The Chicago Cubs have made their second move of this trade deadline. First reported by Jon Heyman, the Cubs have traded for RHP Andrew Kittredge from the Baltimore Orioles. As of right now, it is unclear who the Cubs will be shipping off. Bob Nightengale reported that the deal “will be announced in the morning.” It is hard to believe they had to give up too much, even with the expensive pitching market.
Report: Orioles Trade Reliever Andrew Kittredge to Cubs
As they were expected to, the Cubs are going after pitching, Kittredge being a relief pitcher. Once again, he is a guy who was not on many people’s radars going into today. The 35-year-old could be a great addition to the bullpen in the playoffs as a one-year rental.
Cubs reportedly acquire RHP Andrew Kittredge from Orioles, per @MLBNetwork insider @JonHeyman. pic.twitter.com/Mi2MHGbkJE
— MLB (@MLB) July 31, 2025
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What Can Kittredge Provide?
This year, Kittredge has limited innings as he has only pitched 31 1/3 due to an early knee injury. But in those innings, he holds a 3.45 ERA. He also has 32 strikeouts and a good-looking 1.121 WHIP. And although he doesn’t qualify for many statistics, he has delivered amazing chase numbers, strikeout numbers in general, walk rate, and xERA. Kittredge this year also has a 3.56 FIP, which is solidly above average. Throughout his career, he has been an extremely underrated pitcher, finishing with a sub-3.15 ERA in six of his eight seasons before this year. He is a guy who isn’t going to overpower any hitters but is still able to get strikeouts and avoid barrels. Both of the first two pitchers traded for by the Cubs have very good strikeout numbers, which may be a sign of what the Cubs are going after.
Similar to the Michael Soroka trade, Kittredge isn’t the top-end guy that most fans probably want. But he is a proven veteran who can give the Cubs’ bullpen a solid boost down the stretch.
Main Photo Credit: James A. Pittman-Imagn Images
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