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Cubs insist on right-handedness Julian Merryweather Waiver off from Blue Jays, report Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago TribuneMerryweather was drafted by the Jays last week.With corresponding movements, fellow right-handers Manuel Rodriguez assigned to the destination.
Merryweather, 31, was drafted out of Cleveland but traded to the Blue Jays in 2018. Josh Donaldson go the opposite way. He has pitched in each of his last three MLB seasons, displaying elite speed with a fastball averaging 96–98 mph each campaign.
Despite its blistering speed, the Merryweather hasn’t done well so far. He’s taken 27.3% of the hitters he’s faced in 2020, but that number has dropped to 21.8% and 19.3% over the past two seasons. That coincided with an increase in his earned run average, which went from 4.15 to 4.85 and then to 6.75 in recent seasons. In addition to these struggles, health is an ongoing concern. He pitched more than his 40 innings in 2022, but in each of his four years up to that point he fell below 20 frames.
Merryweather fared better in the minors last year, pitching scoreless 14 1/3 innings with a 32.7% strikeout rate in Triple-A. But he has no choice and the Cubs must either keep him on their active roster or send him back into the DFA’s maze. Merryweather’s MLB his service time is just over two years of his, so if they can help turn his monstrous speed into better results, they could keep him for seasons through mediation. can.
Add one more flamethrower and the Cubs risk losing another. Rodriguez, 26, averaged 97.2 mph in the sinker in 2021 and 95.9 mph last year. But like Merryweather, he didn’t turn it into a punchout, his 31st in the majors to date and the only hitters he’s faced in 1/3 innings. . He scored a ground ball in his 53.2% of the clip solid, but also gave his passes free to his 15% of the hitters he faced.
The Cubs have a week to trade Rodriguez or pass waivers. He still has an option year left in his year and a little more than his year of service. Given his youth and powerful speed, he was able to find interest from other clubs looking for depth in his pitching.
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