Cubs add lefty pitcher to minor league deal |
It has been a while since the Cubs made a free-agent deal, especially since spring training has started. Well, we can put that to rest as the Cubs signed a free agent on Monday, and to no one's surprise, it was a lefty.
However, it isn't the lefty you think it is, as Zach Britton is not the name coming to Chicago, but instead left-hander Christian Winston has now joined the Cubs organization and has been signed to a minor league deal. A former San Diego State product, Winston, was actually signed by the Cubs a few weeks ago, but the deal was just reported today as he is now in minor league camp. The 23-year-old pitched four seasons with the Aztecs before earning a year of eligibility at the NAIA level for William Jessup this past season. Unlike many of the moves the Cubs have made this offseason where they are banking on potential, this is a pure scouting move as the results were not great for Winston. It’s possible he took his scouting profile to another level this offseason in non-game work, and it does seem from various workout videos out there that he saw his velocity increase quite a bit from his college days. When you look at Winston's measurables, you can see why the Cubs are willing to take a shot on him, even if he is brought in as a lefty reliever down the road, which the Cubs need. Winston has a massive 6-5 frame and has been seen touching 92-94 consistently with his heater this year. That is an increase from the 91-92 MPH days he was at while with the Aztecs, so the Cubs must feel he has a bit more to offer. Along with that, Winston has two plus off-speed pitches, with his best one sitting at an 87 MPH curve. He pairs that with an 89 MPH change-up to compliment the fastball, which could give him an excellent three-pitch mix. The Cubs love to work with guys like Winston as he is a low-risk signing that could benefit this team long-term if they can uncover something that no one else could. Looking back on his 2022 season, Winston appeared in 10 games, with eight coming as starts. Winston compiled a 1-2 record with a 5.52 ERA across 48 innings in those games. He struck out 52 and walked 28, as his numbers were not what you would call impressive. Before his NAIA days, Winston had four years of experience with the San Diego State Aztecs, where once again, the numbers could have been better. Across 57 games in four seasons, with one coming as a start, Winston tossed 74 innings and posted a 7-4 record with a 4.38 ERA. Command was also an issue for him, as he had 51 walks compared to 73 strikeouts. When you look at his ERA, his days at San Diego State were not great, but he was far better there than during his NAIA days. Apart from that, there isn't much to get excited about, yet the Cubs still felt he was worth signing to a minor league deal. Whatever they see in him will be uncovered sooner rather than later, but kudos to them for believing in him when most teams didn't. While I don't expect much to come from this other than a minor league depth signing, you have to marvel at the Cubs for giving some of these guys opportunities in the system. A lot of the time, these types of deals work out for the Cubs, while there are cases when they don't. Having the pitch lab as a part of their developmental process has helped, and it has helped the Cubs find success during the past few free-agent periods. Free Agent Christian Winston preparing for pro day (this Sat) in his latest bullpen last week. LHP with a fastball that is 92-94 MPH T94.8 and has 2 absolute bangers for off speed. One of his most impressive offerings is his curveball that he has thrown at 87 MPH. pic.twitter.com/ypCiciLZ0G
