Cubs claim righty off of waivers Gavin Hollowell |
Although the trade deadline has come and come, and there is no longer a waiver wire deadline, that doesn't mean you can't add to your roster where you see fit. The Cubs have certainly done that throughout August, as they have made many moves over the past few weeks, with most of them coming as minor-league depth options.
That trend continued on Friday as the Cubs claimed right-hander Gavin Hollowell off of waivers and assigned him to AAA Iowa. In the process, the Cubs had to make a roster move to add Hollowellto their 40-man roster, and David Bote is the odd man out as he has been designated for assignment. Considering that Luis Vazquez was called up earlier in the day, you have to wonder if the Bote move was made to get Vazquez up to the bigs while DFAing him essentially opened up the spot for Hollowell. The 26-year-old righty was most recently with the Arizona Diamondbacks after being claimed off the waiver wire back in June. He started the season with Colorado and has been a journeyman pitcher since making his MLB debut. During his time with the Rockies, covering the 2022-23 seasons, Hollowell was what you call an up-and-down guy. He had a first-class ticket to and from AAA. He had mixed results along the way, which is the main reason why he was on the waiver wire come June, as the Diamondbacks took a swing at him by claiming him. Once he arrived in the Arizona organization, you started to see more potential than at any point in his MLB career, as he posted a very high strikeout rate in the minors. On the flip side, he also had a high walk rate, which was his issue with the Rockies and the main reason they elected to cut ties with him. When you look at his strikeout rates, you would think he would be a guy touching 97-plus with his heater, but that is far from the truth. Hollowell can touch 96-97 MPH, but for the most part, he sits in the 93-94 range, uses a 3/4 arm slot to change the eye level of hitters, and works the bottom part of the zone. To go with that fastball comes a slider that not only has some of the better Spin rates RPM-wise but gets far more horizontal movement than most sliders in the game today. That alone is a significant reason why teams have continued to take a look at him, as he remains one of those AAA/Fringe MLB guys. It's good to have those types of players in your organization, but at some point, you would like to think some of those fringe guys will emerge as solid MLB options, which is the goal for Hollowell next season more so than today. Don't expect this move to mean anything apart from a depth option this season, as this is more of a reclamation project play. The Cubs have done that a lot in the past few seasons, and for the most part, they have had some success with it. With Hollowell having an option year remaining following this season, there is a scenario where the Cubs are bringing him in to see what he can do this season, which gives them more flexibility with him next year. Whether it be pitchers with different arm slots, pitchers with high spin rates, or pitchers who like to throw one specific pitch, the Cubs front office doesn't hesitate to branch out and give these guys flyer-type deals to see what they can do. Adrian Houser was the most recent acquisition before this move, and he has continued to pitch well since joining the Cubs. Should Hollowell follow that trend, the Cubs have another verteran swing guy that can pitch in relief or as a starter. Iowa is expected to have him in game action over the weekend, as he will have about a month to audition for a 2025 spot on this team. I'd claim Gavin Hollowell.
He's a low-slot, East-West supinator with a FF/SW/SI combo.
He's got two above-average pitches in his FF and SW.
He has 2 option years remaining, and his main issue is command.
Notes --> #TridentsUp #RaysUp #DirtyWater pic.twitter.com/Ceo7JQkmaq
