Pitcher Cubs hoped would be their closer of the future is returning from overseas

The San Francisco Giants signed hard-throwing right-hander Rowan Wick to a contract on Friday, bringing him back to the U.S. after spending the last two seasons pitching in Japan. It's a one-year pact with a club option for 2027 for the former Chicago Cubs hurler, but he's not expected to pitch in 2026 as he continues recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Earlier in the decade, the hope was that Wick, who always had impressive stuff, would finally come into his own and establish himself as a late-inning weapon. He made his big-league debut with San Diego in 2018 but virtually all of his MLB experience came with Chicago, which acquired him in a Nov. 2018 trade that sent Jason Vosler to the Padres.

Rowan Wick repeatedly showed signs of brilliance with the Cubs

Over parts of four seasons with the Cubs, Wick averaged 10 strikeouts per nine, working to a 3.66 ERA and 3.50 FIP in 137 2/3 innings of work. In 2019, it looked like he was ready to take that next step - he was downright dominant, excelling at limiting hard contact and relying heavily on his mid-to-upper 90s heater. Things just never materialized for him and, after returning to the organization on a minor-league deal in 2023, Chicago released him that July and he latched on for brief stints with the Braves and Blue Jays organizations - then made the jump to NPB ahead of the '24 campaign.

He was a lockdown arm overseas with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars, working to a 1.75 ERA in 87 2/3 innings of work. Similar to the Cubs' recent signing of Shelby Miller, it's a move made with an eye on next season given he's still working his way back.

Buster Posey has certainly made his fair share of big moves since taking over in San Francisco, and this one hardly registers outside of in circles of Cubs fans, but given Wick's multi-year run on the North Side, it's a move Wrigley faithful will surely take note of.