Cubs Discussing Contract With John Grabow

"If you're tight on payroll there are better ways to spend $3-4MM."

Well, who do you all want to see the Cubs spend this money on?

"Well, who do you all want to see the Cubs spend this money on?"

Well with that $3-4MM and some shrewd waiver/Rule 5 moves, I could build on what was a very mediocre bullpen last year for the Cubs. Especially with the abundance of arms on this year's free agent market, there's a chance the Cubs could ink two quality arms with $4MM.

"I still don't understand the Cubs' infatuation with Grabow"

Well said - I realize that the Cubs are short on LH bullpen arms, but there are better arms to be gotten than Grabow's especially at that price.

Jim Hendry falls in love with mediocre players. He loves to over pay them.

"Well, who do you all want to see the Cubs spend this money on?"

Definitely not Grabow at $3-4M per year, I would rather check in and see if someone like Kiko Calero could come cheaper.

The Cubs need to save their cash to focus on adding to the lineup, they could use some help in the outfield, and a middle infielder could be big as well.

Ideally, the Cubs could add someone on a one-year deal to play second base with an eye on moving over Theriot in 2011 to free up the shortstop spot for Starlin Castro.

"But seriously, they'd be much better off trying to get Bedard or Duchsherer or someone on a low base salary one year contract with big incentives."

I doubt either of those guys is going to take 2 mil plus incentives. Unfortunately, the pitching market is always out of whack.

Agreed Tim, I wouldn't mind seeing Grabow come back but not at that price. There are options. Personally I'd rather see them make a play for Wagner, he'll cost more but he'll likely be more effective and push the rest of the bullpen back to roles that better suit their talents. I don't fully trust Marmol as the closer yet.

"This is so typical of Hendry...overpaying for mediocrity and bidding against himself."

Well said.

" Doesn't matter how many walks he's giving up if he doesn't let them score "

Because a poor walk rate never catches up to a pitcher, right?

Grabow does have higher walk rates than what's ideal, but so does Marmol, and like Marmol, Grabow consistently allows fewer hits than innings pitched. He pitched very well for the Cubs after the trade and he had a very acceptable WHIP for them at 1.24.

Where are they going to find a decent if not great LHP reliever for under $3 million? Bedard? Pass on a proven lefty reliever to bring in an injured starting pitcher and hope he can convert to the bullpen and stay healthy? I don't think so. The Rule 5 draft? Please, this is a team that is supposed to be contending. Rule 5 picks are an albatross to contending teams, as Hendry and Lou learned with Patton. All of the other suggestions people have made are for RHP. They have a ton of RHP, they need a LH reliever.

Grabow is proven, he may not be Billy Wagner, but he's a decent reliever. You can't have 6 all stars in the bullpen, and even average big league relievers make $2 million or more per year. Grabow will get a bump over the average because he's a lefty, and slightly better than average.

$4M for a reliever with a 4.20 FIP? Pretty unwise. He's averaged 0.21 WAR over his career. Pretty much the definition of replacement level. Hendry is a moron.

Tom Ricketts announced today on the radio that he'd like to see the Cubs remain in the top 3 MLB teams in terms of payroll spending. I'm not sure why you'd willingly announce that, because every agent for a Cubs player had to have heard it, but one thing it does signify is that the Cubs do NOT appear to be "tight on payroll."

A moronic public statement from the new owner notwithstanding, the deal for Grabow looks like it should fall within the $3.5M range. For one of the premier left-handed RPs in baseball, that's really not bad.

Posted by: parrothead8 | November 02, 2009 at 11:51 PM

Not really that moronic if you think about it. He is the new guy in here, and has to keep the fans happy that this team is going to do something. You have reports all over Chicago that they are going to be roughly the same as they were last year, possibly 10-15 million more, that does not leave much room and still would keep them 3rd in baseball.

Other than them possibly breaking that forcast for say a Figgins, i don't see them doing much of anything, as that Bradley deal is killing the payroll this year after they eat some of it.

Well since Rickett's said he would like to reamin in the top 3 ,lets hope Boston goes on a little spending spree and passes up the Cubs and moves into the top 3
If he means it or not remains to be seen, but that shows he is a fan and he does get it. Chicago being the large market it is, there was no excuse not to be among the top payrolls.

Wrong idea, Hendry.

Signing a middle reliever to a multiyear deal when you have limited payroll flexibility thanks to certain other contracts isn't smart, at all.

Although this is smarter than anything that has to do with Bradley and Vernon Wells though.

Speaking of Bradley and Wells. I really want to know if that idea is/was true from the Cubs and Hendry's thinking. I guess we will never know. In my heart, I have to believe it was made up somewhere. Sure, Hendry has made mistakes. I hope that was not from Hendry! That was the single most horrible rumor about the Cubs I have read. I would rather they outright release Bradley (which they won't) than get Wells and his contract. It's bad enough to see how much more Soriano declines next year, let alone the thought of having Wells, too. Hopefully, the hitting coach can talk Soriano into using a lighter bat and not going out at night. However, swinging at the breaking ball away is in his DNA.