Michael Rucker was traded by the Chicago Cubs to the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday in exchange for monetary considerations.
The Cubs no longer needed Michael Rucker on the roster, so it’s hardly a major move. He struggled in recent seasons, and their bullpen was packed. After the Cubs signed Hector Neris to a one-year contract, Rucker was removed from the 40-man roster. Rucker, 29, may stay in the major leagues until 2024 and will not be added to the Phillies’ 40-man roster. He has spent the last three seasons splitting time between the Cubs’ Triple-A affiliate and Major League squad. The latest arrival will strengthen the Phillies’ bullpen.
Although Rucker was selected by the Cubs in the 11th round of the 2016 MLB Draft, he did not make his Major League debut until 2021. Rucker pitched 28 1/3 innings with a 6.99 ERA in his rookie season. In his sophomore campaign, he made significant progress, finishing with a career-best 1.280 WHIP and an ERA below 4.00. Rucker pitched 40 1/3 innings, made 35 appearances, and had a 4.91 ERA in the previous campaign. When the Cubs had to create place for Neris, it was a simple decision to make given that decline.
Rucker can still pitch in Major League Baseball despite his difficulties. Baseball Savant reports that Rucker has a career walk rate of 9.4 and a strikeout percentage of 22.6. While those two figures are impressive, they are by no means accurate. With those figures, Rucker’s xERA (anticipated ERA) for each season was less than his actual ERA. This implies that the hitters were lucky.
