Chicago Cubs fans react to report that the team has DFA'd Manny Rodriguez to sign Julian Merryweather: "Well this is a head-scratcher" "W and an L"

The Chicago Cubs have claimed right-handed pitcher Julian Merryweather off waivers from the Toronto Blue Jays. Merryweather was DFA'd by the Blue Jays last week.

To make room for Merryweather, the Cubs DFA'd Manny Rodriguez. The 26-year old struggled during his time in Chicago. He appeared in 34 games over two seasons. During that span, Rodriguez accumulated a 4.88 ERA, 1.56 WHIP and 24 strikeouts.

While Merryweather hasn't had a great major league career, he excelled in the minors last season. He posted a 0.63 ERA in 13 games with the Buffalo Bisons. The Bisons are the Blue Jays' Triple-A affiliate.

Merryweather is a hard-throwing righty. His fastball clocks in at 97-98 MPH. He also possesses a wipeout slider. It's not hard to figure out why the Cubs are taking a chance on him.

Some Chicago Cubs fans aren't happy to see Manny Rodriguez get DFA'd. They considered him to be a player who could develop into a solid bullpen piece farther down the line.

Cubs fans do not understand the logic behind this decision. Why get rid of a young pitcher with promise for an older pitcher with limited MLB experience? They don't think Rodriguez was given a fair shot.

The move is definitely a gamble. But the Chicago Cubs' front office must have seen something in Merryweather. Either way, Merryweather will add some depth to a solid bullpen.

Are the Chicago Cubs back?

The Cubs have made a good amount of moves this offseason. They recently signed free agent 1B/DH Trey Mancini to a two-year contract that includes an opt-out after the first season.

It'll be interesting to see how they divide the playing time between DH and first base. They have four players on their roster who primarily play those two positions. The Cubs signed Eric Hosmer earlier this offseason. They also have Patrick Wisdom and highly-touted prospect Matt Mervis.

Their biggest signing this offseason was Dansby Swanson. The former Atlanta Braves shortstop is coming off two consecutive seasons where he led the majors in games played. He played in all 162 games last season.

Swanson was selected as a National League All-Star and won a Gold Glove Award in 2022. He also won a World Series title with the Braves in 2021.

The Cubs also signed Cody Bellinger to a one-year deal. While his production has fallen off a cliff in the past few seasons, he can still contribute to winning baseball. The Cubs feel good about his ability to bounce back. If he shows flashes of his 2019 National League MVP season, then they got a steal.

About the author

Jared "Bloomy" Bloom is a journalist covering Major League Baseball at Sportskeeda and a former college baseball pitcher from Illinois, who just graduated with a Master's degree in Sport Psychology.

A writer with over 3 years of experience, Jared is consistently more concerned with quality than quantity, thoroughly checking multiple sources of information, and prides himself in being knowledgeable not just about MLB, but the game of baseball in general. He loves breaking down plays and game-changing moments, as well as looking closer into players' statistics.

Jared is a die-hard Chicago White Sox fan, and one of his earliest memories is seeing his great-grandfather, a huge Sox fan, in his rocking chair watching a game. Jared started playing from the age of 5 with his grandfather coaching him early on.

Jared loved Tim Lincecum for his quirky delivery and looked up to him as a role model when playing. His current favorite is Phillies star Bryce Harper, an exciting player who doesn't let injuries hold him back. Jared's favorite sports moment is Mark Buehrle's opening day between-the-legs glove flip to first base in 2010.

When he is not watching or writing about baseball, Jared can be found racing BMX at his local Rockford BMX track or coaching his local youth travel baseball team.

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