The Chicago Cubs have signed RHP Kyle Wright to a minor league contract with an invitation to MLB Spring Training.

The Chicago Cubs did a brilliant job of addressing some of their starting pitching woes from a season ago. Trading for Edward Cabrera, bringing back Shota Imanaga on a short-term deal, and watching the likes of Matthew Boyd, Jameson Taillon, Cade Horton, Javier Assad, Colin Rea, and even Justin Steele return to the rotation for 2026 are all signs of positivity for the rotation. That said, teams can never have enough pitching, as we all learned watching this team last season.

While many Cubs fans are holding out hope for a Zac Gallen addition, the Cubs made a smaller move on Tuesday, taking a flier on a notable name from another National League team.

Rarely are pitchers with a lot of upside available on minor league deals. However, RHP Kyle Wright is one of those pitchers. The name sounds familiar, doesn’t it?

Let’s refresh your memory. Wright spent six seasons with the Atlanta Braves. He largely struggled in the majors, bouncing between Triple-A Gwinnett and Atlanta. However in 2022, Wright broke out. The former first-round pick made 30 starts, pitched to a 3.19 ERA, and racked up a league-leading 21 wins on his way to a top-10 NL Cy Young finish.

Story continues below.

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Wright, the former No. 5 overall pick in the 2017 MLB Amateur Draft, had seemingly arrived in his age-26 season. But, the story wasn’t all it seemed to be.

The Downfall and Disappearance

In 2023, Wright suffered a shoulder injury that completely ended his season. Then, Wright missed all of 2024 recovering from what was diagnosed as a torn capsule in his shoulder. He was signed by the Kansas City Royals to rehab with them in 2024 and make a debut in 2025. However, three separate injuries, a hamstring strain, shoulder fatigue, and oblique strain limited him to just eight minor-league appearances in his time with the Royals.

Unfortunately, reduced velocity and a lack of production ended Wright’s tenure in Kansas City as the club placed him on outright waivers back in November. Now, he lands with the Cubs as an interesting name to watch in Spring Training. His deal with the team is of the minor-league variety, but comes with an invite to MLB camp.

Moving Forward

For Wright, the Cubs are the perfect team to latch on with. The Cubs love pitchers who pitch to weak contact and have pitches with movement. When Wright was at his best in 2022, he relied heavily on a curveball/sinker combination, which made up 58% of his pitch arsenal. He also mixed in a traditional fastball, changeup, and slider. With those numbers, he ranked in the 93rd percentile for ground ball rate.

Interestingly enough, before the injury in 2023, Wright’s curveball usage was up, and many of his secondary pitches were used far less. My early guess? The Cubs will look to return his pitch usage to the 2022 variety, maybe even mixing in a new pitch as well.

The Cubs’ world-renowned pitch lab can get Wright… well… right. If the Cubs are successful, Wright is a heck of an addition to the organization. Best case, he is an insurance policy or a pleasant surprise. Worst case, it is a worthy flier on MLB’s last 20-game winner.