Cubs Pick Up Pitcher From Red Sox

The Cubs have claimed right-handed pitcher Chandler Shepherd off waivers from the Red Sox. The 26-year-old has struggled at Triple-A this season, posting a 10.01 ERA in 29.2 innings. He’s started seven games and has come in one time from the bullpen.

The 26-year-old was drafted in 2014. Shepherd has a 4.09 ERA in 383.1 minor league innings, most of them coming as a reliever. He’s started 35 games.

Cubs claimed right-handed pitcher Chandler Shepherd off of waivers from the Boston Red Sox. Shepherd has been optioned to Double-A Tennessee. Shepherd, 26, is 17-28 with 16 saves and a 4.09 ERA (174 ER/383.1 IP) in 158 career appearances (35 starts) in 6 minor league seasons

— Mark Gonzales (@MDGonzales) May 18, 2019

This is the “try to sneak thru waivers yourself” dance that we usually see from teams in November. An opportunity that has been afforded by Ben Zobrist’s absence. If they can get Shepherd thru waivers themselves, they’ll have minor league control of him thru end of 2020. https://t.co/usR4pwJmlA

— Cubs Prospects – Bryan Smith (@cubprospects) May 18, 2019

He had his best minor league season in 2016, when he made 22 appearances at Double-A and 18 at Triple-A. He finished the year with a combined 2.81 ERA, making one start and 39 appearances as a reliever.

In 2017, Shepherd pitched in 34 games and made one more start. He had a 4.07 ERA in 59.2 innings. Then the Red Sox made him a full-time starter in 2018 and he was decent, throwing 129.2 innings, posting a 3.89 ERA in 25 starts.

But with Triple-A using new baseballs this year, the righty hasn’t adjusted and neither has the majority of pitchers at Triple-A.

If Shepherd sticks around he could be yet another pitcher who you see called up from Iowa during the next year and a half.