Cubs Trade Pitcher to Phillies

The Cubs have traded right-handed pitcher Erich Uelmen to the Phillies for some cash. This move follows the Cubs moving Uelmen off the 40-man roster in the final week of December.

Uelmen was DFA'd to make room for left-handed starting pitcher Drew Smyly.

Smyly's free-agent deal with the Cubs includes a mutual option for the 2025 season.

As for Uelmen, he just couldn't take advantage of his shot in some pretty big spots out of the bullpen with the Cubs in 2022. The 26-year-old pitched in 25 games during his rookie season, posting a 4.67 ERA and 1.37 WHIP in 27 innings. He struck out 21 batters and walked 12. It also shows that the Cubs feel comfortable with their other younger pitchers coming up in their farm system.

Uelmen was drafted in the fourth round back in 2017. Before his first MLB call up, the righty had a 2.79 ERA in 28 relief appearances for the Iowa Cubs at Triple-A. The Cubs moved him to bullpen during the 2021 season, after Uelmen made 37 starts in 2017-18 combined, 48 total starts, before he was permanently pitching as a reliever in 2022.

Smyly, 33, will be guaranteed $19 million the next two seasons from the Cubs. His contract also includes a player opt out after the 2023 season. The lefty will earn a base salary of $8 million in 2023 and $8.5 million in 2024, which means the mutual option for 2025 has a $2.5 million buyout attached.

This is now the third time Smyly has signed a contract with the Cubs, first agreeing to a deal in the 2017-18 offseason, when he was rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. He was eventually traded after only making one minor league outing in 2018, and then of course last offseason Smyly signed with the Cubs. A nice little raise from his guaranteed $5.25 million in 2022.

Although Smyly isn't the most electric pitcher on the mound, he was pretty good in 2022 with the Cubs. Overall, he made 22 starts and recorded a 3.47 ERA in 106.1 innings. Yeah, the length in starts isn't going to make you go crazy over Smyly, but he was so effective, especially after coming back from an injury. From July through his last appearance on Oct. 1, Smyly had a 3.25 ERA in 63.2 innings.

After the All-Star break, Smyly's numbers looked like this.

Steven has a great thread on Smyly's unique curve ball that he used as his primary weapon that led to his great results in the second half of 2022.

So, with Smyly officially back with the Cubs, here's the starting pitching depth on the roster.

Marcus Stroman
Justin Steele
Jameson Taillon
Drew Smyly
Kyle Hendricks
Hayden Wesneski

At this point, it seems like a few guys we've seen in the rotation in the past like Keegan Thompson, Adbert Alzolay and Adrian Sampson will be used as multi-inning relievers. Of course, they could also be competing with Wesneski for a spot in the rotation depending on the health status of Kyle Hendricks to begin the 2023 season. Hendricks was out the majority of 2022 with a shoulder injury.