A pair of Millersville University graduates have signed deals with MLB teams, according to reports on Thursday.
Left-handed reliever Tim Mayza is returning to the Philadelphia Phillies on a minor-league contract, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reported in a post on Bluesky. MLBtraderumors.com reported he will be a nonroster invitee to major league spring training.
Houston Astros’ Chas McCormick (20) rounds second base after hitting a home run during the second inning of the team’s baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays in Buffalo, N.Y., Sunday, June 6, 2021. (AP Photo/Joshua Bessex)
Joshua Bessex
Meanwhile, outfielder Chas McCormick is signing a minor-league deal with the Chicago Cubs that includes an invitation to big league spring training, Chandler Rome of The Athletic posted on X, formerly Twitter.
Mayza, a Denver resident who turned 34 on Jan. 15, was claimed off waivers by the Phillies from the Pittsburgh Pirates last Aug. 31. He appeared in eight games for Philadelphia, allowing four earned runs in 7.1 innings over eight games. Before that, he pitched in seven games for the Pirates, allowing three earned runs in 9.1 innings over seven games.
Overall in 2025, he had a 3.78 ERA, 15 strikeouts and five walks in 16.2 innings. He went from April 18 to Sept. 1 between major league appearances after tearing a muscle in his back.
He was on the Phillies’ roster for National League Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers but did not appear in any games.
In his major league career, Mayza is 20-9 with four saves and a 3.87 ERA in 382 games since making his debut in 2017. He has spent most of his pro career with the Toronto Blue Jays, who selected him in the 12th round of the 2013 draft. He also pitched in 15 regular-season games and three postseason games for the New York Yankees in 2024, including 1.1 scoreless innings in the World Series.
McCormick, 30, was outrighted off the Houston Astros’ 40-man roster in November and elected to become a free agent. He had been drafted by Houston in the 21st round of the 2017 draft.
A right-handed hitter, McCormick batted .210 with one home run and five RBIs in 64 games last season for Houston. His best season was in 2023, when he hit .273 with 22 homers, 70 RBIs, 19 stolen bases and a .842 OPS.
McCormick, who made his major league debut in 2021, has a lifetime average of .247 with 56 homers, 196 RBIs and a .734 OPS in 500 games.
Playing center field in Game 5 of the World Series against Philadelphia, he made a critical catch in the ninth inning to rob J.T. Realmuto of a double or triple and help preserve Houston’s 3-2 win. The Astros clinched the Series the next day.
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