Former Cubs Prospect Signs Minor-League Deal With NL Rival

A piece of the Chicago Cubs’ 2022 bullpen is off to Arizona after he signed a minor league deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Aug 31, 2022; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Erich Uelmen (46) throws a pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays during the sixth inning at Rogers Centre. | Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

Former Chicago Cubs draft pick and reliever Erich Uelmen is now with the Arizona Diamondbacks on a minor-league deal, according to the MLB transactions tracker.

Per Uelmen’s MLB page, he signed with the Diamondbacks last week and was assigned to their Arizona Complex League team.

He was last with the Philadelphia Phillies, where he pitched one game out of their bullpen last season.

The 28-year-old spent several stints on the Phillies’ minor-league injured list before he was shut down late in the season with a right flexor strain. His recovery from that injury is likely why the Diamondbacks elected to assign him to the ACL as opposed to a higher-level affiliate.

Before Philadelphia, he was with the Cubs organization for several seasons, including his Major League debut in 2022.

The Cubs called him up that July and he made his MLB debut against the Phillies. He went 2-1 with a 4.67 ERA in 25 games that season, including a save. He struck out 21 and walked 12 in 27 innings as batters hit .248 against him.

Chicago designated him for assignment late in 2022 after their re-signed Drew Smyly. The Cubs then traded him to the Phillies for cash.

The Cubs made him their fourth-round pick in the 2017 MLB Draft and he steadily worked his way through the organization, beginning as a starter. His best season as a full-time starter was in 2018 when he went 8-8 with a 3.83 ERA in 21 games (20 starts) as he struck out 82 and walked 30 in 89.1 innings.

He eventually transitioned to a full-time bullpen role by the 2022 minor league season. Before his call-up he was 3-3 with a 2.79 ERA in 28 games with six saves and two holds. He struck out 52 and walked 23 in 42 innings.

The Las Vegas, Nev., native played his college baseball at Cal Poly, where he was a All-Big West Second-Team honoree his junior year.