would have sustained the success, but unfortunately that has not been the case.
The results in the past three seasons haven’t been good as Richards has a 4.95 ERA in his last 202 innings. Yet, the positive is that the right-handed pitcher has a strikeout rate near 30% from 2022-24.
Richards ended the 2024 season at Triple-A after making 10 appearances with the Twins. Minnesota traded for him in July. Richards had a 4.15 ERA in 13 innings pitching for the Twins and his worst outing actually came against the Cubs. He walked five batters on Aug. 7, 2024, entering the game in the third inning after starting pitcher Joe Ryan exited early because of a shoulder injury.
So, maybe there’s some added motivation for Richards. He was designated for assignment at the end of August, cleared waivers and was sent to the minor leagues in September.
The right-handed pitcher is a native of Illinois, where he attended Mater Dei High School in Breese, a city near St. Louis. He played baseball at Drury University and although he went un-drafted in 2015, Richards continued his playing career in the Frontier League before signing with the Marlins in 2016.