The Cubs announced Wednesday the team acquired LHP Rex Brothers from the Colorado Rockies for minor league lefty Wander Cabrera.
With the addition of Rex Brothers, the Cubs’ 40-man roster officially stands at 38 players.
Rex Brothers, who turns 28 next month, is 16-11 with 61 holds, 20 saves, a 3.42 ERA (92 earned runs in 242 1/3 innings) and a 1.49 WHIP in 286 major league relief appearances with Colorado covering the last five seasons. He has struck out 278 hitters in 242 1/3 innings, an average of 10.3 strikeouts per nine innings, while limiting opposing batters to a .243 average, including a .224 average to left-handed hitters. Brothers has allowed only 21 home runs in his 242.1 innings. Brothers has finished three of his five seasons with a sub-3.00 ERA, while two of his campaigns have featured a sub-2.00 ERA.
The 6-foot, 210-pound Brothers broke into the big leagues with the Rockies in 2011 and posted 16 holds with a 2.88 ERA (13 earned runs in 40 2/3 innings) in 48 appearances during his rookie campaign before going 8-2 with a career-high 18 holds, a 3.86 ERA (29 earned runs in 67 2/3 innings) and a 1.47 WHIP in a career-high 75 outings in 2012. Brothers spent time as Colorado’s closer in 2013 when he earned 19 saves with a 1.74 ERA (13 earned runs in 67 1/3 innings) and 1.29 WHIP in 72 appearances.
Brothers split the 2015 season between Colorado and Triple-A Albuquerque, going 1-0 with a 1.74 ERA (two earned runs in 10 1/3 innings) and a 1.64 WHIP in his 17 big league relief appearances. He limited Major League left-handed hitters to a .227 batting average. Last year in the majors, Brothers walked eight batters with five strikeouts in 10 1/3 innings.
With Triple-A Albuquerque, Brothers 5-2 in 45 games, all in relief, with a 4.46 ERA and 1.67 WHIP. Brothers allowed 24 runs, 21 earned, on 27 hits with 44 walks and 61 strikeouts in 42 1/3 innings.
The Rockies designated Rex Brothers for assignment on Nov. 20. And he is arbitration eligible for next season.
The southpaw was originally selected by the Colorado Rockies in the supplemental first round (34th overall pick) of the 2009 Draft out of Lipscomb University. He is a native of Murfreesboro, Tenn.
Wander Cabrera, 18, went 4-3 with a 2.34 ERA (11 earned runs in 42 1/3 innings) and a 1.25 WHIP in 14 appearances (seven starts) in his first professional season with the Cubs Dominican Summer League team. Cabrera allowed 18 runs, 11 earned, on 30 hits with 23 walks and 47 strikeouts.
The Cubs signed Cabrera last year for $250,000. The 6-foot-2 lefty showed a 92 mph fastball in the Dominican Summer League with a useable curveball according to J.J. Cooper.
The Cubs have added five relievers to the 40-man roster since Nov. 6: RHP Ryan Cook, RHP Andury Acevedo, LHP Jack Leathersich, RHP Spencer Patton and LHP Rex Brothers.