Reds' castoff finds new home with Cubs after Mariners had their fill

Yosver Zulueta is now ticketed for his third team in less than six months. The former Cincinnati Reds reliever, who was designated for assignment back in January and eventually traded to the Seattle Mariners, is now headed for the Windy City. The Mariners traded Zulueta to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for cash considerations.

Zulueta came to the Reds back in 2024. He was DFA'd by the Toronto Blue Jays shortly before the start of the season, and was claimed off waivers by Cincinnati. He spent two seasons in the Reds' organization — oftentimes yo-yo'ing between the big league roster and Triple-A — and posted a collective 5.32 ERA in 19 games with Cincinnati.

Former Reds reliever Yosver Zulueta traded to Cubs

Zulueta had spent his entire time with the Mariners organization in their minor-league system. The right-hander appeared in 22 games at Triple-A Tacoma and recorded 21 punch outs over 20⅓ innings pitched. On the plus side, Zulueta didn't allow a single home run. Unfortunately, walks continue to haunt his steps, as evidenced by his 16 free passes in those his 22 minor league appearances.

Zulueta struggled with walks while part of the Reds as well. In 2025, he posted a 12.5% walk rate while walking nearly five batters per nine innings pitched. His problems were only compounded by a less-than-stellar 15.6% strikeout rate; a number that was way down from his brief time in the big leagues in 2024.

This year with the Mariners, those statistics are far worse. While his 21.4% K-rate is an improvement, it hardly matters with a 16.3% walk rate. His 7.08 BB/9 is almost unheard of, even in the minor leagues, and it'll take a Herculean effort on the part of the Cubs' coaching staff to straighten out all his outstanding mechanical issues.

Zulueta — in the mold of so many Reds' relievers before him — had a live arm, but couldn't avoid the walks. Now that he's back within the NL Central, there's a chance the Reds could see him on the mound during an upcoming series. Based on the numbers he's produced so far this season, one can assume Cincinnati's lineup would welcome such an opportunity.

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