The Cubs announced today that they have designated left-hander Mike Kickham for assignment in order to clear a 40-man roster spot for outfielder Chris Denorfia, whose one-year contract is now official.
The Cubs claimed Kickham off waivers from the Giants last month, following a season in which he threw just two innings at the big league level. Kickham, 26, has struggled in parts of two seasons in the Majors, yielding an alarming 37 earned runs in 30 1/3 innings (10.38 ERA). However, he’s posted a solid 30-to-11 K/BB ratio in that time and has a better minor league track record; in 259 Triple-A innings, Kickham has a 4.37 ERA with 7.9 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9.
