'It's full circle': Armed with a changeup, Carl Edwards Jr. returns to Cubs with new perspective

MESA, Ariz. — Outfielder Ian Happ and infielder Nico Hoerner, now cornerstones of the Cubs, were in the infancies of their major-league careers the last time reliever Carl Edwards Jr. put on a Cubs uniform.

Edwards, signed to a minor-league deal in January, is trying to regain his footing after a few rocky seasons with five other teams. A lot has changed since the Cubs traded him to the Padres in the summer of 2019, but Edwards knew he wanted to be back somewhere familiar.

“It’s full circle,” he told the Sun-Times. “A lot went into this, but I knew I would be more comfortable playing here than going somewhere where they didn’t know me already.”

After starting strong in the big leagues, including being part of the Cubs’ World Series title in 2016, Edwards struggled. Injuries piled up, and his ERA ballooned over short stints with the Padres, Mariners, Braves, Blue Jays and White Sox before he found some success with the Nationals in 2022 by adding a changeup to his arsenal. He used the changeup 23.5% of the time in 2023. Opponents hit .188 against it.

“The confidence is back — his stuff is back, and it’s playing,” right-hander Kyle Hendricks said. “He added that little changeup going the other way, and that’s gross.

“Watching him revamp himself as a pitcher, and seeing this spring how he’s been absolutely lights-out, it’s fun to watch.”

For Edwards, though, the road back was hardly breezy. He was often in his head, struggling with confidence issues.

“I just started telling myself, ‘If I want to be the best, I’ve got to go out there and perform like it, no matter what happens,’ ” he said.

Starting in 2018, while he was still with the Cubs, he began using his four-seam fastball less, increasing his curveball use instead.

“It was trying to be somebody I wasn’t,” Edwards said. “I sat down and asked myself, ‘Why did I change?’ I could never figure out why I changed, and my confidence just went down from there.”

Called up from the Nationals’ minor-league system in May 2022, Edwards allowed three runs in relief in the sixth inning in his first appearance May 10 before a string of 12 scoreless outings. He finished 6-3 with a 2.76 ERA, with 62 innings over 57 appearances — his busiest season since 2017.

He couldn’t keep it up last season but still gave a solid effort, throwing 31‰ innings over 32 appearances with a 3.69 ERA before going on the injured list in June with inflammation in his right shoulder. A stress fracture in his right shoulder blade ended his season in August.

Now healthy and throwing strikes, Edwards is hoping to make an impact in a bullpen that lacked veteran presence last season. He understands the need — he was once a youngster trying to establish himself in the majors.

“I know how this obstacle course can be,” he said. “It can be a roller coaster sometimes. I think [the Cubs] wanted guys who have had success but also failed and came back.”

Although not guaranteed a spot in the pen, Edwards is making an impression with his approach.

“He’s a different pitcher than he was awhile ago, but in some ways, maybe a better pitcher,” manager Craig Counsell said. “What he’s shown in these [spring] games is a really good understanding of himself and what he’s good at, which you’d expect through some experience and through some adversity. I’m happy that he’s in camp, and he’s making a good case for himself.”