Carl Edwards Jr. had to adapt and get out of his own head to rediscover his form. | John Antonoff/ For the Sun-Times
MESA, Ariz. — Outfielder Ian Happ and starter Justin Steele were in the infacies of their major-league careers the last time pitcher Carl Edwards Jr. put on a Cubs uniform. Now, they’re all grown up, cornerstones of the franchise.
Edwards is trying to regain his footing after a rocky couple of seasons. Many changes have happened since 2019, but Edwards knew he wanted to be somewhere familiar in free agency.
“It’s full circle,” Edwards told the Sun-Times. “A lot went into this, but I knew I would be more comfortable playing here than probably going somewhere where they didn’t know me already.”
After a strong start to his big-league career, Edwards struggled. The injuries racked up and his ERA ballooned across short stints with the Padres, Braves, Mariners and the White Sox. Injuries took their toll on the right-hander, but he succeeded with the Nationals in 2022.
Edwards found success by adding a changeup to his pitch arsenal. He used the changeup 23.5% of the time in 2023, the highest usage in his MLB career — and opponents hit .188 against it last season.
“The confidence is back, his stuff is back and it’s playing,” pitcher Kyle Hendricks told the Sun-Times. “He added that little changeup going the other way, and that’s gross. Watching him revamp himself as a pitcher and seeing this spring how he’s been absolutely lights out; it’s fun to watch.”
But the ride back to being a successful reliever wasn’t easy for Edwards. He struggled with confidence on the mound and was often in his head.
“I just started telling myself, ‘If I want to be the best, I got to go out there and perform like it no matter what happens,’” Edwards said.
Starting in 2018, Edward began using his four-seam fastball less each season. In 2021, Edwards threw the pitch at the lowest rate of his career (63.1%) while his curveball usage increased.
“It was trying to be somebody I wasn’t,” Edwards said. “I sat down and asked myself, ‘Why did I change?’” I could never figure out why I changed, and my confidence just went down from there.
After signing a minor-league deal with the Nationals, Edwards spent time in the minors before being called back up to the big leagues. He allowed three runs in relief in the sixth inning before having 12 scoreless outings.
The veteran reliever couldn’t repeat his resurgent 2022 season with the Nationals last season— Edwards threw 62 innings and had a 2.76 ERA, which was 49th among qualifying relievers — but he still had a solid year, throwing 31.2 innings with a 3.69 ERA. But Edwards went on the IL first with right shoulder inflammation before suffering a season-ending right scapular stress fracture.
Healthy and throwing strikes, Edwards is trying to make an impact on the bullpen that lacked a veteran presence last season. He was once a youngster trying to establish himself in the majors.
“I know how this obstacle course can be,” Edwards said. “It can be a roller coaster sometimes. I think they wanted guys who have had success but also failed and came back.”
Though not guaranteed a spot in the bullpen, Edwards is making an impression with his professional approach.
“He’s a different pitcher than he was a while ago, but in some ways, maybe a better pitcher,” manager Craig Counsell said. “What he’s shown in these games is a really good understanding of himself and what he’s good at, which you’d expect through some experience and through some adversity. I’m really happy that he’s in camp, and he’s making a good case for himself.”