Cubs Release Lefty Matt Dermody to Join NPB’s Seibu Lions

The Cubs have granted lefty Matt Dermody his release in order to sign with Japan’s Seibu Lions, making it five pitchers who’ve left the organization to sign elsewhere in just the last two weeks. Colin Rea was likewise released in order to pitch in Japan, while Jon Lester, Tyler Chatwood, and Jose Quintana all agreed to MLB deals earlier this week.

Dermody had signed a minor league deal to return, but the money and opportunity are simply better for him in NPB.

Left-hander Matt Dermody, who agreed to a minor league deal to return to the #Cubs this winter, has now been granted his release so that he can sign a one-year deal with #NPB’s Seibu Lions, I’m told.

— Steve Adams (@Adams_Steve) January 21, 2021

The 30-year-old southpaw joined the Cubs in 2020 after spending almost all of his professional career with the Blue Jays, who took him in the 28th round of the 2013 draft. He debuted briefly in 2016 and appeared in 23 games a year later, but was toiling in the independent Constellation Energy League when the Cubs came calling last August.

Dermody made just one appearance for the Cubs, throwing a perfect inning against the Cardinals on September 6 in which he registered one strikeout and induced two groundouts. Those grounders are what he’s been known for and might have played nicely if he had been able to limit the homers that have stung him during his limited MLB experience.

Alas, the Cubs will have to look elsewhere for lefty bullpen depth.