Chicago Cubs Quietly Sign Promising Lefty Pitcher to Deal
According to the MLB transactions log, the Chicago Cubs have signed left-handed reliever Christian Winston to a minor league contract.
Winston, 23, played four seasons of collegiate ball at San Diego State University, spinning a 4.94 ERA largely in a relief role.
The Barstow, Calif., native made nine spot starts during his time on campus and pitched in a career-high 23.0 innings of work as a senior in 2021.
He spent last season with William Jessup of the Golden State Athletic Conference, making ten appearances, including eight starts, with a 5.81 ERA while fanning 52 batters in 48.0 innings of work.
The Cubs have just one left-handed reliever in the bullpen in Brandon Hughes. Still, the likelihood that Winston pitches meaningful innings at the Big League level in 2023 doesn't appear to be favorable.
He has been assigned to the Arizona Complex League Cubs, a Rookie-level affiliate of the organization, where he'll have the opportunity to work closely with the team.
Winston had the propensity to walk a few batters in college, so Chicago will certainly look to iron out his command issues so that he can become an effective asset to them.
But at 6-foot-5, 185 pounds, there's plenty to be excited about as he continues to mature physically.
The early report on Winston is that he features a fastball that tops out around 95 mph complementing it with two offspeed pitches. According to his performance coach, Austin Roark, he offers an impressive curveball that regularly touches 87 mph.
In a sub-tweet to the above, Roark notes that Winston added a slider to his pitching arsenal this offseason, averaging in the mid-80s with 10 inches of horizontal break.
Winston is certainly a project, but it's a low-risk, high-reward signing for the Cubs. If their pitching lab can figure out a few things to develop his pitches and improve his command, he could be an impactful player down the line.
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