What It Means:

Cahill was a free agent after opting out of a Minor League deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Before heading to the Dodgers, Cahill had struggled with the Atlanta Braves. Over 26.1 innings (three starts and 12 relief appearances), Cahill had a 7.52 ERA and 4.28 xFIP. He was averaging 4.78 strikeouts and 3.76 walks per nine innings, and those numbers hadn't improved much as a starter with the Dodgers' Triple-A team. He figures to be an insurance policy for a Cubs team whose bullpen ranks 10th in xFIP on the season.