Cubs find emergency rotation help from former Phillies gamble

With an urgent need in the starting rotation left by the injuries to Edward Cabrera and Ben Brown, the Chicago Cubs may have just found their next starter in the form of a waiver claim from the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Cubs have claimed Bryse Wilson off waivers from Phillies, designating relief pitcher Christian Roa for assignment. Roa was among the waiver claims the Cubs made earlier this season when they were simply looking for added depth at the Triple-A level.

There's a more dire need at this point in the season. Specifically because the Cubs will be without three starting pitchers--Cabrera, Brown, and Jameson Taillon--until the All-Star break at the earliest.

Cubs wasted no time finding a lifeline for depleted starting rotation

After spending the 2025 season with the Chicago White Sox, posting an ERA of 6.65 in a tick over 47 innings pitched, Wilson latched on with the Phillies this season on a minor-league deal. He exercised his upward mobility clause over the weekend, leading to Philadelphia using the 28-year-old for a couple of innings against the Mets.

Before that, Wilson had been used primarily as a starting pitcher with the Phillies' Triple-A affiliate. His ERA was an unflattering 6.29, but he was striking out over 23% of the hitters he faced while walking 8.5%. It's minor-league numbers, so they aren't meant to provide a particular lean in any direction, but his FIP was 4.06.

Given the dire need the Cubs have across their pitching staff, Jed Hoyer and Co. aren't in a position to be overly selective with the pitchers they look to bring in. While the Cubs will likely poke around for higher end pitching closer to the MLB trade deadline, the need they have can't wait until then.

For that reason, if there's pitcher available that's capable of taking the mound every five days, the Cubs are going to take a gamble on them.

Speaking to the injury to Brown, Craig Counsell confirmed the team has sent the starting pitcher back to Chicago for further evaluation. Considering Brown's 2024 season ended prematurely in June with a neck strain that was eventually revealed to be a benign bone tumor, the Cubs' concern level is higher than it otherwise would be for this type of injury.

Meanwhile, Cabrera was diagnosed with a moderate hamstring strain, and the Cubs haven't provided a timeline for his return.

No, Wilson won't be a true replacement for either pitcher, but he may be better than another look at someone like Jordan Wicks.

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