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Cubs Add New Pitcher In Minor League Deal

Originally posted on Chicago Cubs on SI | By Brad Wakai | Last updated Sep 2, 2025 3:27 PM ET

The Chicago Cubs have felt the need to add some more arms for the final stretch of the season.

After claiming Aaron Civale off waivers from the Chicago White Sox, the organization was not finished there, with Joe Ross being signed to a minor league deal per MLB's Latest Transactions.

Ross, who was selected 25th overall in the 2011 draft by the San Diego Padres but later made his MLB debut for the Washington Nationals in 2015, might be a familiar name for some Cubs fans since he spent last year with the Milwaukee Brewers.

Coming off Tommy John surgery that caused him to miss all of the 2022 and 2023 seasons, the right-hander performed relatively well in a swingman role for the Brewers last year, posting a 3.77 ERA across 25 outings (10 starts).

That caused the Philadelphia Phillies to take a chance on him this past offseason, signing him to a one-year, $4 million contract. Unfortunately for Ross, he didn't pitch to the same level as he did in 2024, owning a 5.12 ERA across 37 appearances (one start) that caused the Phillies to release him.

Is Joe Ross Eligible For Cubs' Playoff Roster?

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The hope is Chicago can tweak some things with Ross before they call him up to their MLB roster -- if that's the plan they have for him. It stands to reason that the veteran is going to be used at some point to close out the season, especially because the pitching staff is currently thin without Jameson Taillon or deadline addition Michael Soroka.

However, even if Ross performs well, that won't matter in the grand scheme of things since it appears like he won't even be eligible for the playoff roster based on when he was signed to this minor league deal. On Ross's transactions tracker, it notes that his contract was inked on Sept. 1, which is after the Aug. 31 deadline.

It's hard to predict that Ross will even pitch to the level that would have made Chicago select him for their playoff roster when that time comes based on how poorly he performed with Philadelphia, but it's always better to have that option than to not.

Still, expect Ross to be used at some point in the final month of the campaign. Despite his poor showing in his previous stop, he was nine points above the league of 100 in ERA+ last year with Milwaukee.

The Cubs are hoping they can get that level from Ross when they do promote him to their MLB roster.

This article first appeared on Chicago Cubs on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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