Justin Grimm released by Cubs; 29-year-old lost grip on final slot in bullpen

MESA, Ariz. — As it was, Justin Grimm figured to be the eighth man in an eight-man Cubs bullpen. That didn’t leave him much — or any — wiggle room in terms of his performance.

The 29-year-old right-hander was released Thursday. His pitching line in four appearances this spring — four innings, six hits, four walks, four runs, two homers — surely didn’t help his cause.

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Grimm pitched in 263 games with the Cubs, all in relief, with his best season coming in 2015, when he posted a sparkling 1.99 ERA in 62 appearances. Although his performance fell off in 2016, he remained a key member of the bullpen and pitched in three World Series games.

Last season was a tough one for Grimm, whom the Cubs acquired from the Rangers along with three other players — one of them current bullpen standout Carl Edwards Jr. — in the 2013 Matt Garza trade. Grimm was not on the 25-man roster during the 2017 postseason.

By cutting Grimm, who was out of player options, during spring training, the Cubs are on the hook for approximately 25 percent of the $2.2 million he was due to make this season.

Probably not by coincidence, manager Joe Maddon mentioned competition in his bullpen a few minutes before the Cubs announced Grimm had been released.

“There still might be a little bit of competition in certain spots, primarily, probably, in the bullpen,” he said.

The question now: Who’s doing the real competing?

It could be Dillon Maples, Justin Hancock, Randy Rosario — all three of whom are unproven at the big-league level — or someone else. Worth mentioning: Free agent Greg Holland is still out there.

No fan of tanking

MLB Players Association executive director Tony Clark, making the Cactus League rounds in this offseason of free-agent discontent, met with Cubs players Thursday morning.

In a later sit-down with reporters, Clark didn’t offer much red meat on the topics of collusion, his sagging reputation or Jake Arrieta’s long wait to sign a deal. But his voice intensified when he was asked to name the point at which he realized it would be a trying time for him and union membership.

“When we started to hear public commentary from clubs suggesting they weren’t as interested in competing and/or were focused on a race to the bottom,” he said. “You start to see those types of comments, you start to question the integrity of what’s really going on.”

Weekend warrior

Javy Baez, who has missed a week since experiencing pain in his left hamstring, is expected to play Saturday and Sunday. The Cubs have split-squad games both days.

Follow me on Twitter @SLGreenberg.

Email: sgreenberg@suntimes.com