The Cubs are poised to pick out the contract of right-hander Hunter Bigge, in keeping with a report from MLB Community’s Jon Morosi. Chicago might want to make corresponding strikes to clear house on each the lively and 40-man rosters to accommodate Bigge’s choice previous to tomorrow’s sport towards the Angels.
Bigge, 26, was a Twelfth-round decide by the Cubs within the 2019 draft out of Harvard. He impressed in 16 innings of labor between the rookie and Low-A ranges of the minors the yr he was drafted with a 1.13 ERA and a 34.4% strikeout price in that cameo, however his developmental trajectory was thrown astray considerably by the cancelled minor league season in 2020. The righty was assigned to the Excessive-A degree when minor league play resumed in 2021 however struggled with that task, posting a 5.66 ERA in 17 1/3 innings, and he struggled equally in a 2022 marketing campaign cut up between the Excessive-A and Double-A ranges.
Happily for Bigge, he began to show issues again round in Double-A final yr. The fitting-hander posted a stable 3.50 ERA in 43 2/3 innings of multi-inning reduction work on the degree in the course of the 2023 marketing campaign, and he backed these numbers up with sturdy peripherals. His 28.8% strikeout price was spectacular and whereas his 11.4% stroll price was actually elevated, he helped to make up for it by producing grounders at a powerful 44.7% clip and permitting simply three residence runs. The 25-year-old’s efficiency was sufficient to earn him a call-up to the Triple-A degree late final yr, though he struggled badly in that task with an unpleasant 8.71 ERA in 10 1/3 innings that noticed him enable extra walks (13) than strikeouts (12).
Bigge’s return to Triple-A was slowed this yr by an indirect damage that has value him a lot of the season thus far, however after returning to the extent on June 4 he’s executed nothing however dominate. In 11 2/3 innings of labor on the highest degree of the minors this yr, the righty has allowed only one run on a solo homer whereas hanging out 44.2% of opponents. Walks are nonetheless a priority for Bigge, who has allowed free passes to 14% of opponents this yr, however the Cubs clearly consider the 26-year-old is prepared for his first style of huge league motion and wish to see how his high-octane arsenal led by an upper-90s fastball will play within the main leagues.
The bullpen has been one thing of an Achilles’ heel for the Cubs this yr as they’ve scuffled to a 41-49 report regardless of the eighth-best rotation in baseball by ERA. The membership’s high three leverage relievers from final season’s bullpen—Adbert Alzolay, Julian Merryweather, and Mark Leiter Jr.— are all at the moment on the injured record and have been joined by key offseason addition Yency Almonte. In the meantime, high offseason reduction signing Hector Neris has struggled badly with a 4.11 ERA and 5.02 FIP in 30 2/3 innings this yr, leaving the membership with only a few dependable reduction arms to lean on this yr. That’s led the membership to lean more and more closely on unproven children like Luke Little and Porter Hodge to hold the load within the majors, and now Bigge figures to get the same alternative to show himself able to contributing to an enormous league reduction corps low on high quality choices.
