The Chicago Cubs have begun to make moves to their roster. They re-signed bullpen arm Jacob Webb, let Colin Rea walk, and made a qualifying offer to free agent Seiya Suzuki.

All things considered, those are some big decisions to start the Winter, but they also made a smaller one on Monday. The Cubs reportedly claimed Eric Orze off waivers from the Minnesota Twins, giving them another arm to compete for the roster next spring. Can they help him flip the script and turn into a solid bullpen piece?

Eric Orze is A Reclamation Project For the Cubs

Eric Orze was claimed off waivers by the Cubs on Monday. Although it may not feel like a significant move, Orze still has the potential to be a successful reclamation project.

After the New York Mets drafted him in the 5th round of the 2020 MLB Draft, he has played for a new team each year of his major league career. The New York Mets traded him to the Tampa Bay Rays in 2024. He was then traded again in 2025 to the Minnesota Twins. The Cubs will be the fourth team he has played for, assuming he does suit up in 2027. 

It is a pretty low-risk, high-reward move for Jed Hoyer. Although Orze doesn’t have the top speed that most teams are looking for in relief, the Cubs can look to develop his other pitches, especially his splitter. 

With the Twins, Orze appeared 36 times and had a 5.66 ERA. The numbers may not jump off the page, but they come just one year after he had a 3.02 ERA in 41.2 innings out of the Tampa Bay Rays bullpen. The potential is clearly there. He has a nasty splitter, fastball, slider, and slurve. Orze, for all his shortcomings, was also pretty effective at limiting hard contact. That's someone this Cubs team can certainly use after giving up so many homers in 2026.

Orze's signing also marks a return to his hometown. Everything began for Orze as a Glenbard North alum before he joined New Orleans University for his college ball.

The best role for Orze is probably as a middle reliever. It makes sense because he doesn’t have a high-velocity fastball, but he has a plethora of pitches that he can use to strike out hitters. Only time will tell, but the move is the first of many for the Cubs and their revamped bullpen.

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