The Brewers reassigned Brothers to their minor-league camp Monday.
Unless he and the Brewers agree to mutually part ways later in spring training, Brothers is expected to report to Triple-A Nashville to begin the 2022 campaign. The veteran lefty made 57 big-league appearances out of the Cubs bullpen in 2021, logging a 5.26 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and 75:35 K:BB in 53 innings.
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Brewers' Rex Brothers: Gets camp invite from Brewers
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Brothers signed a minor-league deal with the Brewers on Tuesday which includes an invitation to spring training.
Brothers spent last season with the Cubs and struggled to a 5.26 ERA in 53 innings, with his 14.8 percent walk rate offsetting a 31.8 percent strikeout rate. The veteran lefty may not have much left in the tank heading into his age-34 season, but it won't cost the Brewers much to find out.
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Rex Brothers: Elects free agency
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Brothers elected free agency Friday, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.
Brothers spent the last two seasons with the Cubs, and he logged a 5.26 ERA and 1.43 WHIP in 53 innings across 57 relief appearances in 2021. However, the 33-year-old will opt to become a free agent rather than accepting an outright assignment to Triple-A Iowa.
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Cubs' Rex Brothers: Struggles with command Saturday
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Brothers allowed two runs on four walks while retiring just one batter in Saturday's loss to the Giants.
Brothers got the eighth inning with the Cubs already down 12-3, and the lefty didn't help the cause by walking the first two batters he faced. He retired LaMonte Wade on a flyout but then walked two more hitters before getting the hook. Brothers struggled with command in 2020, albeit in just a three-game sample, and has struggled again this year. He's now walked 32 hitters in just 49.1 innings of work, which explains why his ERA sits at 5.29 despite an impressive 74 strikeouts.
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Cubs' Rex Brothers: Nabs win Saturday
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Brothers (3-2) pitched a perfect inning and struck out two, earning the win Saturday versus Arizona.
The 33-year-old worked the eighth inning, and he became the pitcher of record when the Cubs pulled ahead in the ninth. Brothers has put together 4.2 scoreless innings in his last four outings after a rocky stretch when the calendar flipped from June to July. The veteran reliever has a 3.48 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 55:18 K:BB through 33.2 innings. He's added eight holds and a save in 36 appearances as part of the bridge to closer Craig Kimbrel.
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Cubs' Rex Brothers: Dealt another loss
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Brothers (2-2) took the loss Monday versus Philadelphia. He allowed two runs on a hit and a walk while recording only one out (via strikeout).
After allowing multiple runs just once in his first 30 outings of the year, the southpaw has given up five runs in 1.2 innings across his last two appearances. Brothers gave up an RBI double to Andrew McCutchen after walking Bryce Harper in Monday's game, and reliever Keegan Thompson allowed the inherited runner to score. With his recent struggles, Brothers' ERA is now at 4.03 with a 1.24 WHIP and 50:17 K:BB through 29 innings.
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Cubs' Rex Brothers: Suffers first loss
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Brothers (2-1) allowed three runs on two hits across 1.1 innings to take the loss Wednesday against the Brewers. He walked two and struck out two.
The Cubs got a short start from Jake Arrieta, so they needed Brothers in the third inning, and the lefty struggled. He had allowed just two runs all month coming into Wednesday, but the rough appearance raised his ERA from 2.63 to 3.45. Brothers should still remain an important part of the Chicago bullpen, though it'd be encouraging to see him right the ship his next time out.
Brothers (2-0) pitched a scoreless inning of relief and earned the win Wednesday against the Padres. He struck out two.
Brothers pitched the sixth inning of a 1-1 game, then grabbed the win when the Cubs moved ahead in the top of the seventh. The lefty has been solid with a 3.05 ERA and 35 strikeouts in 20.2 innings this season, though his middle-relief role doesn't always lend itself to a ton of fantasy value.
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Cubs' Rex Brothers: Picks up seventh hold
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Brothers pitched a scoreless inning with two strikeouts to record a hold in Wednesday's win over the Padres.
Brothers now has seven holds this season and has quietly been an effective reliever for the Cubs, registering a 3.12 ERA and 30 strikeouts across just 17.1 innings. The veteran lefty's ability to miss bats should keep him in a high-leverage role moving forward.
Brothers allowed one hit and no walks in a scoreless third of an inning to earn the save against the Pirates on Friday.
