Cubs acquire RHP Eddie Butler and International Bonus Slot No. 74 from the Rockies for RHP James Farris and International Bonus Slot No. 28 … Cubs designate RHP Dylan Floro for assignment
The Cubs made a very good trade Wednesday with the Colorado Rockies. The front office acquired recently designated for assignment RHP Eddie Butler and International Bonus Slot No. 74 for RHP James Farris and International Bonus Slot No. 28.
To make room on the 40-man roster, RHP Dylan Floro was designated for assignment.
With Wednesday’s moves, the Cubs’ 40-man roster officially stands at 40 players.
Eddie Butler has excellent stuff that has not translated to success on the field in the Rockies’ system. Butler is a former top prospect with a minor league option left. Butler will give the Cubs a high-end pitching prospect in Triple-A Iowa and much-needed depth on the 40-man roster. Butler was designated for assignment when Colorado finalized the deal with RHP Greg Holland.
Butler, who turns 26 next month (March 14), was originally selected by the Rockies in the supplemental first round (46th overall) of the 2012 Draft and made his Major League debut two years later (June 6, 2014). He has spent parts of the last three seasons in the big leagues with Colorado, combining to go 6-16 with a 6.50 ERA (115 earned runs in 159.1 innings), a 1.77 WHIP and 5.69 FIP in 36 appearances (28 starts). In five minor league seasons, Butler has gone 32-25 with a 3.33 ERA (180 earned runs in 486.2 innings) and 1.20 WHIP in 87 minor league outings, all but one as a starter.
The six-foot-two, 180-pound Butler split the 2016 campaign between the Rockies and Triple-A Albuquerque, going 8-3 with a 4.45 ERA (44 earned runs in 89.0 innings) and 1.33 WHIP in 15 starts with Albuquerque and 2-5 with a 7.17 ERA (51 earned runs in 64.0 innings), a 1.68 WHIP and 5.44 FIP in 17 appearances (nine starts) in the big leagues.
Butler has just over a year of Major League service time (1.074) and is not eligible for free agency until after the 2021 season.
Butler is a native of Chesapeake, Virginia and attended Radford University. He was ranked as high as the 24th best prospect in baseball prior to the 2014 season by Baseball America.
• Eddie Butler’s Page on Baseball-Reference
James Farris, who turns 25 in April, was selected by the Cubs in the ninth round of the 2014 Draft out of the University of Arizona. He is 4-13 with 22 saves, a 2.91 ERA (41 earned runs in 126.2 innings) and 1.14 ERA in 88 minor league relief appearances covering the last three seasons.
Farris received a non-roster invite to Spring Training last Friday … on Wednesday, he officially moved to a new organization.
James Farris has a chance to be a good middle reliever in the big leagues and could get an opportunity this season with the Rockies.
• James Farris’ Page on Baseball-Reference
Dylan Floro, 26, was claimed off waivers by the Cubs from Tampa Bay on Jan. 17. If he clears waivers, the Cubs should extend a non-roster invite to big league camp to the right-handed reliever.
• Dylan Floro’s Page on Baseball-Reference
