The Chicago Cubs added two arms on Monday to increase their pitching depth, even though they still haven’t signed Cody Bellinger.
Sam McWilliams, a right-handed pitcher, was the first to sign a minor league contract with the team. Richard Lovelady, a left-handed reliever, was the second, having signed with the team following his pro day.
During his pro day bullpen, Lovelady made a good impression by showcasing a variety of well-moving offerings from his arsenal. Although his maximum pitch velocity is in the low nineties, his precision and variety of pitches may be sufficient to regularly strike out batters.
The 28-year-old Lovelady is currently trying to restart his career after having Tommy John surgery in 2021. Before needing surgery, he was having one of his greatest seasons ever, going 2-0 for the Kansas City Royals with a 3.48 ERA, 1.06 WHP, and 23 strikeouts in 20 2/3 innings.
After a lacklustre 2023 season with the Oakland Athletics, the Cubs are hopeful he will fulfil that potential with them. In his first season back from injury, the seasoned southpaw pitched 23 1/3 innings and finished 0-3 with a 4.63 ERA.
Positively, Lovelady had some excellent peripherals last season, including as a 1.07 WHIP and a 9.3 K/9.
His walk rate skyrocketed to 3.9 BB/9, which is his primary concern; if he hopes to play a big part for Chicago, he must control it.
Clearly, Busch has the key to the transaction. Out of North Carolina, he was the Dodgers’ first-round selection (31st overall) in 2019, and he has completely destroyed minor league pitching. In just 98 games at Triple-A Oklahoma City the previous year, he batted.323/.431/.618 with 27 home runs. After that, he had a difficult 27-game trial with the Dodgers. Stopped by Freddie Freeman at first base, he looked like a solid candidate for a trade, which is exactly what occurred.
Almonte has seen years of prosperity and hardship. He has pitched well in years with an even number and poorly in years with an odd number. Yes, I am aware that is unimportant. After being quite effective for the Dodgers in 2022, he finished the season with a 5.06 ERA and 1.396 WHIP in 49 games. One possible explanation could have been an injury. He has a 2024 contract at $1.9 million, which, if he can pitch as well as he did in 2022, could be a tremendous addition to the bullpen at a cheap price.
Hope and Ferris are both really young. Ferris, a 2022 second-round selection by the Cubs, had 18 starts at Low-A Myrtle Beach last season, pitching 56 innings with 77 strikeouts and a 3.38 ERA. That’s just a little over three innings per start on average, and Ferris is only twenty, so who knows what he’ll do in the future.
