Righty Vince Velasquez elected free agency after being outrighted by the Cubs on Tuesday, according to the MiLB.com transaction tracker. Infielder Scott Kingery was also outrighted and had the right to test the market, but he evidently accepted the assignment. He’s in the lineup tonight with Triple-A Iowa.
Velasquez signed an offseason minor league deal with Chicago. He started three of four appearances with Iowa, allowing eight runs (seven earned) through 17 innings. He struck out 19 opponents while issuing nine walks and hitting a batter.
The Cubs brought Velasquez up for a long relief spot last week. He pitched 2 1/3 scoreless frames in a blowout loss to the Dodgers. That was his first MLB appearance in three years. Velasquez threw 31 pitches and wasn’t going to be available the next day, so the Cubs designated him for assignment. He went unclaimed on waivers.
There’s a decent chance Velasquez returns to the Cubs on a new minor league deal. That’s the most common outcome in these situations, but the 33-year-old could explore opportunities elsewhere if he sees a better path back to the highest level with a different organization.
