Colin Rea pitched for the Cubs in the 2020 pandemic season, and not all that well (nine games, two starts, 5.79 ERA).
Now, at age 34, he’s back:
The Cubs have an agreement with righty Colin Rea, a source confirms to ESPN. He pitched for them in 2020. And for Craig Counsell in Milwaukee in 2021 and 2023.
— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) January 10, 2025
And, here’s the dollar amount of the contract, which, per Rogers, has an option year for 2026:
Free agent right-hander Colin Rea and the #Cubs have agreed to a one-year, $5MM deal, I’m told.
— Steve Adams (@Adams_Steve) January 10, 2025
As noted above, Rea pitched for Craig Counsell in 2021 and 2023, and had a decent year in 2023, so that could be the likely reason for this signing. In 2024, Rea went 12-6 with a 4.29 ERA and 1.2 bWAR in 32 games (27 starts) covering 167⅔ innings (which, incidentally, would have been third-most on the Cubs last year behind Shōta Imanaga and Jameson Taillon).
For $5 million, this isn’t a bad depth signing and Rea can certainly eat up innings.
This deal has not yet been announced by the Cubs and there’s no word on who might be dropped from the 40-man roster to make room.
As always, we await developments.
