Cubs add former Diamondbacks pitcher Peter Solomon

Ron Chenoy - USA Today Sports

Dustin Riese - Senior Writer - 21 hours ago

It's incredible what one move can do for an organization and their forward thinking. After releasing Caleb Kilian (whom they retained) for Tom Cosgrove a few weeks back, the Cubs have once again found new ways to add to the organizational pitching depth. That started with the trade for Drew Pomeranz on Monday (who is expected to be in Chicago) and continued on Tuesday as the Cubs once again landed a pitcher on a Minor League deal.

This time, it comes from former Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Peter Solomon, who and the Cubs have agreed to a Minor League deal.

The now 28-year-old has a long track record of professional baseball, as he was a fourth-round pick by the Houston Astros in 2017. As experienced an arm as he is, he has only logged 27 1/3 innings, and those came between 2021 and 2023.

He came close to reaching the majors in 2024, spending the duration of that season with the Texas Rangers' AAA team, where he posted a 6.50 ERA across 72 innings. His 21.6% K rate was slightly below average, and his 12.7% BB rate was slightly above average, so there are some ups and downs regarding his overall line. His biggest issue was the long ball, as he allowed 15 homers in those 72 innings. That can't happen for you to have long-term success in this league, so the Cubs hope he can turn that around in their organization.

A starter for his entire career, including last season, the Cubs aren't bringing him in to be a starter; instead, they are looking for him to be used more like a swing guy who can start or relieve. You have to wonder if he has gotten to that point in his career where he understands who he is as a pitcher and knows that his days as a starter could be over.

You also have the classic reclamation project option that the Cubs love to use, as they may want to see what he can do as a reliever. Clearly, they must see something in him that they like. Now, it will be up to both sides to maximize that to see what can become of this pickup. If you had to guess, this could be a case where the Cubs simply like his flexibility option, knowing they can use him in the rotation or in the pen.

Having as many guys like that as possible is crucial to organizational success, as you never know when or where you might need those guys. The Cubs have several guys like that right now, including Colin Rea, Javier Assad, and Jordan Wicks, among others. Two of the three have already played huge roles for this team.

One of the concerns, or should we say questions, regarding this signing is that he hasn't pitched a single inning this season. A big reason for that was that he signed an Independent League contract earlier this month, and now it seems like he backed out of that deal, as the Cubs have grabbed him.

Not only has he not pitched this season, but he hasn't appeared in a big-league game since 2023, and there are some questions about whether or not he can get back to the show. We already discussed his season last year, and despite posting a 32-23 career mark in the Minors, his 5.18 ERA is less than appealing, as he does get hit quite hard more often than not.

Even if this move doesn't work out, it doesn't cost the Cubs anything, as Jed Hoyer continues to make these types of moves. When they pan out, you can see why the Cubs put so much emphasis on organizational depth, as you never know when you will need someone to fill a role throughout the season.