Cubs Acquire Righty Reliever Jesus Tinoco from Royals, Option Daniel Palencia

Before everyone starts freaking out, which may have already passed since this deal actually happened two days ago, the Cubs have added another depth reliever by acquiring righty Jesus Tinoco from the Royals for cash. Because he was not on the Royals’ 40-man roster, the Cubs don’t need to add him to theirs unless he’s got a clause in his contract mandating they do so. The timing made this a little more interesting, as they also optioned Daniel Palencia to Triple-A on Tuesday.

Tinoco has seen action in parts of five seasons for the Rangers, Marlins, and Rockies, though there’s little in his production to suggest he’ll make a big impact. The walk numbers are particularly alarming with a career 13.9% rate that isn’t offset by nearly enough strikeouts. Tinoco’s velocity has bumped up to 96 mph over the last two seasons, however, and he’s a very heavy slider guy who throws his breaking ball nearly two-thirds of the time.

Perhaps the Cubs see some sort of tweak in there that could unlock a new level of performance from him. Even if Tinoco isn’t the second coming, there’s virtually no risk in this move. Not only does Tinoco not require a roster spot, but they’ve got several other pitchers nearing returns from a variety of injuries in the coming days and weeks.