14:20: The Cubs have announced the claim.
14:10: The Cubs “add” swallows Franmil Reyesaccording to Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic. Reyes had been designated for assignment by the Guardians on Saturday. Since the trade deadline has passed, the Cubs have presumably claimed Reyes off waivers. Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain dealership reports that Reyes has indeed been claimed off waivers. The Cubs had a few open spots on their 40-man roster, meaning a corresponding move won’t be required in that regard.
Reyes, 27, has an impressive track record as a power hitter, though he’s enduring an unfortunate bout of vertigo here in 2022. He debuted with the Padres in 2018 and then went to Cleveland in a three-team trade in 2019 that involved six other players. From his debut through the end of the 2021 campaign, he hit 92 home runs and walked 9% of his plate appearances. His 29.5% strikeout rate was definitely on the high side, but he still managed to hit .260/.325/.503, production that was 19% above league average as measured by wRC+.
However, this season has been a complete nightmare by comparison. Reyes has struck out in 37.1% of his plate appearances, walked in just 5% of them and hit just nine homers. His overall batting line for the campaign sits at a paltry .213/.254/.350, wRC+ of 69. Cleveland has used him as a designated hitter and ultimately decided it could no longer withstand the meager output from a lineup spot, which is supposed to deliver more strength. He was optioned to the minors last week and designated for assignment a few days after that.
For a rebuilding Cubs team, taking a chance on Reyes and hoping he returns to his former form is a logical move. He’s making $4.55 million this year, leaving about $1.5 million to be paid out for the rest of the campaign. He can be retained for two more seasons via arbitration and likely won’t demand a huge raise due to his poor showing this year. The Cubs do not have a dedicated designated hitter, with an impending free agent Willson Contreras comes most of the time there. If Reyes successfully comes back in any way, he could take over the DH duties. He’s capable of playing corner outfield, though he’s only trotted on the turf in 26 total games over the past three years.
There are reasons to be optimistic Reyes could turn things around. Despite strikeout issues and general struggles this year, he’s still in the 92nd percentile among MLB hitters when it comes to slugging percentage, 93rd in average exit velocity, 88th in hard hitting percentage and 86th in maximum exit velocity. If he can cut down on the strikeouts even a little bit, he’s still crushing the ball with enough power that he could be a useful pickup, either sticking with the Cubs or being traded in the future.