The Chicago Cubs have added some solid bullpen depth, signing lefty Xavier Cedeno to a one year deal, with a non-roster invite to big league camp. According to Patrick Mooney of The Athletic, it’s a non-guaranteed deal that would pay Cedeno a $900K base salary if he makes the roster. The lefty could also earn an additional $300K in incentives.
The Cubs opened camp hoping to add another reliever who would fit within their budget and landed Xavier Cedeño with a $900,000 non-guaranteed deal.
— Patrick Mooney (@PJ_Mooney) February 14, 2019
Cedeno’s Career
Cedeno appeared in just nine games during the 2018 season with the Tampa Bay Rays. He singed with the White Sox last offseason, and split the 2018 season between the Chicago and the Milwaukee Brewers.
He posted some tremendous numbers over just 33 innings of work. In that span, he had a 2.43 ERA with a 9.2 K/9 and a 4.3 BB/9 while allowing just 0.27 HR/9. The lack of home runs could be correlated to his ability to keep the ball on the ground, as evidenced by his stellar 54.4 percent ground-ball rate, which should play well in Wrigley.
Throughout his career the eight-year veteran has posted some solid numbers against lefty batters. Over 384 plate appearances, Cedeno has held opposing lefties to a slash line of .218/.285/.298, which is pretty solid. He also performed pretty well against right-handers as well, as they only posted a .212/.316/.288 stat line.
What Cedeno Brings to the Cubs
Cedeno has a nice 1-2 punch in his arsenal with his cutter and curveball. If he can stay healthy, Cedeno may see time at the big league level. Although, the Cubs do currently have a ton of lefty options on the 40-Man roster.
He is likely behind the likes of Mike Montgomery and Brian Duensing in the pecking order. The Cubs also have Randy Rosario and Kyle Ryan on the 40-Man as well. However, by signing Cedeno to a non-guaranteed deal, the Cubs certainly have picked up a solid veteran arm who could provide valuable innings.
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