Cubs sign former No. 4 overall pick Kohl Stewart to major-league deal

The Cubs signed right-hander Kohl Stewart to a one-year, $700,000 contract.

The move adds more depth to a pitching staff that will need as many arms as possible in 2021.

Stewart comes to the Cubs with limited big-league experience, making just 17 appearances with the Twins. Stewart, the fourth overall pick in the 2013 draft, has started six games.

For his career, the 26-year-old right-hander is 4-3 with a 4.79 ERA. He went 2-2 with a 6.39 ERA in nine games with the Twins in 2019. Stewart, who is a Type 1 diabetic, was recently in the Orioles’ organization and opted out of the 2020 season for health reasons.

While the move to get another arm in the fold is not a surprise, the fact that Stewart received a major-league contract shows the Cubs’ faith in his abilities and willingness to give him an opportunity to play a role either as a starter or reliever.

Stewart has a repertoire that is familiar to other pitchers on the Cubs’ roster; he relies on both a sinker and slider. According to Baseball Savant, Stewart threw his sinker, which averaged 91.6 mph, 48% of the time and his slider 32% of the time. He’ll also mix in a changeup, curveball and four-seam fastball.

The Cubs’ 40-man roster now stands at 37. With spring training scheduled to start in a few weeks, the Cubs are likely to make some more moves before their roster is set for the season.