The Chicago Cubs claimed right-handed pitcher Eduarniel Nunez off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles on Monday and optioned him to the Arizona Complex League. The move comes as the team continues to deal with pitching injuries, including starter Jameson Taillon, who was pulled after just three outs on Sunday night and is expected to be placed on the injured list with a hamstring strain.
Nunez, 27, joins Chicago as the organization uses available space on its 40-man roster, which now stands at 39 players after the transaction. The Cubs did not need to make a corresponding active roster move.
This is Nunez’s second stint with Chicago after originally signing with the Cubs as a minor league free agent on March 15, 2017. He spent the 2017-2024 seasons in Chicago’s system before becoming a minor league free agent and later moving through multiple organizations, including the San Diego Padres, Athletics, and Orioles.
Across his career, Nunez has appeared in 246 minor league games (24 starts), compiling a 27-24 record with a 4.02 ERA over 362.2 innings, along with 22 saves. He has recorded 415 strikeouts but also issued 246 walks in that span. In the 2023-2024 minor league stretch, he logged 171 innings with a 3.42 ERA, striking out 29.4% of batters faced while walking 15.4%.
At the major league level, Nunez has appeared in 10 games between the Padres and Athletics, going 1-0 with a 7.11 ERA in 12.2 innings last season. This year, he owns a 7.13 ERA in 17 combined appearances across Double-A Midland, Triple-A Las Vegas, and Triple-A Norfolk in the Athletics and Orioles systems.
Nunez features a four-seam fastball that can reach the upper-90s and touch 100 mph, along with a mid-80s slider and curveball. The Cubs plan is for him to work in the Arizona Complex League before potentially moving up the system for further evaluation.
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