The Cubs are taking a low-risk, high-upside swing on right-hander Kyle Wright, signing the former Braves standout to a minor league deal with an invite to big league camp. It’s a classic spring training flier – the kind of move that costs little but could pay off big if things break right. For Wright, it’s a chance to reboot a career that once looked destined for stardom before injuries derailed the momentum.
Rewind to 2022, and Wright was riding high. He led all of Major League Baseball with 21 wins, logging 180 1/3 innings with a 3.19 ERA and nearly a strikeout per frame.
That kind of production doesn’t just happen – it’s the mark of a pitcher who had found his groove. Wright’s mix of power and polish made him a key cog in Atlanta’s rotation, and at just 26 years old at the time, he looked like a long-term fixture.
But baseball has a way of humbling even the most promising arms. Wright’s 2023 season was marred by injuries, limiting him to just nine appearances.
By the end of the year, he underwent shoulder surgery – the kind of procedure that doesn’t just sideline a pitcher, but reshapes the entire trajectory of a career. The Braves, facing a roster crunch and uncertain about his recovery, traded him to the Royals during the 2023-24 offseason.
Kansas City knew they were playing the long game. Wright didn’t pitch at all in the majors in 2024, spending the year rehabbing his shoulder.
The plan was for a return sometime during the season, but shoulder fatigue lingered into the summer. When he finally got back on the mound, it was in Triple-A – and even that was short-lived.
An oblique injury sent him back to the injured list, ending his shot at a late-season comeback.
Now 30, Wright is trying to prove he still has something left in the tank. The Cubs, looking to bolster their pitching depth, are giving him that shot.
His fastball velocity last year sat around 92 mph in Triple-A – a noticeable dip from the 95 he was throwing during his peak with Atlanta. That’s not insignificant.
Velocity loss can be a red flag, especially for a pitcher who relied on a power arsenal. But it’s also not a death sentence.
Plenty of pitchers have reinvented themselves post-injury, leaning more on command, sequencing, and movement.
For Chicago, this is a no-lose proposition. If Wright finds his footing in Triple-A Iowa and starts stringing together healthy outings, he could become a legitimate depth option – or more.
At his best, he was a frontline starter. Even if he’s not that guy anymore, a healthy, effective version of Wright could still help a big-league staff over the course of a long season.
The road back won’t be easy, but the Cubs are betting there’s still something there. And for Wright, this spring could be the first step in writing the next chapter of a career that once looked so promising.
