Forgotten former Cubs reliever lands a minor-league deal with the Mariners

You're forgiven if you don't boast encyclopedic knowledge of the rotating cast that made up the Chicago Cubs bullpen during the team's multi-year rebuild that followed the 2021 trade deadline sell-off.

(Seriously - some of these names had long faded from my memory: Dan Winkler, Erich Uelmen - the list goes on and on.)

Among that cast of characters was right-hander Michael Rucker, a former 11th round pick of the Cubs back in 2016, who made 96 appearances for the club from 2021 to 2023 as Jed Hoyer looked to reshape the organization from top-to-bottom.

Rucker hasn't pitched in a big-league game since his final appearance of the '23 campaign, but he's looking to change that this season. According to his MLB.com player profile, the right-hander will be in camp this month with the Seattle Mariners on a minor-league deal after not pitching at all last season. It would be somewhat surprising to see Rucker crack the M's Opening Day roster, but he could provide important depth at Triple-A Tacoma.

Michael Rucker gave the Cubs bullpen depth for parts of 3 seasons

The 31-year-old made his big-league debut in 2021 with the Cubs, struggling to a 6.99 ERA and 1.518 WHIP in 20 appearances. He made some adjustments and was more effective in 2022, making a career-high 41 appearances for David Ross and posting a 106 ERA+. His third, and final, season in Chicago was largely ineffective. Rucker carried a career-worst 4.84 FIP in 35 appearances and, the following February, the Cubs designated him for assignment and then traded him to Philadelphia.

He spent the 2024 season pitching for Phillies' and Nationals' minor-league clubs, but was limited due to a vascular issue in his pitching hand. More than a year removed from that issue, hopefully this marks a new beginning for Rucker in his baseball career.