Former Cubs farmhand making his Major League debut with a division rival

As the Chicago Cubs continue to try to find answers in the second half of the season, it sure feels like the club could have used someone like Cam Sanders to call up and join their bullpen.

Instead, the former Cubs farmhand is making his Major League debut with the division rival Pittsburgh Pirates. While Craig Counsell's bunch would likely love the chance to turn to an exciting rookie reliever to help out a bullpen that suddenly looks tired and overused, it's hard to argue that an August call-up for the Pirates might be the best situation for Sanders. He gets to cut his teeth on a team with very little pressure over the next two months as Pittsburgh has been out of the playoff race since May.

Ex-Cubs minor leaguer Cam Sanders’ dominant run earns long-awaited MLB shot with Pirates

The former Chicago Cubs farmhand certainly deserves the call. Sanders started the year with Double-A Altoona and was largely dominant, posting a 1.90 earned run average with a 2-0 record and 9 saves. He also struck out 26 batters in just 23.2 innings.

He was then promoted to Triple-A Indianapolis, where he's continued to shine, posting a 1.93 ERA with two more saves and 25 Ks in just 18 innings.

To be fair to those wondering how Cam Sanders was allowed to leave by the Cubs, it's worth pointing out he's 28 years old and never tasted the major leagues outside of spring training. He also struggled to hold his season ERA under 4.00 more often than not.

There were times when Sanders felt like he might be the answer for the Chicago Cubs over the years. At least as someone they should give a longer look at. However, he never really got that longer look and chose free agency last fall. With the Pirates clashing with the Cubs in about 10 days, Chicago might face off against their former farmhand soon.