Cubs Reliever Elects Free Agency After Clearing Waivers

The Chicago Cubs are looking for bullpen help.

Whether that's from their internal options or turning to some external ones ahead of the trade deadline, it's clear that this needs to be addressed if they are going to contend for a World Series.

Someone they thought could give them a boost was Genesis Cabrera.

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Signed to a Major League deal on May 29 of this year after he was designated for assignment by the New York Mets, the Cubs were hoping he'd be a left-handed weapon out of the bullpen.

Unfortunately, it didn't work out that way.

Cabrera made nine appearances with Chicago, and in those outings, he gave up a total of nine earned runs on 10 hits, striking out eight and walking three in 9 1/3 innings pitched.

On June 21, the Cubs decided to designate him for assignment. And after he cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Iowa, Cabrera decided to elect free agency instead.

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The 28-year-old will now be searching for his third team this season.

Originally signed by the Tampa Bay Rays as an international free agent in 2013, he was shipped to the St. Louis Cardinals at the trade deadline in 2018.

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He made his Major League debut the following year and spent five seasons with the Cardinals before he began bouncing around to other teams.

Cabrera has a career ERA of 4.03 and an ERA+ of 102 across his seven years in the bigs, pitching in 287 games with two starts while striking out 283 batters in 292 2/3 innings pitched.

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