The 6-foot-2, 180-pound Layden was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the sixth round of the 2004 Major League Baseball amateur entry draft and is in his seventh season of professional baseball.

Layden was born in New York City and attended Duke University. In 2004, the left-hander struck out 83 batters in 74.2 innings pitched for the Blue Devils. Since his selection in the draft, Layden has pitched in 180 professional games for minor league affiliates of the Cubs as high as Double-A Tennessee as well as teams in the American Association and the Northern League. The 28-year-old is 19-21 with a 4.13 ERA and 258 strikeouts as a pro.