Much of the conversation surrounding the Chicago Cubs the past two seasons have focused on their bullpen struggles, and even though that unit started performing better towards the end of the year, there are still question marks about their viability going forward.
President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer expressed his regret for not bolstering the relief staff ahead of 2024 when it was clear they needed upgrades coming off a late-season collapse in 2023 that cost them a spot in the playoffs.
It seems like he's already looking to address that this winter.
In an announcement made by the team's official social media page, they revealed they signed left-handed pitcher Rob Zastryzny and designated right-hander Jimmy Herget for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster.
Cubs fans might recognize that name.
Back in 2013, Chicago took Zastryzny in the second round of the draft. He worked his way up through their pipeline until he was promoted to the Majors for the first time in 2016.
In eight appearances, he posted a sizzling 1.13 ERA where he struck out 17 batters across 16 innings pitched. He was added to the NLCS roster, and while he was eligible to pitch, he was not used in any postseason games until he was ultimately replaced by Kyle Schwarber ahead of the World Series.
Zastryzny spent two more years with the Cubs, but despite performing well during his first stint, the lefty rode the rollercoaster between the minors and The Show, pitching in just 10 MLB games from 2017-18 before being released ahead of the 2019 season.
He didn't appear in another Major League game until 2022 when he pitched in seven games for the New York Mets and Los Angeles Angels.
Most recently, Zastryzny spent last season with the Milwaukee Brewers where he looked like he had gotten his career back on track with a 1.17 ERA across his nine outings, but in late-July, he suffered elbow tendinitis that ultimately landed him on the 60-day injured list to end his campaign.
Chicago is hoping he can build upon that performance with them, giving this team a left-handed weapon out of the bullpen.
