The Cubs are taking a low-risk, potentially high-reward swing by signing right-hander Gabe Klobosits to a minor league deal. While it’s not yet clear if he’ll be heading to big league camp this spring, the move gives Chicago a chance to evaluate an intriguing arm who’s shown flashes of upside-just not yet at the major league level.
Klobosits, who turns 31 in May, has only a brief taste of MLB action under his belt. He appeared in 11 games for the Nationals back in 2021, logging 11 1/3 innings with mixed results.
He gave up seven earned runs on 13 hits, walked five, hit a batter, and struck out five. Not the kind of line that turns heads, but it was a small sample, and there’s more to his story.
That same year, Klobosits was far more effective in the minors. Splitting time between Double-A and Triple-A, he posted a stellar 1.64 ERA over 38 1/3 innings, striking out nearly 29% of batters while keeping walks to a manageable 8.8%. That kind of swing-and-miss stuff is what teams look for when building bullpen depth, and it helped earn him that initial big league call-up.
Since then, though, the road’s been anything but smooth. Just as the 2022 season got underway, the Nationals designated him for assignment.
The A’s picked him up, but he didn’t stick long-another DFA followed in June, and this time he was released. That kind of quick release often points to an injury, especially since players can’t be outrighted while hurt.
While there’s no official record of an injured list stint, Klobosits hadn’t pitched for about three weeks leading up to that DFA, which raises some eyebrows.
Fast forward to 2023, and Klobosits resurfaced with the Blue Jays on a minor league deal. He threw 19 innings and posted a 4.74 ERA-not terrible, but not enough to force his way back into the majors. That said, he’s been quietly rebuilding his value in independent ball the past two seasons, and the numbers are starting to pop again.
In 2024, pitching for the Gastonia Ghost Peppers of the Atlantic League, Klobosits put up a 2.18 ERA over 45 1/3 innings. He struck out 24.6% of batters-solid-but the 14.4% walk rate is something to keep an eye on.
Command has clearly been a work in progress. The year before, he split time between the Cleburne Railroaders in the American Association and the High Point Rockers, again in the Atlantic League.
Across those two stops, he posted a 2.08 ERA in 34 2/3 innings with a 27.6% strikeout rate and a more manageable 9.9% walk rate.
What’s especially interesting is the recent uptick in velocity. Reports say Klobosits has been touching 98 mph on the radar gun-a noticeable jump from the 94.7 mph he averaged with the Nationals in 2021 and the 93.9 mph he showed with the Blue Jays’ Triple-A affiliate in 2023. That kind of velocity spike, especially for a big-bodied reliever like Klobosits, is the kind of development that gets scouts and player development departments paying attention.
For the Cubs, this is a classic no-risk move. They’ve had some success mining value from under-the-radar arms-just look at Brad Keller, who parlayed a minor league deal with Chicago into a $22 million payday this offseason. While Klobosits doesn’t come with the same résumé Keller had, he does have one minor league option remaining, which gives the Cubs some roster flexibility if he shows enough to warrant a longer look.
Bottom line: Klobosits is a long shot, but he’s also a live arm with past success and recent signs of life. For a team looking to build bullpen depth and maybe catch lightning in a bottle, this is exactly the kind of move that makes sense. Now it’s up to Klobosits to make the most of the opportunity.
