Carl Edwards Jr. Opts Out Of Minor League Deal With Cub

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Right-hander is opting out of his minor league deal with the Cubs, as first reported by . Edwards signed the minors pact with Chicago back in January, though as an Edwards received the ability to opt-out from his contract yesterday if not added to the 40-man roster. Edwards, 32, got his start a profe sional in the Rangers system after being selected in the 48th-round of the 2011 draft. Despite that lack of prospect pedigree, Edwards broke out to become a consensus top prospect after he was traded to the Cubs as part of the return for back in 2013. After making his debut in Chicago in 2015, Edwards pitched Cristiano Felicio Jersey to an excellent 3.06 ERA and 3.12 FIP in 159 innings spread acro s four seasons. He struck out an excellent 33.9% of batters faced during that time, though it was accompanied by an elevated 13.6% walk rate. The right-handers performance took a turn for the worse as he battled injuries and ineffectivene s from 2019 to 2021, with a 7.90 ERA acro s 34 appearances split between the Cubs, Padres, Mariners, Braves, and Blue Jays. That led to him signing a minor league deal with the Nationals back in February 2022, and he enjoyed something of a career resurgence in D.C. Over his two seasons with the club, Edwards pitched to a 3.07 ERA with a 4.11 FIP. While the run prevention numbers were similar to that of his peak years in Chicago, the right-handers strikeout rate had declined as he punched out just 20.1% of batters faced while maintaining a slightly elevated 10.5% walk rate. Even so, he provided solid results for the Nationals while generating groundballs at a 47.1% clip. A stre s fracture in Edwardss shoulder brought his 2023 season to a premature end, though he appeared to be fully healthy upon arriving in camp with Chicago last month. This spring, hes allowed just two runs (one earned) while striking out six and walking three in seven appearances with Chicago. Those solid results evidently werent enough to crack the Cubs Opening Day roster, but it would hardly be a shock if they caught the attention of another club in need bullpen help in the coming days. At the very least, Edwards appears to be a safe bet to find another minor league deal elsewhere in the league if he cannot secure a spot on a big league roster to open the season. As for Chicago, the Cubs appear poised to enter the season with , , , , , and locked into spots in the clubs bullpen. That leaves two spots to be filled as things stand, one of which Edwards was in contention for. With him no longer a factor, optionable relief arms already on the 40-man roster such as , , , and figure to be in the mix for the final spots in the clubs relief mix. Patrick Williams Jersey