TRADE: Cubs Acquire Veteran Reliever Andrew Kittredge from Orioles

As the clock approached 11:30 pm in the Central time zone Wednesday night, the news came out via Jon Heyman that the Cubs have acquired reliever Andrew Kittredge from the Baltimore Orioles. A former All-Star with the Rays, Kittredge is on a one-year contract for $10 million with the O's, but it includes a team option for $9 million for 2026. 

Kirttredge, 35, ranked 54th on Matthew Trueblood's list of trade candidates who would have the greatest impact on the chances of winning in 2025 when he drew up that list last week. The Cubs had interest in Kittredge over the winter, before Baltimore outbid them. In 31 games and 31 1/3 innings for the Orioles, Kittredge posted a 3.45 ERA. He struck out 25.2% of opposing batters and walked just 6.5%, which is typical for him. Mostly a sinker-slider (or really, a slider-sinker) guy, he's thrived with that approach for several years now. He has an 86 career DRA-, according to Baseball Prospectus, where 100 is average and lower is better.

Though he's a bit aged and doesn't have a squeaky-clean injury record, Kittredge fits neatly into the team's bullpen picture for the stretch run. He's an easy upgrade over fringe arms like Brooks Kriske, Gavin Hollowell and Ethan Roberts, and at this time of year, contending teams have the luxury of simply aiming for an upgrade by acquiring any pitcher clearly better than their worst incumbent. Kittredge clears the bar.

The fascinating questions, of course, are what it will cost the Cubs, and how Kittredge's acquisition gels with that of Michael Soroka earlier Wednesday night. Looking at the two moves together can give us a clearer picture of what the team might hope to accomplish Thursday. The best way to look at the Kittredge move is as a standard-issue, one-for-one strengthening of the middle relief corps, but that leaves one fewer flexible spot in the team's bullpen. That makes it tougher to use a hurler like Soroka (or even Colin Rea) as a long reliever, the way the team used Chris Flexen during his time with the team.

It's perfectly possible, though, that at least one of Ryan Pressly, Ryan Brasier and Drew Pomeranz will be jettisoned to free up the needed roster spots. Kittredge is, at this stage of their respective careers, better than Pressly, so that would make sense in a vacuum. Soroka's flexibility as a swingman isn't compromised, then. He can still work in that role, or start regularly for the team down the stretch.

More to come, as we ascertain the return in this deal.