Cubs take flyer on former All-Star reliever

The Chicago Cubs added some pitching depth on Thursday by signing Kelvin Herrera

Recently let go by the rival crosstown Chicago White Sox, the Cubs are taking a chance on a two-time All-Star in Herrera. The 30-year-old joined the Sox before the 2019 season on a two-year deal with a club option for 2021, but a disastrous couple of seasons — including a 15.43 ERA through two games in 2020 — made holding on to him almost irresponsible.

Given the Cubs own issues with a veteran former-great in Craig Kimbrel, Herrera is an intriguing choice, and perhaps a test in the old “strength in numbers” motto.

Can Kelvin Herrera revive his career from the depths?

“We were hoping to see a little bit more out of him,” manager Rick Renteria said upon the decision to DFA Herrera. “I know everybody was kind of behind the 8-ball. But we gave him the whole year last year to kind of work through the foot injury and try to settle in. He left camp still right around 91 miles an hour, still wasn’t the same guy that everybody was used to seeing the previous years of his service.”

Renteria isn’t wrong in that sense, as Herrera hasn’t been close to the same pitcher who went to back-to-back All-Star games with the Kansas City Royals in 2015-16. He was just a kid back then with a bright future, but unless he can regain something close to his age-26 form, this’ll be a waste of a roster spot for Chicago.

For now, Herrera will report to the Cubs’ reserve squad as filler of sorts, just in case the bullpen suffers a number of major injuries. He’ll get regular work there, something the White Sox couldn’t have offered him to their own detriment on the South Side.