(chicitysports.com)
This offseason, the Chicago Cubs have taken some significant hits on the pitching side. Most of last year’s bullpen is now in free agency, and so far the lone corresponding addition has been Phil Maton. The team also lost Director of Pitching Ryan Otero, who departed for a position with the Boston Red Sox.
Otero’s exit has opened the door for Tyler Zambrano, previously heavily involved with Tread Athletics and hired by the Cubs last winter, to take on a more prominent role. Whether connected or not, the Cubs have now added a Tread Athletics arm who appears to have a clear path toward a bullpen spot in 2026.
Chicago Cubs sign Tread Athletics arm Collin Snider, who has a clear path to a 2026 bullpen role
Tread Athletics announced, and The Athletic’s Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma later confirmed, that the Cubs are presumed to have signed Collin Snider to a minor-league deal. The 30-year-old is coming off a breakout 2024 season with the Seattle Mariners, where he posted a 1.94 ERA and a 27.8 percent strikeout rate over 41.2 innings. He struggled in 2025, however, producing a 5.47 ERA over 24 games, and is now reportedly looking for a fresh start in Chicago.
Great signing from the Cubs in Snider.
He weaponizes a fastball at the top of the zone, giving it an up-shoot effect from his low release.
Collin’s also an extreme supinator, giving him some fun breaking ball shapes.
Similar fastball type to Tyson Miller! https://t.co/tjkuZ7BFwg pic.twitter.com/JppVEnU5Ek
— Nate Roper (@NateRoper_) December 10, 2025
Snider’s high strikeout rates and low walk rates give him real upside as a potential bounce-back reliever. Bullpen arms are notoriously volatile, but he clearly has the arsenal to compete against big-league hitters, relying on a five-pitch mix to disrupt timing rather than overpowering opponents. Even with last season’s inflated ERA, his cutter, slurve, and four-seam fastball each generated whiff rates above 20%, with his sweeper and sinker just a tick below.
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