Josh Fleming and Craig Counsell now have a fresh fit after the Cubs moved fast to sign the former Blue Jays lefty to a minor league deal.
That quick turnaround is the first thing that stands out. Toronto released Fleming on July 4, and Chicago did not let him sit on the market long.
The Cubs are not adding a random arm here. Fleming still carries real Triple-A value, and his Buffalo work this year gave another club a reason to step in.
That is why this move makes sense for Chicago. Fleming posted a 3.08 ERA in 64.1 innings with Triple-A Buffalo, which is exactly the kind of depth line a contender notices.
The pitch mix helps explain it too. Fleming works with a sinker, changeup, sweeper, and cutter, a mix that gives him more ways to survive than a one-speed depth arm.
And there is still utility in that profile. A left-hander who can change shapes and keep hitters from sitting on one pitch usually gets another chance when rotation and bullpen coverage start getting thin.
Toronto had already decided the fit was done. The Blue Jays released Fleming after a stop-start season in the organization that never really turned into a stable big league lane.
Why Chicago saw value Toronto did not keep
This is where the Cubs angle gets interesting. Fleming is not arriving as some flashy pickup meant to change the whole staff.
He is arriving as a practical baseball solution. Chicago gets a 30-year-old lefty with major league experience and a strong Triple-A season, all without paying the kind of price tied to a trade deadline arm.
That matters because pitchers like this fill real gaps over a long summer. They can cover a spot start, soak up innings, or sit in Triple-A until the next roster crack opens.
The Blue Jays saw some of that value too, which is why they kept circling back to him earlier in the year. But once Toronto released him, the Cubs were free to take the cleaner version of the bet.
And the cleaner version is simple. If Fleming's Buffalo form carries over, Chicago just grabbed a useful depth piece for almost nothing.
If it does not, the risk stays small. That is usually the sweet spot for a minor league signing in July.
So while this will not land like a headline trade, it is still a smart move. Josh Fleming gave Buffalo quality innings, Toronto let him go, and now the Cubs get to see whether that 3.08 ERA was the sign of a pitcher still capable of helping a club that wants more coverage on the mound.
Did the Cubs make a smart move by signing Josh Fleming right after Toronto let him go?
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