Cubs ink deal with 6-foot-9 right-hander Jace Beck |
Dustin Riese
· · 6 hours ago
Another day, another signing by the Cubs front office, as things are starting to pick up in terms of activity for the organization.
It's a signing that actually happened way back on November 18 but hadn't appeared in the transaction log until now, as former New York Mets righty Jace Beck and the Cubs have come to terms on a Minor League deal. The massive 6-9 righty spent his entire career with the Mets organization, getting his start in 2019. At 25 years old, you would think Beck is knocking on the door of an MLB opportunity, but he hasn't developed at the pace the Mets hoped for, which makes this more of a flyer deal signing. While pitching for the Mets' High-A affiliate last season, Beck often struggled to get outs as his 5.80 ERA would indicate, but with a 13.6 strikeouts per nine innings rate, you can see there is some potential for him to be something once he can fully develop. This is another classic, let me see what you can do, move from Jed Hoyer as the Cubs are using this as solely a developmental play. There was no denying the talent Beck had coming out of high school, as the Mets took him directly out of high school way back in 2019. That was the year before COVID, and some attribute that to being a big reason why Beck has struggled, as losing a full year of development immediately after High School is never good for anyone. When baseball decided to cancel the Minors in 2020, all current players were no longer allowed to work out with the team, meaning all training would have to be done on their own. That may work in some ways, but if you aren't getting the coaching you need to develop properly, you tend to develop bad habits, which in turn can be hard to break. Not only did Beck lose that entire year, but he was bitten hard by the injury bug as he threw just 22 innings in 2021, 20 innings in 2022, and 31 innings in 2023. He wound up missing all of 2024 with another injury before coming back and throwing a career high 45 innings this past season. That alone was good to see, but with less than 110 career innings since 2019, Beck is about as raw as one can be, even if he is much older than most of the pitchers in his league. Anytime you are injured as much as he has been, you can throw his age out the window, as it is nearly impossible to develop when you're not on the mound. The Cubs hope he continues to progress after posting strong peripherals last season, though his high ERA and 15% walk rate remain major concerns. At 6-9, not only is Beck a monster, but he is such an intimidating presence out there that it is almost scary for young hitters to face him. Armed with an average fastball of 95 MPH, Beck can get even more behind the ball, which helped him strike out batters at a 34% clip. Like any pitcher, Beck will have to mix in his offspeed pitches a bit more and will also have to cut down on the walks for him to be successful. He is, however, in the right place when it comes to flyer deals, as the Cubs continue to show they are not afraid to give anyone a chance. JACE BECK ENDS THE ⬆️5 WITH A STRIKEOUT SWINGING!
Beck sets down Seaver King on strikes to finish off a 1-2-3 inning! Great relief inning from the Cyclones’ righty as they look to fight back from a 4-2 deficit!@BKCyclones @jace_beck_2 pic.twitter.com/VXGvT19Bun
