Chicago Cubs reaping benefits of ‘afterthought’ free agent acquisition

On Thursday, the veteran swing man pitched 7 innings and allowed only 1 earned run in the Cubs’ 8-1 win over the Minnesota Twins in Minnesota, staving off what would’ve been an embarrassing series sweep.

Rea’s commanding, deep-into-game appearance sets the Cubs up nicely for their upcoming weekend series with the New York Yankees, the last series before the All-Star break.

“I think we were in good shape regardless, but seven innings from your starter helps no matter what,” manager Craig Counsell told reporters after the game. “You kind of think about this as a three-game season, almost, with your pitching usage [in the series before the All-Star break], and it puts us in good shape for the weekend.”

Then, Counsell would address Rea’s 2025, in general, which has turned out to be a somewhat under-the-radar godsend and a glue that has helped hold together a battered and strained starting rotation.

“I don’t want to call this a surprise, but you need guys to step up,” Counsell said. “And Colin, with some of the injuries that we’ve had, has stepped up in a big way. He’s had 92 innings now through [93] games. And he’s done exactly what we hoped he would do, and that’s been solid and consistent, and the last two starts have been excellent.”

An afterthought of a Chicago Cubs acquisition

The 35-year-old Rea has a 1.32 ERA in his last two starts with 13.2 innings pitched. Overall, he’s posted a 3.91 ERA in 19 games (15 starts) and has become, in the midst of injury, a middle-of-rotation asset. It would not be too much of an exaggeration to say that he’s become a shoulder to lean on as the rotation limps its way into the All-Star break and towards the July 31 trade deadline where reinforcements can be found.

That’s not too shabby for a guy, picked up on a 1-year, $5 million deal in the offseason, whose signing was seen by many as a bit of an afterthought. At best, he was considered insurance for the back-end of a rotation that already seemed set or as a veteran long relief option for the bullpen. He was also considered a comfort acquisition for Counsell, who had worked with him for parts of three seasons as the manager of the Milwaukee Brewers.

Instead, injuries and general bad fortune have led to Rea taking on a position of exaggerated importance and, for the most part, he’s come through. Although there’ve been some clunkers here and there, the 7-year veteran and former Japan league export has been a consistent presence in a starting rotation that has desperately needed consistency.

Not flashy, just good

“It doesn’t feel flashy, and it doesn’t feel overpowering, but it’s good,” Counsell told The Athletic back in May, regarding Rea’s game. “He knows what he’s doing. He’s good at his craft. He’s a pitcher. He knows how to navigate an inning, navigate different types of hitters, and how his stuff plays against everybody. He’s very self-aware.”

And, after the All-Star break and after the trade deadline, it looks as though Rea will continue to play a much larger than initially thought role in the team’s immediate future as they hope for a deep postseason run.

The Cubs may have been pursuing a depth piece when they first acquired Rea, but what they got was a solid soldier.