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Chicago Cubs Claim Struggling Pitcher Off Waivers
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- Chicago Cubs Claim Struggling Pitcher Off Waivers
The Chicago Cubs have made a few pitcher moves early in the offseason.
They brought back 6-foot-8 reliever Gabe Klobosits on a Minor League deal and agreed to a new contract with reliever Jacob Webb. Webb is now locked up through the 2027 season after signing a one-year, $2 million deal.
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The Cubs have also made another pitcher move, claiming right-handed reliever Eric Orze off waivers. The Minnesota Twins placed Orze on waivers to clear a roster spot, and the North Siders scooped him up to add him to their 40-man roster.
The 29-year-old posted strong numbers with the Tampa Bay Rays during the 2025 season. He finished with a 3.02 ERA, 1.368 WHIP, and 40 strikeouts over 41 ⅔ innings pitched. Both his expected batting average against (.214) and whiff rate (27%) ranked pretty well that year.
This past season, Orze wasn't as consistent on the mound. The Rays traded him to the Twins in the offseason, and the right-hander couldn't find his footing in Minnesota. He posted a 5.66 ERA, 1.524 WHIP, and 36 strikeouts across 41 ⅓ innings pitched. Both his expected batting average against (.253) and whiff rate (21.8%) were also down significantly.
However, there is some potential here with Orze.
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Although he didn't throw the ball well with the Twins in 2026, his Triple-A numbers told a completely different story. The young right-hander had a 2.35 ERA, 0.696 WHIP, and 20 strikeouts in 19 appearances.
His metrics also backed up those solid numbers. He had a 3.7% walk rate, 34.2% chase rate, 28.6% whiff rate, 14.5% swinging strike rate, 67% strike rate, .206 expected batting average against, and a .255 wxOBA. All seven of those metrics ranked in the upper half of the minors.
The Cubs are simply taking a shot on a pitcher who has shown some good things in the majors before and hopefully turning him into a quality reliever. It's the pitching staff's job to help Orze translate those Triple-A numbers to the big leagues.
And it's possible.
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Orze is a four-pitch pitcher (splitter, four-seam fastball, slider, and curveball) who relies heavily on his splitter to get batters out. That pitch had a 48% usage rate in 2025 and a 50% usage rate this past season.
That splitter is definitely his calling card. In 2026, Orze had a 27.3% whiff rate and a 23.2% putaway rate on that pitch. If he can develop his other pitches alongside that splitter, he could take that next step as a reliever.
