The Chicago Cubs traded for veteran reliever Andrew Kittredge on Wednesday, adding the righty in an attempt to stabilize a recent-struggling bullpen. Kittredge signed with the Baltimore Orioles this past offseason and his contract includes a club option for the 2026 season. There is a $1 million buyout attached to the option.
On Thursday morning we learned that the Cubs sent teenage prospect Wilfri de la Cruz to the Orioles to complete the trade for Kittredge.
The 17-year-old shortstop has been playing in the Dominican Summer League. The switch-hitting infielder has an .859 OPS in 27 games, slashing .262/.442/.417, with nine doubles and two triples in 113 plate appearances.
Via Baseball America.
De La Cruz, 17, landed the biggest bonus ($2.3 million) of any player in Chicago’s 2024-25 international signing class and ranked No. 20 in their system. He’s a wiry switch-hitter with broad shoulders and power upside, although he’ll need to manage his swing-and-miss because of his longer levers. Evaluators expect him to land somewhere on the left side of the infield
(Previous Update)
After acquiring right-handed pitcher Michael Soroka from the Washington Nationals for a pair of relievers the Chicago Cubs have added veteran reliever Andrew Kittredge from the Baltimore Orioles. Kittredge, 35, has posted a 3.45 ERA and 1.09 WHIP in 31 games with the Orioles this season.
The Cubs had interest in signing Kittredge back in the offseason, but he eventually signed a one-year deal in Baltimore for $10 million.
So far in 2025, Kittredge has struck out 32 batters in 31.1 innings of work, posting a 25.4 K%. The right-handed pitcher didn't make his season debut until May 21, after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery in March. He had a couple bad appearances in the middle of June, but otherwise is turning in another solid year out of the bullpen, recording a 2.37 ERA over his last 19 innings.
Last year with the St. Louis Cardinals Kittredge ended the season with a 2.80 ERA in 70.2 innings. You have to go back to 2018, to find his only truly awful year in his career as Kittredge has since posted a 2.91 ERA over 263 combined innings.
Kittredge was an All-Star with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2021. That was the peak of his career as Kittredge had a 1.88 ERA with 77 strikeouts in 71.2 innings.
A very solid add for the Cubs' bullpen that has been struggling during the month of July outside of their top-three relievers. The team definitely needed another reliable arm in there and Kittredge fits the bill. We'll check back in to see who the Cubs sent over to the Orioles later on.
