The writing was on the wall when it came to Aaron Bummer long before the Atlanta Braves decided to release him. Last year, Bummer wasn't quite right and dealt with shoulder issues. Once 2026 came around, Bummer became completely unreliable after being such a steady presence for the Braves in seasons past. Bummer was so bad that one wondered if he might just be done as an MLB reliever, but it looks like he is getting one more chance.
While any sort of bullpen help this time of year is very difficult to find, as it isn't quite trade season yet, Bummer's 7.63 ERA is actually better than he looked most of the time in his 19 appearances with the Braves in 2026. However, the Cubs saw enough to sign Bummer to a minor league deal and, well, good luck with that.
Aaron Bummer just landed with the Cubs, which definitely smells desperate to Braves fans
Now, we don't want to oversell things here. This is a minor league deal which basically have zero-risk associated with them. If Bummer was signed to immediately come in and close games for the Cubs, that would be a true cry for help. This is more like taking a flyer on a guy that HAS been successful in the majors before and seeing what happens.
But boy, do the optics look rough on this one. The Cubs are in the middle of a 10-game losing streak right now, and if Bummer is part of the playbook to get back on track, we admire their level of optimism. Most Braves would be among the first to say that if Bummer is playing in the big leagues right now, something has gone very wrong, and it looks like that could easily happen in Chicago.
As easy as it is to drag Bummer right now, one does hope he can make the most of his opportunity with the Cubs and turn his career. This doesn't seem to be a case of a guy just not caring anymore, but instead one where the familiar volatility of reliever health issues bit Bummer, and he wasn't able to shake it with the Braves. Fans should be glad that Bummer is getting another chance, but probably should also be glad that it isn't in Atlanta this time.