I’m working with a very tight deadline this morning, so let’s get right to it. The Cubs made their third bullpen addition of the offseason on Tuesday, re-signing lefty Caleb Thielbar to what we presume is a relatively modest one-year deal. Though he’ll turn 39 in late January, Thielbar’s fastball has remained consistent over the last several seasons. Not that his game is dependent on a blazing heater anyway.
His cut-ride four-seam is delivered from a pretty extreme over-the-top angle, creating a different look for hitters. Only three other lefties in MLB release the ball higher than Thielbar’s 56 degrees; interestingly enough, the Dodgers had three pitchers at that same angle (Clayton Kershaw, Blake Snell, and Jack Dreyer) with one higher (Alex Vesia, 58 degrees).