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Chicago Cubs Signing Familiar Arm to Minor League Contract

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By TJ French | Last updated Mar 5, 2025 1:30 PM ET

As the 2025 MLB season approaches, the Chicago Cubs front office remains active. According to ESPN's Jesse Rogers, the NL Central side are signing relief pitcher Yency Almonte to a minor league deal.

Almonte appeared in 17 games for the Cubs in 2024 and posted a 3.45 ERA over 15.2 innings before missing the rest of the season due to a shoulder injury. He played two seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers before his short stint with the Cubs and was a trade piece in the Michael Busch deal.

The Cubs are bringing back pitcher Yency Almonte on a minor league deal. He appeared in 17 games for them last year. Has a career 4.44 ERA.
— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) March 4, 2025

It is unclear where Almonte is in his rehab process and if he will be ready for the start of the season, but the Cubs' back end of their pitching staff is pretty much already set. If Almonte is healthy, he might be the first man up if a reliever goes down with an injury.

The Cubs know Almonte well, which makes it a strategic move to sign a player they are taking a slight risk on. The organization already knows he can be productive in some role in the bullpen. He has a career 4.44 ERA over 213 relief appearances and 215 career strikeouts.

Almonte joins a list of other Cubs who will start the year in the minor leagues but also have MLB experience. As a result, AAA Iowa is shaping up to be a competitive roster with players fighting for a spot with Chicago.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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