The Chicago Cubs announced this evening the acquisition of reliever Jesús Tinoco from the Kansas City Royals in exchange for cash considerations, as reported by Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times. Tinoco, who had signed a minor league deal with the Royals just three weeks ago, was not on Kansas City’s 40-man roster. Unless stipulated by an upward mobility clause in his contract, the Cubs are not required to immediately place Tinoco on their 40-man roster.
Tinoco has made six appearances for the Royals’ Triple-A affiliate in Omaha, delivering solid performances over 6 2/3 innings with three earned runs, 10 strikeouts, and only one walk. Earlier this season with the Texas Rangers’ Triple-A team, Tinoco showcased his ability to miss bats, striking out 30.3% of batters across 21 1/3 innings, though his control was less consistent, with an 11% walk rate.
The 29-year-old Venezuelan right-hander has seen action in parts of five MLB seasons, featuring for the Colorado Rockies, Miami Marlins, and Texas Rangers. His most extensive major league experience came in his rookie season with the Rockies in 2019, where he pitched 36 innings with a 4.75 ERA. Since then, Tinoco has struggled to find regular work in the big leagues, appearing sporadically and amassing a career 4.58 ERA over 76 2/3 innings, with a strikeout rate of 18.1% and a walk rate near 14%.
Tinoco spent the 2022 season in Japan with the Seibu Lions, where he posted a 2.83 ERA despite modest strikeout and walk numbers. He returned to the U.S. on a minor league deal with the Rangers this past offseason, making nine MLB appearances earlier this year, allowing nine runs in 10 innings.
The Cubs’ interest in Tinoco likely stems from his recent Triple-A performance, demonstrating potential value for their bullpen. Chicago’s relief corps ranks 16th in the majors with a 4.01 ERA, but has struggled with control, issuing the third-most walks in the league. Additionally, the Cubs are dealing with several bullpen injuries, including Julian Merryweather, Adbert Alzolay, Colten Brewer, Yency Almonte, Keegan Thompson, and Luke Little, all on the injured list.
In a corresponding move, the Cubs optioned reliever Daniel Palencia to Triple-A Iowa, opening a spot in their major league bullpen. If the Cubs decide to bring Tinoco up to the MLB level, they will need to make a corresponding move to add him to their 40-man roster.
