There is a saying in baseball that goes, “There’s no such thing as too much pitching.” Luckily for the Chicago Cubs, they are pushing that envelope after their latest move.
Starting pitchers Jameson Taillon and Justin Steele began the season by finding their way to the injured list early. Since losing two rotation pieces, the Cubs have used a few different pitchers to help them hold the line while Taillon and Steele find their health. Rookie sensation Shōta Imanaga and young right-hander Javier Assad have done more than anyone could ask, shutting down opposing offenses. One of the Cubs’ top prospects, Ben Brown, emerged onto the big league roster as the opportunity arose. After a tough first outing, he has settled in just fine and shows the signs of a promising future.
We are approaching the returns of Taillon and Steele in the coming weeks. Taillon could be back as soon as this week, while Steele could be back as soon as the first week in May. With that, there will be another shake-up to the pitching staff and the starting rotation. However, President of Baseball Operations Jer Hoyer and Manager Craig Counsell know the drill. There is no such thing as too much pitching. It’s pretty apparent they worked together on the latest acquisition made by the Cubs.
Cubs Sign Veteran Julio Teheran
After being designated for assignment by the New York Mets near the beginning of the season, veteran right-handed pitcher Julio Teheran has agreed to terms with the Chicago Cubs on a minor league deal. Teheran made seven big league appearances in 2011 and 2012 before making his way into the Atlanta Braves rotation in 2013, the year he finished fifth in Rookie of the Year voting. Each year from 2013 to 2019, Teheran made at least 30 starts for the Braves.
Since 2019, Teheran has bounced with no consistent work in the majors. That is, until 2023, when he appeared in 14 games for the Milwaukee Brewers, managed by Craig Counsell. In 71.2 innings pitched through 14 appearances, Teheran managed a 4.75 earned run average and notched 50 strikeouts. That Brewers team won the National League Central division but lost in the Wild Card to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Obviously, Counsell sees something in Teheran that may help the Cubs at some point during this season. Although he is starting in the minor leagues, expect him to see an opportunity in the coming weeks to make it to Chicago and try to earn a spot on this pitching staff. We have already seen Counsell utilize an opening pitcher to hand off to the bullpen for four to six innings of work. Teheran fits the mold as one of those types of arms for Counsell to utilize.
