Cubs exec Jed Hoyer runs laps around John Mozeliak with latest roster move
By Lior Lampert
Less than a month after the St. Louis Cardinals acquired right-handed reliever Shawn Armstrong from the Tampa Bay Rays, they designated him for assignment.
Like we've become accustomed to seeing from Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak, it's yet another disasterclass. Armstrong logged 12.2 innings of work in his brief tenure with St. Louis before the disappointing roster move. But the transaction became much more noteworthy after seeing where the veteran hurler ended up less than a handful of days later.
Per ESPN's Jeff Passan, The Chicago Cubs claimed Armstrong off waivers.
Right-handed reliever Shawn Armstrong has been claimed off waivers by the Chicago Cubs, sources tell ESPN. He was DFA’d by St. Louis after the Cardinals acquired him at the trade deadline for outfielder Dylan Carlson. The Cubs are one game ahead of St. Louis in the standings.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) August 30, 2024
One game separates the Cubs and Cardinals in the National League Central/Wild Card standings -- as Passan mentioned. Mozeliak practically gifted Chicago lead executive Jed Hoyer another bullpen option as the two clubs jostle to keep their playoff hopes alive.
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Cubs exec Jed Hoyer runs laps around John Mozeliak by claiming Shawn Armstrong
Armstrong getting DFA'd by the Cardinals was shocking in the first place. He had some solid outings during his short stint in St. Louis. His 2.84 ERA and 1.03 WHIP exemplify the solid albeit finite efforts.
Beyond his time in St. Louis, Armstrong has fared well throughout the 2024 MLB campaign. He's 3-2 with a 4.85 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and 62 strikeouts across 59.1 innings pitched. Moreover, the soon-to-be 34-year-old can be a fill-in starter if called upon.
Across seven starts this season, Armstrong is 0-1 with a 2.25 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 17 punch-outs. Albeit a small sample size, he's displayed his versatility.
Neither Chicago nor St. Louis has much of a chance to play in October. FanGraphs' playoff odds projections give the Cubs and Cards 3.6 and 1.7 percent chances of reaching the postseason, respectively. However, Mozeliak did his squad no favors by hand-delivering an experienced pitcher to his divisional rival.
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