The Cubs have claimed right-hander Enoli Paredes off waivers from the Brewers, per Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune on X. The righty had been designated for assignment by Milwaukee last week. The Cubs had a 40-man vacancy after righty Shawn Armstrong was designated for assignment last week and won’t need to make a corresponding move in that regard.
Paredes, 28, started the year with the Brewers on a minor league deal. He kicked things off with a complete lights-out performance in Triple-A. He tossed 20 2/3 innings over 18 appearances for Nashville with a 1.31 earned run average. He walked a fairly high 11% of batters faced but also struck out 41.5% of opponents and kept 56.8% of balls in play on the ground.
He was added to the big league roster in May and has had mixed results since. Forearm inflammation sent him to the injured list for about two months from July to September. Around that, he made 17 appearances for the Brewers with a 1.74 ERA. Though that number looks nice, his 16.7% strikeout rate and 11.9% walk rate were subpar, with his 44.8% ground ball rate around average. A tiny .224 batting average on balls in play and 84% strand rate were helping him out, which is why his 3.55 FIP and 4.95 SIERA aren’t nearly as nice as his SIERA.
The Brewers decided to quit while they were ahead and move on. Since Paredes exhausted his option years while with the Astros earlier in his career, they had to remove him from the 40-man entirely to get him off the active roster.
The Cubs are eliminated from the postseason picture this year and have presumably grabbed Paredes as a long-term play, looking at his early Triple-A results and window of control. He has just over two years of major league service time and still won’t be arbitration eligible by this winter. Though he is out of options, he can be retained for four more seasons if he manages to hang onto his roster spot.
PurePlano
That’s nuts he got that far down the waiver claim list, with all that club control and a dominant 2024 season in both the majors & minors.
PurePlano
Well to add to my comment, not dominant in the majors this year, a 4.53 xERA & 5.10 xFIP, plus a 6 K/9 in the 20 inning sample in the majors this year. But at Triple A he was utterly dominant in 26 innings. I’ve never seen him pitch but it seems goofy a team below the Cubs wouldn’t take a flier on him, like for example, let’s say the South Side.
stevewpants
It’s the fact that he’s out of options. I would expect him to be near the bottom of the Cubs 40 man roster and wouldn’t be surprised if they designated him for assignment in the offseason. He’ll be holding out hope that someone offers him a big league deal but I’d put money on him having to settle for a minor league with an invite to Spring Training. Just hard for me to see someone seeing enough value in him to let him have a 40 man spot all winter.
Rsox
Cubs adding to their Paredes quota…
Warden of the North(acoss13)
Second round of Paredes is the charm, at least that’s what Hoyer is thinking.
stubby66
That’s CC for you grabbing the Brewers rejected players. He keeps recycling players. Don’t get me wrong I believe Houser, Smyly, Lopez, Miller, Betancourt and Parenoli are major leaguers but cmon CC learn trust young guys otherwise your going to be fired some time next year
Warden of the North(acoss13)
Hoyer is dumpster diving.
In all seriousness, maybe the Cubs think he can be a reclamation project since they’ve done that with a few bullpen arms now, but if the Brewers don’t think Enoli can cut it. I have very little hope the Cubs can unlock something in him.
Fred K. Burke
Did he hopefully bring the “Stick That Stirs The Drink”? Counsell left it in Milwaukee.