The Chicago Cubs have officially lost left-handed reliever Antoine Kelly, who agreed to a minor-league contract with the Cleveland Guardians that includes an invitation to major-league spring training.
The signing was announced Monday as executives from across baseball convene in Las Vegas for the annual general manager meetings.
With the collective bargaining agreement set to expire Dec. 1 and a lockout widely expected to follow, clubs are handling smaller roster moves while they still can.
Kelly, 26, arrived in the Cubs organization in early June when the team acquired him from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for cash considerations.
He made his major-league debut for Chicago on July 31 against the New York Yankees at Wrigley Field.
In that single appearance, Kelly pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings, recording four outs without allowing a hit or a run. He struck out one batter and walked one.
The outing marked his only big-league action of the season before he returned to the minors.
In 24 appearances for the Triple-A Iowa Cubs, Kelly went 2-2 with a 4.25 ERA. He struck out 36 batters and walked 22 across 29 2/3 innings while limiting opponents to a .235 batting average.
When those numbers are combined with his earlier Triple-A work for the Dodgers, Kelly finished the year with a 4.62 ERA in 50 2/3 innings, recording 58 strikeouts against 41 walks.
The Cubs designated him for assignment in late September, later outrighted him to Iowa after he cleared waivers, and he elected free agency at the end of the month.
Originally selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the second round of the 2019 draft, Kelly has already pitched in five organizations and will join a sixth with Cleveland.
He has logged 203 minor-league appearances over seven professional seasons, compiling a 12-18 record and a 4.73 ERA.
For the Cubs, the loss removes one left-handed arm from organizational depth as the front office evaluates its bullpen options ahead of the 2027 season.
The Guardians, the reigning American League Central champions, will give Kelly a chance to compete for a left-on-left relief role in spring training.
Kelly still has one minor-league option remaining, which would allow the Guardians flexibility if he is later added to their 40-man roster.
