Report: Cubs non-tender 3 players, sign Patrick Wisdom to new contract appeared first on NBC Sports Chicago
On a day full of decisions around the baseball world as the offer deadline has arrived, the Chicago Cubs would have made decisions on four players as the offseason heats up.
According to Bruce Levine of 670 The Score, the Cubs have decided to non-tender pitchers Codi Heuer, Brandon Hughes and Ethan Roberts, while offering a new contract to infielder Patrick Wisdom.
Cubs non-tender – P Codi Heuer – Brandon Hughes and Ethan Roberts . Sign Patrick Wisdom to a new contract. Table 40 people at 37.
— Bruce Levine (@MLBBruceLevine) November 18, 2023
While Friday marks the deadline for tender or non-tender decisions, it doesn’t necessarily mean the end of the road between teams and non-tendered players, as teams often try to to seek minor league contracts with non-tendered players. which is eligible for arbitration.
Heuer, 27, was originally acquired by the Cubs along with infielder Nick Madrigal in a trade that sent relievers Craig Kimbrel and Ryan Tepera to the Chicago White Sox.
After initially posting strong results in 2021 with the Cubs, compiling a 3.14 ERA and two saves over 25 appearances, injury problems have been the story ever since.
Heuer hasn’t played at the MLB level since 2021, missing two full seasons for Tommy John surgery and surgery to repair a broken elbow, respectively.
As for Roberts, the 26-year-old righty and Cubs 2018 draft pick missed the entire 2023 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Roberts had little major league experience in 2022, surrendering seven earned runs and six walks in just 7.2 innings of work over eight games.
Hughes, who will be 28 at the start of next month, has been non-tendered after his own injury-riddled season.
After posting solid numbers as a mainstay of the Cubs’ bullpen in 2022 with a 3.12 ERA and 1.092 WHIP in 57 games, Hughes battled injuries throughout 2023 and was limited to just 17 games.
Hughes compiled a 7.24 ERA with an 0-3 record in his limited action in 2023 before undergoing decompression surgery on his left knee that ended his season.
Hughes, Heuer and Roberts all provided organizational depth in an area where it is definitely needed, though the trio’s recent injury woes seem to have made the Cubs front office shy of taking issued settlement-level salaries to the three relievers.
While all three relievers are now free agents, the Cubs could look to re-sign any of the pitchers on a minor league contract as they try to land any of the 30 MLB clubs. .
Although Levine reported that Wisdom has signed a new contract with the Cubs, the terms of the contract are currently unknown.
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