The Chicago Cubs made a roster move during their recent series against the Kansas City Royals that quietly closed a chapter for a veteran pitcher.
Right-hander Jake Woodford, who had spent parts of seven seasons in the majors, elected free agency after the team designated him for assignment earlier in the week.
Woodford’s time with the Cubs proved brief. He appeared in just two games for Chicago this season after earlier pitching for the Milwaukee Brewers.
Across those combined outings, he logged 26⅓ innings and posted a 7.18 earned-run average, numbers that left him vulnerable when the club needed to clear space.
The designation coincided with the activation of recent trade acquisitions Tyrone Taylor and Ryan Zeferjahn, moves intended to strengthen the outfield and bullpen for the stretch run. Outfielder Kevin Alcántara was also optioned to the minors as part of the same roster shuffle.
Selected in the first round of the 2015 draft, Woodford has bounced among several organizations.
His major-league stops include the St. Louis Cardinals, Brewers, Arizona Diamondbacks, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Chicago White Sox.
Now 29, he carries a career record of 11-17 with a 5.29 ERA across 129 appearances. Those totals reflect a pitcher who has shown flashes of reliability but never quite locked down a long-term role.
While the Cubs continue their series with the Royals—tied at one game apiece after a 6-3 loss on Saturday—attention will turn to whether another club claims Woodford or whether he returns to Chicago on a minor-league deal. Either path remains possible for a pitcher still seeking stability.
Meanwhile the Cubs sit at 68-50, second in the National League Central and 5.5 games behind the first-place Brewers. After the final game of the Royals series, they head to Washington to face the Nationals.
The additions of Taylor and Zeferjahn signal a clear intent to push for a playoff berth, even if it meant parting ways with a seven-year veteran whose contributions this season never quite measured up.
We’ll see if Chicago has any other moves in store as we get deeper into the summer.
