The First Waiver Claim of the Offseason is Here for the Cubs: Eric Orze

The Chicago Cubs have made their first waiver claim of the offseason by acquiring right-handed relief pitcher Eric Orze from the Minnesota Twins. Orze, 29, previously pitched in the New York Mets and Tampa Bay Rays organizations before joining Minnesota. The Cubs added the reliever to compete for a spot in their bullpen as part of their efforts to build depth on the margins of their 40-man roster.

Bleacher Nation notes that Orze possesses appealing traits such as elite extension and four-seam fastball ride, alongside strong splitter movement. However, the writer points out that Minnesota likely made him available due to declining velocity, a drop in strikeouts, and a lack of minor league options. Chicago must keep Orze on the 40-man roster or attempt to pass him through waivers to outright him to Triple-A Iowa.