6:31pm: The deal allows Marcum to opt out if he does not make the team out of spring training, MLB.com's Jordan Bastian tweets. If he makes the team, he would receive a $1M salary with $3MM in incentives.
3:53pm: The Indians have signed right-hander Shaun Marcum to a minor league contract, reports Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Marcum is represented by Turner Gary Sports.
Marcum, 32, signed a one-year deal with the Mets last offseason. The oft-injured righty began the 2013 campaign on the disabled list due to a pinched nerve in his neck but made his season debut in late April. His season would be cut short, however, when it was learned that he would require surgery on his right shoulder as a result of thoracic outlet syndrome.
Marcum ultimately posted a 5.29 ERA with 6.9 K/9, 2.4 BB/9 and a 34.9 percent ground-ball rate in 78 1/3 innings in his lone season with the Mets. That ERA was likely inflated, to some extent, by his .322 BABIP (compared to his career mark of .275) and an abnormally low 61.9 percent strand rate — trends that are reflected in his 3.64 FIP.
Cleveland projects to have Justin Masterson, Danny Salazar, Corey Kluber and Zach McAllister in its rotation, so Marcum will presumably compete for the fifth spot in the rotation come Spring Training. Despite last season's struggles, Marcum owns a 3.88 career ERA in 995 big league innings, so he brings some upside to Cleveland.
Well maybe he will work out better for the Indians.
Except for the fact that he’s had some success in the AL East throughout his career… Although the jury is still out to see if he can rebound from his injuries.
Nice deal for Cleveland.
At least they learned somewhat from the Brett Myers disaster by not giving Marcum guaranteed money.
Kind of different situations. Myers had a track record of durability.
Marcum looks like a bounceback candidate. Good no-risk deal for Cleveland.
Always enjoyed watching him pitch for the jays. If he can stay on the field he’s a nice piece to have in your rotation.
Was a favorite of mine! When he was coming up with McGowan he was always underrated but when healthy has been a good pitcher.
Very nice Cleveland, well done. Surprising he got only got a minor league offer because of his solid career. Thought someone would bit and give him a mil guaranteed.
His arm/shoulder is likely shot. Tough luck on his part as he’s always been a gamer. He’d have to prove he’s healthy to get more than this type of ST invite/minor league deal.
Perhaps he’ll be Kazmir 2.0?
Kazmir wasn’t coming off an injury he simply lost his sense of how to pitch.
Didn’t that start after some elbow trouble?
His elbow trouble was in 2009-2010. He was nowhere close to as dinged up as Marcum is.
okay, love this…
Steal for the Indians I think. I am very surprised a lot more teams didn’t jump on a deal like this, especially the Cubs with how they are running things right now. He may be able to turn things around to his former self, but if not only a minor league deal.
Was hoping my jays get this guy… Good pick!
Don’t understand why the Phillies didn’t pick him up, especially if he’s willing to sign a minor league deal.
Maybe he’s just not old enough.
I’d say that joke is getting old but it’s really not. It cannot be said enough.
If that joke is getting old Ruben Amaro would like to discuss a contract with that joke.
Now that was good.
Nice.
Very solid signing
This resembles the Scott Kazmir signing of last season
The key difference being Marcum is coming off several injuries whereas Kazmir was healthy and never had any serious previous injury issues. This makes it less likely that Marcum will stick.
Wish Toronto would have done this
Figured the Royals would sign him. Relieved!!!
This is the move that RAJ and the Phillies should have made, not sign an un-named pitcher formerly known as Fausto to a 4 MM deal.
Agree 100%.
Wow, great deal for the Indians, he was a guy that I had hoped that they would buy low on, but never imagined that they actually would. If he can bounce back to give the Tribe about 150-180 IP with numbers similar to his 2012 campaign this will be a bargain of a deal.
Great deal for the Indians.
Out of 17 known pitchers that had the TOS surgery, only one has come back and had success. That was a soft throwing Kenny Rogers. Tough injury to come back from.
I thought that Aaron Cook had TOS surgery in ’04 and Matt Harrison did in ’09. Both came back to pitch pretty well before other injuries interrupted their careers. I wonder if it makes a difference whether it is nerve or blood vessel compression causing the numbness/dead arm or the location of the compression matters.But, I’m not a doctor and this isn’t a sports med blog.
His 83 mph fastballs will get clobbered in the AL.
If he bounces back, he actually has the best splits of his career vs the AL Central opponents… stats obviously a little diluted since he’s been in the NL the last 3 season & players change hands… but eh it low risk.
Brett Myers—second take.
At least this one won’t cost as much. Nice to see that Antonetti is learning from past mistakes. And Marcum could always go to Columbus. Or Akron.
Reading all these posts about how this was such a great signing reminds me of last year when I was pumped the Mets got him. That quickly changed when he was topping out at 85 MPH. His stuff is flat and hes always one pitch away from landing on the DL. Its a shame a guy who was very solid has become a shell of himself at a relatively young age.
Expect him to bash to play by play announcers, you know…the Mets ones who were World Champs.
Seems like a good deal to me with all the $$$ starters have been handed this offseason. I was hoping the Cubs would give this guy a look.
As a Mets fan who watched him a ton last year, he was not an unlucky pitcher. He has a terrible attitude on the mound and flat-put stinks. He located nothing, he has an 85 mph fastball and hos offspeed stuff has no movement and he either hangs it or yanks it into the dirt. Maybe he was hurt, but let’s not play the BABIP and strand-rate cards. Going strictly by what he did on the mound, he was just horrible.
Love those minor league contracts. We did it last year with Dice-K, Kazmir and Matt Capps. If it works, Antonetti looks like a genius. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t cost anything. Great signing!!!