The Cubs announced that they’ve designated lefty reliever Rob Zastryzny for assignment. Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reported the move just before the official announcement. That’s the corresponding move for the Ryan Brasier trade, which is official.
Chicago claimed Zastryzny off waivers from the Brewers in the first week of the offseason. The Missouri product returned to his original organization. Chicago drafted Zastryzny in the second round in 2013. He tossed 16 innings for their 2016 World Series team as a rookie. Zastryzny remained with the Cubs through 2018, when they outrighted him off the 40-man roster.
Zastrynzny bounced around between a few organizations and spent time in the independent ranks. He returned to the big leagues with a brief stint for the Mets in 2022. The southpaw suited up for the Angels later that season and threw a career-high 20 2/3 frames with the Pirates in ’23. He spent last year with the Brewers, making nine MLB appearances and working 7 2/3 innings of one-run ball.
Between five teams, Zastryzny has thrown 67 innings with a 4.30 earned run average in his MLB career. He had a nice year with Milwaukee’s top affiliate in Nashville last year. Zastrynzny managed a 3.03 ERA with an excellent 32.5% strikeout rate across 29 2/3 frames. That intrigued the Cubs enough that they brought him back on waivers, though he had an uphill battle sticking on the roster.
That’s largely because he has exhausted his minor league options. Chicago couldn’t send him to Triple-A without putting him on waivers. The Cubs don’t have a ton of flexibility in a bullpen without many pitchers who can be optioned. The Cubs will probably place him on waivers within the next few days. Zastryzny’s previous career outrights mean he could elect free agency if he goes unclaimed.
Last link to the 2016 postseason roster. Farewell.
Farewell to arms! That said, you never know considering all the late 30’s relievers (Ryan Brasier, Ryan Pressly, Caleb Thielbar) the Cubs have added to their pen who are all much older than Rob Zastryzny.
He’s been gone since the parade not really a link to the past.
He will be in someone’s camp for spring.
Yes mainly because he’s left handed.
Loss for the Z’s and Y’s
Goodbye sweet prince
BR lists “Friday” as a nickname for him. Apparently that’s because he was the regular Friday starter at Missou. Huh.
The Friday starter in college is the ace. He eats innings and saves the bullpen for the rest of the weekend.
This. College is a 3 game series every weekend. Friday night is for aces.
Which makes NCAA baseball cool. We sometimes get 1 vs 1 match ups in MLB but every Friday has them all over the country.
Curious to find out how much money Dodgers sent with Brasier to help pay his salary this year