The Cubs announced this evening that they’ve acquired reliever Jesús Tinoco from the Royals for cash (X link via Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times). Tinoco had signed a minor league deal with Kansas City three weeks ago and was not on their 40-man roster. Unless tonight’s trade was spurred by some kind of upward mobility clause in that contract, the Cubs don’t need to immediately place Tinoco on their 40-man.
Tinoco made six appearances for the Royals’ top affiliate in Omaha. He fired 6 2/3 frames of three-run ball, striking out 10 while issuing one walk. Tinoco also missed plenty of bats in Triple-A with the Rangers earlier this season, fanning 30.3% of batters faced across 21 1/3 innings. His control was quite a bit spottier than he showed in his small sample with K.C., as he walked upwards of 11% of opponents with the Texas affiliate.
The 29-year-old Tinoco has appeared in parts of five MLB seasons between the Rockies, Marlins and Rangers. He tossed a career-high 36 innings of 4.75 ERA ball for Colorado as a rookie in 2019. Tinoco saw more sporadic work over the following few years, only narrowly topping the 20 inning threshold once. He spent last season in Japan, working to a 2.83 ERA despite pedestrian strikeout and walk numbers for the Seibu Lions.
Tinoco returned to the affiliated ranks on a minor league deal with the Rangers over the winter. He made nine MLB appearances with Texas earlier in the season, allowing nine runs over 10 innings. That pushes his career earned run average to 4.58 through 76 2/3 MLB innings. He has a below-average 18.1% strikeout rate with a near-14% walk percentage over that stretch.
While Tinoco hasn’t had much success against big league hitters, his recent form in Triple-A evidently intrigued Chicago. The Cubs rank 16th in the majors with a 4.01 ERA from their relief group. They’re in the top 10 in strikeout rate, but only the Rangers and White Sox have issued more free passes.
The Cubs also have six relievers — Julian Merryweather, Adbert Alzolay, Colten Brewer, Yency Almonte, Keegan Thompson and Luke Little — on the injured list. Chicago optioned Daniel Palencia to Triple-A Iowa today, opening a spot in the major league bullpen. If they decide to install Tinoco directly into the MLB staff, they’d need to create a 40-man roster space.
Traded for a guy they could have just waited to get released
I guess a lot of teams want him because he was the guy who gave up #62 to judge so he will be remembered forever
(To those who forgot what a joke is #62 is not why teams want him)
Bro what are you on? They literally didn’t give anything up and just jumped the line to claim a pitcher they want
It’s a trade of course they gave something up even if it’s cash. If they gave up nothing it’s called a gift. Teams don’t give gifts to other teams. The cash allowed them to jump the waiver line
Could’ve paid $1 and the Royals just wanted to make sure he doesn’t go to an AL Central team.
I kinda wish they’d change the terminology because it isn’t so much a trade as it’s more of the Cubs bought his contract from the Royals.
Yeah the idea of buying a person doesn’t sit well with American history…
I said contract, not person.
I remember when the Cubs used to acquire pitchers like Aroldis Chapman and Wade Davis.
Yep for Chapman they gave up Gleyber Torres and a couple of spare parts.
For Davis they gave up Jorge Soler.
Cheap acquisitions, nope they were rentals. But in Chapman’s case it gave them the edge needed to win the World Series in 2016.
Chapman has the most famous world series win of all time. Since be was the pitcher on record for game save despite the blown save in the 8th to Rajai Davis.
I’m the biggest Rajai Davis fan now, Cleveland should of won then.
“should of”
If they played for the Cubs, they were acquisitions, regardless of the amount of time spent on the team.
Are you related to Kyle Schwarber’s mom?
Ah, Kyle Schwarber’s mom…those were the days…
No. Are you?
I remember when the Cubs used to acquire pitchers like Ernie Broglio. And it only cost them Lou Brock.
That was almost clever.
