Kyle Hendricks is now a free agent and no longer under contract with the Cubs, but that doesn’t mean the team doesn’t still have a member for the 2016 World Series squad. MLB free agency is underway and that means we’re getting a bunch of roster moves early in November. On Monday, the Cubs cleared some room on their 40-man roster, while also picking up left-handed pitcher Rob Zastryzny off waivers from the Milwaukee Brewers.
Yup, that’s the same Rob Zastryzny who made his first MLB start with the Cubs on Sept. 29, 2016, against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The 2013 second round pick tossed 3.2 innings at PNC Park in what was his eighth appearance with the Cubs in 2016. It’s become a fun tidbit because that game ended in a 1-1 tie, after play was suspended in the top of the sixth inning because of rain. At the time, it was the first tie in MLB since the 2005 season.
Zastryzny stuck around in the Cubs organization through the 2018 season, making another 10 appearances in the majors before he moved on and signed a minor league deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers in February 2019. The 32-year-old has bounced around the league for the past five years, getting back up to the big leagues with the New York Mets, Los Angeles Angels, Pittsburgh Pirates and in 2024 with the Brewers.
Now, Zastryzny is back with his original organization. Meanwhile, right-handed pitcher Jimmy Herget was DFA’d in addition to Yency Almonte, Colten Brewer, Enoli Paredes and catcher Christian Bethancourt electing free agency after clearing waivers.
Zastryzny has 67 MLB innings under his belt, posting a 4.30 ERA in 54 games. He was really good in his limited time with Milwaukee this past season, recording a 1.17 ERA and 0.65 WHIP with five strikeouts in 7.2 innings.
There’s always the chance that the Cubs will eventually try to pass Zastryzny through waivers in hopes of clearing a 40-man roster spot while trying to keep him around later in the offseason. For now though, we can say there is technically a 2016 World Series champion still with the Cubs.