Ryan Tepera recorded the first two outs of the ninth inning, but Brothers was brought in to record the final out and preserve the one-run lead. Brothers gave up a single and hit Adam Frazier to load the bases, but he forced a flyout to end the game. As a result, he picked up his first save since 2013. Although Brothers' save was encouraging, Craig Kimbrel has a secure grasp on the closing duties and was simply unavailable Friday.
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Cubs' Rex Brothers: Picks up first win
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Brothers (1-0) struck out three batters in a scoreless inning of work out of the bullpen and earned the win Saturday against the Reds.
Starter Zach Davies went only four innings, so Brothers worked the fifth and picked up the win after mowing down the Reds on 14 pitches. The lefty has been solid for the Cubs, as he now has a 3.48 ERA and 1.06 WHIP through 11 appearances (10.1 innings) this season.
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Cubs' Rex Brothers: Records hold Tuesday
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Brothers pitched a scoreless inning with two strikeouts to record a hold in Tuesday's win over the Mets.
After starter Jake Arrieta pitched five solid innings, Brothers took over and breezed through the sixth on 15 pitches. The lefty has been good so far for the Cubs with a 2.45 ERA and three holds across 7.1 innings, and he should continue to work in a middle-relief role.
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Cubs' Rex Brothers: Has made mechanical changes
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Brothers said he's made mechanical changes that have helped him pitch well this spring and make the Cubs' Opening Day roster, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reports.
Brothers said shoulder pain he tried to pitch through while in Colorado caused his mechanics to get out of whack, and he posted a 7.23 ERA in 2017 with Atlanta, which was the last time he got significant run in the majors. The lefty made one appearance for Atlanta in 2018, then pitched in three games for the Cubs last year. Brothers was locked in this spring, tossing 8.2 scoreless innings with 11 strikeouts, so it looks like the mechanical adjustments have helped. He should serve as the second lefty in the Chicago bullpen this season behind Andrew Chafin.
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Cubs' Rex Brothers: Clinches roster spot
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The Cubs selected Brothers' contract Sunday, Tim Stebbins of NBC Sports Chicago reports.
Brothers was awarded a spot in the Chicago bullpen after he dazzled across eight scoreless innings in Cactus League play, striking out nine while conceding two hits and a walk. The 33-year-old lefty will likely settle for low-leverage duties to begin the season, but he could quickly work his way into a key setup role given the lack of established talent in the Chicago bullpen.
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Cubs' Rex Brothers: Path to roster clears up
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Brothers should make the Opening Day roster after the Cubs optioned Brad Wieck to Triple-A Iowa on Saturday, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.
Wieck and Brothers were battling to be the second lefty reliever behind Andrew Chafin, and it looks like Brothers has won the competition. He'll need to be added to the 40-man roster before the season starts. Brothers has only logged 3.1 MLB innings since the start of the 2018 season, but he should easily surpass that workload in 2021.
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Cubs' Rex Brothers: Likely for bullpen spot
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Brothers appears likely to secure an Opening Day bullpen spot with the Cubs, Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago reports.
The Cubs are in need of a second lefty reliever behind Andrew Chafin, and the battle this spring has seemingly come down to Brothers and Brad Wieck. Manager David Ross didn't officially say that Brothers had made the team, but he noted that "he's ready to impact our ballclub in a big way." Wieck is apparently still in the mix, but if the Cubs keep only two lefties, he looks like the odd man out.
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Cubs' Rex Brothers: In mix for bullpen spot
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Brothers could make the Cubs' Opening Day roster as a second left-handed reliever, Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago reports.
Andrew Chafin is the only lefty locked into the Chicago bullpen at the moment, so Brothers may make the team if the Cubs are looking for a little more flexibility. Brad Wieck is also in the mix, and both southpaws have looked sharp this spring with matching 0.00 ERAs, so the roster battle could come down to the end of camp.
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Cubs' Rex Brothers: Back with Cubs
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Brothers agreed to a minor-league contract with the Cubs in January, Chris Hilburn-Trenkle of Baseball America reports.
Shortly after being outrighted off the Cubs' 40-man roster in late October, Brothers opted for free agency. After assessing his options, the 33-year-old lefty ultimately decided it was in his best interest to rejoin the Cubs organization in 2021. He'll likely be invited to big-league spring training, but Brothers will face an uphill battle to win a spot out of Chicago's bullpen.
