The Chicago Cubs are taking a low-risk flyer on a familiar name: right-hander Vince Velasquez. The 34-year-old has signed a minor-league deal with the club and will be in camp this spring as a non-roster invitee, aiming to revive a big-league career that’s been derailed by injuries and inconsistency in recent years.
Velasquez hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2023, when he made eight starts for the Pittsburgh Pirates and posted a respectable 3.86 ERA over 37 1/3 innings. That run, however, was cut short by elbow issues.
After a pair of abbreviated outings, he landed on the injured list and was later shut down for the season with an elbow surgery that sidelined him for nearly a year. He didn’t throw a pitch in the majors in 2024.
Last spring, Velasquez latched on with the Cleveland Guardians on a minor-league deal and was briefly added to their big-league roster in late April. But he never got into a game for Cleveland.
Instead, he split time between Triple-A and a stint overseas with the KBO’s Lotte Giants. While he held his own in the minors, his time in Korea didn’t go as planned, struggling to find rhythm or command on the mound.
At one point, Velasquez was a name to watch. Drafted by the Astros in 2010, he climbed the prospect ranks and cracked top-100 lists heading into the 2015 season.
That same winter, he was a key piece in the deal that sent closer Ken Giles to Houston, landing Velasquez in Philadelphia. It was with the Phillies that he logged the bulk of his MLB innings, flashing strikeout stuff but also battling inconsistency and a persistent home run problem that followed him throughout stops in San Diego, Chicago (White Sox), Pittsburgh, and now, potentially, the North Side of Chicago.
For the Cubs, this is about depth. The rotation already has plenty of arms, and barring a string of injuries, Velasquez isn’t likely to break camp with the big club.
But having a veteran with big-league experience stashed in Iowa could prove valuable over the course of a long season. If nothing else, it’s a no-risk move that gives the team another option should the need arise.
Velasquez is looking to prove he’s still got something left in the tank. The Cubs are giving him a shot. Now it’s up to him to make the most of it.