Ryan Lavarnway, Shane Peterson waived by Chicago Cubs

Apparently, the tenures of both outfielder Shane Peterson and catcher Ryan Lavarnway with the Chicago Cubs have come to an end shortly after they started.

Per reports, both players have been have been waived and, as expected, they were quickly picked up by other teams. Lavarnway was claimed by the Baltimore Orioles and Peterson was picked up by Chicago’s division rival – the Milwaukee Brewers.

Lavarnway will certainly add some depth to a Baltimore team that needs some kind of insurance behind the plate. Matt Wieters might not be ready for Spring Training and if that’s the case, then Lavarnway will have all the chances in the world to break camp with the team as a backup player. His defense isn’t something to brag about but he has shown to ability to hit the ball at the Minor League level since he’s a .284 career hitter with 32 homers and an .824 OPS in 256 games at Triple-A.

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The former top prospect has previously played for the Boston Red Sox and he has bounced around the waiver claim this offseason as he was picked up by both the Dodgers and the Cubs after being released by the Boston organization. He was expected to be a versatile third catcher for the Cubs if they traded Welington Castillo, but that option won’t become a reality now. The prospects of such a role dimmed once the club added David Ross on a two-year deal earlier this week.

As for Shane Peterson, he was claimed by the Cubs just four days ago from the Oakland Athletics but apparently, Chicago believes they have better options to fill a bench spot. He has been a popular name on the waiver wire as this is his second transaction during this offseason. He can play first or the outfield and he has a reputation for being a very good defender. He’s coming off a 308/.381/.460 campaign with the Triple-A affiliate of the Athletics and he will take the final spot on Milwaukee’s 40-man roster.

While neither of these losses will likely make-or-break Chicago heading into 2015, it does clear up space on the 40-man roster. However, it remains to be seen if this is a general housecleaning move or if it is a predecessor to a bigger move in the weeks to come.

Next: Chicago Cubs sign outfielder Adron Chambers