The Cubs ran right-handed Jake Woodford which was not claimed on waivers, according to the MLB.com transaction tracker. He has the right to choose free agency and explore other opportunities. Chicago appointed Woodford assignment over the weekend there Phil Maton he made it back from the injured list.
Woodford had a short stint on the big league roster. The Cubs signed him to a major league contract on July 4 and designated him for assignment a week later. The 29-year-old made one appearance, allowing three runs on five hits over two innings in the loss at Cincinnati. He hit three but surrendered a JJ Bleday the home game opened 2-0.
That may go down as Woodford’s only appearance in a Cubs uniform. He is now tied for the top six teams, including every club in the NL Central except the Reds. Woodford allowed fewer than seven earned runs in nine innings over 23 1/3 in a low-key relief role for the Brewers earlier in the season. The former first-round pick found some success with the Cardinals early in his career but posted an ERA north of 6.00 over the past four seasons.
Woodford doesn’t miss a lot of at-bats or get a ton of ground balls. He continued to draw interest as a deep arm due to his willingness to attack the strike zone and ability to work multiple innings. He’s out of the minor leagues and needs to be waived each time a club removes him from the MLB roster, which often allows him to test free agency for a team in need of bullpen depth.
