Cubs News: Another former Astros reliever, Javier Assad's decision explained, bullpen spending

Jed Hoyer has a trend developing in his splurges for bullpen help, considering most of his larger swings have been taking chances on former Houston Astros relief pitchers. That has been the case for Hector Neris, Ryan Pressly, and Phil Maton, and Sunday's roster move only continued the pattern.

After their loss to the Chicago White Sox to close out the weekend, the Cubs claimed right-handed relief pitcher Christian Roa off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles. Roa was designated for assignment by the Orioles at the start of the weekend after they made a separate trade with the Athletics.

While Roa was last with the Orioles, his last run in the majors came with the Astros this season. He posted a 6.19 ERA through seven appearances while striking out 14% of the hitters he's faced and walking over 16%.

Roa was optioned to Triple-A Iowa and, if nothing else, gives the Cubs added depth for a pitching staff that has been thinned out by injuries. Claiming Roa isn't the move that Cubs fans want to see at the moment, but it is likely what Hoyer is going to elect before trade talks start heating up later this summer.

Explaining Javier Assad's option to Triple-A Iowa

In somewhat of a surprise, the Cubs optioned Javier Assad to Triple-A Iowa on Sunday. Assad pitched two innings against the White Sox on Friday and likely wouldn't have been available on Sunday. Ty Blach was added to the bullpen, but it feels like he will be optioned back to Iowa once Caleb Thielbar is activated from the IL.

Explaining the decision, Craig Counsell confirmed that Assad will be stretched out as a starting pitcher during his time with the I-Cubs. Considering the limited depth the Cubs have for their rotation, the move makes sense. If there's another injury within their rotation, Assad (or Jordan Wicks) will need to be ready to take the spot.

Phil Maton's struggles point to offseason weakness for Jed Hoyer

Phil Maton had another implosion on Sunday, moving his ERA on the season to 9.49 through 14 appearances. Maton is in the first year of a two-year deal, and right now, there isn't a scenario where the Cubs designate him for assignment. The Cubs need pitching depth, and if their bullpen stabilizes, chances are it will, in part, be due to Maton finding his stride.

Having said that, Hoyer went out of his comfort zone this past offseason, signing Maton to a multi-year deal worth $14 million and Hunter Harvey to a one-year deal worth $6 million. That's $20 million for a pair of veteran relievers who were expected to be high-leverage options for Counsell. Instead, Maton can no longer be trusted in those situations, and Harvey may not pitch for the Cubs again this season.

To his credit, Hoyer has demonstrated the ability to identify the correct veteran relief pitchers to add to the mix during the season, but his swings during the offseason have been glaring mistakes over the past couple of years.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow