The Cubs appear to have a minor-league deal in place with catcher Chris Gimenez, which the University of Nevada baseball club (his collegiate team) tweeted recently and SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo confirms on Twitter. Other terms of the agreement are not yet known.
While minors pacts with veteran catchers typically aren’t very exciting, this one comes with some added interest. For one thing, Gimenez currently projects as the Cubs’ top reserve option behind regular Willson Contreras, with Jason Martinez of Roster Resource projecting that Victor Caratini will open the year at Triple-A.
Of much more speculative (but also more intriguing) note is the fact that Gimenez has an excellent relationship with reputed Chicago pitching target Yu Darvish from their joint time with the Rangers. Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press has covered this topic from the Twins’ point of view, but it’s an interesting read for any fan — particularly those interested in possibly seeing Darvish at Wrigley.
Gimenez, clearly, is a target in his own right. The personable 35-year-old is fresh off of a quality season in which he ran a .220/.350/.382 batting line in a career-high 225 plate appearances. He has typically not hit at quite that level, but comes witha solid defensive reputation, too. Though his framing metrics slipped in ’17 in the eyes of Stat Corner, Gimenez drew good marks from Baseball Prospectus and has typically graded around league-average in that area.
Austin Jackson. Chris Gimenez. The stove is warming up!
The Cubs signed somebody! You can’t believe how hyped I was when I saw Cubs signed. I was thinking Darvish? Arrieta? Cobb? Then I read a minor league contract with catcher Gimenez lol
But to be fair, this is strangely similar to the Cubs signing David Ross before signing Jon Lester a few years ago. hmmm…
You cubs fans have had the most action this offseason. Chatwood, morrow, cishek, smyly and duensing. Leave some FA’s for the rest of us
I think the doo doo market has left plenty of options to those willing to pay.
Except, Lester signed first.
Yu Darvish….
Gamesmanship. I see moves within moves.
Darvish is coming to the Cubs. You can put it in the books.
Brewers or twins
Lol
You will be so butthurt when he doesn’t
Actually no we won’t. Because we realize when Harper comes next off season we’ll have a crowded outfield and that will probably knock schwarber out of the lineup.. so then we trade schwarber and some prospects for a young cheap pitcher instead of spending 20 a year on darvish..
Except the fact that Schwarbs output has lowered his stock to the point where he can’t really headline the type of package you would need to land a pitcher of that caliber you’d want.
No
No thanks.
Uh, you mean yes thanks
This can only be a precursor to a Brian Roberts trade.
Infinite likes
This is the highest and best use of this comment space.
Sounds like a possibly similar move to the Lester/Ross signings…
Lester signed first. THis is in no way similar. THis guy isn’t even guaranteed to be on the team.
The Ross move for 2018. Good defensive guy, who can do a little offensively and will be fine with limited at bats.
Yankees, put it in your books
I’ve been hoping that the Cubs would sign Gimenez, his personality is a lot like David Ross. He is constantly talking, pumping up the guys and is a great teammate. He should loosen up that Cubs dugout.
He is an outstanding guy. I ran into him several times when he was with the Rangers. Super cool, with a great perspective on how fortunate he is to be getting paid to play baseball.
Yep, Darvish is going to sign with the Cubs just because they have Chris Gimenez, who caught him for 79 innings in 2014.
Glad you agree.
You are going to feel like a Silly Billy when Darvish does sign with the Cubs for 4 years $90 million.
He already has a 5 year offer so that’s unlikely.
5 year $ 50 million. I’ll take it.
http://www.chicagonow.com/cubs-den/2018/01/cubs-sign-catcher-chris-gimenez-to-minor-league-deal/
Look for a tweet indicating this guy is Darvish’s all-time favorite catcher.
No guarantee, but it doesn’t hurt.
White Sox vs Cubs 2020 World Series… book it now!
Cubs fans you’ll like the guy. He’s a gamer and can play the corner infield in a pinch or even mop up some late game blowout pitching duty for you. With mitch garver set to be the backup he was redundant in Minnesota however. Good signing cubs.
The Yu Darvish ties here seem to be overblown to me.
So says a swore Twins fan lol
Huh? Said the same thing before the twins even let him go. Not all twins fans want them to shell out 130 over 5 years for Yu homie. My preference is if it’s around that rate for the cubs to go ahead and take em.
My bust. Sorry. I do think that catcher signing has meaning. I’d bet something happens with the Cubs by this weekend.
Me thinks that if Gimenez was that important to Darvish, he wold hav stuck with him in Texas.
Gimenez has always been fantastic defensively, but as Tommy Lasorda would say, he couldn’t hit water if he fell out of a boat.
But he can walk!
This is somewhat reminiscent of free agent backup catcher David Ross joining fellow Red Sox battery mate Jon Lester in Chicago back in December of 2014. In the latter instance, Ross signed with the Cubs 8 days after Lester inked his 6 yrs/$155M contract that also includes a $25M team option for 2021 that becomes guaranteed with two innings related vesting contingies in 2019 and 2020 and/or a $10M buyout.
Ross was also Lester’s personal catcher in both Boston and in Chicago until he retired following the Cubs 2016 World Series championship. Gimenez doesn’t have the same degree of importance with Darvish as Ross had with Lester. He was a backup catcher for the Rangers for parts of 2014 and into 2015 when Darvish was also in Texas. What might be just as interesting is that Gimenez spent last season in Minnesota, an organization that elected not to retain his services despite also reportedly being involved in the Darvish sweepstakes this offseason. It should also be noted that the Rangers had no problems shipping Gimenez off to Cleveland twice, once in 2014 and then again in early 2016.
Nobody asked for the history lesson.
This may not be a signing that thrills Cubs fans. But there is a reason for this signing. Something going to break by the weekend bank it. Read in between lines.
You don’t really need to read inbetween the lines when it states the link between the two directly in the article.
Then why even debate it.
Or just trolling n hate.
I have faith in you guys . Don’t disappoint
You neglected to mention that Gimenez led all MLB catchers in innings pitched last year.
Im Hoping Carratini (sp?) wins the job.