Ex-Chicago Cubs reliever Josh Fleming didn’t have to wait too long to find a new home. The left-hander agreed to a minor league deal with the St. Louis Cardinals, per the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Derrick Goold.
Fleming’s reported signing comes just two days after the Cubs released the left-hander. He signed a minor league deal with the Cubs on July 8 following his release from the Toronto Blue Jays.
He made one appearance with Toronto, his first since 2024, before being released by the club. He gave up four runs in three innings to the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 6.
The left-hander once had a significant role in the Tampa Bay Rays bullpen. In 81 MLB appearances, including 25 starts, Fleming owns a career 4.88 ERA over 257.2 innings.
Josh Fleming’s Tenure With the Cubs
Josh Fleming pitched in a swingman role in Triple-A Iowa, as both a starter and bulk reliever. In five appearances, he pitched to a 3.44 ERA in 18.1 innings. The left-hander struck out 13 and walked four.
At the time, the Cubs were dealing with a lot of pitching injuries. However, the club was able to weather them and is in prime position for a postseason spot. Instead, the Cubs fortified their pitching staff at the trade deadline.
Despite pitching reasonably well in Iowa, Fleming did not receive a big league promotion. Fleming last appeared in a game with Iowa on August 9 before his release from the organization.
With no path to the big league roster, the Cubs elected to cut ties with the veteran reliever. Now, he will head to Chicago’s primary division rival in the National League Central. Since he’s on a minor league deal, he’ll likely report to St. Louis’ Triple-A club in Memphis.
The Cardinals and Cubs will not play each other again this season. The two NL Central teams wrapped up their slate of games against each other on August 16. So that means the Cubs will not see Fleming again this season, unless the Cardinals make the postseason.
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