Mariners return prospect Chris Clarke to the Cubs

Joe Camporeale - USA Today Sports

by Tony Crumpton - Senior Editor - Sunday, March 26, 2023, 3:32 PM

Chicago Cubs drafted Chris Clarke in the 4th round of the 2019 MLB draft and was one a pitching prospect to watch for the ballclub.

In 2022, he had a 4.64 ERA in 120.1 innings pitched between Single-A and Double-A. His FIP was an impressive 3.80, which indicated that he was better than his ERA suggested.

However, Cubs decided to make the tough decision to have him available for the Rule 5 Draft.

The Rule 5 draft is an annual event that takes place in December, and it allows teams to select players from other organizations who are not on their respective 40-man rosters. The player must then be kept on the new team's active roster for the entire season, or be offered back to their original team for half of the $100,000 selection fee.

The Seattle Mariners ended up drafting Clarke in the Rule 5 draft.

Clarke pitched in seven games this spring, allowing four runs for a 5.40 ERA with six strikeouts and two walks for the Mariners.

This production didn't warrant him to be on their major league roster, so they gave him back to the Cubs for a cost of $50,000 of the $100,000 they paid initially.

I'm sure the Cubs are excited to see what the future holds for Clarke and hopeful that he will one day he will become a key player in their organization.