The Cubs front office likes to pretend they’re busy tying to improve the team but in reality they’re fools worried about keeping their jobs
Ag cubs fans, perhaps the trendiest fan base all app professional sports.
Franchise hasn’t been the same since Rickets decided to change everything that afforded them that bandwagon fan base in the first place.
Where did you learn to write so eloquently?
Jed sure does love his crappy relief pitchers.
Given the amount of injuries this team has had, any half way decent bullpen arm signed to a minor league deal is a welcome addition.
I do have to wonder what Hoyer and company are thinking sometimes though, why did they option Biggie for Palencia only to option Palencia again?
Cubs have had a long list of confusing moves this season, highlighted by signing a guy to a major league contract, then designated him for assignment the very next day.
If the guys would just flush, they’d be allowed to stay around longer.
Hey Dras! Hope you are doing well. Palencia actually took the place of Ethan Roberts who was optioned between games of the Saturday doubleheader disaster. Roberts pitched two innings in game one after Wesneski handed the Cards the game and was probably not available for the second game or Sunday so I imagine that Palencia was there just as an extra arm.
Bigge was optioned the next day to allow the Cubs to move Assad from the 27th man in the DH back to the active 26 man roster.
All that said–let’s hope that Palencia going down (clock started in case needed in 15 days) signals that Merryweather is ready to come back on Friday.
The bullpen is actually going to be pretty interesting in the near future with Alzolay and Merryweather coming back and with as bad as they have been, lately, guys have been pitching pretty well.
At some point, you will hopefully have Brown and Wicks back, Alzolay and Merryweather. Between five guys for the rotation (Steele, Imanaga, Tailon, Assad, Brown/Wicks/Hendricks) and seven for the pen: Alzolay, Merryweather, Neris, Leiter, Lopez as perceived “locks” leaves two spots for Smyly, Little, Bigge, Wesneski, Miller, Hodge and whoever didn’t make the rotation.
Yes sir—honestly, if they end up selling–or even if they don’t I really think that Miller is there most valuable “tradeable” piece. More than arguably he has been there best arm since the day they picked him up.
By “tradeable” I mean that Happ, Seiya, Belli aren’t going anywhere as they will never get value for those guys and I think that Smyly’s contract is a little steep to move with hopes of getting a lottery ticket back.
Something to keep in mind if they think they have a shot at a wild card…just like last year…they absolutely have to win outright…already the Padres, Mets, Giants own the tiebreaker on the Cubs. Cubs are 3-6 against StL with four to play—must sweep them. 2-5 vs the Reds—must win 5 of 6 from them. 3-4 vs Pit.—need 4 of 6. BUT have the tiebreaker on teams like the Dodgers, Astros, Mariners and Orioles (tongue in cheek obviously).
Just making sure this really works. I had to eliminate my user name and go back to my old one again because it stopped working.
I guess the Cubs felt like since it worked out so well with Cuas they’d go back to the KC well again.
You wrote a comment, posted it, and it wouldn’t appear in the thread? Maybe you were banned.
No. It’s happened before. I could comment in Hoops, Football and Hockey. It had to do with me deciding once and for all to rid myself of AT&T forever as this was the only thing I had left. I decided to do it over the All star Break because nothing is going on. And since this site won’t cooperate I just started all over again and made up a new address. I figured it might happen so be it. It’s no big deal. Last time it happened was when I tried to subscribe to the Front Office app and it turned into a total Cluster F***.
Its gonna happen.
Again.
Jed continues to try and prove he’s smarter than everyone else by taking bargain crap and trying to make it into gold. Doesn’t want to go past the luxury tax so he’s working on the margins. This guy isn’t good at all.
Nothing new -Dumpster diving
I’m dating myself with this song reference, but when the Cubs release him eventually, we all need to listen to “Jesus Just Left Chicago”.
Another season and another useless trade with the Royals. Attaboy Jed
Hasn’t had much success against major league hitters, but intrigued by his recent form against triple A. Will be helpful when the Cubs get relegated one supposes.